On Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump continued their campaign activities in swing states, hoping to garner support from undecided voters in the final days before the election.
The day before, Harris held a campaign event at the Ellipse south of the White House with over 75,000 attendees, while Trump hosted an event at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, outlining his governing principles and policy proposals.
Harris planned to hold a rally at the Giant Expo Hall in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on Wednesday afternoon, where she would address Pennsylvania voters. She also planned to visit Raleigh, the rapidly growing capital of North Carolina, with a population of about 480,000.
In 2020, Trump won North Carolina by less than 1.5 percentage points, and also carried the state in 2016. However, the results in North Carolina have become particularly unpredictable following a hurricane disaster last month.
According to internal polling averages by The Hill/Decision Desk HQ, Trump leads in the crucial state of North Carolina by 1.6 percentage points.
Trump’s campaign team announced that his first stop on Wednesday would be a rally in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, where he is expected to discuss the impact of inflation on Americans.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury Department released a clip of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen praising the strong economic growth, historic low unemployment rate, declining inflation, and rising wages in the United States during a banking conference.
After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, high inflation has troubled many voters. In the seven key states determining the outcome of this election, voters are looking beyond traditional economic measures and focusing on the higher prices they are paying for essential goods, leading them to lean towards supporting the Republican candidate, Trump.
A recent poll by Reuters/Ipsos showed that 61% of swing state voters believe the economy is heading in the wrong direction, and 68% think that the cost of living is on the wrong track.
Following the rallies, the former president will head to Green Bay, Wisconsin, to co-host an event with former quarterback Brett Favre.
Vice presidential candidate and Republican Senator from Ohio, JD Vance, and former Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard will also hold a town hall meeting in Bedford, Pennsylvania. Republicans have a slight edge in support in the state.
A poll by Reuters/Ipsos on Tuesday showed Harris leading Trump nationally among registered voters by 44% to 43%, within the margin of error.
(Reference: Report by The Hill)