As the US presidential election on November 5th approaches, there are just over ten days left. In this closely contested election, former President Trump and current Vice President Harris are looking for their “secret weapons” to boost their campaigns in the final stages and make a final push.
According to senior officials from Vice President Harris’s campaign team, former First Lady Michelle Obama will join Harris in an event in Michigan on October 26th to promote voter turnout. This will be Michelle’s first appearance in support of Harris’s campaign and will take place on the first day of early voting in the crucial battleground state of Michigan.
Newsweek mentioned in an article that Michelle Obama could be the “ultimate weapon” to secure Harris’s victory. Michelle will also play a key role in a rally organized by the advocacy group “When We All Vote” in Atlanta on October 29th, rallying support for Harris in another key battleground state, Georgia. “When We All Vote” is a civic engagement organization founded by Michelle in 2018, aiming to change the voting culture.
Meanwhile, Michelle’s husband, former President Barack Obama, has been campaigning in swing states to support Harris and her running mate Tim Walz. Obama also attended a campaign event with Harris on October 24th in Georgia.
A recent poll found that a significant number of Black voters, a crucial voting group that helped Joe Biden win the 2020 election, have yet to decide who to vote for this year. Michelle Obama’s involvement could boost Harris’s campaign, as she is the first woman of color to serve as US Vice President. The competition between Harris and Trump in the final weeks is intense, with the outcome likely to be determined by narrow margins in key battleground states like Michigan and Georgia.
According to YouGov data, Michelle is one of the most popular public figures in the US with a 61% approval rating, even more popular than her husband, Barack Obama, who has a 59% approval rating.
There have been calls within the Democratic Party to welcome Michelle Obama to run for president, both before Biden’s decision to seek re-election last year and earlier this year when there was pressure within the party for Biden to step down. However, Michelle has repeatedly denied speculation about her running for the presidency. After Biden withdrew from the race on July 21st, the Obamas supported Harris and delivered enthusiastic speeches for her presidential campaign at the Democratic National Convention in August.
In a speech at the convention, Michelle Obama warned the Democratic Party that the election is crucial. She urged Democrats to “do something” to prevent Trump from winning a second term.
Recently, on Instagram, Michelle shared a post saying, “This election is very close. Every vote counts – even a few votes in swing states can be crucial. That’s why we all must #DoSomething in the final days of the election. Next week, I will start campaigning with Harris. Will you #DoSomething? Will you make a voting plan? Will you help others do the same?”
Some of Michelle’s fans in the comments section shared their plans, with one saying, “We will bring over 150 friends to Philadelphia and go door-to-door in the five days leading up to the election to Get Out The Vote for Harris!”
Northeastern University political science professor Costas Panagopoulos referred to former First Lady Michelle Obama as an “effective closer.” He believes that Michelle’s joint campaigning with Harris could help unify voters before Election Day.
Panagopoulos told Newsweek, “Michelle Obama is the Democratic Party’s ‘secret weapon.’ She is widely popular on many fronts, particularly among Black women who are crucial for Harris’s victory, and she is a very influential speaker.”
He added, “Strategically deploying her (Michelle) in key states could be beneficial for Harris’s campaign.”
Brown University political science professor Katherine Tate said that Michelle Obama’s presence in the campaign events would be “exciting.” Tate, the author of “From Protest to Politics: The New Black Voters in American Elections,” told Newsweek, “There was a lot of enthusiasm for Harris at the beginning, but now it has leveled off. Michelle Obama’s participation will bring a lot of excitement back to the campaign.”
Tate added, “(Michelle Obama) is known for her ability to connect with voters on a personal level. She can help Harris attract a larger audience. Her support will deepen Harris’s existing support among Black women and help people make a clear choice between Harris and Trump.”
Senator John Fetterman expressed concerns about the growing political influence of the world’s richest man and American tech billionaire Elon Musk, especially his support for Trump. Fetterman warned that Musk’s involvement could be detrimental to the Democratic Party in Pennsylvania and nationally, as he is seen as Trump’s “secret weapon” in the 2024 election.
Fetterman emphasized that Musk’s popularity and influence should not be underestimated. According to the New York Post, Fetterman criticized Democrats for underestimating Musk, especially his active support for Trump and participation in rallies.
Musk, who had previously been skeptical of Trump, fully embraced the former president in mid-July this year, campaigning alongside him and donating $75 million to a PAC supporting Trump.
During a large campaign rally held in Pennsylvania on July 13th, after several gunshots, Trump stood back up with blood on his right ear and face, raised his right fist to the sky, and shouted, “Fight! Fight!”
Trump’s instinctive reaction turned a potentially deadly assassination attempt into a supercharged force driving his campaign. The photo of him raising his fist became a symbol of that turning point and further bolstered Republican unity and support for Trump. Trump’s son Eric Trump posted a caption with the fist photo on social media saying, “The warrior America needs.”
Since openly supporting Trump, Musk has made several public appearances at Trump’s campaign events. At a large rally in Pennsylvania on October 5th where Trump returned after the assassination attempt, Musk told the crowd, “America is the home of the brave, and nothing shows true courage like that displayed in battle. Who do you want to represent America?”
“This is not a normal election. The other side wants to strip away your freedom of speech. They want to take away your right to carry arms.”
“Freedom of speech is the foundation of democracy…that’s why it’s the First Amendment. The existence of the Second Amendment (right to bear arms) is to ensure we have the First Amendment.” Musk continued.
Musk urged voters to vote for Trump, saying, “President Trump must win to preserve the Constitution. He must win to protect American democracy…This is a must-win situation.”
Fetterman acknowledged the fierce political competition in Pennsylvania. He noted that after the assassination attempt, Trump developed a closer connection with the state’s voters, making the 2024 election race “exceptionally close.”
Known for his straightforward working-class image, Fetterman often openly criticizes the left within the Democratic Party. He still believes that if President Biden does not step down and continues to compete against Trump, he remains competitive. Fetterman urged Democrats to take the 2024 election more seriously now, especially in key swing states like Pennsylvania.
In June this year, The Economic Times pointed out that Trump has a “secret weapon” that will play a crucial role in his campaign events in key swing states, and that “secret weapon” is his campaign manager, Susie Wiles.
Wiles helped Trump win in the swing state of Florida in the 2016 election.
The Economic Times stated that Wiles is known for her communication strategy, organizational skills, and political acumen, and she can garner grassroots support, which is crucial in electoral politics. When she took over Trump’s entire political campaign in Florida in 2016, Trump’s victory there paved the way for a successful nationwide campaign.
Wiles has been able to achieve victories in many seemingly impossible situations, including her assistance to candidates like Rick Scott and Ron DeSantis.
In 2010, Wiles was responsible for Scott’s campaign for governor of Florida, just like Trump in 2016, Scott was also an independent and wealthy businessman and a “political outsider.” Wiles strategically ensured Scott’s victory. In 2018, as Scott, who had served two terms as governor, ran for a Senate seat, the young Congressman DeSantis decided to run for governor but was clearly lagging behind his Democratic opponent. With just a month left until Election Day, Wiles took over DeSantis’s campaign and helped him secure victory.
In 2019, Wiles served as an advisor for Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign in Florida but was fired by Trump in September 2019. After the 2020 election defeat, Trump rehired Wiles as a senior advisor and appointed her as the executive director of the Save America Leadership PAC led by Trump.
Since March 2023, Wiles has been part of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign team, serving as a co-campaign manager.
A Vanity Fair article in August this year dubbed Wiles as the “woman who helped Trump rise from the ashes of 2020.”
The report characterized Wiles as “a sixty-something grandmother with short blonde hair and a warm smile,” noting that her appearance and demeanor put people at ease, but in reality, she is “a savvy political operator.”
Wiles’s father was Pat Summerall, a former NFL player who later became a legendary sports announcer. She grew up in the sports and celebrity world.
During her early career, Wiles worked for Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush’s presidential campaigns.
The Vanity Fair article mentioned that Wiles is not one to flatter, she is not afraid to face powerful men, and she is not afraid to tell Trump things he doesn’t want to hear.
The article noted that Trump admired Wiles’s father and had a favorable impression of Wiles as well. With Wiles in charge of Trump’s 2024 campaign, the Trump family was relieved, believing she was trustworthy.
A researcher focusing on Christian voters warned that churches have not done enough to ensure that faith-based voters express their voices in the 2024 presidential election. He also pointed out that evangelical voters who did not vote in 2016 and 2020 had an impact on the election results, and churches could be the “secret weapon” for the winner in the 2024 election.
Researcher Craig Huey, with a marketing background, has written several books, including “The Christian Voter: How to Vote For, Not Against, Your Values to Transform Culture and Politics.” In his books, he shares data on evangelical voters who did not vote in the 2020 election.
In an article from the Christian Post in October, Huey listed six key swing states in the 2020 and 2024 elections: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
The electoral votes in these six states total 87, and winning most of these electoral votes will secure victory in the 2024 election. Polls in these battleground states show a tight race between Harris and Trump.
Huey’s data revealed that about 6.9 million evangelical voters living in these six swing states did not vote in the 2020 election, and in the five swing states Biden won in 2020, the number of evangelical voters who did not cast ballots far exceeded Biden’s winning margin.
In the 2020 election, Biden won Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. His victory in these states helped him secure 306 electoral votes, surpassing the threshold of 270 electoral votes needed for victory. Trump received 232 electoral votes that year.
Huey pointed out that the votes of evangelical voters were decisive factors in Trump’s victory in 2016 and his defeat in 2020.
He explained to the Christian Post, “Evangelical pastors, non-profit organizations, and large churches endorsed Trump in 2016, telling their congregations they must go out and vote. In 2016, they carried out large-scale door-to-door (get out the vote) activities in Wisconsin and other swing states.”
“This was significant for those swing states and more than enough to make an impact.” Huey added.
Currently, Huey expressed his “serious concern” regarding evangelical voter turnout in 2024, as he has not seen any efforts by pastors to mobilize Christian voters.
Huey said, “Churches are the secret weapon to win elections, but pastors are remaining silent. Few evangelical individuals are doing what’s necessary to mobilize churches to come out and vote for – not against – their values.”