On Saturday, October 26th, both Trump and Harris simultaneously held campaign events in the key swing state of Michigan. Trump made an appeal to the Muslim voters in the state, emphasizing his commitment to bringing peace to the Middle East.
During a speech at a rally in Novi, a suburb of Detroit, Trump mentioned meeting with a group of Imams, stating that he believes he deserves the support of Muslim voters because of his efforts to end conflicts and bring peace to the region.
Imam Belal Alzuhairi from the Islamic Center of Detroit joined Trump on stage, advocating for Muslim support for the President due to his promises of peace. Trump also promised to revive the economy in the Detroit area and nationwide to support auto workers.
Leaving Michigan, Trump headed to Pennsylvania, where he held a rally on the campus of Pennsylvania State University. In his speech, Trump vowed to prevent the third world war, despite the country being closer to it than ever before.
Michigan, with approximately 8.4 million registered voters, holds 15 electoral votes out of the 270 needed to win the election, making it one of the seven fiercely contested states in the United States.
With a significant population of Arab and Muslim voters in Michigan, as well as concerns from union workers in the automotive industry about the impact of electric vehicles, Michigan’s outcome will be crucial in the upcoming election.
Meanwhile, in the southern Michigan city of Kalamazoo, Harris discussed her stances on abortion rights, taxation, and healthcare. Former First Lady Michelle Obama took the stage to rally support for Harris, highlighting the double standards faced by Harris and calling out the unfair treatment she receives.
Michelle expressed frustration over the scrutiny faced by Harris compared to the lack of accountability for Trump’s incompetence. She urged undecided voters to wake up and see through the fog of misinformation.
Michelle also criticized Trump’s pledge to repeal the Affordable Care Act, warning of its impact on women’s health. Addressing the lower levels of male support for Harris in polls, Michelle called on men to support the safety and well-being of their loved ones.
Following Michelle’s introduction, Harris began her speech but was interrupted by a protester shouting against the Gaza war. Despite the disruption, Harris emphasized the need to end the conflict and called for unity among voters to overcome fear and division.
As the election day on November 5th approaches, polls show a neck-and-neck race between Trump and Harris. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll indicates Harris leading Trump nationally by a slight margin of 46% to 43%. In Michigan, Harris holds a narrower lead of 47.6% to 47.1% according to FiveThirtyEight data.
Since the 2020 election, Michigan has introduced early voting and begun processing and tallying mail-in ballots in precincts with over 5,000 residents eight days before the election day on November 5th.
Michigan’s Secretary of State announced that as of Friday, October 25th, 19.5% of registered voters in Michigan, nearly 1.42 million people, have already voted, with only 10,900 individuals voting in person and the rest voting by mail.