As the U.S. presidential election nears its final week, the race between Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump has reached a fever pitch, with both candidates intensifying their rhetoric. Each is accusing the other of worsening America’s deep political and social divisions. The campaign dynamics reflect a tight race, with a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll showing Harris leading Trump by just one percentage point, 44% to 43%, nationally.
Donald Trump, in an effort to appeal to his base, has been capitalizing on recent controversies, including a comment by President Joe Biden that some interpreted as an insult to Trump supporters. During a campaign stop in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Trump, clad in an orange reflective vest, climbed into a garbage truck to symbolically reject Biden’s alleged insult. “Biden should be ashamed of himself,” Trump declared, asserting that his supporters “are not garbage.”
Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris has been making her case for a new direction for the country. Speaking in North Carolina, she urged voters to “turn the page” on Trump’s leadership, accusing him of being more focused on personal grievances than on the needs of the American people. Harris emphasized her readiness to tackle critical issues, pledging to begin her term with a clear agenda.
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Polls in key battleground states like North Carolina suggest that the race remains extremely close, with Harris’s national lead slightly shrinking from two points in mid-October. As election day draws near, tensions are rising, and election workers in critical states are on high alert for potential violence. In Florida, a recent arrest of a man who threatened voters with a machete highlights the charged atmosphere surrounding the election.
This polarization is further evidenced by surveys showing that a large segment of both parties views the other side as a serious threat to the country. A March survey found that 38% of Republicans and 41% of Democrats consider the opposing party an “imminent threat.”
Compounding the tension, Trump continues to promote baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election and has hinted that he may contest the results if he loses again. His legal challenges this year have largely centered on voter integrity issues, despite a lack of evidence supporting his claims of illegal voting. One such issue surfaced when the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated Virginia’s decision to remove 1,600 individuals from voter rolls, a move disputed by the Biden administration.
Both candidates are also utilizing social media platforms like TikTok to connect with younger voters. Trump has garnered 12.5 million followers on TikTok, far outpacing Harris’s 6.2 million, highlighting the importance of engaging with Gen Z in the final stretch of the campaign.
As both Harris and Trump focus on energizing their bases and swaying undecided voters in the final days, the election’s outcome could hinge on voter turnout, particularly in battleground states. The next few days are critical as both candidates seek to solidify their support in a highly polarized and closely contested race.
