What is the situation, what are the two candidates doing?

(CLO) Ms. Kamala Harris campaigned on October 27 in Philadelphia, the Democratic Party's stronghold in Pennsylvania, while Mr. Donald Trump visited New York.

With just eight days to go until Election Day in the US (November 5), the two leading candidates for the White House - Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump - are still trying to win votes in battleground states as polls show the race will be very tight.

On October 26, Mr. Trump made a bold move to attract Arab-American and Muslim voters in Michigan, a battleground state with nearly 400,000 Arab-American voters.

Michigan voted for President Joe Biden in 2020, but this year the fallout from the conflict in Gaza and Lebanon could impact the Democratic vote for Harris. Michigan is one of seven battleground states in the US that could decide the winner.

Ms Harris also campaigned in Michigan on October 26, warning that Mr Trump would wield “extreme and unchecked power” if he returned to the White House.

A voter fills out a ballot on the first day of early voting in New York, October 26. Photo: AFP

Is Trump "going against the tide"?

A poll released by Emerson College Polling on October 26 showed that Ms. Harris and Mr. Trump had an equal support rate of 49%.

The poll, conducted on October 23-24, showed the race closer than it was a week earlier, when Harris led Trump 49% to 48%. It was also the first time since August that Harris had not led in Emerson’s weekly poll.

“Male voters are backing Trump by 13 points, 55% to 42%, a larger margin than in 2020, while female voters are backing Harris by 10 points, 54% to 44%, worse than Biden’s support in 2020,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling.

The latest poll also found that regardless of who they voted for, 50% of US voters think Mr Trump will win the election while 49% think the same about Ms Harris.

The poll also listed the top issues voters are concerned about as the economy (45%), followed by immigration (14%), threats to democracy (14%), abortion rights (7%), health care (6%) and crime (4%).

Meanwhile, FiveThirtyEight's latest daily average shows Ms Harris leading national polls with 47.9% to Mr Trump's 46.6%.

Tension in the final sprint of the "two-horse" race

Ms. Harris was in Michigan, where former First Lady Michelle Obama electrified a crowd of Democratic supporters by drawing distinctions between Ms. Harris and Mr. Trump in terms of personality and professional qualifications.

The two-horse race between Mr. Trump and Ms. Harris is very tense.

Michelle Obama warned that another Trump term would lead to further erosion of abortion rights. She said Trump's promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act, passed during her husband's presidency, would affect "all women's health."

Ms Harris had been speaking optimistically for a few minutes when a protester interrupted her and shouted: "No more war in Gaza".

After Harris' supporters protested, she responded: "On the subject of Gaza, we have to end that war," then continued on her topic, calling on voters to "move past the fear and division."

Also on the campaign trail in Michigan, Mr. Trump met with a group of Muslim preachers, arguing that he deserved the support of Muslim voters because he would end conflict and bring peace to the Middle East.

Mr Trump said he fully supported Israel and told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “do what he has to do” when it comes to dealing with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Still, the former president appears to be winning support from some Muslim Americans disaffected by President Joe Biden and Ms. Harris's policies in Gaza.

Imam Belal Alzuhairi, a member of the Islamic Center of Detroit, joined Mr Trump on stage at a campaign rally in Novi and said: "We call on Muslims to support President Trump because he promises peace."

What happens next?

Harris spent the entire day of October 27 in Philadelphia, crisscrossing the city in a series of neighborhood events to rally voters. Turnout in Philadelphia could be a deciding factor in whether Harris can win the crucial state of Pennsylvania, which has 19 electoral votes.

Harris' daylong trip focused on predominantly black and Latino neighborhoods in the Democratic-leaning city, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Harris attended services on the morning of October 27 and gave a speech at a black church in West Philadelphia. She also went to a West Philadelphia barbershop to talk with young black men and community leaders.

Meanwhile, Mr Trump appeared at one of the country's most iconic venues, holding a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City to deliver the closing message of his campaign against Ms Harris.

Mr. Trump was born and raised in Queens, New York City. He also built his real estate career in the city.

Mr Trump has repeatedly spoken of his plan to crack down on illegal immigration and deport migrants he describes as “brutal and bloodthirsty criminals” if he wins the November 5 election. “On day one, I will launch the largest deportation program in American history,” he said.

The Trump campaign said the 19,500-seat event at Madison Square Garden, which can cost up to $1 million to rent, was sold out.

Ngoc Anh (according to AJ)

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