VP Harris, former President Trump keep focus on battleground states in election's final weeks

Craig Wall Image
Thursday, October 17, 2024
Harris focuses on battleground states, Trump campaigns in NY
Harris focuses on battleground states, Trump campaigns in NYBoth presidential candidates are keeping their eye on battleground states in the final weeks of their election campaigns, but only VP Harris was in Wisconsin Thursday.

WASHINGTON -- Both presidential candidates are keeping their eyes on battleground states in the final weeks of their election campaigns.

With three weeks left in the presidential campaign, Harris is spending most of her days trying to shore up support in the "blue wall" states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin as she tries to avoid a repeat of Hillary Clinton's collapse there eight years ago.

Her schedule reflects the Democratic nominee's focus on her most likely path to victory over Republican candidate Donald Trump.

Harris is in Milwaukee on Thursday seeking support from college-age voters.

She dropped by a business class at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is holding a student rally at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She closes out the day with a rally in Green Bay.

Trump visited a barber shop in New York ahead of the Alfred Smith dinner Thursday night, which raises money for Catholic charities. Harris is expected to attend virtually. Wednesday, Trump took questions during a town hall held by Spanish-speaking network Univision, in which he disparaged Chicago several times.

"And when you say, Chicago, immediately, we have to think about the crime because it's so dangerous in Chicago. And some of these people came from other countries. Many of them came from other countries," he claimed. "So what we're going to do is we have to be much tougher on crime."

Trump's comments came in response to a question from Streamwood, Ill. resident Guadalupe Ramirez, who had asked about his immigration reform plans, and why he scuttled a bipartisan bill to address the border situation.

"Well, I was very disappointed in the fact that he did not actually address my question. I feel like he kind of went off on a tangent and started talking about the crime of Chicago and Governor Pritzker," Ramirez said.

Mark Cuban campaigned with Harris Thursday, and told her rally attendees Donald Trump used to be "a little bit coherent."

"But I don't know what happened to him," said Cuban, an owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and celebrity investor on "Shark Tank."

Cuban warned the crowd that if Trump was elected in November, his tariffs proposal would make holiday gifts cost 60% more than they are now.

"You won't be able to afford the presents you want for your family and friends," he said. The choice, he said, is to elect Harris.

One woman from the Chicago suburbs who has been campaigning frequently in Wisconsin for Harris and is headed back there this weekend said she's encouraged to see the vice president returning there so often.

"I think she has a pretty good chance. We just need to keep going, keep knocking doors, making calls. I think she has a pretty good chance," Loretta Jackson said.

Harris is reportedly returning to Madison, Wis., for a rally next Tuesday. Trump is planning another town hall in Pennsylvania Sunday, the same day Harris' running mate Gov. Tim Walz will be in Chicago for a fundraiser.

ABC News and the Associated Press contributed to this report

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