News from Fox News: Election Day 2024 kicks off as voters decide between Harris and Trump. Both candidates end their campaigns, leaving the choice in the hands of the people.
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| Former President Donald Trump rallied in Raleigh, North Carolina, before Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with supporters in Scranton, Pennsylvania: Image: Fox News |
Competing against the Republican nominee is Vice President Kamala Harris, who, just three and a half months prior, ascended to the top of the Democratic ticket, succeeding President Biden.
With approximately 75 million ballots already submitted nationwide during early voting, and in-person voting now commencing, both major party candidates express optimism regarding their prospects in this pivotal election.
"Momentum is on our side," Harris declared to her supporters at a rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, on Monday. "Can you feel it?"
Later that day, at a rally in Pittsburgh, the vice president reaffirmed, "make no mistake, we will win."
Trump, also campaigning in crucial Pennsylvania, told his supporters, "we've been waiting for this. I've been waiting four years for this."
Despite final national polls and key swing state surveys indicating a race within the margin of error, the former president asserted, "we have a big lead. We have a big lead."
On the eve of the election, Trump and Harris held competing rallies in Pennsylvania, which, with its 19 electoral votes, represents the most significant prize among the seven critical battleground states.
Harris concluded her campaign with a large late-night rally in Philadelphia, near the iconic "Rocky Steps" outside the city's Art Museum.
At approximately the same time that Harris was in Philadelphia, Trump conducted his final rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the same location where he concluded his campaigns in both 2016 and 2020.
The states of Pennsylvania and Michigan, along with Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada, represent the seven pivotal swing states whose narrow margins were instrumental in determining President Biden's victory over Trump in 2020. These states are expected to play a crucial role in deciding the outcome of the 2024 election between Trump and Harris.
In recent months, Harris, Trump, their respective running mates, and key supporters have actively campaigned across these seven battleground states. The two presidential campaigns, along with their affiliated super PACs, have expended nearly all of the $2.3 billion allocated for advertising in these critical regions.
The closing messages of the vice president and the former president were markedly different. Harris, for the second consecutive day, refrained from mentioning Trump directly, opting instead for a positive and optimistic message that envisioned a united future for the country. In contrast, Trump portrayed a bleak assessment of the nation over the past four years under Biden's leadership, criticizing Democratic policies and emphasizing the risks associated with unregulated immigration.
For Trump, the 2024 campaign has been an arduous two-year journey. He declared his candidacy at his Mar-a-Lago club in South Florida just days after the 2022 midterm elections. Following a sluggish start, the former president successfully overcame a crowded field of GOP primary challengers, which had briefly included over a dozen candidates last year, and dominated the Republican presidential primaries earlier this year.
Despite facing indictments in four separate criminal cases, Trump experienced a surge in support and a significant increase in fundraising during the late spring, following his historic status as the first former or current president to be convicted of felonies.
A month later, President Biden encountered a significant challenge following a poor debate performance against Trump in late June, which reignited persistent doubts regarding the 81-year-old president's physical and mental capacity to endure another demanding term in office. This situation led to calls from within his own party for him to consider stepping aside.
As a result, Trump's lead in the polls over Biden increased, and the former president gained additional political momentum after surviving an assassination attempt during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, just two days prior to the Republican National Convention in July.
However, the dynamics of the race shifted dramatically shortly thereafter, as Biden announced the end of his re-election campaign and expressed his support for his vice president. The Democratic Party quickly rallied around Harris, leading to a surge in her fundraising efforts and an increase in her poll standings.
Harris enjoyed a favorable period that extended through the late August Democratic National Convention and into September, when many analysts deemed her the victor of the sole presidential debate against Trump.
Yet, as September transitioned into October, Trump seemed to regain his momentum, with public opinion polls indicating a resurgence in support for the former president.
Karl Rove, a seasoned Republican strategist and Fox News contributor, characterized the Harris-Trump debate as a "coin toss."
Conversely, veteran Republican consultant Alex Castellanos expressed skepticism regarding the polls, highlighting the recent gains in voter registration among Republicans.
"I believe the pollsters are misjudging the situation. There is a significant factor that is being overlooked, as they continue to present the same polling data repeatedly. Someone is missing a crucial element."
Castellanos, who has extensive experience in various presidential campaigns, contended that "what they are failing to recognize is a substantial shift in voter registration trends. In thirty-one states, voter registration is categorized by party affiliation, and in the last four years, thirty of those states have experienced a movement towards the Republican Party."
Longtime Democratic pollster Mark Penn, appearing on Fox News' "Special Report," highlighted a notable increase in early voting among Republicans. This shift comes after Trump, who has historically criticized early voting, recently endorsed the GOP's efforts to encourage Republican participation in this voting method. Penn remarked, "The only fact we know is that Republicans have performed significantly better in mail-in and early voting than ever before."
Harris, a resident of California, submitted her vote by mail prior to Election Day.
The Trump campaign announced that the former president intends to vote in person on Election Day in Palm Beach, Florida, his place of residence.
According to his campaign, Trump also plans to spend Election Day with family, friends, and staff, while conducting phone-based tele-rallies in targeted areas.
The former president is scheduled to establish his Election Night headquarters at a convention center in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Harris is anticipated to dedicate part of Election Day to making her case through radio interviews. Additionally, the vice president's Election Night headquarters will be located at her alma mater, the historically Black Howard University in Washington D.C.
In the final week of the campaign, Trump, who has spent four years making unfounded claims regarding a rigged election in 2020, seems to be attempting to undermine the integrity of the 2024 election.
On Sunday, Trump reiterated his allegations without evidence, asserting that Democrats are attempting to cheat. "They are fighting so hard to steal this damn thing," the former president declared on Sunday.
খবর/তথ্যের বিষয়বস্তুর সঙ্গে মিল আছে এবং আপত্তিজনক নয়- এমন মন্তব্যই প্রদর্শিত হবে। মন্তব্যগুলো পাঠকের নিজস্ব মতামত, সেবা হট নিউজ এর দায়ভার কখনই নেবে না।