Harris, Trump focus on vulnerabilities as campaign nears end
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are preparing to hit the campaign trail in earnest over the next few years leading up to the 2024 U.S. presidential election in order to alleviate their biggest electoral vulnerabilities. Each is taking on high-profile matters — immigration and abortion — that could shift momentum in what polls show as a tight race.
Harris’s Focus on Immigration
Immigration May Define Vice President Harris — where Trump remains strong in polls. Voters have proven to be unhappy with President Biden’s record on immigration, and Harris plans to travel this week to the southern border to cement her position on the issue. The New York Times story is here, and it’s worth your time This visit, reported by The New York Times, is part of her attempt to turn the MAGA rhetoric into reality, especially because she was one of the most influential figures on the administration’s immigration policy earlier on.
Harris’s stiffer tone on the border has been met with criticism from some in the progressive world but more centrist voices like Jim Kessler of the think tank Third Way argue that she needed to move to the middle. Kessler points to Harris’s moves on the border, crime and economic growth as in line with what centrist voters would have expected. But immigration, particularly illegal immigration, is still a major weakness for her campaign as the race goes on.
Trump’s Abortion Challenge
To the extent that Trump is fighting fires on abortion, she has Harris well beaten there. While support for abortion rights remains high in some states, Republicans had enjoyed occasional successes after the Supreme Court gutted Roe v. Wade in 2022. To that end, it is one area of potential weakness for Trump as he seeks to unite a broader coalition of voters heading into Election Day.
Polls Currently Point to a Close Presidential Contest
According to the most recent edition of FiveThirtyEight’s projections, Harris is at 57 percent while Trump is in second place with 42 percent. Harris had a slightly stronger lead just a few days ago; however new polling, especially in battleground states, has shown the race to be quite close. Trump, for instance, has a lead of 2 points in North Carolina, and 3 point in Georgia; but Harris is ahead in northern battleground states such as Wisconsin and Michigan.
Close polling in swing states such as North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada points to a razor-thin outcome with the Electoral College margin rivaling 1876. A slip in voter sentiment by the smallest percentage could cause one of these candidates to win.
Potential for Electoral Chaos
The closeness of the race has prompted warnings of post-election chaos. Because Trump already has laid the predicate by sounding alarms about oil-in ballots and with lawsuits over voter registration processes in some states. With such slim margins for both sides, there is a significant potential for one or both of the candidates to challenge the results, leaving Americans with a long and likely contentious post-election phase similar to what happened in 2000 when George W. Bush triumphed over Al Gore in one of the most hotly contested elections ever.
Iran Poses Security Challenge To Trump
US top intelligence officials recently briefed Trump on Iran threats to kill him The briefing — confirmed by a spokesman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) — singled out recent increased incidents from Iran, which has long been viewed skeptically in Syria due to its relationship with Hizballah. Trump is under protection of law enforcer who are trying to secure both Trump himself and the election.
Conclusion: Blow For Blast
Against the backdrop of Election Day creeping closer, Harris and Trump are laboring to fortify deficiencies on immigration and abortion. Both campaigns are pouring resources in what has shaped up as a contentious election, as polling continues to show a tight race and the potential for an Electoral College standoff not seen in modern political history.