Two months before concluding her duel with Donald Trump at the polls, Kamala Harris is ploughing the ground on Thursday in Pennsylvania, one of the most contested American states in an election that promises to be extremely close.
The Democratic presidential candidate will travel to Pittsburgh, one of the largest cities in the state, known for being a former stronghold of American industry.
The American vice president will meet voters before facing Republican Donald Trump on Tuesday for a debate in Philadelphia — one of the most anticipated events of this election.
The November 5 presidential election was completely turned upside down by Joe Biden’s withdrawal in mid-July and the entry into the race of his vice-president. Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, who have never faced each other in a previous debate, are now neck and neck in the polls.
Their first exchange is scheduled for 9 p.m. local time on September 10, on ABC.
– Menace de plan social –
The Vice President’s trip to Pennsylvania on Thursday is also likely to be marked by the heated debates surrounding the takeover of the American steelmaker US Steel.
The company, based in Pittsburgh, is threatening to implement a social plan if its takeover by the Japanese company Nippon Steel fails, which the American executive is opposed to.
On Monday, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris said at a campaign rally that she wants to keep the steelmaker under American control.
President Joe Biden had already said on several occasions that he wanted to block this acquisition, announced last December for an amount of 14 billion dollars, but suspended due to lack of authorization from regulators.
Former President Donald Trump has promised to oppose the move if he is elected.
– Blue collars –
The topic is particularly sensitive because Pennsylvania is probably the most contested state in the presidential race. Donald Trump won there by a hair’s breadth in 2016 and Joe Biden by a hair’s breadth in 2020.
Many blue-collar workers in this state in the northeast of the country, in industrial decline, have left the Democratic ship to join Donald Trump. But Kamala Harris is counting on the major infrastructure projects launched by Joe Biden, which will create jobs, and the support of unions to win them back.
Donald Trump is also banking on his popularity among the rural population.
The Republican candidate, who was in Pennsylvania on Wednesday for a town hall meeting with voters, will speak Thursday at a club in New York to detail his economic agenda.
cjc/rle
