Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are each traveling through disputed states on Sunday, the American vice-president trying to dispel doubts about her ability to mobilize traditional electorates crucial for the Democratic camp, and the former Republican president hammering home his anti-immigration speech.
A little more than three weeks before the November 5 vote, the polls are still undecided, but several recent surveys reveal Kamala Harris’ difficulties in attracting votes among black and Hispanic electorates.
A New York Times/Siena College poll published Sunday gave him less than 60% of voting intentions in the Hispanic community, which would represent the lowest level for a Democratic candidate in 20 years.
She is only credited with a 19-point lead over her Republican opponent within this strategic electorate in several pivotal states, notably in the South-West, such as Arizona or Nevada, or seven less than Joe Biden in 2020. and 20 fewer than Hillary Clinton in 2016.
The 59-year-old vice-president was in North Carolina (southeast) on Sunday, a state won by a Democratic candidate for the last time in 2008 with Barack Obama and recently devastated by Hurricane Helene.
Former US President Bill Clinton in a church in Albany, Georgia (southeast United States), October 13, 2024 / Logan Cyrus / AFP
She attended a religious service in a church attended mainly by African-Americans in Greenville – a town itself located in a part of North Carolina with a large black population but which has a high rate of voter abstention.
Former President Barack Obama on Thursday criticized his “brothers” African Americans reluctant to elect a woman for the first time in American history.
Jim Clyburn, African-American elected from South Carolina to the House of Representatives, told CNN on Sunday that he was “worried that black men might stay home or vote for Trump” November 5th.
Another supporter of Kamala Harris, Bill Clinton campaigned on Sunday in Georgia, another disputed state on the Atlantic coast. The former Democratic president, still considered very popular with the black electorate, also spoke in a church attended mainly by African-Americans.
Contesting the 2020 results
US President Joe Biden (center) speaks about the aftermath of Hurricane Milton in St. Pete Beach, Florida, October 13, 2024 / Bonnie CASH / AFP
Outgoing President Joe Biden visited Florida, hit successively by hurricanes Helene then Milton.
“It is at times like this that we come together to support each other, not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans”declared Joe Biden in a disaster zone, who signed the major disaster declaration the day before.
Donald Trump, for his part, is due to speak at a meeting in Arizona, a border state where his anti-immigration speech is popular.
His running mate on the Republican ticket, JD Vance, once again refused on Sunday on ABC to recognize that Donald Trump had lost the previous election to Joe Biden, citing “serious problems in 2020”.
He defended the ex-president’s catastrophic speech on immigration and castigated the outgoing Democratic administration for having, according to him, “let in millions of people, mostly without verification”.
At a meeting Saturday evening in Coachella, California, Donald Trump accused Kamala Harris of having “orchestrated the invasion of America”.
Former US president and Republican candidate Donald Trump at a meeting in Coachella, California, October 12, 2024 / Frederic J. BROWN / AFP
He once again promised mass expulsions upon his return to power and heavy prison sentences for illegal immigrants.
“We will defend our civilization. We will not allow ourselves to be conquered, we will not allow ourselves to be occupied. We will recover our sovereignty”insisted Donald Trump.
After these few days of remote duel, the two candidates must meet on Monday in Pennsylvania, considered vital by each of the two camps to open the way to the White House.
