U.S. Elections: Harris and Trump hold rival rallies in Milwaukee, targeting crucial swing votes
MILWAUKEE — Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump held rallies just 7 miles apart in the Milwaukee area on Friday night, both targeting swing-state Wisconsin in a crucial final push for votes.
Milwaukee County contains the most Democratic voters in the state, while its conservative suburbs are vital for Trump, who aims to regain the state after losing it in 2020. Both candidates recognise the importance of this area, with Harris seeking to boost turnout in a city that overwhelmingly supported Biden in 2020 and Trump aiming to reduce that margin.
Air Force Two arrived in Milwaukee shortly before Trump’s private plane, but the candidates did not cross paths. Both rallies attracted similar crowds, with Trump speaking in downtown Milwaukee and Harris in a suburb.
Before the Milwaukee rallies, Harris campaigned in Janesville, emphasising her support for labour and criticising Trump’s impact on manufacturing jobs. She later addressed health care issues, warning that her rival seeks to undo the Affordable Care Act.
On the other hand, Trump criticised the Biden administration’s economic performance, pointing to a jobs report that indicated only 12,000 jobs were added in October. He described the situation as “a depression” and directed insults at Harris during his remarks.
Earlier, Trump had visited Dearborn, Michigan, the largest Arab-majority city in the U.S., where he met with supporters despite lingering distrust from the community due to his previous policies.
Harris has made nine campaign visits to Wisconsin, while Trump has made ten, not counting the Republican National Convention held in Milwaukee. The Wisconsin Republican Party Chair remarked that Harris’s return to the Democratic stronghold of Milwaukee suggested she was on the defensive.
The Milwaukee Election Commission projected that over 100,000 ballots would be received by Election Day; however, early returns have lagged behind those from conservative suburbs. Mandela Barnes, a former lieutenant governor, warned that if the usual Election Day voters do not turn out, it could pose a significant challenge for Democrats.
