Trump and Harris Clash Over Rhetoric in Wisconsin Campaign

AFP/APP

Milwaukee: US Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump exchanged sharp criticisms in battleground states on Friday, just days before Election Day on November 5. The political tension intensified as Trump faced backlash for his violent rhetoric directed at a prominent Republican supporter of Harris, who condemned his provocative statements.

With over 70 million Americans having already voted representing 45 percent of the 2020 total Trump and Harris are in a tight race, with key victories expected to emerge from seven swing states.

Both candidates held packed campaign events, with Harris attending rallies and visiting a union hall in Wisconsin, while Trump sought support in neighboring Michigan. “Everything we have been fighting for these past four years comes down to the next four days,” Trump told supporters in Warren, Michigan.

Later, the rivals held competing rallies just miles apart in Milwaukee, where Trump declared, “I don’t want your money, I want your damn vote!” This venue was significant, as it was where he had earned the Republican nomination earlier in the summer.

Harris, who joined the race in July after President Joe Biden withdrew, shared the stage with rapper Cardi B, who energized the crowd by asking, “Are we ready to make history?” Harris criticized Trump for his “violent rhetoric,” particularly regarding his comments about former representative Liz Cheney, asserting that anyone who uses such language is unqualified to be president.

Trump doubled down on his most provocative points, seeking to galvanize his base ahead of a crucial election. Michigan and Wisconsin, alongside Pennsylvania, represent key battlegrounds that could determine the presidency.

Trump’s remarks about Cheney sparked significant controversy, where he suggested she should be confronted with violence. Cheney condemned his rhetoric, asserting, “This is how dictators destroy free nations.”

Adding to the election’s volatility, social media platforms are rife with misinformation, some allegedly fueled by Russian operatives. This includes false claims about non-citizen immigrants voting, amplified by figures like Elon Musk, a prominent Trump ally.

In Dearborn, Michigan, home to a large Arab-American population, Trump engaged with supporters while acknowledging the controversy surrounding Israel’s actions in Gaza, which has distanced many Muslims from the Democratic Party.

He also mentioned vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would have a significant role in healthcare if elected, a move Harris criticized as endorsing “junk science and crazy conspiracy theories.”

In his speeches, Trump oscillated between inspiring rhetoric and dark assessments of immigration and the economy, despite economists reporting that the U.S. economy remains robust with low unemployment and strong growth.