Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addressed a campaign rally at Huntington Place in Detroit, Michigan, on October 18. – AFP
Kamala Harris raised concerns about Donald Trump's suitability for office on Friday, as the oldest major-party White House candidate in history faced rumors of being 'exhausted' after withdrawing from several interviews. Despite appearing on friendly TV networks, the 78-year-old Republican canceled interviews with media outlets such as NBC, CNBC, and CBS. He also declined a second debate with Harris, following a poor performance in the first. Politico reported that a Trump aide informed producers during an interview negotiation that the ex-president was 'exhausted' and refusing some appearances, a claim his campaign dismissed as 'detached from reality.'
Harris, who turns 60 this weekend, questioned Trump's health and stamina. 'If you are exhausted on the campaign trail, it raises real questions about whether you are fit for the toughest job in the world,' Harris told supporters during her multiple stops across Michigan. Trump's rapid response team refuted the exhaustion claim, citing four appearances since Thursday afternoon.
The former president has maintained a busy schedule, primarily appearing on media outlets that rarely challenge him. He admitted on a supportive podcast that he had been 'hoodwinked' into one of his few adversarial interviews with Bloomberg News. Trump's campaign strategy has surprised analysts, combining swing state visits with appearances in regions he is unlikely to win but where he attracts large crowds. He attended a Catholic charity dinner in New York, where he delivered a speech mocking Harris, filled with off-color remarks and profanity.
By Friday morning, Trump was back in Michigan for a soft Fox News interview. Trump and Harris held competing rallies in Michigan, focusing on pivotal battleground states with early voting already in progress. With less than three weeks left, Harris has seen positive signs in encouraging supporters to vote early, countering the traditional Republican advantage on Election Day. By mid-afternoon Friday, 11 million votes had been cast, with over three million in the seven swing states expected to decide the election, according to data from the University of Florida Election Lab. Georgia has set new records, and North Carolina, recently affected by a hurricane, saw a higher first-day turnout than in 2020.
Democrats accounted for about half of the early votes, while Republicans, who have often questioned mail-in ballots, made up less than a third. Harris spoke at a union hall in Lansing after her Grand Rapids event and held an evening rally in Oakland County before returning to Detroit on Saturday. She treads carefully as she supports President Joe Biden's backing of Israel, while addressing the outrage among Muslim and Arab American voters over the Gaza death toll. Harris expressed optimism for a Gaza ceasefire following the killing of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, but Israel promptly stated that his death does not end their campaign launched in response to Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack.
Speaking to journalists before a speech in Detroit, Trump said Sinwar's death increased the chances of a peaceful resolution in Gaza, while advising Biden not to restrain Israel.
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