Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addressed a town hall at the Convention Center in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, as reported by AFP.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is set to visit North Carolina on Monday, amid concerns from his Republican allies that the devastating impact of storm Helene could suppress voter turnout in the conservative mountain regions of the battleground state. Meanwhile, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris is planning to campaign in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania alongside former Republican lawmaker Liz Cheney, who has publicly warned that Trump poses a threat to democracy and should not be elected on November 5.
Harris, arguing that Trump is unfit to serve, is collaborating with Cheney in an attempt to garner support from Republican voters who are hesitant to grant the former president another four years in the White House following his tumultuous 2017-2021 term. With polls indicating a tight race, both candidates are intensifying their campaign efforts with just over two weeks remaining until Election Day on November 5.
Trump made a campaign stop at a closed McDonald's restaurant in suburban Philadelphia on Sunday, where he donned an apron and fried potatoes. However, he avoided directly addressing questions about whether he would support an increase in the minimum wage, which would benefit fast-food workers. On Monday, Trump is scheduled to make a midday stop in Asheville, North Carolina, a city severely damaged by storm Helene last month, which caused widespread flooding and road, home, and bridge damage across the state.
Trump, who is expected to survey the storm damage, informed reporters on Sunday that he wanted to make the stop "just to let the people know that I'm with them." He has planned two additional stops in the state on Monday. He reiterated unsubstantiated claims that the response from President Joe Biden's administration has been sluggish, accusations that the White House has vehemently denied as misinformation.
North Carolina is one of seven competitive swing states where both Harris and Trump have a chance to win, and their campaigns are fiercely contesting every vote. Polls indicate that the two candidates are running neck and neck in North Carolina. The region hardest hit by Helene is deeply Republican; according to a Reuters analysis, Trump won about 62% of the vote in the 25 counties declared disaster areas after Helene in 2020, while Biden secured about 51% in the rest of the state.
North Carolina lawmakers passed legislation on October 9, which included several measures aimed at facilitating voting for residents affected by Helene. However, some Republicans are concerned that even a slight decline in Republican turnout in the area could result in Harris winning the state, potentially tipping the scales in a close election.
Harris and Cheney will conduct a series of moderated conversations in suburban communities in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan as part of her campaign's efforts to win over the small but potentially influential group of undecided voters. Both Cheney and her father, Dick Cheney—who served as vice president under George W. Bush and is still criticized by Democrats for his aggressive defense of the US invasion of Iraq—are staunch conservatives and among the most prominent Republicans to endorse Harris.
Cheney, who was the top Republican on the House of Representatives committee that investigated the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters, has earned Trump's ire and effectively been ostracized from the party.
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