By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-11-05 08:05:00 | Updated at 2024-11-05 10:41:07
2 hours ago
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We are hours away from polls opening on election day as the United States faces one of the most unpredictable presidential races in years, with former US president Donald Trump and current Vice-President Kamala Harris neck and neck across several swing states and celebrities calling on fans to cast their ballots. Here is what we know so far on the eve of the election.
Final campaign events
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Donald Trump and Kamala Harris’ final campaign rallies wrapped up on Monday in Michigan and Philadelphia, respectively.
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Trump had a Monday morning rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, followed by two in Pennsylvania – one in Reading and another in Pittsburgh. He then had a final hurrah in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he closed out his winning 2016 campaign and returned in 2020.
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Facing pressure to win over female voters, Trump’s Pittsburgh rally featured speeches by prominent women in politics, including Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who ran for president as a Democrat in 2020, and NBC News host Megyn Kelly.
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At the same event, Trump said he wanted to see wrestlers from Pennsylvania State University and UFC champions fight people migrating to the US.
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Harris dedicated the entire day to the swing state of Pennsylvania, hosting four rallies across Scranton, Allentown, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, where she was joined by celebrities including Oprah Winfrey, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Ricky Martin and Fat Joe.
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Harris’ speech at her campaign’s second-to-last rally in Pittsburgh deviated from her usual underdog posture, showcasing more confidence in victory, saying: “The momentum is on our side … Make no mistake, we will win, we will win.”
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By his own count, Trump has held more than 900 rallies since announcing his first bid for the White House in 2015.
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Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance asked voters to not let their political differences come between them, saying: “I really don’t like Kamala Harris and her policies, but most of the people who are voting for Kamala Harris are fundamentally decent people, I just believe that.”
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Harris made a surprise appearance on sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. In a statement on Sunday, the show’s broadcaster NBC said it would give Trump an opportunity to speak under the “equal time” rules governing the country’s broadcasters and political campaigns. Trump later urged voters to vote in a direct-to-camera appeal that aired during the network’s Nascar post-race show on Sunday.
