Two weeks to convince: Trump and Harris at full speed

Kamala Harris in interview, Donald Trump with Latino voters: the candidates for the White House continue at a brisk pace Tuesday, two weeks from today for the day of an election as indecisive as it is hectic.

Will the former Republican president, convicted of criminal offences at the end of May, succeed in one of the greatest “comebacks” in American political history on the 5th? November?

Will the Democratic vice president, who has only been campaigning for three months, become the first woman to lead the world's leading power??

Regardless of the outcome, the American presidential election will be historic. Especially since, with 14 days to go before the election, no clear winner has emerged.

But the enthusiasm seems to be there: more than 19 million Americans have already voted by mail or in person, according to the independent organization Elections Project, or nearly 12% of the total turnout in 2020.

In a library in Madison, the capital of Wisconsin, long lines formed on the first day of early voting in that state.

Waiting for his turn, Brad Hines, a 73-year-old retired police officer, told AFP he wanted to vote early because he considered the election “important” for the state of “democracy.”

Dawn Lauderdale, a 65-year-old radiology technician, also showed up to vote Tuesday but turned back when she saw the crowd. But she will return to vote for Kamala Harris, the choice of “reason,” because she is concerned about women's rights.

– Immigration “biggest problem” for Trump –

Recent opinion polls seem to give a slight advantage to Donald Trump, who at 78 is leading his third consecutive presidential campaign. But this lead is systematically within the margin of error. It is difficult to draw any conclusions from this.

The Republican candidate, who has been escalating his anti-migrant rhetoric a little more each day, called the border the “biggest problem” on Tuesday during a roundtable with Latino voters from one of his properties in Florida.

Then, he did not hesitate to explain that the Biden administration was flying “beautiful, big Boeings with hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants,” which is false. Just like when he claimed that “all the polls” put him ahead among Hispanic voters in key states.

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Even Latinos are leaning less heavily toward Democrats than before.

A portrait of Kamala Harris is painted on the wall of a building in Atlanta, Georgia, on October 21, 2024 © AFP – Yasuyoshi CHIBA

The candidate will then fly to North Carolina, where he was already campaigning on Monday, for an event focused on the economy. But the Republican does not hesitate to regularly abandon his teleprompter for offbeat or even downright rambling remarks.

A tide of red-capped supporters continues to flock to his rallies, firmly convinced that their champion, the first former US president to be convicted of a criminal offence, is the victim of political persecution. Or that Democrats are responsible for the threats against him, starting with the two assassination attempts against him.

– Harris talks abortion in Texas –

Kamala Harris, who suffers from a clear reputation deficit compared to her Republican rival, is pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into the campaign in an attempt to gain the upper hand in the race for the White House.

Donald Trump supporters wait for him for a campaign rally in Greenville, North Carolina, on October 21, 2024 © AFP – Logan CYRUS

The Democrat, after targeting the black electorate and moderate conservatives, is campaigning for the Latino vote. “Donald Trump has disrespected and insulted Latino men and their communities. As president, I will invest in them,” she wrote on X, listing elements of her platform that would favor Latino men.

On Tuesday, in addition to an interview with NBC, she is recording an interview with the Spanish-language channel Telemundo, which will be broadcast on Wednesday. And the vice president announced a visit to Texas, a Republican stronghold, for Friday, where she will talk about abortion.

Former President Barack Obama will hold rallies in Wisconsin and Michigan, two of the seven most contested states in this election.

The former American president will be introduced on stage by rapper Eminem, who grew up in Michigan, in Detroit, a new star who is showing his support for Kamala Harris.

As in 2016 and 2020, a few tens of thousands of votes in a handful of states should determine whether the former prosecutor or the billionaire will garner the 270 electors that are synonymous with victory.

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