US Election 2024: Two candidates face off in the final sprint

According to AFP on November 2, Ms. Kamala Harris and Mr. Donald Trump are entering the final week of the most tense US presidential campaign in modern times, with a series of rallies in swing states that will test their endurance and ability to convince the last undecided voters.

Both candidates have packed campaign schedules in battleground states like Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Notably, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the two candidates held rallies just miles apart over the weekend.

Ms Harris, who is bidding to become the first female US president, is using rallies in Georgia, North Carolina and Michigan to drive home her message that Mr Trump is a "threat to American democracy".

Ms. Harris is focusing on a strategy of appealing to moderate voters and getting supporters out the door through on-the-ground campaigning. In Little Chute, Wisconsin, she criticized Mr. Trump as “increasingly unstable, obsessed with grievance.”

Harris' campaign is also supported by many famous stars such as Jennifer Lopez, Cardi B, Beyonce and Bruce Springsteen. In Milwaukee, rapper Cardi B joined Harris in calling on voters to "make history".

Meanwhile, Mr. Trump, 78 years old, who lost in 2020 and is the first presidential candidate to be prosecuted, is pursuing an "America First" policy with right-wing government reform proposals and aggressive trade policies.

In Warren, Michigan, Mr. Trump sharply criticized the economy under Biden-Harris, which economists disagreed with, and warned that “a 1929-style recession” would occur if Ms. Harris were elected.

Amid the tension ahead of the election, many businesses in Washington DC have begun to close as a precaution, after city authorities warned of the possibility of unrest when polling stations close.

Polls show the race is extremely tight, especially in the seven battleground states that could decide the final outcome through the US electoral college system. According to the latest CNN poll, in Georgia, Mr. Trump leads with 48% compared to Ms. Harris's 47%.

In North Carolina, Vice President Harris leads by 1 percentage point. Notably, Harris has strong support from black voters (78% in North Carolina and 84% in Georgia) and white voters with college degrees. Meanwhile, Trump has strong support from white voters without college degrees, especially in Georgia, with a rate of up to 81%.

The election will end on November 5, with the highlight being Mr. Trump's final rallies in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Ms. Harris's in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the night of November 4.