Trump and Vance Target Swing States, Seek to Expand Map in Final Push to Election Day
Christina Lewis /
Time is running out for former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris to court voters before Nov. 5.
With just one week until Election Day, the Trump-Vance campaign is not only looking to shore up its support in the all-important swing states, but also seeking to expand the electoral map.
The former president will continue to hold large rallies—the trademark of his three campaigns—stretching across the Sun Belt from Nevada to North Carolina and Rust Belt states from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin.
Meanwhile, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, Trump’s vice presidential running mate, will be on the stump in Michigan as the Republican ticket looks to capitalize on discord among Democrats in the Wolverine State.
Voters started heading to the polls on Saturday in Michigan, as the state kicked off its early voting. Vance is set to hold two rallies there on Tuesday.
Starting the day with a rally in Saginaw, Vance will appeal to Michigan’s automotive industry to win Michiganders’ votes.
“Under Kamala’s failed leadership, Michigan families are being crushed by inflation, with cumulative rates hitting a staggering 20.5%, translating to an extra $1,032 per month in household expenses,” a Trump-Vance statement about the rally said. “From gas to groceries, hardworking Michiganders are being forced to pay more for everything, thanks to Harris’ dangerously liberal policies.”
Vance was set to make his second stop in Holland, Michigan, a city famous for its tulips, later Tuesday.
“As Michigan plays a pivotal role in this election, Sen. Vance will emphasize that every vote matters, and with widespread participation, Michiganders can secure the future of the country,” a Trump-Vance statement about the Holland rally said.
While Vance campaigns in Michigan, Trump will return to the so-called blue wall state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday.
That battleground state is crucial for either Trump or Harris to win if they hope to secure the presidency. Real Clear Polling averages show Trump winning the state by a slender 0.5 of a percentage point. Trump was to hold his rally in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Tuesday night before flying out to Wisconsin for a rally with Brett Favre, the former NFL quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, at the Resch Center in Green Bay on Wednesday.
Real Clear Polling shows Trump ahead in the Badger State by an average of 0.3 of a percentage point. That rally will serve as another chance for Trump to win over more voters and spread enthusiasm in the Upper Midwest swing state.
On Halloween, Trump will head to the Sun Belt state of New Mexico to hold a rally in Albuquerque, in hopes of expanding the electoral map in the traditionally Democratic-leaning state.
Later Thursday, he will continue his tour of the Sun Belt in Henderson, Nevada. There, Trump will address the state’s soaring housing prices.
“Republicans in the Silver State continue to turn out and outpace Democrats in early voting because President Trump’s winning message is resonating with Nevadans,” Team Trump Nevada Communications Director Halee Dobbins told The Daily Signal. “Nearly four years of failed leadership and policies are why families cannot afford groceries, hardworking individuals struggle to make ends meet, and businesses struggle to survive financially.”
On Friday, Trump will head back to Wisconsin—America’s Dairyland—to hold a rally in Milwaukee, where he will focus on promoting his “Make America Affordable Again” agenda.
Trump will stop in Salem, Virginia, on Saturday, in the belief he has a chance to flip the state into the Republican column after losing it to Joe Biden in 2020.
“Harris has turned every state, including Virginia, into a border state,” a statement released by the Trump-Vance team said. “In Virginia alone, since July, a grandmother was tragically murdered by an illegal immigrant in a brutal carjacking; a Bolivian illegal migrant was convicted of sex crimes against a child; a Salvadoran illegal immigrant was arrested for horrific child abuse; and a Peruvian illegal immigrant abducted a high school student.”
Although Harris holds a lead in polls in Virginia, Trump plans to campaign there to gain leverage on not only the border crisis, but also the economy. “The polling and reports from throughout the Commonwealth show that Virginia is in play for President Trump and Republican candidates up and down the ballot,” a spokesperson for the Republican Party of Virginia told The Daily Signal. “Virginians are fed up with the high inflation, unsecure border, and chaos overseas that [have] defined the Biden-Harris administration.”
The Trump-Vance campaign has not released the candidates’ schedule for next week yet.