‘The end of a journey’: Donald Trump and Kamala Harris hold final rallies on election eve
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Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are holding their final rallies to win over voters ahead of Tuesday’s presidential election.
The Republican candidate began his last day of electioneering on Monday with an event in Raleigh, North Carolina, in which he described the campaign’s conclusion as the “end of a journey”.
However, Mr Trump added a new one would soon begin “where we make America great again”.
The former president continued to take a swipe at his rival Ms Harris, claiming she would “open the borders” if she became president.
Mr Trump also claimed he had been campaigning for 62 days in a row, adding: “I could be at the most beautiful beaches in the world right now, but I’m here because I’d rather be with you people.”
He also praised key backer and businessman Elon Musk, who has thrown his support behind Mr Trump on the campaign trail, describing him as an “amazing guy”.
Mr Trump is also planning to hold rallies in Pennsylvania and Michigan later.
Meanwhile, the vice president is spending all of Monday in Pennsylvania, a crucial battleground state that is expected to play a big part in the outcome of Tuesday’s contest, with 19 Electoral College votes up for grabs.
Ms Harris’s rally in Philadelphia is expected to include appearances from the likes of Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey.
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Earlier, in an interview with NBC, Mr Trump said there would be a “big role” for former presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr in his administration.
Mr Kennedy, a vaccine sceptic and the nephew of former US president John F Kennedy, withdrew as an independent candidate before he endorsed Mr Trump for the presidency.
RFK Jr endorsed Donald Trump during the campaign. Pic: Reuters
Mr Trump also did not rule out banning certain vaccines as an option during his second term.
“Well, I’m going to talk to [Kennedy] and talk to other people, and I’ll make a decision, but he’s a very talented guy and has strong views,” he told NBC.
On Friday, Mr Kennedy said in a post on X that a Trump administration would push to ban fluoride in water on its first day in office, claiming it was “industrial waste” that leads to problems like cancer and other diseases.
Kamala Harris delivered a speech in Michigan on Sunday, a key swing state. Pic: AP
More than 77 million Americans have already cast their vote ahead of election week, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab. That’s almost half the 160 million votes returned in 2020.
But swing states, also known as battleground or toss-up states, hold disproportionate sway in presidential elections because they switch between voting Republican and Democrat.
That is why both candidates have focused their campaigning in the final days in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona, North Carolina, Michigan and Nevada.
Ms Harris has now mostly stopped mentioning Mr Trump – instead she tried to focus on forward-looking themes.
At a rally in East Lansing, Michigan, on Sunday she spoke to some of the state’s Arab-Americans, and addressed concerns about US support for Israel.
“As president, I will do everything in my power to end the war in Gaza,” she said.
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Meanwhile, over the weekend Mr Trump repeated that he would bring about the “golden age of America” if elected, though he also reiterated his accusations of election fraud.
In Georgia, he depicted a second-term Trump administration: “We stand on the verge of the four greatest years in American history. It’ll be nasty a little bit at times, and maybe at the beginning in particular.” Mr Trump didn’t elaborate on what would be “nasty”.
Donald Trump has been campaigning in Georgia. Pic: Reuters
Polling is tight
The final poll of the election from NBC, Sky News’ US partner, found Ms Harris and Mr Trump tied at 49% although the margin of error is 3.1 points – a figure that creates a significant level of uncertainty about the result.
In Georgia, the race appears very tight. A recent poll by the New York Times puts Ms Harris ahead by one point. Other polls have Mr Trump narrowly leading.
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Meanwhile, election officials in Georgia are pushing back against claims from Mr Trump and his allies of “election interference” – which appear to be part of efforts to challenge the election if he loses.
Mr Trump has also rejected the findings of a shock survey in Iowa which suggested Ms Harris led him by three points in the state, calling it a “fake poll”.
Ms Harris is in a closely fought race for Michigan’s 15 Electoral College votes but is currently polling just ahead of Mr Trump in the battleground state.
Actor Robert De Niro on the campaign trial for Kamala Harris. Pic: Reuters
Stars turn out to support candidates
Hollywood actor Robert De Niro was out canvassing for the vice president this weekend in Pennsylvania – one of the key battleground states.
It is not the first time he has endorsed Ms Harris. In September, he was joined by fellow actor Steve Buscemi for a livestream to help raise funds for the Democrats.
Meanwhile, the vice president made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live, where she performed in a short skit alongside Maya Rudolph.
Mr Trump secured high-profile support from billionaire business mogul Elon Musk, who has spent at least $119m (£91.5m) mobilising supporters to back the Republican nominee.
On the night, Sky News will have access to the most comprehensive exit poll and vote-counting results from every state, county and demographic across America through its US-partner network NBC.
You can find out more about Sky News’ coverage here.
