Trump and Harris hold dueling rallies in Rust Belt

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris made appearances across the Rust Belt on Friday but had very different messages for voters.

Both Trump and Harris held rallies in Wisconsin, with the Republican also making a pit stop in Michigan. In a race that will largely be decided by undecided voters or key demographics that may be up for grabs, the candidates have chosen contrasting messages to close with.

How does she plan to improve the state of affairs for Americans, and as sitting vice president, why hasn't she?

"Oh, it's good to be in the house of labor!" Harris remarked at her rally in Janesville, Wisconsin.

"I proudly stand with labor. I have my whole entire career. I always will," Harris continued. "This is about the dignity of work. It is about America's work force. It is about our future. And it's just about what is right."

Notably, the jobs report was released the same day, revealing that the Biden-Harris administration added only 12,000 more jobs in the month of October. This is the lowest increase since 2020.

Harris also put forth a last-ditch economic pitch to rally-goers in Little Chute, Wisconsin, promising to implement a middle-class tax and a federal ban on corporate price-gouging on groceries.

It's clear the Harris camp is tailoring its message to voters' priorities, as the economy ranks the most important issue going into November. However, the Achilles' heel of the Harris campaign has been this very issue. How does she plan to improve the state of affairs for Americans, and as sitting vice president, why hasn't she already done so?

Harris closed out her Rust Belt tour in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with celebrity appearances and endorsements from rappers like Cardi B and GloRilla.

"Just like Kamala Harris, I too have been the underdog," Cardi B said. "I've been underestimated. My success belittled and discredited. Let me tell you something. Let me tell y'all something. Women have to work ten times harder, perform ten times better, and still, people question us, how we got to the top."

Cardi B went on to speak about abortion "rights," an issue the Democratic Party has made a focal point for the Harris campaign.

“Donny Dump, if your definition of protection is making sure our daughters have fewer rights than their mothers, then I don’t want it," she said.

Trump, on the other hand, has spent time securing a key demographic in Michigan: Muslim and Arab voters. In the aftermath of Trump's Thursday campaign stop in Dearborn, a Muslim-majority city, left-wing politicians like Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan sounded the alarm for her own party.

"Trump is a proud Islamophobe + serial liar who does not stand for peace. The reality is that the Biden admin’s unconditional support for genocide is what got us here," Tlaib said in a post on X. "This should be a wake-up call for those who continue to support genocide. This election should not be this close."

Although Tlaib expressed her vehement opposition to the Republican nominee, she pointed out a key weakness within her own party. Harris' campaign has been weighed down by the Israel-Gaza conflict and the administration's apparent inability to resolve it.

Although Muslims and Arabs may have been a reliable demographic for Democrats to secure, the ongoing war has turned many away from Harris. This could be particularly detrimental for Democrats in key states like Michigan that have a substantial Arab population. Harris knows this, and Trump is capitalizing on it.

Trump also took time to counterprogram Harris in Milwaukee. Trump hit on recurring themes like illegal immigration and using tariffs to protect American workers and punish foreign adversaries. The campaign stops were wrapped up with a hopeful closing message.

"My closing message is that I love America, and I'm inviting you to join us in building an extraordinary future," Trump said. "My oath of office is an oath of allegiance to you, the American people. I'm asking for your vote, but I want you to know that whether or not you vote for me, when I win, I will fight for you with every breath of my body."

"Everything we have been fighting for these last four years comes down to these next four days," Trump continued. "With your help, from now until Election Day, we will restore America's promise, and we will take back the nation that we love."

On Saturday, Trump is continuing his campaign with rallies in Gastonia, North Carolina, and Salem, Virginia. He will then return back to North Carolina to hold a rally in Greensboro.

Harris is traveling to Atlanta, Georgia, to hold a rally and then later to Charlotte, North Carolina.

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