With just days to go before their first — and likely only — debate, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris both campaigned in Wisconsin, a state crucial to the 2024 election.
Trump, known for his fiery rhetoric, held a rally in Mosinee, a small town in a reliably Republican district. He focused on his familiar grievances, repeatedly highlighting his legal troubles and accusing the Biden administration of corruption. Trump claimed that the Department of Justice, under the direction of Harris and President Biden, was trying to “throw him in jail” for exposing their corruption. He also railed against the administration’s border policies, calling them “suicidal” and accusing the Democrats of importing “murderers, child predators and serial rapists.”
However, it’s important to note that there’s no evidence supporting Trump’s claims of corruption or that Biden or Harris have influenced decisions by the Justice Department or state prosecutors. Additionally, studies have found that immigrants, including those in the country illegally, commit fewer violent crimes than native-born citizens.
Trump also expressed his intention to “Drain the swamp,” a familiar campaign slogan from his 2016 win. He promised to “cast out the corrupt political class” if elected and to “cut the fat out of our government,” vowing to create a new “Government Efficiency Commission” led by Elon Musk.
While Trump leaned into his grievances, Harris focused on unity and a message of change. She stopped at a spice shop in Pittsburgh during a break from debate prep, engaging with a customer who was openly weeping. Harris offered words of comfort, saying, “We’re going to be fine. We’re all in this together.”
Harris also highlighted the endorsements she received from two prominent Republicans: former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter, Liz Cheney. She recognized the exhaustion many Americans feel due to division and the attempts to divide the country. “People are exhausted,” she said, adding that her main message at the debate would be that the country wants to be united.
“It’s time to turn the page on the divisiveness,” she said. “It’s time to bring our country together, to chart a new way forward.”
Both campaigns recognize the importance of Wisconsin, a state where four of the past six presidential elections have been decided by a razor-thin margin. Trump must secure votes in areas like Mosinee to counter the Democrats’ advantage in urban centers like Milwaukee and Madison. Meanwhile, Harris aims to consolidate the Democratic base while reaching out to independent voters.
As the race tightens, the upcoming debate between Trump and Harris will be a defining moment for both campaigns. It will provide voters with an opportunity to hear their vision for the future of the country, a future that remains uncertain.
