Kamala Harris, Donald Trump campaigns have packed schedules in Pennsylvania this week
Less than two weeks before Election Day, both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are making their final push to shore up support from voters. The Harris and Trump campaigns are not letting up in the aim, zeroing in on Pennsylvania as a key to victory.
The Keystone State is living up to its name as it will likely be key in deciding the 2024 presidential election. Both campaigns have packed schedules this week in Pennsylvania.
The vice president will hold a town hall tonight in Aston, Delaware County. Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will make campaign stops in Philadelphia on Friday.
But first, Harris stopped at Famous 4th Street Deli in the city's Queen Village neighborhood.
The deli has been a famous hangout for politicos from Barack Obama and Al Gore to Ed Rendell and city party leaders.
Harris was joined by Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and engaged with a packed house of supporters inside and took a few selfies. Harris also stressed that we are under the two-week mark — in the home stretch — and that the impact of the supporters and organizers would be felt in November.
But this close to the election, how many voters are still out there to sway?
"In terms of who is persuadable, I think of people who were those swing voters, right? Whether they were Obama to Trump, then Trump to Biden, we're watching those voters pretty closely," Lauren Cristella, the president and CEO of Committee of Seventy, said. "And then a lot of people who relinquished their party affiliation. While the total number of Republicans has gone up, there is a certain segment of the Republican party who has relinquished their Republican registration and is now unaffiliated or third party."
Current voter registration numbers from the Pennsylvania Department of State show fewer voters registering as Democrats and an increase in Republicans. But there's also an uptick in those registering for other parties or as non-affiliates.
Cristella said even if 1% of people still don't have their minds made up, that could make all the difference in a state like Pennsylvania.
Meanwhile, Trump will rally in State College on Saturday. His running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, will hold a town hall in Harrisburg on Saturday.
Both parties are continuing at a breakneck pace until Election Day.
Trump was in North Carolina on Tuesday for the second consecutive day, where he claimed Harris is "totally unfit for office." He did the same to the retired generals who served in his administration.
"What a stupid group of people they were," Trump said. "[Gen. James], Mattis, [Gen. Mark] Miley."
An article published by The Atlantic on Tuesday claims that during a private conversation while in office, Trump said, "I need the kind of generals Hitler had. People who were totally loyal to him, that follow orders."
Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has denied that claim.
Walz reacted to the alleged Hitler comments while stumping in Wisconsin on Tuesday.
"As a 24-year veteran of our military," Walz said, "that makes me sick as hell."
Earlier, former President Barack Obama joined Walz on the trail in Wisconsin. Before joining Walz in Wisconsin, Obama rallied for the Harris campaign in Detroit, Michigan, with rapper Eminem introducing him.
"What I cannot understand is why anybody would think Donald Trump will shake things up in a way that's good for you," Obama said.
Obama will be in Philadelphia on Monday for a rally and concert with New Jersey rock star Bruce Springsteen.
Meanwhile, Harris traded the campaign stage for sitdown interviews, telling NBC News she won't compromise on abortion rights.
"I don't think we should be making concessions when we're talking about a fundamental freedom to make decisions about your own body," Harris told NBC News.
Harris also said she and her team are ready should Trump prematurely declare victory on Election Day.
Next week, Trump will again be in the area as the former president will hold a roundtable in Drexel Hill, Delaware County.
