One of the tightest U.S. election races in modern history entered its final two-week stretch on Tuesday, with Republican Donald Trump reaching out to Latino voters, while Democratic rival Kamala Harris sat down for a national TV interview.
Both campaigns are investing hundreds of millions of dollars in a last-ditch effort to sway undecided voters, as polls indicate the candidates are in a dead heat ahead of Election Day.
Approximately 18 million Americans have already cast their votes by mail or in person, representing over 10% of the total votes from 2020. Voter turnout could prove crucial in determining the winner of the presidency.
Regardless of the outcome, Americans will make history on November 5, potentially electing the first woman president of the world’s leading superpower or placing the first convicted felon in the White House.
In Florida, Trump hosted a roundtable with Latino leaders, where one speaker made false accusations against Harris and outgoing President Joe Biden, claiming they were “human traffickers” and repeating unfounded claims that Trump won the 2020 election. Trump continues to dispute his loss from four years ago and is expected to reject the results again if he loses, which could lead to political turmoil.
During the event, Trump, whose anti-immigrant rhetoric has intensified, labeled the border as the “biggest problem,” falsely asserting that the Biden administration was using large jets to transport “hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants” over the border.
Some recent polls suggest Trump, at 78 the oldest nominee from a major party in U.S. history, may have a slight advantage, though within the margin of error.
Harris, who entered the race in July after Biden’s surprising decision to withdraw, will be interviewed by NBC on Tuesday. The 60-year-old vice president is also enlisting two of her party’s most popular figures, Barack and Michelle Obama, to campaign alongside her. The former president and first lady will participate in rallies across three of the seven key swing states that are critical for determining the election’s outcome.