After several weeks of declining poll numbers, signs show Kamala Harris’s election campaign may be turning a corner as the race nears an end.
Harris’s standing nationally and in most swing state polls began slipping earlier in October. By late last week, the Vice President’s odds of winning the election began to fall as well. According to the polling analysis group 538, Harris’s chances of victory slipped from a peak of 64% after the September debate to just 45% on October 26th.
Many Democrats began to express concerns about the increasing likelihood of Trump’s victory. The former president was gaining momentum at the most critical point of the race.
That all began to change over the weekend.
First, on Friday, October 25th, Harris was joined on stage in Houston by Beyoncé. The world-renown entertainer offered a powerful endorsement of Harris to an audience of 30,000 in her hometown.
“It’s time to sing a new song,” Beyoncé told the crowd. “A song that began 248 years ago. The old notes of downfall, discord, despair no longer resonate… It’s time for America to sing a new song. Our voices sing a song of unity. They sing a song of dignity and opportunity.”
“Are y’all ready to add your voice to the new American song?” she continued. “Because I am.”
Trump closing rally spurs backlash after racist remarks from speakers
Two days after that rousing speech, Trump was set to hold a pivotal rally of his own. The campaign would host nearly 20,000 people at the iconic Madison Square Garden in the heart of New York City. The Trump campaign intended to show the country a picture of unstoppable momentum as the Republican nominee delivered his closing arguments in the heart of one of America’s most Democratic areas.
But Trump’s hope for momentum was quickly stalled by racist, angry, and misogynistic comments made by him and his guests.
Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe took to the stage to deliver joke after joke rooted in bigotry and racism. The “joke” that caught the most attention was when Hinchcliffe referred to Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage”.
The island of Puerto Rico, which is part of the United States, is home to more than 3 million people. Another 2.5 million Puerto Ricans live stateside, primarily in New York, Florida, and throughout the Northeast.
The backlash following Hinchcliffe’s remarks was swift, with Democrats and Republicans alike denouncing the ‘joke’. The Trump campaign initially attempted to distance itself, but then turned to claiming the response to the racism was disproportionate.
When asked about the remarks at a rally the next day, Vance claimed he hadn’t heard the joke, despite also speaking at Madison Square Garden that night. The Republican Vice Presidential Nominee then said people need to “stop getting so offended.”
“I’m just – I’m so over it,” Vance continued.
But, even after a gaffe from President Biden, fallout from that Trump rally continues to reverberate days later. On Wednesday night, Nicky Jam, one of Trump’s most high-profile Latino supporters, rescinded his endorsesment.
Harris gathers 75,000 for closing argument speech outside of the White House
Quickly, momentum in the election began to shift back toward Kamala Harris, who was planning a closing argument speech on the Ellipse in Washington, DC on Tuesday night.
Initially, the campaign expected a crowd of roughly 8,000 supporters to gather for her speech. Days later, that number swelled to 20,000, prompting the campaign to update its permit for the event.
By Tuesday night, more than 75,000 people assembled on the Ellipse and on the National Mall to witness Harris’s historic speech.
The Vice President called for unity and progress while she promised to focus on ending divisive rhetoric in America.
Kamala Harris gains ground against Trump as election campaign enters final stretch
In past week, Harris’s chances of winning the election have started to rise again. According to the 538 blog, her chance of winning as of Thursday afternoon had risen slightly to 49%. New polls in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan showed Vice President Kamala Harris closing the gap with Trump and strengthening her position among college educated white voters.
Most of these polls took place before the fallout of the racist remarks from Trump’s New York rally became clear.
As the most consequential election for president rapidly draws to a close, roughly 60,000,000 Americans have already cast their ballot. Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, as well as their running mates, are continuing to barnstorm swing states with the finish line in sight.
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