State of the Race: 9 Key Takeaways from the US Election This Week
13th October 2024
By DWN Staff
13th October 2024
By DWN Staff
The 2024 US presidential race is reaching fever pitch, with less than a month until Election Day. Both campaigns, Kamala Harris for the Democrats and Donald Trump for the Republicans, are ramping up efforts to secure votes as the polls show a tight race. Here are the most critical takeaways from the past week that give a snapshot of the current state of the race.
According to the latest national polling averages from FiveThirtyEight, as of October 11, Vice President Kamala Harris leads former President Donald Trump by just 2.5 percentage points, with Harris garnering 48.5% of voter support to Trump’s 46%. Another polling source, 270toWin, also shows Harris with a slight edge at 49.3%, compared to Trump’s 46.5%.
This slim margin underscores how close the race is, and both candidates are pushing hard in battleground states to sway undecided voters.
One of the week’s standout polling trends was Harris's growing popularity among suburban voters, a key demographic that helped Trump secure victory in 2016. A poll conducted by Reuters/Ipsos indicated that 47% of suburban voters now support Harris, compared to 41% backing Trump.
However, while Harris is gaining ground in some areas, the same cannot be said for her support among Black voters, where she seems to be losing some traction. A poll by The New York Times and Siena College shows her receiving 78% support among Black voters—a drop from Joe Biden’s 90% in 2020. This shift could have significant implications for the Democratic campaign, as the Black vote has traditionally been a stronghold for the party.
Natural disasters and political rhetoric collided this week as Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida. The Category 5 hurricane, described as one of the most powerful on record, became a hotbed for misinformation, with Trump alleging that the federal government, under Democratic leadership, was neglecting Republican areas.
Outgoing President Joe Biden responded strongly, calling out the falsehoods spread by Trump during his White House briefing. “Reckless and irresponsible promotion of disinformation is un-American,” Biden said. Kamala Harris also addressed the issue at a rally in Las Vegas, condemning the politicization of the disaster response.
This week, Trump’s ongoing war with the mainstream media took center stage. In an unprecedented move, Trump’s campaign pulled out of a previously agreed-upon interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes. The reason? According to reports, Trump’s team was concerned about potential on-air fact-checking.
The decision sparked a fierce back-and-forth between Trump and the media outlet, with Trump accusing 60 Minutes of trying to “make Kamala Harris look better.” He even called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to revoke CBS’s broadcasting license—a move that was swiftly rebuffed by the FCC, with the chair emphasizing the importance of free speech in the US.
In contrast to Trump’s withdrawal, Harris has been ramping up her media presence. The vice president has made numerous appearances on high-profile platforms in the past week, including Call Her Daddy, The Howard Stern Show, The View, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. This media blitz is a stark departure from the early months of her campaign, where her public appearances were more limited.
The increased visibility seems to be part of a broader strategy to connect with different voter demographics, including younger and more progressive audiences. Harris’s media tour culminated in a much-anticipated interview with 60 Minutes on Monday.
The question of age and fitness for office has been a key theme in this election cycle, especially after President Biden, 81, dropped out of the race earlier this year due to concerns over his performance and age.
At 78 years old, Trump himself has faced scrutiny over his health. A recent article in The New York Times raised questions about his cognitive abilities, citing increasingly “rambling” speeches. In response, Trump’s campaign emphasized his health, pointing to cognitive tests he had taken in the past.
On the other hand, the Harris campaign has been highlighting the vice president’s stamina and mental agility. A memo released this week touted Harris’s health, noting that at 59, she possesses the “physical and mental resilience” required to serve as president.
Trump’s hardline stance on immigration, a hallmark of his political career, has only grown more extreme in recent weeks. This week, he called for the death penalty for migrants who commit violent crimes against US citizens, while continuing to spread unverified claims about the criminal behavior of undocumented immigrants.
In an interview on The Hugh Hewitt Show, Trump reiterated his belief that certain crimes were “in the genes” of immigrants, a statement that has been widely criticized as echoing white supremacist ideologies.
Despite these incendiary comments, studies consistently show that immigrants, particularly undocumented ones, commit crimes at lower rates than native-born US citizens. Nevertheless, immigration continues to be a central theme in Trump’s re-election campaign.
Veteran journalist Bob Woodward released his latest book this week, titled War, which paints a troubling picture of Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Woodward’s reporting, Trump had been in regular contact with Putin since leaving office, with some aides alleging that he had sent COVID-19 testing machines to Russia at the height of the pandemic.
While some of the claims in Woodward’s book have yet to be independently verified, they have reignited concerns about Trump’s ties to foreign leaders and his handling of national security.
Trump’s team has categorically denied the allegations, with his spokesperson, Steven Cheung, calling Woodward’s work the product of a “deranged mind.”
As Election Day draws nearer, the race between Harris and Trump is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in US history. With both candidates vying for key voter demographics, including suburbanites, Black voters, and younger generations, the outcome remains uncertain.
The next few weeks will be critical for both campaigns. Trump’s rallies continue to draw massive crowds, and his supporters are as energized as ever. Meanwhile, Harris is focusing on expanding her appeal beyond the traditional Democratic base, using a mix of media appearances, policy discussions, and rallies to energize her supporters.
With both campaigns pushing full throttle, the final stretch of the 2024 race promises to be intense, unpredictable, and potentially history-making.