The U.S. presidential candidates intensified their campaigns in the swing state of North Carolina on Saturday, aiming to secure last-minute support for Tuesday’s election on November 5.
This marked the fourth consecutive day that Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump campaigned in the same state on the same day, underscoring the importance of key battlegrounds that will likely determine the election’s outcome. As of Saturday, over 73 million Americans had already voted, according to the Election Lab at the University of Florida.
Harris held a rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, accompanied by musician Jon Bon Jovi and singer Khalid, before making a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live in New York City. Meanwhile, Trump campaigned in Virginia before traveling to Gastonia and Greensboro, North Carolina, for rallies.
Latest Poll Updates
National polling from FiveThirtyEight showed Harris with a slim lead of just one point over Trump, within the margin of error. In key battlegrounds, Trump was slightly ahead in Pennsylvania, while Harris held narrow leads in Michigan and Wisconsin. Trump led Harris in North Carolina by two points and in Arizona by three points. Notably, in Iowa, which Trump won in 2016 and 2020, a Des Moines Register poll indicated Harris leading by three points, with increased support among women and independent voters.
Harris’s Campaign in North Carolina
In Charlotte, Harris appealed to young voters, urging them to vote to address critical issues like gun violence and climate change. “I see the promise of America every day in young leaders voting for the first time,” she said. Harris also criticized Trump, saying, “If elected, Trump would spend day one focused on his enemies, while I will be focused on working for you.”
When pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted her speech, Harris reiterated her commitment to pursuing peace in the Middle East, emphasizing, “We all want that war in the Middle East to end. When I am president, I will do everything in my power to make it so.”
After her North Carolina stop, Harris made a guest appearance on Saturday Night Live with Maya Rudolph, who portrays her on the show, where Rudolph humorously told her, “I’m going to vote for us.”
Trump’s Campaign in North Carolina and Virginia
Trump began his Saturday rallies in Virginia before heading to North Carolina, where he used his Greensboro rally to criticize the media, taking credit for what he described as a drop in media credibility since his 2015 campaign. “I’m proud to have exposed them as fake,” he declared.
He also revisited immigration as a central issue, promising to protect American communities, including those of non-white Americans, from the perceived impact of undocumented immigration. Trump falsely claimed that Congolese migrants were being sent from prisons to the U.S., a statement that lacks any supporting evidence.
What’s Next?
Harris is set to campaign in Michigan on Sunday, followed by final stops in Pennsylvania’s key cities on Monday, including Allentown, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. Trump will campaign in Pennsylvania before returning to North Carolina to visit Kinston on Sunday and Raleigh on Monday, marking a significant last push in a highly competitive state.