Trump: “I look better than Kamala”
At an appearance in Wilkes-Barre, the 78-year-old claimed, among other things, that he looked “much better” than Harris and called the 59-year-old a “communist” and “socialist lunatic” with the “laugh of a madwoman.” Trump had repeatedly denigrated women in particular as “crazy” in the past. With regard to Harris, he now explained that he was asked not to call her a “madwoman.” “But that’s what she is. A madwoman,” said the former president.
He accused the Democrat of governing the country badly together with US President Joe Biden. Contrary to the sometimes public recommendation of political allies to focus more on content and avoid personal attacks, Trump spoke of “stupid people”. Although he acknowledged that he was advised to avoid swear words, Trump stressed that there was no better word than “stupid”. Harris, who quickly caught up in the polls after Biden’s withdrawal, is putting the Republican under increasing pressure.
With Pennsylvania, Trump wants to secure a state in the election campaign in which natural gas production plays a major role. In Wilkes-Barre, he promised not only tax relief but also a diversion of climate protection funds to infrastructure and increased support for fossil fuels.
Harris and Walz go on a bus tour
Harris will also be traveling in Pennsylvania on Sunday. She once spoke out against natural gas extraction through fracking, which could harm her there. In order to convince voters, she is traveling through the state by bus with Vice President Walz, accompanied by her spouses Doug Emhoff and Gwen Walz. The tour begins in Pittsburgh and includes several stops.
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The coming days are likely to be turbulent for Harris and Walz: The Democratic Party Convention begins on Monday in Chicago, Illinois. Harris’ nomination as candidate was actually supposed to take place there after Biden’s withdrawal, but was already handled digitally for bureaucratic reasons. The meeting in Chicago is therefore likely to primarily serve to give the Democratic duo momentum for the rest of the election campaign – and this will ultimately be decided in the swing states.
Swing States im Fokus
While most of the 50 states are firmly Republican or Democratic, a few are politically hotly contested. Close races are expected in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin.
The special role of the swing states arises from the US electoral system: with their votes, voters decide on the composition of a 538-member electoral college, which then elects the president in December. To win, the candidates do not need the most votes overall, but a majority of the 538 electors – i.e. at least 270.
The number of electors per state is roughly based on the size of the population. California, for example, has 55 electors, Delaware only three. Due to the majority voting system that applies in almost all states, the winner of a state receives all of its electors – even if the victory is close. This is what makes swing states so crucial for the outcome of the election, especially the comparatively populous Pennsylvania.
Balanced representation or undemocratic?
However, the distribution of electoral votes is not strictly proportional to the population. Many states with fewer inhabitants are represented relatively more strongly. Supporters argue that this ensures a more balanced representation. Opponents criticize that an election victory does not necessarily have to be accompanied by a majority of the votes. In US presidential elections, a distinction is made between the actual majority of voters (“popular vote”) and the majority in the electoral college (“electoral vote”).
For example, Trump won the presidency in 2016 with narrow victories in several swing states, even though his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton received almost three million more votes nationwide. After his defeat to Biden in 2020, the Republican then unfoundedly questioned the election results in several swing states. Trump’s attempts to overturn the result in Georgia brought him legal repercussions on the one hand. But on the other hand, they also underline the great importance of swing states in the US election campaign.
