The Final Countdown: Presidential Candidates Race to Secure Last-Minute Votes

Suhana Kaur, Staff Writer

As of Nov. 5, presidential nominees former president Donald Trump and current vice president Kamala Harris remain in a tight race, according to election polls by the New York Times.

Presidential candidates vice president Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump made their final campaign runs before Election Day on Nov. 5.

Harris made a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” on Nov. 2. She appeared as her reflection in a mirror, as she gave a pre-speech pep talk opposite actress Maya Rudolph, who played Harris several times this fall on the show, according to Reuters.

Harris and Rudolph briefly made light of Harris’ laugh and Trump’s garbage truck stunt on Oct. 30 when he struggled to open the door of a garbage truck. They ended their skit by saying “Keep ‘Kamala’ and carry ‘on-ala’” in unison, according to the New York Times. The skit followed Harris’ recent “media blitz,” such as an interview on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast and with radio host Charlemagne Tha God, and could potentially help viewers have a more casual final impression, according to CNN.

Meanwhile, Trump held his closing rally in Madison Square Garden in New York City on Oct. 27, which was attended by around 20,000 people, according to USA Today. The rally featured multiple speakers including Elon Musk and House Speaker Mike Johnson. He introduced a new tax credit for family caregivers and mainly focused on immigration policies, such as implementing the death penalty for any migrant who kills an American, while lightly touching upon tax policies. However, some parts of the rally gained controversy after guest speaker Tony Hinchliffe made offensive comments regarding Puerto Rico, according to the Guardian.

While New York is historically blue and not a key swing state, the event could help maintain the Republican majority in the House as many districts in the state go through highly competitive congressional races, according to NPR.

Both candidates made their final local appearances in key battleground states on Nov. 4, according to AP News. Trump headed to Raleigh, North Carolina; Reading and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and finished in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In Pittsburgh, the nominee made his final closing address, further discussing immigration, and ending with his catchphrase from “The Apprentice”: “You’re fired!” regarding Harris. In Reading, Harris visited a Puerto Rican cafe and rallied with rapper Fat Joe, who is of Puerto Rican heritage, in response to the remarks made at Trump’s Madison Square Green rally, according to AP News. She ended with a final rally in Philadelphia featuring Lady Gaga and Oprah Winfrey.

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About the Contributor

Suhana Kaur, Staff Writer

Suhana Kaur is a staff writer for her first year on the Portola Pilot. She’s looking forward to writing stories (especially features!) and conducting lots of interviews. Aside from procrastinating on everything, she’s usually plugged into very loud music, saving the city (she’s Spiderman) or reading. She’s trying to write a profound novel, but it’s not going so well because she’s a procrastinator. Sometimes you’ll find her half-conscious scrolling on mukbang reels.