Trump, Harris make final pitches to voters in high-stakes battleground state in final days of cycle
The country's eyes are again locked on Pennsylvania this election cycle, with former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris making their final pitches to Keystone State voters ahead of Election Day.
Trump held a massive rally at Manhattan’s Madison Square Garden Sunday evening in what was described as the 45th president’s final pitch to voters, while Harris made her final pitch in the nation’s capital Tuesday at the Ellipse, located just south of the White House and north of the National Mall.
Amid their high-profile closing arguments for the election cycle, both candidates have continued their laser focus on Pennsylvania, which is viewed as the state that will likely determine the overall outcome of the election.
Trump’s schedule this week included a rally Tuesday in Allentown, located about 60 miles north of Philadelphia, and another campaign stop Tuesday in Philadelphia’s suburbs of Delaware County. A campaign official told Fox News Digital Tuesday the campaign expects to announce additional events in the state ahead of Election Day, including surrogate events.
"I don't like to speak too early, but you have to get out and vote because we … we want a big, beautiful number. We're leading in every single swing state. Because, normally Republicans, they like to vote at the end no matter what you say, they like to vote at the end," Trump said from the Allentown rally.
RNC Chair Michael Whatley also spoke at the rally and declared,"Donald Trump needs Pennsylvania, and America needs Pennsylvania.
"We are going to swamp the vote. And we are not going to let the Democrats stop us. Nine years ago, Donald Trump came down that escalator at Trump Tower and said that he was going to make America Great again by protecting our southern border, by rebuilding our economy and making sure that America was strong enough to protect our interests and our allies around the world. Tonight, at the end of that room, as we enter the last eight, seven days before this election, Donald Trump is still fighting every single day for every single American and every single family and every single voter," he said.
Harris is expected to travel to Harrisburg, the state’s capital, on Wednesday, after visiting Philadelphia on Sunday. Harris’ rally is billed as a get-out-the-vote initiative in the waning days of the election. Surrogates and high-profile supporters of the Harris campaign are also flooding the state this week, including former President Clinton joining Democratic Sen. John Fetterman for a "Unity" event in Johnstown Tuesday and actor Martin Sheen holding a press conference in support of Harris ahead of Trump's Allentown visit on Tuesday.
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Both campaigns have spent more than half a billion dollars in ads alone in Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported last week. Democrats spent more than $294.7 million in Pennsylvania, while Republicans spent $243.6 million in the Keystone State. The funds spent far exceed ad buys in other battleground states, including Michigan, which trails Pennsylvania ad expenses by a combined $185 million.
For the Trump campaign, tech billionaire Elon Musk has been featured prominently in Pennsylvania. The SpaceX CEO has jumped from events in Philadelphia's suburbs to the rolling hills of Amish country in Lancaster to rally support for the Republican ticket.
"I'm doing this because I think it's critical to the future of the country. If America falls, nothing else matters. We're not getting to Mars or anything," Musk said in Pittsburgh last week. "I'm hoping that we get President Trump elected, and then I'll work hard on the Department of Government efficiency."
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Musk announced earlier this month that voters in battleground states were eligible for a $1 million a day giveaway after signing the America PAC’s petition backing the Constitution, which he has touted while on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania. The initiative outlines that it only applies to registered voters in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin and North Carolina, and if they sign the petition.
"The First and Second Amendments guarantee freedom of speech and the right to bear arms. By signing below, I am pledging my support for the First and Second Amendments," the petition states.
As the campaign enters its final days, Musk has continued rallying support on X, including reminding Pennsylvania voters that Tuesday marked the last day for early in-person voting in the state.
Since Harris emerged as the top presidential candidate for the Democratic ticket in July after President Biden dropped out of the race amid mounting concern over his mental acuity and age, Fox News found the vice president has visited Pennsylvania at least 15 times, as of Tuesday. Philadelphia was where Harris announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate and where she prepared for her September Philadelphia debate against Trump.
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Trump has also visited the state at least 15 times since the end of July, Fox News found. Trump’s history with Pennsylvania was underscored by an assassination attempt on his life July 13 in Butler, when a man named Mathew Crooks opened fire on Trump and his supporters. Trump was injured on the side of his head by the shooting, and two other rallygoers were also injured. Local man Corey Comperatore died protecting his family during the violence.
Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, has visited the state at least 13 times since the start of August. Walz has visited Pennsylvania at least nine times since August, data compiled by Fox News found.
Pennsylvania carries 19 electoral votes and historically voted for Democratic presidential candidates dating to 1992, until Trump's successful 2016 election. Trump narrowly won the state that year as he campaigned against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
In 2020, however, Biden won the state by 1.17 percentage points. That year, Democrats had a larger margin of registered voters compared to their Republican counterparts, at 4.2 million to 3.5 million. The data show that Democrats had a registration advantage over Republicans by 685,818 voters during the election that Biden won by 80,555 votes.
The GOP has whittled down that lead this year to a margin of 297,824. When comparing registered voters this election year to 2020, Democrats face a net loss of 257,281 voters, while Republicans have a net gain of 428,537 registered voters.
More than double the number of previously registered Democrats changed their party affiliation this cycle compared to the number of registered Republicans who left the party. Pennsylvania Department of State data shows 54,668 registered Democrats changed their party affiliation compared to 25,634 Republicans.