Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris‘ dueling Michigan rallies were packed on Saturday.
There are less than 10 days until the November 5 presidential election and supporters of Trump, the GOP nominee, and Harris, the Democratic nominee, in the battleground state of Michigan came out to cheer the candidates on.
Trump’s afternoon rally in Novi, about a 40-minute drive northwest of Detriot, was held at Suburban Collection Showplace. According to Getty photos and video shared on social media, there was a large crowd behind, in front of and on the sides of Trump’s podium.
Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, told Newsweek via email Saturday evening, that the Novi rally was filled to “maximum capacity with thousands outside.”
US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris (L) and former US First Lady Michelle Obama arrive to speak at a campaign rally in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on October 26, 2024.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Meanwhile, the stands at the Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo were filled at Harris’ rally with former first lady Michelle Obama Saturday evening, according to video on social media. The floor level was also packed with Harris supporters by her podium.
Rally crowd sizes have become a talking point during the election. Harris’ campaign has repeatedly mocked Trump’s rally crowd sizes while boasting about the high number of attendees at the vice president’s events.
US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on October 26, 2024.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Meanwhile, Trump has maintained that he gets more attendees at his rallies. At one point, he said Harris used artificial intelligence (AI) in a photo to bolster her crowd size at a Detroit rally.
Referencing a photo taken at that rally, Trump wrote on social media in August, “Has anyone noticed that Kamala CHEATED at the airport? There was nobody at the plane, and she ‘A.I.’d’ it, and showed a massive ‘crowd’ of so-called followers, BUT THEY DIDN’T EXIST!”
Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump walks off stage during a campaign rally at Bryce Jordan Center on October 26, 2024 in State College, Pennsylvania.
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The former president also said the large crowd at Harris’ rally was “fake,” adding, “She should be disqualified because the creation of a fake image is ELECTION INTERFERENCE. Anyone who does that will cheat at ANYTHING!”
A Harris campaign official told Newsweek at the time, “I can confirm that the photo was taken by Harris campaign staff and not modified by AI in any way.”
Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Bryce Jordan Center on October 26, 2024 in State College, Pennsylvania ahead of a rally on Sunday at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
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How Are the Candidates Doing in Michigan?
Harris and Trump are running neck and neck in Michigan. The vice president has a slight lead of 0.2 points, with 47.9 percent compared to Trump’s 47.7 percent, according to poll aggregator FiveThirtyEight’s polling averages for the state.
How Are the Candidates Doing Nationally?
Harris has a 1.4-point lead over Trump on the national stage. She has 48 compared to Trump’s 46.6 percent, FiveThirtyEight says.
From left, Former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Suburban Collection Showplace on October 26, 2024, in Novi, Michigan. Vice President Kamala Harris rallies with supporters at East Carolina University on October 13, 2024, in Greenville, North Carolina. Trump and Harris’ dueling Michigan rallies were packed on Saturday.
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