Vice President Kamala Harris focused on the middle class in a speech in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, while former President Donald Trump avoided discussing embattled gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson during a speech in a Charlotte suburb on Wednesday.
Harris and Trump took their campaigns to the battleground states, with the Democrat focused on shoring up her “Blue Wall” in Pennsylvania and the Republican working to keep North Carolina in his column.
The economy continued to be a focus for them both, as it’s an issue they believe could draw support from those undecided voters in swing states who will determine the outcome of the race. Elsewhere, President Joe Biden reflected on his presidency on The View, and Trump spoke off-the-cuff about the recent assassination attempts against him, suggesting Iran was behind them.
Here are the big storylines from the campaign trail you may have missed on Wednesday.
Harris Talks Economy in Pittsburgh
Harris delivered remarks about what she calls her “opportunity economy,” promising a “new way forward” for the middle class and casting her opponent as an out-of-touch billionaire who doesn’t care about small business.
Harris mostly recited the pillars of her economic policy, which she said will focus on cutting taxes for the middle class, giving workers access to paid leave and $6,000 for new parents for the first year after having a child.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 25, 2024. Harris delivered remarks about the economy in the battleground state on Wednesday.
JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images
“I want Americans and families to be able to not just get by but be able to get ahead,” Harris said.
Harris also made her most forceful comments yet in the face of Trump’s attacks on her as a socialist or communist. She called herself a “capitalist” as she touted her support for labor unions, an important voting bloc in the Rust Belt.
She also hit on her plans to deal with high housing costs, saying she would “take on” corporate landlords hiking rental prices, work with builders to construct three million new homes nationwide and provide first-time homebuyers $25,000 downpayment assistance.
She also mentioned cutting red tape and regulations to jumpstart the housing industry, which has fallen out of grasp for millions of Americans, particularly first-time buyers, since the pandemic.
“Increasing the housing supply will help drive down the cost of housing,” Harris said.
Recent polls suggest Harris is cutting into Trump’s lead on handling the economy, which voters say is their top issue in November.
Trump Avoids Robinson Drama in North Carolina
Elsewhere, Trump avoided discussing Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson during a speech in Mint Hill, North Carolina.
That state’s gubernatorial race was thrown into chaos last week after CNN reported on posts allegedly made online by Robinson the Republican candidate. The posts included references to watching pornography featuring transgender individuals and calling himself a “black NAZI.”
Robinson has denied those comments and has rejected calls to withdraw from the race. But polls already showed him down against Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein, and forecasters have since shifted the race toward Democrats. It’s unclear whether the scandal will have any impact on the presidential race, in a state that is particularly critical for Trump to keep red.
Former President Donald Trump meets with supporters in Mint Hill, North Carolina on September 25, 2024. Trump campaigned in the battleground state on Wednesday.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Trump has not withdrawn his endorsement of Robinson and has not made any comments about the scandal, even as his team has reportedly been pressuring Robinson to drop out behind the scenes.
Trump Ties Iran to Assassination Attempts
Early Wednesday morning, Trump wrote on Truth Social that there are “big threats” on his life from Iran following a briefing about the two recent assassination attempts against him by U.S. intelligence agencies.
In North Carolina, Trump veered off his written remarks about manufacturing to touch on those failed assassinations, suggesting without evidence the two suspects had ties to Iran. He also tore into the FBI, accusing the agency of failing to move quickly to investigate their motives.
On September 15, law enforcement arrested a man for pointing a rifle from the bushes surrounding the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach while the former president was playing on the course. He has been indicted for an alleged assassination attempt.
It was the second assassination attempt on Trump’s life this summer, following the July 13 shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. That shooter grazed Trump’s ear and killed rallygoer Corey Comperatore.
Biden ‘At Peace’ With Withdrawal
While not on the campaign trail, President Biden made a detour from his duties in New York for UN Week to sit down with ABC News’ The View, reflecting on his exit from the race. Co-host Sara Haines asked Biden if he was “at peace” with his withdrawal over the summer, which came amid concerns about his age and ability to win in November.
When asked how he wants to be remembered after 50 years of public service, Pres. Biden tells #TheView, “for being honest at what I’ve done.”
“We have to believe in ourselves again. And that’s what I like most about Kamala. She believes in America,” he adds. pic.twitter.com/x4qZM0TZ3i
— The View (@TheView) September 25, 2024
“I am at peace with my decision. When I ran for this last term, I said I saw myself as a transition president. Transitioning to a new generation of leadership. I know I only look 40, but I’m 180 years old,” he said jokingly.
He praised Harris as “brave” and “tough,” noting he took longer to “pass that torch” because he felt he got more done than expected in his administration.
Polling Recap
Polls released Wednesday continued to show an extremely tight race.
A YouGov/The Economist poll showed Harris leading by three points nationally (49 percent to 46 percent). It surveyed 1,220 likely voters from September 21 to September 24.
Three state polls showed Harris and Trump effectively tied in Pennsylvania. A Susquehanna Polling & Research survey of 700 likely voters from September 16 to September 22 showed each candidate winning 46 percent of the vote. An RMG Research poll of 783 registered voters from September 18 to September 20 showed each candidate with 49 percent of the vote. A Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion poll of 450 likely voters from September 16 to September 19 showed each candidate with 48 percent of the vote.
Another state poll from Fabrizio Lee & Associates/Impact Research showed Trump up three points in North Carolina (50 percent to 47 percent), a notable improvement for him in that battleground. It polled 600 likely voters from September 11 to September 17.
