A series of controversial statements from former President Trump and his allies in the final week of the campaign have opened the door for Democrats to potentially make gains among key voters.
A comedian’s racist joke about Puerto Rico at a Sunday rally sparked outrage in the Latino community. Elon Musk, a top Trump supporter, acknowledged that Americans would face “temporary difficulties” from Trump’s economic proposals. A senior transition official indicated that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, would obtain data on shots to potentially withdraw them from the market. And Trump himself said he would be a protector for women “whether women like it or not.”
Trump’s team was bullish about his chances next Tuesday, and the former president managed to regain the news cycle on Wednesday after President Biden seemed to be calling Trump supporters “trash.”
While Biden’s comments could serve to further mobilize Trump’s base – and provide Trump with a political stunt – Biden is no longer on the ballot and Vice President Harris has distanced herself from his comments.
Instead, the series of high-profile comments from Trump and his allies have given Democrats modern talking points to warn about the risks of choosing the Republican nominee.
“Every day Trump has thrown a little bit of poison into a different constituency where people might be undecided,” said Jesse Lee, a former Biden and Obama White House official.
“Puerto Ricans and other Hispanics have learned that Trump has a problem with all of them, not just modern immigrants. Many suburban mothers will recoil in horror at the idea of eliminating childhood vaccinations, and Trump’s protective speech makes him sound like an abuser – women recognize that, and some men will recognize it too,” Lee added.
Harris has long described herself as an underdog in the race. A victory on Tuesday would likely be the result of increasing turnout among women and college-educated voters, as well as a sturdy performance among black and Latino voters.
The Trump campaign first presented Harris with a gift during a Sunday rally at Madison Square Garden, intended as a triumphant delivery of Trump’s final message. Instead, it was marred by racist and sexist comments from guest speakers including comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, who compared Puerto Rico to a “floating island of trash.”
Hinchcliffe’s comments sparked backlash from some Latino voters and prompted Bad Bunny, a superstar Puerto Rican musician, to post on social media supporting Harris. Days later, reggaeton star Nicky Jam went back his support of Trump in the controversy.
Musk, the billionaire Trump supporter who has indicated he will lead a government efficiency commission to cut spending, said at a recent news conference Telephone town hall that the changes under a Trump administration “would necessarily involve temporary hardship.”
Democrats seized on those comments and warned that even Trump’s advisers were aware of his economic plans, which included imposing tariffs on all foreign imports, among other things Hodgepodge of proposed tax cutscould initially have a negative impact on many Americans.
Howard Lutnick, co-chair of Trump’s transition team, caused a stir on Wednesday he fought with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins about vaccine effectiveness. He suggested that a Trump administration would provide data on vaccine safety to outspoken vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to show that “he’s not safe.”
Meanwhile, Trump said at a rally on Wednesday evening, doubled by calling himself a “protector” of women and saying he would do so “whether women like it or not.”
The series of controversial comments could give Harris and her campaign a chance to appeal to the crucial voting blocs Democrats need to represent key battleground states on Tuesday.
Polls have shown Harris trailing Biden’s 2020 mark among Latino voters, and Democratic campaign officials have done so too Ads placed and reach increased to capitalize on the Puerto Rico remarks from Trump’s rally.
Harris’ campaign also hopes to expand her lead among women and college-educated voters, as she has made a priority Closing argument about protecting reproductive rights and the idea that Trump is “unhinged” and just looking for power.
“I think every day we’re also getting evidence from my opponent that confirms, confirms and reinforces the fact that, first of all, he’s not going to fight for women’s reproductive rights,” Harris told reporters. “He does not prioritize women’s freedom and women’s intelligence to make decisions about their own lives and bodies. And in this election, the health care of all Americans is also at stake.”
The former president and his campaign expressed optimism about their position heading into Election Day. Republicans have turned out in immense numbers to vote early, polls have shown Trump in a stronger position than in previous elections, and aides have argued internal data shows Trump is on track to win the election to win.
A Decision Desk HQ forecast for the presidential election gives Trump a 53 percent chance of winning the White House Survey averages show Trump and Harris within 2 percentage points of each other in each of the seven key battleground states.
The Trump team has also demonstrated a knack for seizing control of the news cycle through photo ops, such as when the former president briefly worked behind the counter at McDonald’s or when he got into a garbage truck to highlight Biden’s blunder earlier this week.
