U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, greets supporters during a campaign rally at the PNC Music Pavilion on November 02, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. With only days to go until Election Day, Harris is campaigning in Georgia and North Carolina. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
This story originally appeared on NC Newsline.
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump rallied supporters in North Carolina on Saturday as they enter the final leg of the presidential race with focused attention on this battleground state.
Saturday was the last day of early voting, which has broken turnout records. More than 4 million North Carolina voters have already cast their ballots.
Harris held a rally in Charlotte. Trump spoke in Gastonia on Saturday morning and had a rally scheduled for Greensboro on Saturday night. He’s scheduled to be in Kinston on Sunday and in Raleigh on Monday.
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The crowd in Charlotte cheered when Harris asked how many people had already voted. She encouraged them to talk to family, friends, and neighbors about the importance of going to the polls on Tuesday.
“For anyone who hasn’t voted yet, no judgment, but please get to it,” she said. “You will make the difference in this election.”
Harris hit the abbreviated version of her economic plan and drew contrasts between herself and Trump. She described the former president as obsessed with his grievances.
“Ask friends who are not here, imagine the Oval Office. Donald Trump on day one would be sitting in the office stewing over his enemies list,” she said. “I will be working on my to-do list. At the top of my list is bringing down the cost of living for you.”
Harris’s campaign is highlighting support she has from Republicans in North Carolina and other states. On Saturday, she pledged that as president she would listen to people who don’t agree with her and seek common ground.
“Unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe that people who disagree with me are the enemy,” Harris said. “He wants to put them in jail. I would give them a seat at the table. That’s what real leadership looks like. That’s what strong leadership looks like.”
For his part, Trump speaking in Gastonia promised to usher in an American golden age.
“Kamala broke it, I will fix it, and America will be rich again,” he said.
His speech included observations about retired quarterback Brett Farve’s hands: “His fingers are like sausages,” and a riff disparaging former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
While denigrating FEMA’s Helene response in North Carolina, Trump marveled at the voter turnout in the mostly Republican disaster counties in the mountains.
The turnout rate in most of the counties hit hardest by Helene has exceeded the statewide average.
“You broke the all-time record for voting. Who would have thought that?” Trump said. “I mean, you have people with no houses, you have people, I mean many people have died. People, they were missing. Missing is bad, real bad in a case like this, where there’s water like that but they were missing. Some will never be found. But who would think that you’d break the all-time record? That means you people are incredible.”
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