The countdown to the election is on, with 43 days left until Americans head to the polls.
At this point in the presidential race, it is anyone's game and the candidates are fine-tuning their strategies. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump both are hitting the campaign trail hard in the final weeks, and voters are taking notice.
Brand new polling shows Trump leading in 3 key sunbelt states. According to the latest data from The New York Times and Siena College, Trump has taken a notable lead on Harris in Arizona and he's maintaining his lead in Georgia and North Carolina.
But at the same time, pollster Nate Silver is calling for a Harris victory with his data models showing her making gains in the critical swing states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and Pennsylvania.
Where the candidates were early this week
Trump was at Indiana University of Pennsylvania Monday, about 55 miles east of Pittsburgh. He participated in a policy roundtable with farmers in Smithton earlier in the day before joining his supporters for a rally.
"How dishonest was ABC?" Trump asked rally-goers, referencing his last debate appearance against Harris on the network. "It was three on one."
"All [Harris] did was tell lies," Trump said.
"Vote Trump and your incomes will soar, your net worth will skyrocket, your energy costs and grocery prices will come tumbling down," Trump said. "We will bring back the American dream, bigger, better and stronger than ever before."
Harris also has Pennsylvania on her itinerary for this week, along with Arizona and Nevada. The Harris campaign says these stops "show her commitment to winning." Harris' team says volunteers and organizers have made 13.5 million phone calls and knocked on 600,000 doors in these three states alone.
Harris has also been putting up big numbers in terms of fundraising: Last night the vice president raised a record $27 million at a fundraiser in New York City. That is her biggest haul for a single event yet since taking over the Democratic ticket. According to the Harris campaign, the majority of that money came from first time donors.
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VP candidates keep up preparations for debate
Harris' Vice Presidential candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, spoke with donors about energy policy.
Walz called climate change an “existential threat” but also “an incredible opportunity to grow our economy.” He warned that Trump's focus on oil drilling is "not a solution to things, and the public knows that it’s a cheap, easy thing.”
Walz and the Republican Vice Presidential candidate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, will meet for a vice presidential debate next week, Oct. 1.
According to the Associated Press, both Walz and Vance have been preparing with mock debates. Walz has reportedly practiced against U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, while Vance has practiced debating Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer.
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