Kamala Harris and Donald Trump Go All Out in Furious Final Push in 'Purple States' on Election Eve

Washington: As United States gears up for a historically razor-tight contest to elect its 47th President, the fight for the White House between Democratic leader Kamala Harris and her Republican rival Donald Trump has reached its crescendo. Given the highly-anticipated big election day is just a few hours away, many political observers billed the unpredictable race for the 47th President of the US as the most consequential one in decades while appearing to project a grim picture for the country’s future under a Trump presidency. 

In the US, the states are divided into red, blue and purple. Republican states are referred red while Democratic states blue. Further,  the swing states, which switch between Republican and Democratic control, are referred as purple. 

In the run up to elections, Harris has been campaigning in many swing states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, while Trump has been rallying in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia. 

Race for Oval Office a Razor-tight Contest 

The race for Oval Office in 2024 was marked with drama, tragedy, political comebacks, fierce rhetoric and what not. 

In the last of her campaigning, Vice President Harris stressed on a message of hope, unity, optimism and women rights, on the other hand former US President Trump remained fiercely combative in targeting his Democratic rival and even suggested that he may not accept the election outcome in case of a defeat.

Altogether, it was nothing less than a roller coaster ride for both 60-year-old Harris and 78-year-old Trump.

Trump, who nearly escaped an assassination attempt during a political rally, received his party’s nomination in March and formally at the Republican National Convention (RNC) in July — in a historic comeback after remaining in political wilderness for months following several court cases.

US Elections 2024 : Trump Vs Harris

In effect, Trump even became the first former president to get the nomination for the top office on the planet after being convicted of a felony.

"Trump has made one of the biggest political comebacks since Richard Nixon in terms of the political struggles that he has had in the last four years,” news agency PTI quoted Communication Strategist Anang Mittal as saying.

Trump's assassination attempt at Pennsylvania rally was carried out just days ahead of the RNC. The shooting incident had left him with bullet injuries in his ear but the 78-year-old emerged stronger than ever, leaving an imprint of strength among people. Minutes later, a bleeding Trump raised his fist in defiance, images that drew a lot of emotional support from his die-hard supporters.

Harris too experience a dramatic ride ahead of the election as Biden (81) bowed out of the race in July, nearly weeks after he came under severe scrutiny following his incoherent performance at a televised debate with Trump. Biden's exit from the race paved the way for the Indian-origin Harris to embark on a journey to fight for the race as he endorsed the 60-year-old to succeed him as the Democratic candidate.

Finally in August, the Democratic National Convention (DNC) formally nominated Harris as the party’s candidate for the presidential election.

The presidential election will be a chance to “move past the bitterness, cynicism and divisive battles of the past”, she said in a powerful speech at the Convention.

History in the Making: Will Harris Become America's 1st Woman President?

Notably, the top post has never been held by any woman in the history till date. If Harris emerges victorious in the race, she will become the first woman, first Black woman and first person of South Asian descent to become the US President.

In the overall campaign, Harris has been projecting the election as the one to protect the country’s fundamental freedoms, safeguard constitutional values and ensure women’s rights, including that of abortion.

While Trump has maintained his signature aggressive rhetoric and promise to rebuild the economy and focus on the deportation policy to get the US rid of illegal immigrants.

There has been, however, strong criticism of the Republican leader’s roadmap to repair the economy.

“ Donald Trump is offering a vision of crony rentier capitalism that has enticed many captains of industry and finance,” said Joseph E Stiglitz, a Nobel laureate economist, in a column in Project Syndicate.

“In catering to their wishes for more tax cuts and less regulation, he would make most Americans’ lives poorer, harder, and shorter,” he said in a column in Project Syndicate.

With Election Day just a few hours away, there is not yet a clear picture about who has a better chance of winning the race to the White House.

“The elections are very close. They (the outcome) may change on the basis of a few thousands votes here or there. I think the big issue will be voter turnout tomorrow. That will determine the outcome in certain swing states,” news agency PTI quoted Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director of the US chapter of Observer Research Foundation, as saying.