Trump appeals to religion, Harris talks jobs as millions vote early

Republican Donald Trump on Monday appealed to religious voters in the southern swing state of Georgia as his campaign distanced itself from racist remarks by supporters that could alienate key voter groups.

Millions of Americans have cast their vote before the November 5 election, which national polls including the latest one from Reuters/Ipsos, and surveys in swing states, show is a close race between former president Trump and his Democratic rival vice president Kamala Harris.

In Georgia, where in-person early voting ahead of election day is expected to total up to 70% of ballots, Trump courted religious voters during a National Faith Advisory Board event.

“I think this is a country that needs religion,” Trump said.

“They're trying to stymie you, this new administration, this new radical left group of people.”

However, he faces pressure over his rally in New York on Sunday, where a comedian called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage”, prompting a backlash from Latino celebrities and criticism from Republican and Democratic politicians. The Trump campaign has said the joke did not reflect their views.

Harris said Trump “fans the fuel of hate and division, and that's why people are exhausted with him”. Later, Trump rejected Harris' contention that he is a fascist, telling thousands at a rally in Atlanta: “I'm not a Nazi. I'm the opposite of a Nazi.”

Georgia is one of seven competitive swing states expected to play a decisive role in an election that wraps up in eight days.

At stake in the election is stewardship of the world’s most powerful country. Harris and Trump diverge on support for Ukraine and Nato, tariffs that could trigger trade wars, abortion rights, taxes and basic democratic principles.

About 46-million Americans have voted, according to the Election Lab at the University of Florida, including  2.8-million people in Georgia and 1.9-million people in Michigan, where Harris arrived on Monday.

That trails the roughly 60-million people who had voted early by about this point in 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Harris visited Corning's Hemlock semiconductor facility to talk to workers, tour the assembly line and talk about the importance of investing in manufacturing jobs.

The company recently received a preliminary investment of up to $325m (R5.7bn) via the Chips and Science Act, which a Harris campaign official noted Trump had criticised and Harris helped pass.

“When we can find a way to have meaningful partnerships with the private sector, with industries, but to do the kind of work that is happening here, everybody wins,” she said.

Trump has argued his stewardship of the economy was stronger than that of President Joe Biden and Harris, despite major job losses at the end of his term at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

Though the US job market has been strong under the Biden-Harris administration and stock markets have hit record highs, persistently elevated prices have hammered consumers on everything from groceries to rent.

Harris has issued policy proposals to bring down prices and help alleviate the country's housing crunch, while also contrasting her leadership approach with Trump, who she said would be focused on getting back at his enemies.

On Monday evening, Harris appeared at a rally in Ann Arbor, Michigan with her running mate, Minnesota governor Tim Walz, that featured a performance by singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers.

“There is nothing more important than this election,” said Rogers, one of a number of celebrities who both campaigns have used to appeal to voters, as she warmed up an outdoor crowd in 50°F (10°C) temperatures.

Reuters