NATIONWIDE — Buckle up: It’s going to be a major weekend for both presidential campaigns.
President Donald Trump is making a three-state swing through the midwest and other key battleground states.
He’ll kick off in Lumberton, North Carolina, Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
On the same day, he’ll fly to Circleville, Ohio, and rally at 4:00 p.m.
Then he’ll make an appearance in Waukesha, Wisconsin, 7:00 p.m.
This is the second weekend he’ll be spending in mostly the Midwest. Last weekend, Trump held back-to-back rallies in Wisconsin and Michigan while Vice President Mike Pence made stops in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Pence is back in Ohio Friday for a rally in Swanton, the city Trump visited in September. This is Pence’s fourth stop in the battleground state within two months. On Wednesday, he rallied in Cincinnati and Donald Trump Jr. held an event in Steubenville Thursday. Second Lady Karen Pence also made a stop in Tipp City, Ohio, just outside of Dayton.
Sen. Kamala Harris also plans on making a stop in Cleveland Saturday at 3:15 p.m. after having to cancel her initial Oct. 16 trip to the Buckeye State and also a trip to North Carolina after her communications director and a non-staff member tested positive for COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the race remains tight in Ohio. According to a recent polling average from FiveThirtyEight, Trump has a one-point lead over former Vice President Joe Biden, his Democratic opponent. Neither candidate has had more than a three-point over the other in the state since April. Trump won Ohio by eight points in 2016.
But the Midwest won’t be the only region in on the campaign fun this weekend — Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, will be traveling to Pennsylvania on Saturday, where they will “travel to Bucks County and Luzerne County in Pennsylvania to speak about building back the economy better for working families and encourage Pennsylvanians to make a plan to vote,” according to the campaign.
Pennsylvania is a key state in this election — a very fitting role for the aptly-named Keystone State — as both campaigns view it as critical to victory.
That’s why a recent Supreme Court decision allowing the state to to count ballots received up to three days after the election, rejecting a Republican request to limit mail-in voting, was seen as so crucial — and why the Biden campaign deployed one of the Democratic Party’s best orators to Philadelphia this week: Biden’s old boss, former President Barack Obama.
Obama implored Philadelphians to remember the best of America and take their message to the polls either on or before election day.
“America is a good and decent place,” Obama said. “But we’ve just seen so much noise and nonsense that sometimes it’s hard for us to remember. Philadelphia, I’m asking you to remember what this country can be.”
Earlier that day, Obama met with Black male community leaders to talk about what’s at stake in the upcoming election, encouraging young voters to cast their ballots.
“I am so confident in Joe Biden and Kamala Harris surrounding themselves with people who are serious, who know what they’re doing, who are representative of all people — not just some people — and us being able to then dig ourselves out of this hole,” Obama said.
Speaking of Obama, he will also be out on the trail Saturday — he’ll be campaigning in Miami for Biden and Harris. A recent FiveThirtyEight polling average shows Biden with a tight lead over Trump in the Sunshine State.
As for Sunday, Trump will hold a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire at 1:00 p.m.
For Biden and Harris? Cher will be campaigning in Phoenix.
Yes, Cher.
The iconic Oscar-winning actress and Grammy Hall of Fame honoree will also be campaigning for Biden and Harris in Las Vegas on Saturday.