Washington [US], October 29: It's a week until the US presidential election and the two candidates are doing their best to get ahead in a dramatic and divisive election.
According to data from the University of Florida's Election Lab project, as of yesterday, nearly 42 million voters had cast their ballots early for this year's presidential election. As Election Day approaches, candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are presenting key messages to persuade undecided voters.
Final message
Last weekend, former President Trump laid out his vision for his second term. At an event in New York, the Republican candidate specifically highlighted illegal immigration and vowed to "launch the largest deportation program in American history on Day 1," according to Reuters. The speech also focused on the accusation that the current administration, in which Ms. Harris was Vice President, had ruined the economy and immigration policy, which Mr. Trump would fix after taking office.
In addition, Mr. Trump announced a new policy to provide a tax credit for family breadwinners, pledged to cut energy prices in half and reduce corporate taxes. He did not elaborate on his economic plan because changes to tax regulations would need to be approved by Congress, while there is no guarantee that the Republican Party will control both houses after this election. In addition, the event in New York was controversial because of the racist and vulgar statements from the former president's allies.
Meanwhile, Ms. Harris has campaign events in Philadelphia, the largest city in the most important battleground state of Pennsylvania, to attract voters of Puerto Rican origin, a territory described by an ally at Mr. Trump's event as a "trash island".
On October 29, Ms. Harris will hold an important campaign rally at the Ellipse Park in Washington DC, where on January 6, 2021, Mr. Trump gave a speech before protesters stormed the Capitol building to prevent the certification of Mr. Joe Biden's victory. NBC News quoted Ms. Harris's aides as saying that the vice president will focus on portraying Mr. Trump as a threat to democracy, while highlighting her vision and plans for the future of her term.
Post-election concerns
There are now concerns both inside and outside the US about the two scenarios of Mr. Trump losing or winning. According to AFP, some Americans are worried that with Mr. Trump's inability to accept defeat, the violence could recur as after the election four years ago. The balance in the surveys signals that the race's results could be determined by tens of thousands of votes and is the basis for post-election disputes and lawsuits. Political analyst Adrienne Uthe of Kronus Communications (USA) predicts that the legal conflict could last for weeks and, depending on the level, could lead to protests, even violence. According to a recent Scripps News/Ipsos survey, nearly two-thirds of Americans predict there will be violence after the election.
Meanwhile, at the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB) in Washington DC last week, financial officials from around the world expressed concerns about the potential impact of a second Trump administration. According to Reuters, among the major concerns is the global financial system being changed by sharp tax increases, increased debt issuance and the reversal of efforts to combat climate change to prioritize fossil fuel energy production. In contrast, a victory for Ms. Harris is seen as a continuation of the Biden administration's policy of multilateral cooperation over the past four years in the areas of climate, corporate tax and debt reduction.
"People seem concerned about the high uncertainty over who will become the next president and what policies will be implemented," said Bank of Japan Governor Ueda Kazuo.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper