Washington:
Donald Trump is taking a bold move in the final days of his presidential campaign by visiting New Mexico and Virginia, two states that have historically been difficult for Republican candidates to win.
The former president campaigned in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Thursday and was scheduled to visit Salem, Virginia, on Saturday, in an effort to gain momentum and potentially turn these states red.
Trump’s team is optimistic about his chances, citing early voting numbers and the possibility of sweeping swing states Nevada and Arizona. However, this strategy carries significant risk, as neither New Mexico nor Virginia has been carried by a GOP nominee since George W. Bush in 2004.
The battleground states have received significant attention since the past few weeks, with billboards, smartphones, televisions bombarding them with political ads. The candidates – presidential and vice-presidential candidates have made 21 appearances in Pennsylvania, 17 in Michigan and 13 in North Carolina since the past two weeks.
Trump’s visit to Albuquerque brings attention to his immigration stance in a border state with the nation’s highest concentration of Latino voters. About 44% of New Mexico’s voting-age population identifies as Hispanic, and the state has been dealing with a surge in migrant deaths along the U.S.-Mexico border.
“If we could bring God down from heaven, he could be the vote counter and we could win this,” Trump said. He also added that he’s visiting New Mexico because it’s “good for my credentials” with Latino voters.
Virginia was once considered a battleground state but has trended toward Democrats in recent years. Trump lost the state to Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020. Despite this, Trump believes he has a “real chance” of winning, and his visit may focus on the recent Supreme Court ruling on voter registrations.
Democratic strategist Bob Shrum questions Trump’s strategy, stating, “I don’t think there’s any strategy… I think he insisted on doing it. It makes no sense”. Meanwhile, Virginia’s Governor Glenn Youngkin believes the state is more competitive than expected.
Susan Swecker, Chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Virginia, holds the opinion that this visit will only make it harder for Trump to gain votes. “Kamala Harris will win Virginia convincingly, as he knows, and any visit from this deranged lunatic will only widen the margin,” she said.