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Climate disasters have opened a new dimension in what remains an exceedingly close race ahead of the US presidential election.
Over the weekend, Vice President Kamala Harris visited an area of North Carolina hard-hit by Hurricane Helene — a trip that also included campaign events aimed at mobilizing Black voters in the crucial swing state.
Meanwhile at a Coachella, California rally Saturday, her Republican rival Donald Trump criticized the state’s water management practices, threatening to withhold “any of that fire money that we send you.” The remarks followed reports that, while president, Trump once refused to approve disaster aid for California until he learned that the affected area was home to many of his supporters.
The former president has criticized the government’s response to the recent hurricanes, while facing pushback over his own posture on federal disaster aid, as both campaigns seek to further distinguish their candidate’s record against the other.
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Harris also released a detailed medical record on Saturday stating that she is in “excellent” health, as allies sought to draw a contrast with Donald Trump’s age and mental faculties. The attacks on the former president’s health are a reverse of Republicans’ attacks on President Joe Biden’s physical and mental wellness that contributed to his decision to drop out of the presidential race.
The records were released in what may be the last week of relative calm in the US presidential election before mass get-out-the-vote efforts in the final days before Nov. 5.
Harris is planning a blitz of rallies through critical swing states, while Trump is also visiting deep-blue states to showcase his support there. In addition to the California event, he is holding a rally at New York City’s Madison Square Garden later this month.