Michelle Obama, Harris, And Trump Campaign In Michigan

JAKARTA - Michelle Obama, in her first public campaign event in the United States General Election (US), will join Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in Michigan on Saturday, October 26, 2024, local time.

Meanwhile, Republican candidate Donald Trump held his own rally in the state.

With about 8.4 million registered voters and 15 electoral votes out of 270 votes needed to win, Michigan is one of seven US states competitive and will determine the election results.

The state is part of a "Blue Block" that Democrats consider the best opportunity to elect Harris, along with Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

In Michigan, Harris and Trump are competing for votes that include a large population of Arab-Americans and Muslims worried about Israel's war in Gaza.

In addition, there are also trade unions worried about how electric vehicles can change the US auto industry, headquartered in Detroit, the state's largest city.

Meanwhile, former President Trump has wooed automotive workers by promising tax relief on car loans and a crackdown on Chinese car sales.

Earlier this month, he made harmful comments about Detroit, the city with the majority of its population black, which Republicans criticized for its crime rate.

In fact, the crime rate there has decreased significantly in recent years.

"All of our countries will end up like Detroit if he becomes your president," Trump said of Harris.

Harris and Obama are expected to focus on differences between Harris and Trump in terms of abortion, taxes, trade unions and tariffs.

Harris' campaign will take place in the southern city of Kalamazoo, while Trump's campaign will take place on the outskirts of Detroit, Novi, about 130 miles (210 km) away.

Harris outperforms Trump nationwide by a narrow margin of 46 percent compared to 43 percent, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll.

In Michigan, Harris excels slightly, which is 47.6 percent compared to 47.1 percent, according to poll aggregator FiveThirtyEight.

Democratic President Joe Biden, Harris boss, won Michigan with 150,000 votes in the 2020 election against Trump, with a margin of less than 3 percent. Trump won with 11,000 votes in 2016.

Since the 2020 election, Michigan has inspired a direct vote early for the first time. In addition, Michigan has also begun allowing jurisdictions with more than 5,000 people to begin processing and count ballots eight days before election day on November 5, 2024.

The Michigan State Department on Friday, October 25, 2024, said 19.5 percent of voters registered in Michigan, or nearly 1.42 million people, had voted.

Only 10,900 were direct initial votes, while the rest were returned ballots.

Celebrity Pull

Michelle Obama, wife of former President Barack Obama, is the latest example of Democrats relying on star power in the final days of the US election cycle.

Musicians Bruce Springsteen and Beyonce have been campaigning with Harris in recent days.

Meanwhile, Trump, who will also travel to Pennsylvania, has brought in figures such as retired professional wrestler Hulk Hogan and musician Kid Rock.

In August 2024, Michelle Obama addressed the Democratic National Convention, where she criticized Trump. She criticized her character and racist attacks that had targeted her and her husband in the past.

He mocked Trump for his references to campaign paths about black jobs that were not specifically mentioned.

"Who will tell him that the job he is currently looking for may be just one of the black jobs?" said Michelle Obama.

Before Biden left competition in July 2024, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that Michelle Obama outperformed Trump with a 50 percent vote compared to 39 percent in a hypothetical fight.

He has repeatedly said that he has no intention of running for president.