But with three weeks to go, Trump and Harris remain locked in a bitter, neck-and-neck battle for the swing states, of which blue-collar Pennsylvania is the biggest prize.
And alarm bells have been ringing over Harris’s momentum, with her support stagnant at around 49 per cent in polling since mid-September.
Aides are concerned in particular by an erosion of support among black voters, a key pillar in the Democratic coalition that is 15 points behind where it was for Biden when he narrowly defeated Trump in 2020.
“THROUGH THE ROOF”
A New York Times/Siena poll last week found Harris with 78 per cent support among black voters, against around 90 per cent support for Democrats in recent presidential elections, with men accounting for most of the drop-off.
Harris and running mate Tim Walz – who called Trump “fascist to his core” at his own campaign event in Wisconsin – will this week blanket Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
The traditionally Democratic Rust Belt states represent her likeliest path to the presidency, and she is expected to campaign with a particular focus on black male voters.
In Erie, Harris touted her “opportunity agenda”, which includes small business loans and training programs for African American men, as well as a health initiative focused on diseases that disproportionately impact the community.
She will sit down this week with popular black media figures, including a town hall-style event in Detroit Tuesday with Breakfast Club co-host Charlamagne Tha God.
