Political Storm and Hurricanes: Tensions Rise in the US Three Weeks Before the Election
Only three weeks remain until the key day of voting in the US presidential election, and the campaign has already reached an astonishing level of tension. Donald Trump is intensifying his anti-immigrant messages, while Kamala Harris reminds voters of his connections with Vladimir Putin. This is all happening against the backdrop of the catastrophic Hurricane Milton, which is battering Florida, a state still reeling from the less severe but powerful Hurricane Helen. As is typical in such cases, the party in power faces greater risks, as the average voter emotionally ties the damage caused to what is inevitably perceived as insufficient government support, which in the face of a natural disaster can never be fully adequate.
Donald Trump is adopting increasingly harsh rhetoric in his campaign speeches. If we were still processing his previous claims about immigrants "eating pets," then fasten your seatbelts – things are only getting more dramatic. Journalists and Democratic Party representatives are attempting fact-checking, though seemingly not very successfully. After all, debunking fake messages is significantly more time-consuming and complex than generating them.
Journalistic circles are now grappling with a question – "How should we handle blatant falsehoods in the speeches of a prominent candidate? Should we avoid spreading fake claims, or allow the audience to figure things out for themselves?" The argument against the latter approach is that not everyone can discern truth from falsehood. Meanwhile, the argument against the former path is the fundamental principle of free speech, which should not be restricted, especially during election campaigns.
Against Kamala Harris, the current Vice President, Donald Trump is playing his trump card – "If you know so well what this country needs, why haven’t you done it in the past four years?" He particularly emphasises the current administration’s reluctance to combat illegal immigration and its consequences. But Trump does not shy away from personal attacks on his opponent either. At times, he makes statements that would surely draw severe public condemnation outside of a campaign, yet his supporters seem to accept them relatively calmly.
Kamala Harris, on the evening of 8 October, during CBS's "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," criticised Donald Trump for his close ties with Vladimir Putin and reminded the audience about the incident involving the transfer of COVID-19 test kits to the Russian president. She reminded those present on the show: "Do you remember how many people couldn’t get tests and were desperately trying to?"
From the start, when Joe Biden stepped aside, allowing Kamala Harris to lead the race, the campaign shaped up to be a traditional battle for the allegiance of the "seven swing states." However, things aren’t that simple. Trump seems to be masterfully playing this field by appealing to the entire country, even speaking in states that traditionally lean Democratic. On Wednesday, 9 October, he visited Pennsylvania, one of the most pivotal of the seven swing states.
Trump went all in: he delivered a speech in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Joe Biden's birthplace. He also visited Reading, a city with a predominantly Latino population. These aren’t the most comfortable locations for his public appearances, but for Trump, the resonance is crucial when attacking the ruling party.
Furthermore, on Friday, Trump is scheduled to speak in Colorado, a state that leans more towards the Democratic Party. In 2020, Joe Biden secured a convincing victory there. Amidst the destruction caused by the hurricanes in the southern US, Trump has been hammering the message that the government lacks the funds to deal with the aftermath of Hurricanes Helen and Milton, suggesting this is because the Biden-Harris administration is spending money on supporting illegal immigrants. Yes, independent journalists and Democratic Party members have debunked this claim, but voters may still be swayed by the harrowing images of the hurricanes' aftermath.
Trump’s statements about illegal immigration and natural disasters have garnered a loud reaction – exactly what he values most at this stage of the campaign. The owner of X (formerly Twitter) supported Trump in this, speculating that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) spent money on migrants instead of preparing for natural disasters.
"Yes, they are literally using YOUR tax dollars to import voters and disenfranchise you! It’s happening right in front of your eyes. And FEMA used up its budget ferrying illegals into the country instead of saving American lives. Treason," Elon Musk wrote on X.
The response wasn’t long in coming: on 9 October, Kamala Harris joined President Joe Biden at a briefing about preparations for Hurricane Milton. At this briefing, Biden harshly criticised Trump, calling the "reckless, irresponsible, and relentless spread of misinformation and outright lies" a hindrance to people and said it "undermines trust in the incredible rescue and recovery work that has already been done and will continue." Biden had even cancelled his trip to the Ramstein summit on aid to Ukraine due to the catastrophic hurricane.
In essence, the situation now resembles a competition of who can deliver the louder accusations and sharper critiques. The candidates’ campaign promises are less significant than the emotional weight of their exchanges.