The biggest names in US politics, including Democrats Biden and former President Barack Obama, as well as Republican former President Donald Trump, were in Pennsylvania on Saturday hoping to tip the balance in a pivotal Senate race between Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and Republican celebrity. Doctor Mehmet Oz. “My friends, three days, three days until one of the most important elections of our lifetime. The outcome will shape our country for decades to come, and the power to shape that outcome is in your hands,” Biden said. “It’s a choice. A choice between two very different visions of America.” Trump, who sources say is preparing to launch a third consecutive bid for the White House after the midterm elections, continues to falsely claim that his 2020 loss to Biden was the result of widespread fraud. Many courts, government agencies and members of his own administration have rejected this claim as untrue. But polls show a significant number of Republican voters accept the claim, as do many candidates for Congress, governor and state offices that oversee election administration. Speaking before Trump at a rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Representative Glenn Thompson told supporters that Republicans are headed for big gains on Tuesday. “Who has a surfboard?” asked. “It’s going to be a red wave.” Speaking to supporters in downtown Pittsburgh, Obama warned that last week’s politically motivated attack on Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, was the product of hate speech. “This habit we have of demonizing political opponents, of saying crazy things, creates a dangerous climate,” Obama said, without directly referring to Republicans. Republicans argue that Democrats have also engaged in political violence, citing widespread anti-racism protests that have rocked the country in 2020. On Sunday, they criticized Democrats for not focusing on inflation and crime, two of voters’ top concerns, according to in most polls. In a pair of tweets Saturday morning, Oz criticized Fetterman and Biden for failing to adequately support the domestic energy industry and pledged to fight inflation if elected. “As your next senator, I will focus on issues that matter to voters in all communities, including lowering prices on everything from gas to groceries,” he wrote.
TRUMP PREPARES ANOTHER ROAD
Trump is set to endorse Republican Senate nominee Oz and Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano at a rally in Latrobe, southeast of Pittsburgh. He is also working to maintain his own profile as he considers another run for the White House. That could set the stage for a Biden-Trump rematch, although some Democrats say big losses for Biden’s party on Tuesday could increase pressure on the president to step down and let someone else carry his mantle. party in 2024. The Fetterman-Oz Senate race is one of three crucial contests, along with Georgia and Nevada, that will determine whether Democrats retain their slim Senate majority and with it the power to confirm Biden’s nominees in positions ranging from his cabinet. in the Supreme Court. Nonpartisan election forecasters and polls show Republicans are heavy favorites to win control of the House, with the Senate up for grabs. Control of even one would give Republicans the power to block Biden’s legislative agenda and launch potentially damaging investigations. More than 39 million Americans have already voted early, either in person or by mail, according to the US Elections Project. Election officials have warned that it could take days after Tuesday for final results to be clear in closely contested elections such as the Pennsylvania and Georgia Senate races. Both parties have drawn attention in Pennsylvania both because of the race’s strategic importance and because of its history of voters swinging from one party to the other in four presidential elections. Fetterman had a commanding lead in the race all summer, which Oz has chipped away at over the past two months. Some factors may be local: A stroke this spring forced Fetterman to curtail his campaign schedule and affected his speech. In a debate last month, he frequently stumbled over his words, in a performance that even allies privately described as shaky. But Oz’s gains also reflect a shift in national momentum in favor of Republicans, as voters’ focus on inflation and crime has proven more durable than concerns about abortion. Early Democratic leads in several other Senate races, including races in Georgia and Nevada, have also shrunk or evaporated in recent weeks. Also, playing against the Democrats is Biden’s unpopularity. Only 40% of Americans approve of the president’s job performance, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that ended on Tuesday, prompting Biden to stop campaigning in some key states. Reporting by Greg Savoy in Pittsburgh, Jarrett Renshaw in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and Trevor Hunnicutt in Joliet, Illinois, additional reporting by Ted Hesson and Makini Brice in Washington, writing by Gram Slattery. Editing by Scott Malone, Daniel Wallis and Jonathan Oatis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
