Harris, Trump continue efforts to win over swing states: What the latest polls show

Ep. 9: Kamala’s VP pick & Trump’s Georgia clash

Don't miss Episode 9 of Battleground: The Swing States with S.E. Cupp! Fresh off her historic nomination, Kamala Harris is ready to shake things up with her VP pick and a crucial swing state tour starting in the City of Brotherly Love. Meanwhile, Georgia has become a political hotspot, with both candidates vying for a piece of the peach state pie. But could Trump's beef with Gov. Brian Kemp cost him the election? Plus, we dive deep into the importance of early voting and its potential impact on our swing states.

As the presidential election draws closer, former president Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are wasting no time making their pitches in several swing states that could determine the outcome of who wins the White House.

Here's what happened in those battleground states and what people there are saying.

Georgia

Trump holds rally in Atlanta

Trump picked a new fight Saturday with Georgia’s Republican governor as he campaigned in the key swing state where he’s looking to avenge his narrow 2020 loss — a defeat he continues to blame on GOP officials for not giving into his false theories of election fraud.

Trump attacked Gov. Brian Kemp on his social media site before his rally and said Kemp should be "fighting Crime, not fighting Unity and the Republican Party."

Reaction after Trump's NABJ comments on Harris

Earnest Owens, President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, joins LiveNOW's Carel Lajara to react to former President Trump's comments at Wednesday's National Association of Black Journalists event in Chicago.

Trump assailed Kemp in a roughly 10-minute tirade, blaming him for his loss to Democratic President Joe Biden and for not stopping a local district attorney from prosecuting him and several associates for his efforts to overturn the results.
But Trump's strategy may not win over voters he needs to win this time around, particularly independents, although he still has strong support among Republicans.
"Republicans who are very motivated to win this November, say that as long as they continue repeating this message of the election being stolen or the results somehow being illegitimate, this is what alienates the independent to moderate conservative voters in Atlanta suburbs," said Maya King of the New York Times to S.E. Cupp of "Battleground."

Harris also rallies supporters in Atlanta

Harris — the first woman, the first Black woman and the first person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president — drew a racially and generationally mixed, though majority Black, majority female crowd.
Harris herself talked more about policy than biography, including about her biggest liabilities: inflation and immigration.

Trump proposes alternative debate, Harris says no

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump proposed to debate Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris on September 4th with Fox News. Kamala Harris countered that Trump was trying to back out of a debate already set with ABC News. Dan McMillan, Founder of Save Democracy in America, joins LiveNOW from FOX.

On inflation, she implicitly blamed corporate greed, promising to attack "price gouging" and "hidden fees."

"I was at that rally last week, and if I could describe the feeling on top of it being electric and exciting," King continued. " it also felt like there was a level of relief there for many Democrats in Georgia that not only did they have a candidate who could effectively articulate the party's message moving forward, but also someone who represents a lot of the same groups that Democrats will need to win here in Georgia."

Pennsylvania

Trump enjoyed a comfortable lead over Biden in the polls, but the gap has become much tighter between Trump and Harris.
"When Biden after Biden's debate, Democrats in this state were absolutely morose. They thought this thing was over," said Jeff Cole of FOX 29 Philadelphia. "They believe now that Kamala Harris brings people of color to the polls, young people to the polls, that there are coalitions there that they think had abandoned them with Biden."

Investigation continues into Trump rally shooting

The Secret Service is facing heightened scrutiny in the wake of the assassination attempt against former President Trump, in which the shooter was allowed to bring a rifle onto a nearby rooftop in broad daylight. The FBI is investigating the Trump shooting as well as the home of Thomas Matthew Crooks.

Pennsylvania's Governor Josh Shaprio is the top contender to become Harris' running mate.

"You get Shapiro. You may get Pennsylvania. It certainly helps," Cole added.

Arizona

Sen. Mark Kelly is also a contender in the race to become Harris' running mate.
"He's a practical guy. He's a pragmatist. He's been obviously involved in the CHIPS act, which has brought manufacturing and jobs to Arizona," John Hook of FOX 10 Phoenix.
However, Kelly may have trouble gaining support from those inside and outside Arizona.

Many key races to watch in Arizona primary

Voters in Arizona cast their ballots to select party nominees in federal, state, and county primary races. Cameron Arcand, an Arizona political reporter with The Center Square joins LiveNOW's Andrew Craft to break down Arizona's 2024 primary election.

"If you poll Arizonans, a lot of them don't know a lot about Mark Kelly. Frankly, he has not been out there. He doesn't do a lot of interviews," Hook said.
Republicans' strategy to win Arizona is to encourage early voting, which helped the Democrats win in 2020.

Michigan

Polls show it's going to be a very close race regarding who wins the state in November, which recent polls with Harris having an edge over Trump but within the margin of error.

Nevada

Early polls are also showing Harris a lead over Trump.
"I think Nevada Democrats are really excited about her ability, specifically in Nevada, to connect with young voters and voters of color who are both overrepresented in Nevada relative to other swing states," Gabby Birenbaum of The Nevada Independent told Battleground.

Attacks pick up from parties amid election season

Amid the race to the White House, both the Democrat and Republican parties are picking up attacks on their opponents. Chairman of the Border Commerce and Security Council Nelson Balido joined LiveNOW from FOX to discuss the latest details.