Harris and Trump continue push for undecided voters in battleground states

Early in-person voting started Thursday in the battleground state of North Carolina, a reminder that Election Day is just around the corner. Both candidates are trying to broaden their appeal to different groups of voters in these crucial final days. Lisa Desjardins reports.

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Amna Nawaz: Early in-person voting started in the battleground state of North Carolina today, a reminder that Election Day is just around the corner.

Both candidates are trying to broaden their appeal to different groups of voters in these crucial final days.

We begin tonight in Wisconsin, where Vice President Harris’ campaign schedule was briefly interrupted by news out of the Middle East.

Lisa Desjardins has our coverage.

Lisa Desjardins: On the campaign trail, a moment of world significance.

Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States (D) and U.S. Presidential Candidate: Today, Israel confirmed that Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, is dead.

Lisa Desjardins: Vice President Harris spoke on the sidelines of a stop in Milwaukee today after Israel announced it had killed the head of Hamas.

Kamala Harris: This moment gives us an opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza. And it must end such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination.

Lisa Desjardins: This comes on the heels of a contentious FOX News appearance last night.

Bret Baier, FOX News Anchor: Eighty-five percent of apprehensions.

Kamala Harris: But I’m not finished. I’m not finished.

Lisa Desjardins: The interview with host Bret Baier was heated from the start, when Harris defended the Biden administration’s record on immigration.

Kamala Harris: The first bill, practically within hours of taking the oath, was a bill to fix our immigration system.

Bret Baier: Yes, ma’am. It was called the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021.

Kamala Harris: And exactly. And — so — but I…

Bret Baier: It was essentially a pathway to citizenship for the…

Kamala Harris: May I please finish?

Bret Baier: Yes, ma’am.

Kamala Harris: May I finish — may I finish responding, please?

Bret Baier: But here — but this…

Kamala Harris: But you have to let me finish, please.

Bret Baier: You had the White House…

Lisa Desjardins: Later, Harris distanced herself from the president when asked what she would do differently in the White House.

Kamala Harris: Let me be very clear. My presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency.

Lisa Desjardins: She did not give specifics, saying that she represents a new generation.

Her most passionate moment came in response to former President Trump’s recent threats to turn the military against — quote — “enemies within.”

Kamala Harris: This is a democracy. And in a democracy, the president of the United States in the United States of America should be willing to be able to handle criticism without saying he’d lock people up for doing it.

Lisa Desjardins: For his part, Mr. Trump reached out to Latino voters in a Noticias Univision town hall last night near Miami. Audience members posed questions, including on immigration.

Trump has recently said he wants to limit some legal immigration, but here he stressed it.

Donald Trump, Former President of the United States (R) and Current U.S. Presidential Candidate: We have to have a lot of people come into our country. We just want them to come in legally through a system, because they have released hundreds of thousands of people that are murderers, drug dealers, terrorists. They’re coming in totally — nobody knows who they are, where they come from.

Man: I want to give you the opportunity to try to win back my vote.

Lisa Desjardins: Later, a voter said he was disturbed by Trump’s inaction January 6. Trump defended his supporters…

Donald Trump: But that was a day of love.

Lisa Desjardins: … and his inaction.

Donald Trump: They didn’t come because of me. They came because of the election. They thought the election was a rigged election, and that’s why they came. Some of those people went down to the Capitol. I said peacefully and patriotically, nothing done wrong at all, nothing done wrong.

Lisa Desjardins: This as we have learned about scathing words about Trump from another GOP leader.

According to an upcoming biography, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell privately called Trump stupid, as well as being ill-tempered and “a despicable human being” back in 2020 as the former president was trying to overturn the election.

Publicly, McConnell endorsed Trump this year. In a statement today, he pointed out others, Lindsey Graham and J.D. Vance, have criticized Trump in the past too, but — quote — “We are all on the same team now.”

Sen J.D. Vance (R-OH), Vice Presidential Candidate: We’re sure as hell not giving Kamala Harris a promotion to president of the United States.

Lisa Desjardins: Speaking of V.P. candidate J.D. Vance, he was back on the trail in battleground, Pennsylvania today. Farther down the East Coast, Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, campaigned with former President Bill Clinton in North Carolina, where early voting started today.

He also stopped at a campaign office turned collection site for supplies in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Nearly all planned voting sites are up and running just three weeks after the hurricane devastated parts of the state.

For the “PBS News Hour,” I’m Lisa Desjardins.