Donald Trump is making a bold move in the final days of his presidential campaign by visiting New Mexico and Virginia, two states that have historically been difficult for Republican candidates to win.
The former president campaigned in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Thursday and was scheduled to visit Salem, Virginia, on Saturday in an effort to gain momentum and potentially flip these states red.
Trump’s team is optimistic about his chances, citing early polling numbers and the possibility of wide swing states in Nevada and Arizona. However, this strategy carries significant risk, as in 2004 George W. Neither New Mexico nor Virginia has been carried by a GOP nominee since Bush.
Over the past few weeks, a lot of attention has been paid to the battleground states, with political advertisements being bombarded on billboards, smartphones and television. Over the past two weeks, presidential and vice-presidential candidates have made 21 appearances in Pennsylvania, 17 in Michigan and 13 in North Carolina.
Trump’s trip to Albuquerque draws attention to his immigration stance in the border state with the highest number of Latino voters in the country. About 44% of New Mexico’s voting-age population identifies as Hispanic, and the state is dealing with a surge in migrant deaths at the US-Mexico border.
“If we could bring God down from heaven, he could become a vote counter and we could win this,” Trump said. He also said he was visiting New Mexico because it is “good for my credibility” with Latino voters.
Virginia was once considered a battleground state but has trended toward the Democrats in recent years. Trump lost the state to Clinton in 2016 and to Biden in 2020. Despite this, Trump believes he has a “real chance” to win, and his trip may focus on the Supreme Court’s recent decision on voter registration.
Democratic strategist Bob Shrum questioned Trump’s strategy, saying, “I don’t think there is a strategy… I think he insisted on doing this. It doesn’t make sense.” Meanwhile, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin believes the state is more competitive than expected.
Susan Swecker, chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia, is of the opinion that this trip will make it difficult for Trump to get votes. He said, “Kamala Harris will win Virginia convincingly, as she knows, and any visit from this deranged lunatic will only widen the gap.”
