US heads for tight presidential vote as Harris, Trump wrap up campaigns
In the grand finale to her election campaign, Vice President Kamala Harris rallied thousands of supporters in Philadelphia Monday night, underscoring Pennsylvania's crucial role in the 2024 presidential election. Former president Donald Trump simultaneously campaigned across Pennsylvania with events in Reading and Pittsburgh.
Harris' star-studded event at the iconic Benjamin Franklin Parkway featured performances by Lady Gaga, The Roots, and Ricky Martin – the third stop in the battleground state of Pennsylvania on election eve.
The Democrat delivered her final pitch to voters beneath the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, made famous in the movie Rocky, where she said "the momentum is on our side".
The high-stakes gathering drew massive crowds, with lines stretching back to Logan Square, reflecting Pennsylvania's potential to determine the next occupant of the White House.
"I expect to have a woman president," says Caroline, who is pushing her way through the crowds at the entrance of the venue. "It'll be the first time in the United States, and we are way behind the rest of the world."
Laureen, also in the crowd "isn't too sure who is going to win." She feels uncertain about election day. "It happened once. It can happen again," she says, referring to a possible Trump victory.
Outside the venue, metres away from a row of policemen sitting on all-terrain motorbikes, there's a noisy group of pro-Palestine demonstrators, banging a drum and singing rap through a microphone.
Bernard is impressed by the the huge turnout at the rally, but he would have preferred Michelle Obama, the wife of former president Barack Obama, to run. "People respect Harris. But they love Michelle," he says.
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