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Greg Clugston
SRN Correspondent Greg Clugston keeps you informed about all the news coming from the White House.
Trump, Harris target key West Michigan county
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are both fighting hard to win a key county in West Michigan. Kent County, Michigan, is home to Grand Rapids. And it’s a battleground county within a battleground state — Trump won in 2016, but lost in 2020. This county has been a prime target for Trump and Harris, with both candidates repeatedly visiting the area. On Sunday, Harris will make her final campaign stops in Michigan, and Trump will wrap up his campaign here on Monday night.
Listen DownloadBlue Wall States critical to Harris White House victory
Vice President Harris needs the so-called Blue Wall states to vote blue in order to win. Democrats were able to count on Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin to deliver presidential victories until Donald Trump won all three in 2016. But the states flipped back to blue in 2020 — and that’s what the Harris campaign needs to happen again. Analysts say her clearest path to victory is winning these three blue wall states. But if one or two go for Trump, Harris will need to pick up one or more of the Sunbelt battlegrounds, such as Georgia and North Carolina.
Listen DownloadTrump woos Arab-American voters in Detroit area
Donald Trump met with Arab Americans in the Detroit area on Friday in a bid to woo voters unhappy with the Gaza war. Metro Detroit is home to the nation’s largest concentration of Arab Americans, with a large chunk of them living in Dearborn. That’s where Trump met with local residents, many of whom are upset with the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war. Even though Dearborn’s mayor did not meet with the former president, Trump received endorsements from officials in two other Muslim-majority cities during a visit last week.
Listen DownloadSenate race in battleground Michigan is a close contest
The presidential race isn’t the only close election contest in Michigan this year. There are several key Senate races nationwide that could determine control of the U-S Senate, and Michigan has one of them. Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin versus former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers. Barack Obama has boosted Slotkin with a campaign appearance and radio ads here in Michigan. Rogers has the backing of Donald Trump as he looks to return to Washington. Key issues in this race include the economy, electric vehicles, and abortion.
Listen DownloadUnion workers to play key election role in Michigan
Unions will play an important election role in Michigan. All three Blue Wall states –Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin– have deep ties to organized labor. But it’s especially true here in the home of the Big Three automakers. Union voters have traditionally been a rock-solid base for the Democratic Party, but Kamala Harris failed to secure two key union endorsements that went for Joe Biden in 2020. Donald Trump has sought to capture union worker votes by slamming the vice president’s support of electric vehicles and arguing he’s the better candidate for rank-and-file workers.
Listen DownloadGaza War could hurt Harris with Michigan’s Muslim voters
The war in Gaza continues to be a political liability for Kamala Harris in Michigan. The Detroit area has the country’s largest concentration of Arab Americans, and Democrats fear that Harris will pay a steep political price for the administration’s steadfast support for Israel and its military operations in Gaza. On the campaign trail, the vice president has continually faced protesters calling the war a genocide — despite her call for an end to the war. In the meantime, Donald Trump has secured a number of endorsements from Muslim leaders in this part of the state.
Listen DownloadTrump, Vance campaign in Michigan 4 days before election
Donald Trump and JD Vance are both campaigning in Michigan today. Four days before the election, voters here in Michigan will see both members of the Republican presidential ticket. JD Vance is holding an early afternoon rally in Portage — a city visited by Kamala Harris last weekend. And Donald Trump will be in the Detroit area. One of the stops will be Dearborn — the nation’s largest Arab-majority city, where residents are angry with the Biden-Harris administration’s handling of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Listen DownloadTrump, Harris campaigns blanket Pennsylvania with ads
The Trump and Harris presidential campaigns have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on political ads in Pennsylvania. For many Pennsylvania residents, Election Day can’t come soon enough because they’ve been inundated with political ads. Given the state’s importance in the electoral college vote count, Trump and Harris have poured in more than half a billion advertising dollars on TV, radio, and social media. The state has also seen the candidates visit frequently. Trump has focused on Rust Belt towns and rural areas, while Harris’s priority has been on Philadelphia and here in Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh. On the Blue Wall States Tour,
Listen DownloadPolls are close in Pennsylvania, just like in 2016 and 2020
Pennsylvania is one of several states that flipped in the 2020 presidential election. In 2016, Donald Trump narrowly won the state before losing to Joe Biden four years ago by about one percentage point. The latest polling averages give a slight edge to Trump, but he’s in a statistical tie with Kamala Harris. Allegheny County here in western PA is solidly Democratic, but all of the surrounding counties are Republican. Both campaigns have been furiously courting voters in hopes of winning the biggest battleground prize next week.
Listen DownloadJudge extends Pennsylvania’s mail ballot voting after Trump lawsuit
A Pennsylvania judge extended mail ballot voting near Philadelphia after Donald Trump’s campaign filed a lawsuit. The Trump campaign sued after voters who waited in line for a mail-in ballot were told to go home after the 5pm deadline. A judge sided with the former president and said Bucks County voters who want to apply for an early mail ballot now have until Friday. It was the latest election dispute in Pennsylvania. Earlier this week, Republicans asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block thousands of provisional ballots that arrived without mandatory secrecy envelopes.
Listen DownloadPennsylvania is the biggest prize among the battlegrounds
Pennsylvania is the biggest prize among the seven critical swing states in the 2024 race. Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have visited Pennsylvania far more often than other battlegrounds. The campaigns know the importance of this state. It’s Trump Country in Bedford County. But state-wide, it’s neck-and-neck between the former president and the vice president as they race to secure Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes.
Listen DownloadWhite House welcomes economic growth, says prices still high
The White House welcomes the latest report on the economy, even as many Americans don’t feel good about their economic situation. New Commerce Department figures show the U.S. economy grew at a healthy 2-point-8 percent annual rate from July through September. White House economic adviser Jared Bernstein welcomed the report, but also explained that still-too-high prices are why Americans still have a dim view of the economy. Last quarter’s growth was fueled by higher consumer spending, which accounts for about 70 percent of the country’s economic activity.
Listen DownloadBiden’s comment adds to Puerto Rico “garbage” controversy
President Biden’s reaction to the Puerto Rico “garbage” controversy is stirring both campaigns. In response to a comedian calling Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage” at a Donald Trump rally, President Biden said “The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporters.” The White House quickly clarified, saying the president was only referring to the comedian. But the Trump campaign pounced, claiming Joe Biden and Kamala Harris “despise the tens of millions of Americans who support” Trump. The vice president told reporters that she “strongly disagree[s] with any criticism of anybody based on who they vote for.”
Listen DownloadHarris delivers closing argument before massive DC crowd
Vice President Harris delivered her campaign’s closing argument before a massive crowd in Washington, DC. Exactly one week before Election Day, Harris made the case why voters should choose her. Standing in the same spot where Donald Trump held his January 6th rally on the day of the U-S Capitol riot, the vice president warned that her opponent represents fear and division, and declared “that’s not who we are” as Americans. Harris said on Day One, Trump would have an enemies list, but she will have a to-do list.
Listen DownloadHarris draws contrast with Trump, vows to put country above self
One week ahead of Election Day, Vice President Harris made the case why voters should choose her and not Donald Trump. With the White House serving as a backdrop, Harris told thousands of cheering people that her presidency would not be marked by past grievances and retribution. The vice president said she offers “a new generation of leadership” and pledged to be “a president for all Americans — vowing to “always put country above party and self.”
Listen DownloadBiden has diminished role in Harris presidential campaign
One week out from Election Day, President Biden has been absent from the Kamala Harris campaign. Weeks ago, the White House said the president would be active in campaigning for his vice president. But the Harris campaign has not invited Mr. Biden to participate in the homestretch of the race. According to the Free Beacon, the Harris team views the 81-year-old president as a political liability. For her part, the vice president has emphasized that her presidency would “not be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency.”
Listen DownloadHarris to make closing argument speech at Ellipse in D.C.
Vice President Harris will deliver a closing argument speech on the National Mall in Washington. With one week to go before the election, Harris will give her speech at the Ellipse near the White House. That’s the same location where Donald Trump rallied supporters on January 6, 2021, right before the U.S. Capitol riot. The vice president will renew her call to defend democracy, as she’s done throughout her campaign. But aides say she’ll make a broader case by pledging to Americans that she’ll work to improve their lives while arguing that Donald Trump is only in it for himself.
Listen DownloadTrump doubles down on “enemies from within” rhetoric
Donald Trump is doubling down on fighting the “enemies from within” the United States. As the campaign winds down, Trump has been winding up his rhetoric toward those he sees as a threat. The former president discussed the “enemies from within” at his Madison Square Garden rally. In recent days, Trump has described some members of Congress, including former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as the “enemy within” and said they are worse than America’s foreign adversaries.
Listen DownloadTrump campaign distances itself from Puerto Rico “joke”
The Trump campaign is distancing itself from some of the controversial content from the New York City rally. One of the headlines from Trump’s event at Madison Square Garden was the comment by a comedian who described Puerto Rico as a “floating island of trash.” A Trump campaign spokesperson said the “joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign.” On the same day as the rally, Vice President Harris visited a Puerto Rican restaurant in Philadelphia — and her team was quick to criticize the Trump rally rhetoric.
Listen DownloadSpeaker Johnson voices confidence ahead of election
House Speaker Mike Johnson is voicing confidence ahead of next week’s general election. Addressing Donald Trump’s New York City rally Sunday evening, Speaker Johnson said Americans are ready to turn the page on the Biden-Harris administration. And the GOP speaker said he’s expecting a Republican sweep at the national level on November 5th.
Listen DownloadTrump rallies supporters in heart of New York City
Former President Trump opened the final week of campaigning with a huge New York City rally. Trump filled Madison Square Garden to capacity as he made the closing argument of his third presidential campaign. The rally featured Trump’s familiar stump speech. He promised to restore law and order, to carry out a massive deportation of illegal migrants, and he called Vice President Harris a “train wreck.”
Listen DownloadTrump’s NYC rally attracts thousands in campaign’s final days
Donald Trump started making his closing campaign argument at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
The rally attracted thousands of people — both inside and outside the iconic arena, as the former president took aim at his challenger. Trump also offered a new proposal — a tax credit for family caregivers. However, the event was not without controversy. Some of the program’s speakers crudely insulted Harris and one comedian described the American territory of Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”
NYC rally features long list of Trump friends, allies
The speaking line-up at Donald Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally featured a long list of Trump’s friends and allies. Guest speakers ranged from vice presidential nominee JD Vance to former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan. Members of Congress also showed up, including Representative Byron Donalds of Florida, who said common sense would return under Trump. Throughout the rally, speakers repeatedly criticized Kamala Harris and predicted a Trump victory on Election Day.
Listen DownloadThousands pack Trump’s MSG rally and NYC streets
Donald Trump’s Sunday rally packed both Madison Square Garden and the streets of midtown Manhattan. The famous arena was full hours before Trump took the stage and thousands of people were turned away when the Garden reached capacity. Outside, the sidewalks were overflowing with Trump supporters in red “Make America Great Again” hats and vendors selling merchandise. There’s a heavy security presence with several streets blocked off here in midtown Manhattan.
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