Kamala Harris’ speeches in three swing states on Wednesday were derailed by hecklers in the critical final stretch of the campaign with polls on a knife-edge.
The vice president was in the middle of her remarks on the battlefields of North Carolina and Pennsylvania when protesters began shouting and yelling at her.
The Democratic candidate quelled the interruptions on both occasions by invoking Donald Trump and stating that he considers his critics the “enemy.”
His third rally of the long day was also interrupted.
Protesters have frequently appeared at Harris rallies and most have taken aim at the Biden administration’s involvement in the war in Gaza.
There are only five full days left in what has been one of the closest presidential races in history.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaking at her rally in Madison on Wednesday night. It was the third of three rallies he held in three swing states on October 30. His three speeches were interrupted by people protesting against the war in Gaza.
So Harris tried to move on so he could get to the heart of his speech.
“I’ll listen to the experts,” he told a shouting audience member during a Get Out the Vote rally in Raleigh, North Carolina.
‘I will listen to those affected by the decisions I make. And to the people who don’t agree with me,” he added.
‘Look, this is the thing. Because you know, we are actually fighting for a democracy,” he said calmly. ‘And unlike Donald Trump, I don’t think people who disagree with me are the enemy. He wants to put them in jail; I’ll give you a seat at the table.
The crowd shouted ‘Kamala’ in unison to drown out the interlocutor before security escorted him outside.
Then, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, a protester waving a Palestinian flag blew a whistle.
A protester with a Palestinian flag is removed while Harris spoke at her campaign event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Another protester yelling at the vice president while she spoke in Harrisburg
“We are six days away from an election and ours is a fight for democracy and the right to be heard, that is what is at stake in these elections,” he said.
“Look, everyone has the right to be heard, but right now I’m speaking.”
His supporters booed when Harris dismissed the disruptors.
“At this particular moment, it must be emphasized that, unlike Donald Trump, I do not believe that people who disagree with me are internal enemies,” he said.
‘He wants to put them in jail. I’ll give you a seat at the table.
At her third event of the day before a packed stadium in Madison, the vice president was heckled once again, including by a group that unfurled a banner before being removed.
“We all want the war in Gaza to end and the hostages to come out,” he responded.
“Everyone has the right to be heard, but right now I’m speaking.”
A protester is removed by security from the vice president’s rally in Madison, WI.
A separate group of protesters unfurl a banner in another part of the stadium in Madison before being removed.
While the day was hampered by disruptions at three Get Out the Vote rallies in three states, it did not affect the celebratory mood among the vice president’s supporters as the campaign season heads into the final sprint.
All three events were filled with crowds of voters waving signs, dancing and wearing their best Harris-Walz gear.
Harris wrapped up a whirlwind day with a star-studded rally in Madison, where for the third time that day she asked residents of the battleground state for their votes.
“We have six days left in one of the most important elections of our lifetime,” Harris said after taking the stage before a thunderous crowd.
At all three events, the Democratic presidential candidate expressed confidence in the Democrats’ chances in the elections despite poor polls.
“Make no mistake, we will win,” Harris said.
Vice President Harris arrives to speak at her third campaign event of the day in Madison.
The vice president was welcomed to a packed stadium in Madison, Wisconsin, where his supporters waved American flags and red “get out the vote” signs.
Harris supporters holding red “vote” signs in Madison. The colors of the University of Wisconsin-Madison are red and white. Young voters are part of Harris’ coalition in the state that needs to show up on Election Day to win Wisconsin.
His last rally took place at the Alliant Energy Center under a red banner that read “Badgers for Harris-Walz.”
Before the vice president spoke, there were performances by Remi Wolf, Gracie Abrams, Aaron Dessner and Matt Berninger of The National and the band Mumford & Sons, who urged people to get out and vote.
Madison is home to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where more than 50,000 students attend school.
Young voters are a key part of the Democratic coalition in the state and received multiple thanks throughout the night from both entertainers and Democratic officials.
In an unusual move for Democrats, the entire arena was a sea of red for the occasion, including a huge red “Freedom” sign and a red “vote” in addition to the “Badgers for Harris-Walz” sign, as the red and white are the colors of the university.
Singer Gracie Abrams surveys the crowd before performing at the vice president’s Get Out the Vote rally in Madison on Oct. 30.
Abrams performed several songs and also spoke about the importance of voting in elections.
The band Mumford & Sons also performed at Harris’ star-studded rally in Wisconsin.
Dane County is a Democratic stronghold, but the vice president will need a strong turnout there to win the state, which is part of Democrats’ so-called “blue wall.”
Biden won Dane County with more than 75 percent of the vote in 2020.
According to the campaign, more than 13,000 people attended his rally in Madison, including those who were overflowing.
Dane County is the fastest growing in the state and Democratic margins increased from 2020 to 2022, according to the campaign.
The rally marked Harris’ eighth visit to the state since she launched her campaign over the summer.
During his speech, Governor Tony Evers warned that the race in the state “will be close, very close.”
The latest CNN poll of Wisconsin released Wednesday showed Harris has a lead in the state. He had her at 51 percent and Trump at 45 percent among likely voters.
A huge banner with the word “freedom” displayed by supporters at Harris’ rally in Madison.
His leadership in the state comes with stronger support among white voters and white voters without college degrees compared to other battleground states.
A separate Marquette poll the same day showed Harris at 50 percent and Trump at 49 percent among likely voters in Wisconsin.
More than 1.1 million people in the state have already cast their votes in the 2024 election in the Badger State.
Supporters at the Harris rally in Harrisburg, PA, on October 30
A separate poll in Pennsylvania on Wednesday showed the race in the crucial swing state was tied.
The Monmouth University poll showed that 42 percent of registered voters in the Keystone State would definitely or already have cast their ballots for Harris.
Another five percent said they would probably vote for her.
That same poll showed Trump with identical numbers: 42 percent would definitely vote or have already voted for him, while five percent would probably vote for him.
More than 1.5 million people have already cast their votes in Pennsylvania.
The vice president speaking at her first rally of the day in Raleigh, North Carolina, on October 30.
The vice president stayed after her remarks in Wisconsin to shake hands and take selfies until much of the stadium had cleared by the end of the night.
A series of recent polls show the race in North Carolina is also tied.
Despite the long day, the vice president stayed to take selfies and shake hands with her supporters as she finished in Wisconsin.
By the time she left, most of the crowd had already left the stadium.
On Thursday, the vice president continues her tour of battleground states with a stop in Phoenix, Arizona, before campaigning in Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada.