In the election home stretch, what are the candidates' closing arguments?
SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
We are going to close the show with the news story hanging over everything - the presidential election that's just two days away. Vice President Harris and former President Donald Trump are campaigning in swing states, fighting for every vote in a neck-and-neck race. NPR's Luke Garrett joins us now for the latest. Hey, Luke.
ey, Scott.
DETROW: So let's start with Trump. He was in Pennsylvania this morning. What is Trump's closing argument?
GARRETT: Former President Trump rallied in Lancaster airport in Pennsylvania this morning. In one of his final campaign speeches, Trump focused on claims that this election is being stolen.
DONALD TRUMP: We got a lot of crooked people out there. We're fighting like a son of a gun. We're fighting. They want to - they are fighting so hard to steal this d*** thing.
GARRETT: Now, without evidence, Trump cast doubt on voting machines, saying they can be hacked. He then cited tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has been spreading election disinformation on his social media platform, X. Later on in his speech, when discussing the possibility of a third assassination attempt, Trump talked about reporters being shot at.
TRUMP: To get me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news.
(LAUGHTER)
TRUMP: And I don't mind that so much.
GARRETT: Now, in a quick statement from the Trump campaign, Director of Communications Steven Cheung - he said that Trump wasn't wishing violence on reporters but instead, quote, "looking out for their welfare far more than his own" - end quote.
DETROW: What about Harris? What is her closing message?
GARRETT: Whether it's Harris' comedic cameo on "Saturday Night Live" or her symbolic speech at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., last week, the overall message remains really clear - turn the page on Trump. But underneath this closing argument, the Harris campaign is using its final hours to really galvanize key voting blocs. Today, for the fourth Sunday in a row, Harris spoke to a Black church in a swing state. Here's Harris with a congregation in Detroit, Michigan.
nd in these next two days, we will be tested. These days will demand everything we've got.
GARRETT: And tonight, Harris rallies with Michigan State University students in East Lansing, Michigan. Young and Black voters, in particular, hold the keys to a Harris win, according to top members of her campaign.
DETROW: So it's a close race. Tens of millions of people have already voted. What are the candidates doing with the remaining hours looking ahead?
GARRETT: So both candidates are really focusing on messages that their bases like in hopes of squeezing out every last vote in an election that could come down to tens of thousands of votes in a handful of states.
DETROW: That is NPR's Luke Garrett. Thanks so much.
GARRETT: Thank you.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio record.
