Former U.S. President Barack Obama is set to join Vice President Kamala Harris on the campaign trail this Thursday, rallying support in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania. As the 2024 presidential election approaches, Obama’s influence and popularity are being called upon to energize voters, particularly in Pittsburgh, where he will focus on encouraging early voting.
Obama’s appearance comes on the heels of a visit by Republican candidate Donald Trump, who rallied supporters in Scranton, Pennsylvania—President Joe Biden’s childhood hometown—just a day earlier. Trump has been heavily focusing on key battleground states, reinforcing his message on economic recovery and domestic energy production. During his Scranton stop, Trump renewed his commitment to the energy sector, declaring a promise to “drill, baby, drill” and attacking Harris’s economic policies.
With both campaigns in overdrive, Harris is slated to campaign in Nevada after the Pennsylvania stop, targeting the Latino vote, while also monitoring the devastating impact of Hurricane Milton, which hit Florida late Wednesday. The hurricane, described by Biden as potentially the “storm of the century,” has become a central issue as the candidates try to balance campaign responsibilities with national concerns.
Obama’s visit to Pennsylvania kicks off a broader strategy to help Harris gain traction in seven pivotal swing states, where the election outcome will likely be determined. His presence is expected to boost turnout among Black and young voters, groups crucial to Harris’s strategy for securing a win on November 5. Although Harris and Trump remain in a tight race both nationally and in key states like Pennsylvania, Democrats are hoping Obama’s star power will make a difference.
“President Obama knows just how critical this election is and is committed to doing whatever it takes to support Vice President Harris,” said Eric Schultz, a senior advisor to Obama. Schultz also emphasized that Obama’s main goal is to promote early voting, something Democrats have traditionally embraced more than their Republican counterparts.
While Trump has often criticized early voting and mail-in ballots, his campaign has recently shifted its messaging to encourage all forms of voter participation. Trump has repeatedly claimed that his 2020 loss was due to widespread fraud via mail-in voting, though those claims have been widely discredited.
Obama, who served as president from 2009 to 2017, has remained a highly influential figure in Democratic politics, and his fundraising efforts have already brought in over $76 million for the 2024 campaign. His endorsement of Harris, following Biden’s unexpected exit from the race in July, positioned her as his political successor, with Obama drawing parallels between his own groundbreaking presidency and Harris’s historic vice presidency as the first woman, Black, and South Asian to hold the office.
At a Democratic rally earlier this year, Obama rallied voters with chants of “Yes she can,” echoing his famous 2008 slogan, “Yes we can.” While he remains optimistic about Harris’s chances, he acknowledged that the race will be fiercely contested in a politically divided America.
As Harris and Trump intensify their efforts to sway undecided voters, Pennsylvania remains one of the most hotly contested battlegrounds, where every vote will count in the upcoming election.
