Former US President Donald Trump returns to the campaign trail in Michigan on Tuesday, two days after a second alleged assassination attempt on his life, which he directly blamed on his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.
The latter is going to Pennsylvania for a public exchange with the American Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) at 2:30 p.m. Note that this northeastern state will be, like Michigan, one of the most contested in the presidential election on November 5.
Kamala Harris, meanwhile, recorded an interview with a Spanish-language radio network on Monday, which will air Tuesday morning.
While the 59-year-old Democrat has condemned all political violence in a statement and expressed relief that Donald Trump was not hit, she has so far not responded in person to the alleged assassination attempt against her rival, nor to the accusations made by the latter.
For the former president, the suspect arrested Sunday in Florida “adhered to the speech of Biden and Harris, and acted accordingly.”
“Because of this speech from the communist left, bullets are flying and it will only get worse,” he added.
Contaminated water
The 78-year-old billionaire is scheduled to speak at a public meeting in Flint, a city devastated by a crisis in the auto industry and infamous for a massive lead-contamination scandal in its drinking water.
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris travel the six or seven swing states (swing states), where polls show them neck and neck, less than 50 days before the November 5 election.
A Suffolk University survey published by USA Today Monday gives the Democrat a slight lead over her rival in Pennsylvania (49% of voting intentions against 46%), thanks to very frank support from the female electorate, and in the wake of the debate of September 10, during which, by general opinion, she dominated Donald Trump.
The gap remains within the margin of error, however.
The tension surrounding this already extraordinary campaign rose another notch on Sunday.
Donald Trump had already survived an assassination attempt in July when a shooter opened fire during a rally in Pennsylvania.
“Turned black”
He was on the course at his Florida golf club on Sunday afternoon when several Secret Service agents “opened fire on an armed man” who was standing near the edge of the course.
The man was later identified as Ryan Wesley Routh.
The 58-year-old American, who was armed with a sniper rifle and video recording equipment but who police say did not shoot Donald Trump, fled before being arrested a short time later.
He was charged on Monday, first with illegal possession of a weapon because of his criminal record, then with possession of a weapon with an obliterated serial number.
Kamala Harris will likely be asked about this latest development Tuesday during her interview with NABJ members.
Donald Trump had a particularly tense exchange at the end of July with the same influential association of black journalists.
The Republican had on this occasion accused his rival, born to a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, of having “become black” for electoral reasons.