An escalation of tensions in the Middle East, a devastating hurricane and a historic longshore strike: one month before the election, the duel between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is shaken up by three major crises, which both camps are seeking to contain… or exploit.
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• Also read: MINUTE BY MINUTE | Follow the latest developments on the crisis in the Middle East
“Right now, the news is falling on us like a shower of meteorites and, naturally, the presidential election is deeply affected,” assures Larry Sabato, political scientist at the University of Virginia, to AFP.
The escalation between Israel and Iran was thus invited on Tuesday into the campaign between the two candidates, engaged in an extremely tight standoff for the American presidential election on November 5.
“Fair stand”
The Republican candidate, who had until now been particularly silent on this issue, issued a scathing statement in the middle of the day, holding President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris responsible for the flaring of tensions.
“You wouldn’t trust Joe or Kamala to run a fair, let alone lead the free world,” the former president said before promising to “restore peace to the world” if elected. without really explaining how.
“Trump’s message is simple,” notes Larry Sabato. “He can fix everything, often in just one day!”
“Meanwhile, the ruling party must face reality: intractable problems cannot be resolved as simply as that,” he believes.
On this issue, the Democratic president and vice-president strived to show that they were at work, together, seeking to project the image of Kamala Harris already in charge.
The White House released a photograph Tuesday showing them together, looking serious, during a meeting with their national security advisers.
The American executive said that both then followed in real time the Iranian attack and the Israeli response supported by American forces since the famous “situation room», this room where the most sensitive military operations are decided and supervised.
Kamala Harris then assured that her commitment to Israel’s security was “unwavering”.
“Little games”
The United States is also hit hard by two domestic crises, first and foremost by the passage of the hurricane Helene.
These devastating and deadly floods quickly took a political turn, as North Carolina and Georgia, particularly affected, are among the seven states that will certainly decide the outcome of the election.
Donald Trump visited a town in Georgia on Monday, taking the opportunity to criticize the mobilization of the federal state in the face of the devastation.
“Here, we don’t talk about politics,” he then said, wearing his cap “Make America Great Again», slogan of his presidential campaigns.
Visibly upset, Joe Biden accused his former rival of “lying” about his administration’s response. To the journalist who asked him if he regretted having spent the weekend at his beach house in Delaware, the president replied: “Stop these little games (…) I was 140 km from here . I was constantly on the phone working.”
He said he would travel to North Carolina on Wednesday to assess the damage.
“Direct consequence”
The vice-president will be in Georgia the same day, for a trip also devoted to the aftermath of the hurricane.
According to the White House, the Democratic candidate is also following “very closely” the start of a strike in 36 ports across the country, launched Tuesday by a very powerful longshore union, their first in nearly 50 years.
If it lasts, this walkout of 45,000 employees could in fact paralyze the supply chain and cause a rise in certain prices with potentially explosive consequences five weeks before the election.
The cost of living is already one of the main concerns of American voters who, on this issue, have more confidence in Donald Trump than in Kamala Harris, according to polls.
“This strike is a direct consequence of the actions” of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, denounced the Republican in a press release, keen to take advantage of this new crisis.
