Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have intensified their personal attacks on each other as they campaign in key battleground states with just 16 days remaining until the election.
In Pennsylvania, Trump made a public appearance at a McDonald’s, serving fries to challenge Harris’s claim of having worked at the fast-food chain decades ago.
Meanwhile, the US Vice President was in Georgia, tweeting that Trump was “exhausted, unstable, and unfit to be President of the United States.”
Polls indicate a tight race between the two candidates nationwide, particularly in the seven battleground states that could determine the election’s outcome.
Addressing supporters in Republican-leaning Lancaster County on Sunday afternoon, Trump emphasized the economy and immigration—issues his campaign believes resonate with undecided voters.
“If you look at the polls, the biggest thing is the economy,” Trump said. “But I think this [the border] is bigger than the economy… that’s the number one thing people want to talk about.”
Earlier, Trump visited a McDonald’s in Feasterville-Trevose, a suburb of Philadelphia, where he participated in making fries, immersing the wire basket in sizzling oil, and serving meals at the drive-through window.
The restaurant was closed to dine-in customers during Trump’s visit.
“I like this job,” commented Trump, who is known for his fondness for Big Macs and Filet-o-Fish sandwiches.
He reiterated his accusation that Harris lied about having worked at the fast-food chain.
“I’ve now worked [at McDonald’s] for 15 minutes more than Kamala,” Trump said.
Harris spokesman Ian Sams responded by describing Trump’s actions as a sign of “desperation”.
“All he knows how to do is lie,” Sams told the BBC. “He can’t understand what it’s like to have a summer job because he was handed millions on a silver platter, only to blow it.”
The Harris campaign noted that the vice president worked on the cash register, ice cream machine, and fry machine at a McDonald’s on Central Avenue in Alameda, California, during the summer of 1983.
A local high school yearbook from 1983 featured a McDonald’s ad with pictures of students who worked there, but the BBC spoke to one of the students who did not recall Harris working at the restaurant.
However, The New York Times spoke to Harris’s high school friend, Wanda Kagan, who remembered her working at McDonald’s during that time.
On Sunday, Harris celebrated her 60th birthday and gave an interview to MSNBC, addressing Trump’s derogatory remark about her at a rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
Harris stated that Trump’s language “demeans the office” of the presidency and that he has not earned the right to be president again.
Earlier, she urged a congregation of Black church-goers near Atlanta, Georgia, to vote against “chaos, fear and hate,” which she associated with her Republican rival. On Saturday, she described Trump as “cruel” at a rally in the city.
Simultaneously, Elon Musk, the billionaire founder of Tesla and SpaceX and a Trump supporter, pledged to give away $1 million a day to voters who sign his petition backing the US Constitution.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, expressed concern about Musk’s plan and suggested it might warrant a law enforcement investigation.
The crowd at Trump’s town hall-style event in Lancaster was generally supportive of his remarks.
However, attendee Jordan Ashby told the BBC he remained undecided and was waiting to hear closing arguments from both candidates.
“I truly don’t know yet,” Ashby said. “I have family on both sides of the fence. It’s a difficult time right now.”
Other attendees expressed support for Trump’s promises to secure the US-Mexico border and reduce inflation.
“[Inflation] is what I see a lot of in my daily life, especially with gas prices and affording groceries,” said Brennan Zeyak, an 18-year-old college student voting for the first time this year.
Both candidates will continue making their final pitches on Monday.
Harris will embark on a whirlwind tour of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Trump will visit the hurricane-stricken town of Asheville, North Carolina, before holding a rally in Greenville.
