US Politics

US Election: Busy week for Obama in bid to help Harris beat Trump

  • Max Liu
  • 4:00 min read
Barack Obama campaigning for Kamala Harris in Pennsylvania
Obama will make at least three appearances to campaign for Kamala Harris this week

Get up to date with Kamala Harris and Donald Trump's plans for the penultimate week of their camaigns to the win US election...

  • Barack and Michelle Obama campaigning with Harris

  • Both candidates focus on the swing states with two weeks to go

  • Harris to take part in CNN town hall in bid to reach undecideds


Is it 2024 or 2008? When Democrats look at the latest Betfair Exchange US election odds, and see their candidate Kamala Harris 2.568/5 (a 40% chance) and Donald Trump 1.654/6 (60%) to win, they might wish it were 16 years ago.

There are two weeks of the campaign left and, the Betfair markets indicate, that Harris has work to do if she is to become America's first woman president and save the world from another Trump presidency.

The reason we ask what year it is, though, is that Barack Obama, who completed an emphatic presidential election vcitory in '08, will be so high profile this week that you would be forgiven for thinking that he was running for office again.

The former-president will be out and about in the swing states this week as he tries to boost Harris's chances of victory with a fortnight to go before the big day.

Obama stayed away from the Hillary Clinton campaign when she lost to Trump in 2016. He was more prominent four years ago when Joe Biden defeated Trump.

Democrats will be hoping that his appearances this week - with vice presidential candidate Tim Walz in Wisconsin and Michigan on Tuesday and with Harris in Georgia on Thursday - help her win the White House.

He is probably the biggest gun they can wheel out at this stage of the campaign and his wife, Michelle Obama, is still very popular too. She will campaign with Harris in Michigan on Saturday.

Earlier today, we revealed that Harris is trailing Trump is six of the seven swing states, so the Democrats must throw everything at winning support in those places. Harris is in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin on Monday.

As for media appearances, Tim Walz will campaign for the Democratic presidential ticket on TV, appearing on The View on Monday.

Harris will take part in a CNN Town Hall on Wednesday.

Trump campaign in good health, according to odds

Donald Trump will be in swing state North Carolina on Monday where he is currently 1.584/7 (63.5%) to win. This was always going to be a tough one for the Democrats to take as Trump even carried it four years ago when he lost the presidency.

Trump tried to help his cause there by condemning the Democrats' response to Hurricane Helene but he drew criticism from some in the state who disagreed with his version of events. The odds indicate that he will win NC but he is taking no chances and holding a rally there on Monday.

He will take part in his own Town Hall, called Make America Healthy Again, on Tuesday. Some may note the irony of a man who refuses to make public his health records appearing at such an event at the same time as concerns about his mental state increase.

He will be campaigning in Georgia - which he lost by the smallest margin of any state to Biden four years ago - on Wednesday.

The following day Trump's running-mate JD Vance will participate in a Town Hall in the swing state of Michigan which looks set to be one of the closest come election day.


Now read more US election articles and get the latest on who will win on 5 November


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