Two days prior to the presidential election, Donald Trump delivered a speech marked by profanity and conspiracy theories, in which he discussed reporters being shot and suggested he “shouldn’t have left” the White House after his 2020 loss to Joe Biden. During his remarks in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Trump deviated significantly from his standard campaign speech, casting doubt on the integrity of the vote and recounting past grievances regarding legal actions taken against him after attempting to overturn his presidential defeat four years ago. He escalated his criticism of the national leadership and the American media, directing his rally toward discussions of violence against the press.
As the Republican candidate for the White House, Trump alluded to the ballistic glass protection provided for him at events following an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July. Discussing the glass, he commented on the presence of the media, noting that any attack on him would require shooting through “fake news,” which he claimed not to mind.
This incident marked the second recent instance in which Trump has mentioned firearms being aimed at those he considers adversaries. He implied that former Representative Liz Cheney, a notable Republican critic, would not support foreign wars if faced with guns aimed at her. As Election Day approached, Trump continued to promulgate false claims about the election process, asserting that a loss to Democrat Kamala Harris would occur only through cheating, even as polls indicated a close race.
Some of Trump’s allies, including former chief strategist Steve Bannon, have urged him to declare victory prematurely on election night, despite any uncertainty in the race—a tactic Trump employed four years ago, which contributed to the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.
Throughout much of the year, Trump’s campaign maintained a disciplined focus on issues and voters deemed crucial to his success, even as he clung to unfounded theories about voter fraud and occasionally stirred controversy with his remarks. Recently, however, this discipline appears to be disintegrating.
In recent weeks, Trump has made off-color jokes, used sexist language in appeals to female voters, and held a rally at Madison Square Garden featuring crude and racist comments that attracted significant media attention. During a recent rally, Trump’s campaign co-manager Susie Wiles watched silently from off-stage as Trump continued to eschew traditional campaign rhetoric in favor of conspiratorial speeches.
Following the rally, the Trump campaign clarified his remarks concerning journalists, asserting that Trump was referencing previous assassination attempts against him and that his comments about glass protection were unrelated to any intention of harm toward the media.
On the same day, Kamala Harris campaigned in Michigan, where she addressed a predominantly Black church congregation in Detroit, emphasizing unity and healing division in America. Contrasting with Trump’s rhetoric, Harris encouraged voters to reject divisive tactics and reassured confidence in the integrity of the electoral process.
In a starkly contentious race with the campaign nearing its end, Trump continued to levy unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud, while polls indicated a competitive contest in key battleground states. Harris pushed back against Trump’s claims, asserting the importance of participating in free and fair elections and urging voters not to be deterred by tactics suggesting their votes won’t matter.
With the election approaching, Trump acknowledged his deviation from typical speeches, using a conspiratorial tone despite his aides’ objections, and indicated it might be a one-time occurrence. Subsequently, during a speech in Kinston, North Carolina, Trump alternated between prepared remarks and familiar anecdotes, making an appeal for support while briefly appearing to lose track of his location.
As the events unfolded, some attendees began departing the rally, citing other commitments and noting the delay in the start of Trump’s speech, encapsulating the heightened anticipation and divisive rhetoric characterizing the final days of the 2024 presidential campaign.
