Construction on the new White House ballroom is seen from the Washington Monument, Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Washington.
| Photo Credit: AP

US Vice President Kamala Harris sparked controversy and ridicule after appearing to forget the Pledge of Allegiance during a swearing-in ceremony for new senators at Capitol Hill.

The incident, which was captured on video, has now gone viral and showed Harris starting the pledge but leaving out key words, including “to the flag.” She trailed off as others continued reciting the pledge, seemingly unsure of the correct words.

The official Pledge of Allegiance reads: “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Kamala just completely messed up the Pledge of Allegiance on the Senate floor.
pic.twitter.com/eoCqa1wdat

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) January 3, 2025

Harris’s mistake did not go unnoticed, and she faced swift criticism on social media. Conservative commentators and users were quick to pounce on the error, with former Trump campaign aide Chester Tam calling it “absolutely pathetic.”

Donald Trump Jr. shared the video on X with three laughing emojis, while Vice President-elect JD Vance was seen smiling and laughing during the ceremony.

Conservative commentator Collin Rugg remarked, “JUST IN: Kamala Harris appears to forget the Pledge of Allegiance during the swearing-in ceremony for new senators. This woman is a heartbeat away from being the president.”

Despite the criticism, Harris seemed to take the mistake in stride. She was seen smiling back at Republicans after the ceremony.

As President of the Senate, Harris plays a crucial role in swearing in new senators and overseeing key proceedings. Her mistake has raised questions about her preparedness for the role and her ability to represent the United States on the national stage.

In leadership, every second counts and every word counts. Let’s hope that during these important events, clarity and focus stay at the forefront. #LeadershipMatters

— Small World (@smallworld0011) January 3, 2025

The incident has also sparked a wider debate about the importance of the Pledge of Allegiance and the role of public officials in upholding American traditions.

While some have defended Harris’s mistake as a simple error, others have argued that it reflects a broader lack of respect for American institutions and values.

Stuff happens. Let it go

— B Batch (@BobBatchelder2) January 3, 2025

One user on X has commented, “In leadership, every second counts and every word counts. Let’s hope that during these important events, clarity and focus stay at the forefront. #LeadershipMatters” while another has said, “Stuff happens. Let it go”.
 

Elon Musk has given his not-so-polite verdict amid the ongoing online debate surrounding H-1B visa and immigration reform. In a fiery exchange with an alleged Donald Trump supporter, the Tesla boss dropped the ‘F-word’ as the conversation around the immigration policy continues to divide the GOP lawmakers and Republican voters. The billionaire was responding to a clip of him shared on X (formerly Twitter), where he discussed the limits of education with the upshot being that one should not “optimise something that shouldn’t exist”.

However, after a user named Steve Mackey used Mr Musk’s words to push the anti-H1-B rhetoric, the X boss stepped in with a flaming response.

“The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B,” wrote Mr Musk.

“Take a big step back and F**K YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend,” he added.

The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B.

Take a big step back and FUCK YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot…

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 28, 2024

After being schooled by Mr Musk, the user attempted to pacify the situation by claiming that we was the biggest fan of the SpaceX boss

“There seems to be a lot of confusion about this interaction. I personally am the biggest fan of Elon on the planet and I always will be. I’m also capable of disagreeing with people I deeply respect and admire,” the user wrote.

Also Read | “My Stepdad Is Indian”: Elon Musk’s Ex Girlfriend Amid Racism Against Indians In US

‘Remove them, root and stem’

Notably, prior to the exchange, Mr Musk declared that “hateful, unrepentant racists” should be removed from the Republican Party “root and stem”.

Mr Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the co-heads of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under Trump’s soon-to-be-inaugurated cabinet are batting for legal immigration through H1-B visas while allies like Laura Loomer have opened a front, demanding ban on any kind of immigration.

After Scott Adams, creator of the comic strip Dilbert, posted that MAGA Republicans were now “taking a page from Democrats on how to lose elections while feeling good about themselves, Mr Musk chimed in with the response.

“Yes. And those contemptible fools must be removed from the Republican Party, root and stem,” the X owner wrote, agreeing to Mr Adams.

The tech billionaire has long maintained that the US needs the best talent from abroad to come to America and innovate. However, his stand has put him at loggerheads with hardliner Republicans who fear that American jobs were being taken by outsiders.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump .
| Photo Credit: Reuters

With the Republicans firmly in control of the U.S. government, a seismic shift in American climate policy is imminent, threatening to unravel years of slow but hard-earned progress in addressing the climate crisis.

With president-elect Donald Trump referring to climate change as a “hoax”, the most devastating effect will be a diplomatic retreat in global negotiations, along with a possible withdrawal from the Paris Agreement (PA). U.S. climate negotiators will likely explain inaction with references to “domestic political constraints”, which American environmental advocates, frustrated by limited options, may also use as a shield while exhorting other major economies in the global South to take up the slack.

Also Read | How much can US president-elect Donald Trump derail global climate action?

An alarming project proposal

Project 2025, developed by The Heritage Foundation, brings together the vision of many conservative interests and is expected to be unleashed from the start of Mr. Trump’s presidency, even though he distanced himself from it during his campaign. It envisions a reduction in federal climate science programmes across several departments. The installation of politically appointed “science advisers” at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signals a concerning shift away from independent scientific oversight. This accompanies the potential dismantling of the EPA’s 2009 endangerment finding, which forms the legal backbone of climate regulation by identifying greenhouse gases (GHGs) as public health threats. This implies that GHG emissions may no longer be included in future environmental legislation. The plan also calls for ending green subsidies and opposing “climate reparations” to developing nations, effectively abandoning any pretence of climate justice.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of the Biden administration, the most ambitious U.S. climate legislation to date, is especially targeted by Project 2025, but it may oddly survive due to its widespread economic benefits, particularly in Republican districts that have seen substantial clean energy investments and job creation. Fossil fuel companies anticipate expanded operational freedom — a stance not unique to one party, as evidenced by previous bipartisan equivocation on fracking. Scientific institutions that work on climate change could face severe cuts in federal funding. In particular, research into renewable energy and battery storage faces significant reduction, handicapping the ability to compete in the growing global clean energy economy.

These changes come when climate-driven disasters demand a coordinated, robust response. Indeed, it is mystifying how climate disinformation and misinformation can thrive in an era of intensifying climate-induced disasters, as witnessed in South America with hurricanes Helene and Ida. As this false messaging deepens under Mr. Trump, the public will be more disconnected from the scientific realities of climate change. The proposed dismantling of climate science infrastructure is more than just a policy reversal; it is a retreat from reality itself, one that future generations will judge harshly.

EDITORIAL | ​Testing time: On climate action and President Trump

Unfortunately, climate change will not pause for political convenience. While policy may shift with elections, the physics of GHG emissions is consistent. Based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Synthesis Report on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), we are significantly off track from meeting both NDC commitments and PA temperature goals. Current NDCs would lead to global emissions of 51.5 Gt of CO2 equivalent by 2030, a level only 2.6% lower than in 2019. This falls far short of the about 43% reduction needed for the 1.5°C target and 27% for the 2°C target.

Even with full implementation of all NDCs, we are heading towards temperature increases of up to 2.8°C of warming. The current trajectory would consume 86% of the remaining carbon budget by 2030 for the desirable target of 1.5°C. The report emphasises an urgent need for increased NDC ambition, substantial over-achievement of current NDCs, or both. Without enhanced action, the required post-2030 emission reductions would need to be dramatically steeper to compensate for this slow start.

The 29th global meeting of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) is going on in Azerbaijan. The lame-duck Biden administration will be reluctant to make major commitments on finance. As was the case under previous Republican administrations, one can expect American delegates at COP29 to blame their political leaders for their inaction, while aware that the U.S. is responsible for about a quarter of GHGs generated by humanity.

Also Read | Climate experts worry about Donald Trump’s re-election impact

Rays of hope

Still, there may be reasons for cautious hope. Globally, the clean energy transition has gained considerable momentum, driven by market forces. Even Republican-led States in the U.S. have embraced renewable energy investments, recognising the economic opportunities they bring to their communities. The likely survival of the IRA demonstrates how clean energy’s economic benefits can create durable political constituencies. U.S. negotiators at the climate conference will tell us that States, cities, and businesses increasingly view climate action as essential to their long-term prosperity. While there is room for domestic action within the U.S., we must be clear-eyed. The U.S. will not support global climate finance or take responsibility for being the largest cumulative emitter of GHGs. Climate justice will seriously get stalled at a moment when the world can least afford delay. The challenge lies in preserving and building upon existing progress, while finding new paths in an increasingly hostile international political environment.

Sujatha Byravan is a scientist based in Chennai; Sudhir Chella Rajan is a professor at IIT Madras. Views are personal

Washington:

Disenchanted by the Democratic Party’s use of human rights as a political tool for countries such as India, and encouraged by Donald Trump’s stance on Hindu rights in Bangladesh, about 70 per cent of Hindu-Americans voted for the Republican presidential candidate in the November 5 elections, an eminent community leader has said.

“The Democratic Party has not really done much to court Indian Americans. Not only that, they have done things which are very insulting, infuriating, and humiliating to Indian Americans… When it comes specifically to India-related issues, number one, the Democrats, somehow or other, use human rights as a political tool,” influential Indian American Dr Bharat Barai told PTI in an interview.

Barai pointed out that there was little to no condemnation of the violence against Hindus in Bangladesh – where over 100 Hindus were killed, temples desecrated, and people forced to wear hijabs – by President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, or Vice President Kamala Harris.

He explained that, while the Hindu American population is small, they are a significant voting bloc, particularly in tight races. “I believe 70 percent of Hindu Americans voted for Trump this time,” he said.

Barai, who was in Washington DC this week to attend the Diwali celebrations at the US Capitol, said, “Trump got the benefit of doubt, partly based on his strong statement about Bangladeshi Hindus. But of course, people will judge Trump by what he does (after coming to office).”

He also noted that Trump’s appointments of two Hindu Americans — Vivek Ramaswamy and Tulsi Gabbard — to prominent positions has boosted his support within the community.

Barai exuded confidence that India US relationship would strengthen under the next administration, mainly because of the personal relationship between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The two leader share a “special bond”, which was evident during Trump’s visit to India when he was given a “tumultuous welcome” at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, the Hindu American said, hoping that this relationship will likely grow stronger.

“Trump did not try to cross India or needle India when he was the president. He was the one who had sort of turbocharged the process of Quad and now that will go even further because all the four countries, United States, Japan, Australia and India realise that China is becoming too aggressive in the Indo-Pacific region. All the four countries feel if they stay together, they will be able to counter China better,” he said.

Barai noted that in the recent election, Hindu Americans played a key role in Trump’s success, particularly in swing states like Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

“His margin in Georgia swelled over 180,000. I would say he owes 100,000 of those votes to Hindu Americans. His last statement about Bangladeshi Hindus, I think that won people over,” he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

As I walked out of my Upper West Side polling station in New York City after casting my vote, the lack of energy in America’s most liberal city was palpable. The pins being sold just outside said “Keep Kamala and Carry On-a-la”, but the calmness was about to explode. 

Donald Trump’s stunning comeback forces an acknowledgement that Americans do not want to simply carry on. Much like India earlier this year. They are increasingly tired of the financial pain that started after the 2008 financial crisis, rendering many of them under-employed. The most powerful ingredients of rapid global economic growth in our lifetimes—globalisation and technological replacement—have ricocheted back to cause acute pain at the working-class Americans’ dining tables. And they are hoping, against the odds, that their ballot can overpower that bullet.

This is precisely the reason why, much like the re-emergence of the former President, a defining trend is now categorising the American election cycle. And, I would argue, the Indian election cycle too.

Incumbents Beware

This is now the third presidential election since 2016 when the incumbent party has been voted out, a trend not seen since the 1970s when Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan were voted in quick succession as inflation eclipsed all else. Once is an accident. Twice, a coincidence. Three times, a pattern.

In India, the lack of a majority for the incumbent party this year was an indication of that very problem that is proving difficult for any global leader to resolve. In fact, there has been a dissipation of existing power if not an outright change in every major government across the world this year—from the UK and Italy to Germany and Japan, and others.

As Bill Clinton’s political strategist Jim Carville stated prophetically thirty years ago, “It’s the economy, stupid.” But some would point out that the stock markets are at an all-time high and economic growth was at par in both Trump and Biden years. So, why the discontent? Didn’t life seem good enough?

Yes, but only for the elite, whether in the US or India. The elite are the real beneficiaries of the riches-to-riches story. How long can you ignore the larger population that now has to work an average of 2.5 jobs to keep the same lifestyle as a decade ago? In the case of India, too, yes there are cheap mobile phones and food handouts, but job prospects cannot keep up with young aspirations.

In this discontented mix, a message like Trump’s, which primarily centres around inflation and its many symptoms—immigration being an obvious one—will obviously be attractive. But so is that of any politician who offers a change in the existing status quo. It is akin to a company changing multiple CEOs in the hope its fortunes will change, not realising that the problem lies in the product itself.

The Polarisation Card Is Losing Its Edge 

This election has broken several myths—the overriding one being polarisation—including that echo chambers are permanent and defined and will not sway voters from their trenches. That certainly was the case in 2016, when Trump’s winnability was attributed to a fringe base of non-college-educated men. But in 2024, Trump’s winnability is attributed to virtually all subsets.

A case in point is young men, and shockingly for the democrats, young men of colour—whether Latino or Indian-American—swinging in Trump’s favour. The Left is finally realizing that they cannot club all minorities together, much like the Right in India is realizing the majority cannot always be a single voting bloc. Their loyalty, and more importantly, their ethics, are being questioned. I disagree. This was not a vote for the messenger, it was a vote for the message. 

This election has stuck a needle into the bubble of polarisation that the world has sworn by throughout the last decade. Both sides tried to polarise voters, whether it was Trump with immigration or Harris with abortion. But it did not work. There are voters who have chosen Trump and abortion rights. The choice is no longer binary. Above all else, the voters in America are pragmatic.

The same is true for India. The 2024 India voting reflected the discontent among ordinary voters, where the economy superseded everything else. The conservative argument of caste or religious lines shaping voting patterns is increasingly becoming redundant. 

As it has long been said, democracy is a luxury when there is not enough food on the table. But there are also similarities between the out-of-touch ‘Khan market gang’ in India and America’s coastal elite. Instead of focusing on the real issue of voter pain, the Democrats’ and the Indian Opposition’s patronising tone of ‘How could you vote for him?’ reeked of moral superiority borne out of privilege, not realism.

Only Betting Markets Got It Right  

The media and the pollsters have got it so far wrong that they are in danger of losing their voice. These echo chambers are now functioning as cheerleaders of political thought. They dole out a narrative rather than acting as arbiters of reason. It is ironic that the most truthful picture came from sources that are often the most tainted in history—the betting markets in the US and the satta bazaar in India. Whether Trump’s sweep or the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) underperformance, they were the only ones who got it right.

Kamala Played Well

Kamala Harris also emerged as a hero to many. Clearly, many things that were out of her control went wrong for her: Biden’s selfishness in holding on to power, the war fatigue, and the all-important anti-incumbency. 

When my 10-year-old daughter accompanying me to the voting booth asked me why a woman gets passed yet again for the most powerful job in the world, I told her to walk tall the next day. Because in the shortest presidential campaign in American history, of only 107 days, Kamala managed to achieve the impossible and did better than any reasonable hope. LOTUS for POTUS simply did not have enough time to bloom.

I do not think America acted like it did in 2016 and chose to vote against a female President. The pain threshold that Trump pressed on was much lower on Maslow’s needs chart for the gender ceiling in American politics to even be a conversation. A famous meme from the Kamala campaign was a father going with his daughter to the polling booth and saying he was voting for her. I believe the father did still vote for his daughter, not necessarily as a mark of support for the candidate but as an act of hope of providing his family with a better life.

Trump Needs A Hail Mary 

But will Trump be able to deliver on that hope? In the America of the 1980s, the Republican party’s modern hero, Ronald Reagan, achieved the impossible as he took on the structural inflation problem, giving birth to decades of prosperity.

For Trump to leave the legacy he wants, he will have to be in offensive tackle mode for the next four years and deliver a magical Reaganesque solution to the working class pain. Or else, given the musical chairs game global politics has become, the Dems will be back in the White House in 2028.

(Namrata Brar is an Indian-American journalist, investigative reporter, and news anchor. She is the former US bureau chief of NDTV)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the authors

Millions of Americans headed to the polls on Tuesday, to vote for their new President, as well as choose candidates in ‘down-ballot’ races, including contests that will decide control of the U.S. Congress.

As the historic race for the White House between U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, and her Republican opponent, former U.S. President Donald Trump, approached its final hours, the candidates, who are running neck and neck, focused their efforts on crucial battleground States, hoping to extract every single available vote on November 5.  Some 75 million Americans — just under half of all eligible voters — had cast their vote by Sunday in early voting.

U.S. Elections 2024 voting | Live updates

Ms. Harris wrapped up her campaign in Philadelphia where America’s ‘founding fathers’ signed the Declaration of Independence.

Mr. Trump closed out his campaign in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as he had done so in 2016 and 2020. The two candidates have had contrasting tones in their closing speeches over the last few days, with Ms. Harris striking a more optimistic note and stepping back from a direct focus on Mr. Trump, marking a shift from what she had done even days earlier.

Among the celebrities who joined Ms. Harris in Philadelphia were singer Lady Gaga and TV host Oprah Winfrey.

Abortion and reproductive rights of women have become a core ballot issue, with polling data showing women of all ages gravitating more towards Ms. Harris (and, for other reason, men towards Mr. Trump).

“For more than half of this country’s life, women didn’t have a voice. Yet we raised children. We held our families together. We supported men as they made the decisions. But tomorrow, women will be a part of making this decision,” Lady Gaga said.

‘New leadership’

“The momentum is on our side,” Ms. Harris said, adding that she was ready to offer “a new generation of leadership”.

“This could be one of the closest races in history,” she said, asking her supporters if they had made a voting plan.

“…You will decide the outcome of this election, Pennsylvania,” she said. Ms. Harris spent her day campaigning in Pennsylvania, where 19 Electoral College votes are up for grabs. At least 270 electoral votes are required to win the White House.

“We are optimistic and we are excited about what we can do together,” she said, adding that the country was ready to “finally turn the page on a decade of politics that has been driven by fear and division,” she said.

At a rally in Atlanta on Monday night, Mr. Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance, who has in many respects been following the Trump playbook during the campaign, said Ms. Harris was “trash”

“In two days, we are going to take out the trash in Washington, D.C., and the trash’s name is Kamala Harris,” he said. He appeared to suggest that Ms. Harris had called Mr. Trump’s supporters “garbage”. However, Ms. Harris has not done so. President Joe Biden said he had misspoken when he said Mr. Trump was surrounded by “garbage” after a comic opening at a Trump rally referred to Peurto Rico as a “floating island of garbage.”

Mr. Vance confirmed that his wife had also voted for Mr. Trump (and himself). Usha Chilukuri Vance, Mr. Vance’s wife, is of Indian origin and was a registered Democrat a decade ago.

Mr. Trump concluded his campaign with a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The rally continued into the wee hours of Election Day (Tuesday).

Democrats are preparing for Mr. Trump not accepting the election results. The FBI has set a national command post to monitor election-related threats (not new or specific to this year).

At his final rally, the former President leaned into his usual messages about illegal migrants, the promise of a better economy under him and attacking Democrats. Mr. Trump promised to end inflation, including by increasing production of oil and gas domestically.

“Kamala has delivered soaring prices and true economic anguish at home, war and chaos abroad, and a nation-destroying invasion on our southern border,” he said, adding that some of the “greatest criminals” were entering the country. Mr. Trump said the border issue was bigger than any economic issues.

He asked, rhetorically, whom Chinese President Xi Jinping would call if he had a question on war, on Taiwan, or anything else.

“Who the hell does he call?… Maybe they’ll call me,” he said.

Mr. Trump called former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi “evil, sick, crazy”, stopping short of using a sexist insult to describe her.

During his term there were no wars, Mr. Trump said, adding that he had concluded the war against the Islamic State (IS), a fight he had inherited from the Obama administration.

Mr. Trump was joined on stage by some his family after the rally as well as Amer Ghalib, the Mayor of America’s only Muslim majority city, Hamtramck. Mr. Ghalib is one of two Michigan Muslim mayors who has endorsed the former President. The Biden administration’s support for Israel in its offensive in Gaza has created a challenge for Ms. Harris with Arab Americans, many of whom live in Michigan.

Mr. Ghalib spoke of his endorsement breaking a “wall of fear” and a “wall of isolation” between the Arab American community and Mr. Trump.

Mr. Trump continued to cast doubt on the electoral process, calling again for elections to be completed in one day and for discontinuing the use of voting machines. In 2020, Mr. Trump had criticised early voting, associating it with fraud, but this year he urged supporters to vote early. Republicans are hoping that early voting will result in favourable outcomes for them.

Sanders bats for Harris

Independent Senator from Vermont, who was a former presidential hopeful and is a progressive voice in the U.S. Senate, Bernie Sanders, encouraged those who were unhappy with the Biden administration’s positions on Israel to stick by Ms. Harris.

“And for all of those people out there who believe in democracy, who believe in women’s rights, who believe that climate change is real and not a hoax, don’t sit it out,” Mr. Sanders told CNN on Monday night.

“You may disagree with Kamala Harris on this or that issue, but it’s absolutely imperative that we get out and vote,” he said. Mr. Sanders disagreed with Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris on Israel, adding, however, that Mr. Trump was far worse.

With Ms. Harris as President, there was a much higher chance of changing policy towards the Netanyahu government, said Mr. Sanders, who had campaigned for the Vice-President last week.

If Mr. Trump wins, “the global struggle against climate change is over”, Mr. Sanders said.

He warned that Mr. Trump would declare victory no matter what and say that if he loses it will be because of fraud.

Down-ballot races

While all eyes are on Mr. Trump and Ms. Harris, there are crucial down-ballot races being decided on Tuesday. Control of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives is on the ballot. Thirty-four seats in the Senate (where Democrats have a razor-thin 51:50 majority) are in play. Independent Senator from West Virginia, Joe Manchin, who caucused with Democrats is not seeking re-election with Republicans standing a strong chance of winning his seat. Democrats are defending their seats in Ohio and Montana.

Democrats have a strong chance of taking the House (which the Republicans currently control), where all 435 seats are being contested. A split Congress could create policy deadlock, creating challenges for the next President.

Washington:

On the night before Election Day, at campaign events across the country, celebrities turned out in force for Kamala Harris’ presidential bid.
The battleground state of Pennsylvania was particularly starry: In Pittsburgh, the vice president’s rally featured Cedric the Entertainer, Katy Perry and Andra Day. In Philadelphia, the finale of Harris’ daylong dash across Pennsylvania, performers and presenters included DJ Cassidy, Fat Joe and Ricky Martin.

Republican Donald Trump was decidedly unimpressed with Harris’ celebrity lineup.

At his own rally in Pittsburgh, which overlapped with Harris’ event in the city, the former president criticized Harris for one celebrity endorsement in particular: Beyoncé. He spoke dismissively about Beyoncé’s appearance at a Harris rally with Harris in Houston last month, drawing boos for the megastar from his supporters.

“Beyoncé would come in. Everyone’s expecting a couple of songs. There were no songs. There was no happiness,” Trump said.

Beyoncé did not perform at the event but was joined onstage by her Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland, and gave a joyful, impassioned speech met with cheers.

Previously, Beyoncé allowed the Harris campaign to take on her 2016 track “Freedom,” a cut from her landmark 2016 album “Lemonade,” as its anthem.

Trump added that Harris should have learned a lesson from Hillary Clinton and had Beyoncé speak after her, saying, “That way the people stay.”

In 2016, Beyoncé performed at a campaign event for Democratic nominee Clinton in Cleveland in the days leading up to the election.

“They booed like hell, but the press didn’t play that,” Trump continued in his description of Beyoncé’s appearance at the Harris event.

He insisted his campaign doesn’t need celebrities to pack in a crowd, adding: “We don’t need a star because we have policy. We have great policy.”

At another point in the same rally, though, he enthused: “So many celebrities here, it’s incredible: Mike Pompeo, please stand up,” introducing his former secretary of state.

Trump also was joined by Megyn Kelly and baseball star Roberto Clemente’s son.

Harris lined up performers to speak and play at campaign rallies in all seven battleground states on Monday, and melded them all into one Democratic get-out-the-vote livestream.

In Las Vegas, performers included Christina Aguilera and electro-dance duo Sofi Tukker. In Raleigh, North Carolina, Sugarland, the country music duo of Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush, took the stage.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

The U.S. presidential election is going down to the wire, with polls showing a deadlocked race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. The swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina will play a crucial role in determining the outcome.
Trump’s favorability rating is stuck at 43 per cent, and he has never topped 50 per cent since leaving office. This means he has hit a ceiling in his support and may struggle to win the national popular vote.

There are 4 important issues when it comes to the deciding factor. The economy, immigration and border control, abortion issues and safeguarding democracy.

The country is in a bad mood, with 60-70 per cent of Americans believing the country is on the wrong track which means the election will change. Historically, when Americans feel the country is on the wrong track, the incumbent president tends to lose favor, giving their challenger a significant advantage in the election and Harris is facing this blow.

Trump is seen as the better candidate to manage the economy, leading by a 15-point margin in swing states, since during the Biden administration, the cost has risen between 10-40 per cent.

Trump has made immigration a central issue, and voters view him as the best candidate to manage the border. The first three years of Biden’s term saw immigration troubles, however the rates have fallen now.

Harris is seen as the champion of reproductive rights, and polling shows her leading Trump among women voters in swing states by 15 points or more. Abortion rights are decided at the state level and it is on the ballot in two key swing states – Nevada and Arizona which is a positive aspect for Harris.

Half the country sees Trump as a threat to American democracy, an authoritarian, while Harris has pledged to unite the country and even get the Republicans and Democrats working.

If Harris wins, it will be because she has successfully sealed the deal with voters and made the election a referendum on Trump. Her ground game, which includes a USD 1 billion machine to reach voters in swing states, will be crucial.

If Trump wins, it will mean voters trusted him to manage inflation, immigration, and crime. Unease about Harris, a Black and South Asian woman, as president may also play a role.

The outcome is far from certain, and the next 24 hours will be intense. Will Harris’ ground game deliver, or will Trump’s economic message resonate with voters? The country holds its breath as it waits for the results.

Washington:

Swing states, electoral college votes, candidates up and down the ballot, and millions of potential voters: Here is the US election, broken down by numbers.
– Two –

Several independents ran — and at least one, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, stumbled into a number of eyebrow-raising headlines.

But in the end, the presidential race comes down to a binary choice, with the two candidates from the major parties — Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump — seeking to lead a polarized America.

– Five –

November 5 — Election Day, traditionally held on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November.

– Seven –

The number of swing states — those which don’t clearly favor one party over the other, meaning they are up for grabs.

Harris and Trump are courting voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, concentrating their campaign efforts there in a push to ensure victory.

In a razor-tight election, just a handful of votes in any of those states could decide the outcome.

– 34 and 435 –

Voters won’t just decide the White House occupant on Election Day — they will also hit refresh on the US Congress.

Thirty-four Senate seats and all 435 spots in the House of Representatives are up for grabs.

In the House, members serve a two-year term. Republicans currently have the majority, and Harris’s Democrats will be hoping for a turnaround.

In the Senate, 34 seats out of 100 are available, for a six-year term. Republicans are hoping to overturn the narrow Democratic majority.

– 538 –

Welcome to the Electoral College, the indirect system of universal suffrage that governs presidential elections in the United States.

Each state has a different number of electors — calculated by adding the number of their elected representatives in the House, which varies according to population, to the number of senators (two per state).

Rural Vermont, for example, has just three electoral votes. Giant California, meanwhile, has 54.

There are 538 electors in total scattered across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. To take the White House, a candidate must win 270 votes.

– 774,000 –

The number of poll workers who made sure the 2020 election ran smoothly, according to the Pew Research Center.

There are three types of election staff in the United States.

The majority are poll workers — recruited to do things like greet voters, help with languages, set up voting equipment, and verify voter IDs and registrations.

Election officials are elected, hired or appointed to carry out more specialized duties such as training poll workers, according to Pew.

Poll watchers are usually appointed by political parties to observe the ballot count — expected to be particularly contentious this year, thanks to Trump’s refusal to agree to unconditionally accept the result.

Many election workers have already spoken to AFP about the pressure and threats they are receiving ahead of the November 5 vote.

– 75 million –

As of November 2, more than 75 million Americans had voted early, according to a University of Florida database.

Most US states permit in-person voting or mail-in voting to allow people to deal with scheduling conflicts or an inability to cast their ballots on election day itself on November 5.

– 244 million –

The number of Americans who will be eligible to vote in 2024, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.

How many of those will actually cast their ballot remains to be seen, of course. But the Pew Research Center says that the midterm elections of 2018 and 2022, and the presidential vote of 2020, produced three of the highest turnouts of their kind seen in the United States in decades.

“About two-thirds (66 percent) of the voting-eligible population turned out for the 2020 presidential election — the highest rate for any national election since 1900,” Pew says on its website.

That translated to nearly 155 million voters, according to the Census Bureau.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)