Trump calls for end to Ukraine war as Harris warns of risks

On Monday, Trump met with his supporters in Oaks, a suburb of Philadelphia. He answered questions from his followers, mainly focusing on the economy and immigration. During one of his responses, he veered into the war in Ukraine.

Trump described his strong relationship with both Ukraine and President Putin, mentioning how Ukraine had been a source of pride for Putin. He recalled telling Putin not to invade and claimed that this prevented any action at the time. He attributed the current situation to Biden, suggesting Putin found Biden unimpressive.

In a separate CNN interview, Trump emphasized that his concern wasn't about taking sides but about ending the loss of life, stating that his main goal is for the deaths to stop.

Trump's rally, which took place in an unairconditioned warehouse in Oaks, was twice interrupted due to attendees fainting. After the second incident, Trump ordered the song 'Ave Maria' to be sung and refrained from further questions, focusing on playing music by artists like Luciano Pavarotti, James Brown, and Guns N' Roses.

This was Trump's second rally with logistical issues. At a prior rally in California, after an appearance at Coachella, thousands of his fans couldn't return to their parked cars.

At the same time, on the opposite end of Pennsylvania, in Erie, Kamala Harris held her rally. She focused on her programme, abortion rights, and the threats she believes Donald Trump poses. Presenting excerpts of Trump's statements, Harris stated: "He considers anyone who doesn't support him or who will not bend to his will an enemy of our country. He is saying he would use the military to go after them."

"And we know who he would target because he has attacked them before: journalists whose stories he doesn't like, election officials who refuse to cheat by filling extra votes and finding 'extra votes' for him, judges who insist on following the law instead of bending to his will. This is among the reasons I believe so strongly that a second Trump term would be a huge risk for America and dangerous," she added.

Harris accused Trump of increasing instability and striving for unlimited power. Meanwhile, Tim Walz, the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, described Trump as "a fascist to his core." Similarly, former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, quoted in a new book by journalist Bob Woodward, assessed him.

With 19 Electoral College votes, Pennsylvania is considered a key state in the current elections. Voters in most counties can already cast ballots by post or in person. Of the over 400,000 votes cast, 69% are from Democrats. In 2020, the percentage of Democrats voting by post was 65%.