Candidates are making unexpected stops in traditionally unwelcoming territories—what’s driving their decisions?
Just 11 days before the election, Vice President Kamala Harris found herself in Texas, a state that isn’t typically on the campaign trail for Democratic presidential hopefuls. She held a rally alongside pop icon Beyoncé and Senate candidate Colin Allred in this Republican stronghold. In a similar vein, Donald Trump is set to appear at Madison Square Garden in New York, a deep blue bastion, highlighting that both candidates are willing to venture into unfamiliar territory.
While both candidates will be focusing on crucial swing states like Michigan and Pennsylvania in the coming days, these offbeat visits allow them to convey important messages—moments that each campaign will leverage to amplify their narratives online.
Shannon Bow O’Brien, a politics professor at the University of Texas at Austin, noted that in an election largely influenced by seven or fewer states, these visits also serve to showcase inclusiveness. “One criticism often aimed at the Democrats is their tendency to treat the interior of the country as flyover territory, often overlooking these places,” O’Brien explained. “This trip signals that Harris intends to pay attention to these areas as well.”
For Harris, her Texas stop was a strategic move to emphasize abortion rights, a cornerstone of her campaign. Meanwhile, Trump has made no secret of his pride in his role in overturning Roe v. Wade, which once guaranteed the right to abortion in the U.S. This week, Harris’s campaign rolled out a series of abortion-related ads that feature the story of a Texas woman who faced life-threatening complications after being denied adequate medical care following a miscarriage.
“Texas is symbolically significant for Harris, as abortion rights resonate strongly with her. This state has birthed many tragic stories about the repercussions of an abortion ban, and meaningful legal challenges to that ban have often originated from Texas women,” said Mona Kleinberg, a professor of political communication at the City University of New York.
The Texas visit also generated valuable content for the campaign. With Beyoncé’s star power backing them, the Harris campaign hopes their message around Trump and abortion will reach a broader audience, including in battleground states.
“The location choices made by a presidential campaign are crucial,” said David Plouffe, a senior adviser to Harris. “Our decision to go to Texas underscores our belief that it will benefit us in these critical seven battleground states.”
Kleinberg added that Beyoncé’s involvement brings a level of excitement that might otherwise be lacking from Harris’s appearances, ensuring significant coverage in national news outlets. “Unlike Obama, who was an exceptional orator and easily drew crowds, Harris hasn’t quite achieved that same level of enthusiasm,” she explained. “That’s why having Beyoncé there is vital.”
On the other hand, Trump’s upcoming appearance in New York, where he enjoyed a lengthy residency before his election campaign, follows the same logic as Harris’s Texas visit: shine a light on an important campaign issue while capturing attention. Given the influx of more than 45,000 undocumented migrants sent to New York from states like Texas, Trump is likely to capitalize on the associated fears.
“Creating enthusiasm and tapping into anger—the strongest mobilizing emotion in political psychology—will be their goal. This kind of emotion drives people to action, often overriding rational thought,” Kleinberg noted.
For Trump, a lifelong New Yorker, the chance to perform at one of the world’s most famous venues will also be a thrilling affair, especially since it’s just a mile from Trump Tower, where he still has an apartment.
“He’s guaranteed a large crowd, and he thrives on the adoration. The attention he garners fuels him. Everyone will be talking about him, which is music to Trump’s ears,” O’Brien suggested. “Plus, it’s far easier for him to make an appearance there and retire to Trump Tower than to engage in an exhaustive nationwide campaign.”
