Harris’ public appearances have left many questioning what she stands for – My recent focus groups in Nevada and Wisconsin

Ask American voters what’s on their minds as Election Day approaches and you’ll soon learn what to expect: rising prices, chaos at the border, Israel and Iran, health and college costs, homelessness, jobs, tariffs, crime , taxes and climate change are all likely to have features. But for many women, one issue—abortion, or “reproductive rights,” as the issue is commonly called here—might be at the top of the list. It is perhaps the biggest obstacle between Donald Trump and the White House.

Although he hardly embodied their values, Trump won the support of evangelical voters in 2016 by promising to appoint conservative justices to the Supreme Court. He kept his promise and two years ago the court overturned Roe v. Wade in 1973 and ruled that the US Constitution does not provide a right to abortion. Since there is no national law, the matter has since been a matter for state governments.

Republicans have paid a heavy political price for achieving a long-held goal for many: The issue contributed to their failure to take control of Congress in the 2022 midterm elections. But since it’s now up to the states, what difference does it make what the president thinks?

One answer is that as more justices approach retirement, whoever succeeds President Biden will likely be able to make new appointments to the court, which could then be asked to make other significant decisions. “We’ve already lost so much, we’re trying not to lose more.” If they can change that, what else can they change? asked a concerned voter in my recent focus groups in Nevada, which could go either way in November.

Another reason is that the president helps set the direction, regardless of his formal power: “They’re putting someone up to represent us,” a woman in Wisconsin, another swing state, told us. “If you put up someone who is in favor of abolishing women’s rights, we will never go in the right direction.”

But more than that, they want to show what they think of the politicians who brought about the situation – so it’s not just about progress, but about revenge. “It’s a statement that people want this,” said a former Republican who would now vote for Kamala Harris, echoing many others we heard from on our swing state tour.

Many tell us that they find Kamala Harris refreshing and a much more exciting prospect than another term for Joe Biden – let alone Trump. Although she turns sixty on Sunday, she has what some describe as youthful energy: “There’s more fire under her tail.” “She’s a little hot,” as one put it. But despite policies like $25,000 in down payment assistance for first-time buyers and keeping Trump’s popular promise not to tax tips at restaurants, there are still doubts about where she really stands. “I feel like she doesn’t speak with authority,” one wavering voter in Las Vegas told us. “You can ask her a question and she’ll say, ‘Well, I’m middle class, I worked at McDonald’s.’ There’s no substance to it.”

Some of her public appearances have also raised doubts. “It falls apart when the teleprompter goes out,” one remarked. “She gets into this word salad where you read her again and think, ‘What did she just say?'” One example is a recent interview on the CBS show 60 minutes When asked why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apparently didn’t listen to the US, she responds in the first clips: “Well, Bill, the work that we’ve done has led to a number of moves by Israel in this region that were very positive.” “very prompted or a result of many things, including our commitment to what needs to happen in the region” – whatever that means.

When broadcast in prime time, this was replaced by the more energetic phrase: “We will not stop pursuing what is necessary to ensure that the United States is clear about where we stand on the need to end this war” – a prime example of mainstream media bias, according to the Trump campaign.

Some also wonder how tough she is, especially in world affairs. “I don’t know if she’s strong enough to stand up to Putin or Xi in China,” a man in Milwaukee told us. “I don’t know if she would be good if Iran became more aggressive. “She might be too soft in such a confrontation.”

While polls show Trump leading on foreign policy, the economy and other important issues like border control, this creates a dilemma for many voters. As dissatisfied as Democrats may be, can they tolerate a return to what has been called the “pony show” of a Trump presidency? “The way he acted, the things he did, I just lost all respect for him,” said a man in Wisconsin. “I find him funny and entertaining,” another added. “I just don’t think he has the right to be president.”

But some have resigned themselves to supporting Trump again, even if they didn’t in 2020: “He had a big mouth, but gas was cheap, taxes were low and we lived much better,” mused a Las bartender Vegas. “I’m leaning toward Trump because now I can better separate his personality from his results.”

The Harris campaign is trying to stop people from doing just that, arguing that the more the election is about Trump himself, the better their chances. His mental acuity is the latest line of attack. “I hope he’s okay,” the vice president tweeted this week, alongside bizarre footage of Trump swaying serenely to music on stage for over half an hour at a campaign rally. “Trump appears lost, confused and frozen.” She urged him to follow her lead by releasing his medical records.

While most believe the former president has changed little since 2016 or is even more “angry and vindictive,” some voters are discovering a softer Trump personality. “He toned down the rhetoric. “He’s become more professional,” one noted. While some say they find that more attractive, could that be an indication that others also find him less exciting than the insurgent outsider who rallied disaffected Americans by promising to drain the Washington swamp?