Harris paints Trump as threat to democracy as Election Day draws closer

With the presidential election just 12 days away, new polling shows the race neck and neck. It’s adding urgency to Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, who is now consistently painting her opponent as an existential threat to democracy. Donald Trump is focusing on the key issue of immigration. Lisa Desjardins reports.
Amna Nawaz:
Welcome to the “News Hour.”
With the presidential election just 12 days away, new polling shows the presidential race neck-and-neck.
Geoff Bennett:
It’s adding urgency to the Harris campaign. The vice president is now consistently painting her opponent as an existential threat to democracy. That’s as Donald Trump is in the Sun Belt tonight focusing again on immigration.
Lisa Desjardins reports.
Lisa Desjardins:
Former President Donald Trump campaigning today down in the desert in the pivotal state of Arizona, where election workers in Maricopa County are already tabulating ballots from early voters, like these in Phoenix.
Arianna Welker, Arizona Voter:
So I did vote for Kamala, a lot of reasons personally, that I just don’t agree with Trump.
Carol Keane, Arizona Voter:
I like the way the country ran when he was in charge. Not liking his personality, absolutely. I don’t like his personality, but I like his policies.
Lisa Desjardins:
Trump is at Arizona State university to rally the college crowd, but also to put the spotlight back on one of those policies, immigration.
Donald Trump, Former President of the United States (R) and Current U.S. Presidential Candidate: She has eradicated our sovereign border and she has unleashed an army of migrant gangs who are waging a campaign of violence and terror against our citizens.
Lisa Desjardins:
Something his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, was pressed on repeatedly at a CNN town hall last night. She was asked whether she supports more border wall.
Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States (D) and U.S. Presidential Candidate: Let’s just fix the problem.
Anderson Cooper, CNN Host:
And to fix the problem, you’re doing this compromise bill. It does call for $650 million that was earmarked under Trump to actually still go to build the wall.
Kamala Harris:
I’m not afraid of good ideas, where they occurred.
Anderson Cooper:
You don’t think it’s stupid anymore?
Kamala Harris:
I think what he did and how he did it was — did not make much sense because he actually didn’t do much of anything.
Lisa Desjardins:
This as a Wall Street Journal poll shows Trump with the edge nationally, up by two points over the vice president. And a new Marist poll shows tight races, with Trump in the lead in North Carolina and Arizona and Georgia a tie, all of those polls within the margin of error.
Harris also made headlines last night for her other answers about faith.
Kamala Harris:
I do pray every day, sometimes twice a day.
Lisa Desjardins:
And for her thoughts after Trump’s former chief of staff said he fits the definition of fascist.
Anderson Cooper:
Do you think Donald Trump is a fascist?
Kamala Harris:
Yes, I do. Yes, I do.
Lisa Desjardins:
Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, doubling down today.
Kamala Harris:
We have the choice of Donald Trump, who will sit in the Oval Office stewing, plotting revenge, retribution, writing out his enemies list.
Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN), Vice Presidential Candidate: But don’t kid yourself. You’re somewhere on that list too if you disagree with these people. That’s who they are.
Lisa Desjardins:
Trump had his own accusation against Harris last night at a rally in Georgia that was one of his largest in recent weeks.
Donald Trump:
Our country is being destroyed and crippled by Kamala Harris…
(Cheering)
Donald Trump:
… a person that got no votes, no votes. Therefore, she’s a threat to democracy.
Lisa Desjardins:
And speaking to conservative podcaster Hugh Hewitt today, Trump also talked about what he would do if elected to special counsel Jack Smith, who is overseeing the two federal cases against him.
Donald Trump:
We got immunity at the Supreme Court. It’s so easy. I would fire him within two seconds.
Lisa Desjardins:
From Trump running mate J.D. Vance today, a written argument in an op-ed in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, accusing Harris of prejudice against Catholics. The Harris campaign did not comment after our request for response.
But the column brought Vance union criticism for crossing a virtual picket line. Workers have been on strike at the paper for two years. Fewer than two weeks to go, and the campaigns are battling across media and across the map.
For the “PBS News Hour,” I’m Lisa Desjardins.