Harris, Trump hit campaign trail in critical swing states with 7 weeks until Election Day

With Election Day just seven weeks away, Vice President Kamala Harris sat down for a high-profile interview in Pennsylvania and former President Donald Trump is gearing up for a town hall just days after an alleged attempted assassination effort was stopped by the Secret Service. Laura Barrón-López reports.
Geoff Bennett:
Now we turn to the presidential campaign, with Election Day, just seven weeks from today. Vice President Kamala Harris sat down for a high-profile interview in Pennsylvania today, while former President Donald Trump is gearing up for a town hall later tonight, just days after an alleged attempted assassination effort was stopped by the U.S. Secret Service.
Laura Barron-Lopez has more.
Laura Barron-Lopez:
The nation’s first Black vice president fielding questions from the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia.
Harris addressed her opponent’s efforts to win over more Black men this cycle.
Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States (D) and U.S. Presidential Candidate: I’m working to earn the vote, not assuming I’m going to have it because I am Black, but because the policies and the perspectives I have understands what we must do to recognize the needs of all communities.
Laura Barron-Lopez:
It comes six weeks after the organization hosted former President Trump, who sparred with the journalists and questioned Harris’ racial identity.
Donald Trump, Former President of the United States (R) and Current U.S. Presidential Candidate: Now she wants to be known as black. So, I don’t know. Is she Indian or is she black?
Laura Barron-Lopez:
Today’s interview with Harris struck a different tone. Eugene Daniels of Politico asked the vice president about Springfield, Ohio, which has seen a spike in violent threats after Trump spread lies about immigrants eating pets there.
Kamala Harris:
When you have these positions, when you have that kind of microphone in front of, you really ought to understand at a very deep level how much your words have meaning. And I think most people in our country, regardless of their race, are starting to see through this nonsense and to say, you know what, let’s turn the page on this. This is exhausting and it’s harmful.
Laura Barron-Lopez:
She also condemned the apparent assassination attempt that unfolded on Sunday, when Secret Service spotted a gunman in the tree line of Trump’s own golf course. Harris said she spoke with the former president by phone earlier this afternoon.
Kamala Harris:
I checked on him to see if he was OK. And I told him what I have said publicly. There is no place for political violence in our country. We can and should have healthy debates and discussion and disagreements, but not resort to violence to resolve those issues.
Laura Barron-Lopez:
A federal investigation into the incident is still in its early stages.
In Florida today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced a state-level criminal probe and said prosecutors will pursue attempted murder charges against the suspect.
As for the Trump camp:
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Vice Presidential Candidate: Don’t lecture Donald Trump about softening his rhetoric after two people tried to kill him.
Laura Barron-Lopez:
His running mate, J.D. Vance, blamed Democrats again today while campaigning in Michigan.
Sen. J.D. Vance:
I can sometimes do better, but we have to remember, Donald Trump is getting shot at. They need to cut that crap out or they’re going to get somebody hurt.
Laura Barron-Lopez:
After the second apparent assassination attempt, Vance railed against unnamed Democrats for calling Trump a fascist, despite Trump himself repeatedly calling Harris one.
Meanwhile, to guard against another attempt by Trump to overturn the election results, some political figures are coming together to maintain a peaceful transfer of power.
A group of bipartisan former governors put out a letter today urging their successors to certify the election results in their states and reject any delays, stating: “While there is much to debate on the campaign trail, we expect all candidates, and the American people will agree, that this time-honored process during our postelection period is not open for debate.”
On the campaign trail, the parties are celebrating National Voter Registration Day.
Gov Tim Walz (D-MN), Vice Presidential Candidate: IWillVote.com is the place where you go to get Voter Registration Day.
Laura Barron-Lopez:
With Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, out in Georgia.
And Trump is expected back on the trail with a town hall in Flint, Michigan, later tonight, out for the first time since what appears to be the second attempt on his life.
For the “PBS News Hour,” I’m Laura Barron-Lopez.
Geoff Bennett:
And we have one additional note involving the presidential campaign. Microsoft is warning of a shift in Russian election influence efforts toward the Harris/Walz campaign using fake and misleading videos.
The latest report from the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center says it reflects a strategic move by Russian actors aimed at exploiting any perceived vulnerabilities in the new candidates. Microsoft adds that we should expect more such staged videos and A.I.-enhanced propaganda heading into the November election.