Bombay Durpun - Harris blasts 'offensive' Trump for remarks on women

With each candidate seeking even the slightest of advantages, they took their knife-edge White House race to western battleground states, homing in on immigration and wooing Latino voters five days before voting concludes on November 5.

Trump, dressed in a black overcoat and black Make America Great Again cap, painted a dark picture of immigration run amok as he addressed supporters in border state New Mexico, saying migrants are "unleashing a violent killing spree all across America."

As the Democratic vice president and Republican former president chase one another through the seven swing states expected to decide the election, Harris is conveying a more upbeat message, with pop icon Jennifer Lopez set to bring her star power to the stage in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday evening.

Trump too holds a rally in Nevada, with the rivals also visiting Arizona, where Harris speaks in Phoenix and Trump holds a scheduled interview with ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

Earlier Harris targeted Trump over his remarks the previous day when he told a rally he wanted to "protect" American women "whether the women like it or not."

She branded the comments "offensive to everybody."

Trump, she told reporters, "does not prioritize the freedom of women and the intelligence of women to make decisions about their own lives and bodies."

Reproductive rights have served as a rallying cry for Democrats -- and an Achilles heel of sorts for Trump -- since the conservative-dominated US Supreme Court ended the federal right to abortion in 2022.

Polling for this year's election shows a wide gender gap, with women voters tilting toward Harris, and Trump earning more support from men, so abortion could play a determining role in the outcome.

- Garbagegate -

Both campaigns have been jolted in recent days after controversies stemming from a remark by a warm-up speaker at a Trump rally, which initially blew back against Republicans before a damaging gaffe from President Joe Biden.

Harris made political hay from the comedian calling the US territory of Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage."

Her campaign won the backing of Puerto Rican celebrities Lopez, rapper Bad Bunny and singer Ricky Martin, and released a Spanish-language ad with the voice-over concluding: "On November 5, Trump will find out that one person's trash is another's treasure."

But Harris found herself on the defensive after Biden appeared to call Trump supporters "garbage" -- prompting the Democratic candidate to state she disagreed with criticism of people based on who they vote for.

On Thursday in New Mexico, the 78-year-old Republican unleashed a stream of insults against Democrats, calling ex-president Barack Obama "a horrible unifier," Hillary Clinton "a horrible human being," and Harris "dumb as a rock."

"She destroyed our economy," Trump said, referring to a period that, contrary to his criticism, is showing robust US growth, low unemployment and increasing consumer confidence, despite voter concerns about high prices.

- 'I love Hispanics' -

Trump is also betting frustrations over the Biden-Harris administration's immigration policy will swing border state Arizona back in his favor after Biden beat Trump there in 2020.

His appearance in New Mexico was a head-scratcher, given that polls suggest Harris will carry the state. Nevertheless he openly courted Hispanic voters there.

"I love Hispanics. They are hard workers, and boy are they entrepreneurial, and they're great people," Trump said. "And they are warm -- sometimes they are too warm, if you want to know the truth."

Latinos traditionally have aligned more with Democrats, but recent polling shows a noticeable trend toward Republicans.

The latest New York Times/Siena poll showed Harris with 52 percent support among Hispanic voters to Trump's 42 percent.

Both candidates will be in North Carolina on the weekend as part of a blitz of battleground states, with Harris also visiting Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania before Election Day.

Trump -- who has 34 felony convictions for crimes connected to the 2016 election -- is expected to reject Tuesday's election result if he loses.

He pressed on with his false claims of election fraud Thursday, telling supporters that "your votes are rigged," without citing any evidence.

B.Chakrabarti--BD