The competition continues: Presidential candidates campaign to gain prospective votes

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris have made several new moves in the race for the 2024 presidential bid since their debate on Sept. 10. Here’s the latest update on what has happened and what is next for the presidential election.

Approximately five days after the presidential debate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ryan Wesley Routh attempted to shoot Trump while he was at his golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, according to The Associated Press. 

According to a Sept. 24 press release from the Department of Justice, Routh has been indicted with the “attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer (a Secret Service agent), felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.”

Routh will be in federal custody until his trial in which the court will decide if he will receive a life sentence in prison, according to the DOJ press release. The case is currently undergoing an investigation by the FBI, Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 

Despite the second assassination attempt, Trump has continued to propel his campaign by holding rallies and attending interviews with various news organizations. Since the debate, Trump has rallied in numerous states, including Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania, according to Savannah Morning News and The Guardian.

However, not all of Trump’s rallies have gone according to plan. An outdoor Trump rally on Sept. 28 was switched to an indoor site located in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin due to a shortage of Secret Service agents, according to CBS News. The report by CBS News stated that the United Nations General Assembly in New York required extra Secret Service agents, decreasing the number of agents available for Trump’s detail.

“Former President Donald Trump is receiving heightened levels of U.S. Secret Service protection and our top priority is mitigating risks to ensure his continued safety at all times,” said Anthony Guglielmi, a Secret Service spokesman, according to CBS News. 

While Trump has been traveling around the country, campaigning in various states and speaking to the media, Harris has also been doing her share. 

The Democratic presidential candidate met with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in D.C. Sept. 16 regarding her political stance on emerging issues and the economic classes, according to USA Today. Harris also met with the National Association of Black Journalists Sept. 17, and she traveled to Michigan to be on “Unite for America,” a live streamed rally, with Oprah Winfrey, according to USA Today and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 

In the midst of her campaign rallies, Harris also participated in meetings to discuss the war in Ukraine and the border crisis. Harris held a public meeting at the White House Sept. 26 with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in which she discussed the importance of continuing the United States’ support of Ukraine, according to The New York Times. 

“History is so clear in reminding us the United States cannot and should not isolate ourselves from the rest of the world. Isolation is not insulation,” Harris said in a report by The New York Times.

After Harris’ meeting, Trump also met with Zelenskyy Sept. 27 at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York to discuss the United States’ involvement in the Ukrainian war, according to FOX News.

“We have a very good relationship. I also have a very good relationship, as you know, with President Putin,” Trump said in a report by FOX News. “And I think if we win, we’re going to get (the war) resolved very quickly.”

According to FOX News, despite it being a tense meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy, it appears that both politicians agree that the war in Ukraine needs to end promptly. 

While Trump concluded his meeting with Zelenskyy, Harris visited the U.S-Mexico border Sept. 27 for the first time since 2021, according to NPR.

A report by NPR stated that Harris’ trip to the border appeared to be merely a photo opportunity in order to garner support from voters. During Harris’ meeting with border patrol agents, she commented on the need for ceasing the smuggling of fentanyl as well as hiring more agents to strengthen border security.

The next major event for the 2024 election is approaching quickly. Republican vice presidential nominee Ohio Sen. JD Vance and Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz will debate Oct. 1 at 9 p.m. in New York City at CBS News’ CBS Broadcast Center.

All facts from this article were accurate as of Oct. 1.

Davis is the editor in chief of the Liberty Champion. Follow her on X.