Why Trump is making last-minute stops ahead of Election Day in two blue-leaning states

During nan last week starring up to Election Day connected Nov. 5, erstwhile President Trump is making 2 little detours from campaigning successful nan important 7 battleground states that will apt find if nan Republican nominee aliases Vice President Kamala Harris wins nan 2024 election.

On Thursday, which is Halloween, the erstwhile president will make a run extremity successful New Mexico, and Saturday he'll sojourn Virginia. Both states were erstwhile cardinal wide predetermination battlegrounds that person leaned bluish nan past 2 decades. 

In fact, you've sewage to look backmost 20 years – to President George W. Bush's re-election – to find nan past GOP statesmanlike nominee to transportation some states. 

So why, pinch clip specified a precious commodity for statesmanlike campaigns and nan timepiece quickly ticking toward Election Day, is Trump spending clip successful New Mexico and Virginia?

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Former President Trump speaks during a run rally astatine Madison Square Garden successful New York, Oct. 27, 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

Unlike his ample rallies connected Sunday successful New York City and 2 weeks agone successful confederate California – heavy bluish states nan Trump run has nary illusions of flipping – nan erstwhile president and his squad spot opportunities successful Virginia and New Mexico.

"As President Trump has said, he will beryllium a president for each Americans, including those successful traditionally bluish states that Kamala Harris and nan Democrats person near behind. Kamala Harris’ dangerously wide policies person grounded Americans crossed nan state – from the Bronx, to Virginia, and New Mexico – which is why President Trump is bringing his America First connection and imagination for hardworking families correct to their beforehand door," Republican National Committee spokesperson Anna Kelley based on successful a connection to Fox News.

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There hasn't been an abundance of polling in New Mexico, but astir caller surveys bespeak Harris pinch an precocious azygous digit lead complete Trump, though 1 study suggests a tighter title for nan state's 5 electoral votes.

"Trump is wasting his clip coming to our authorities arsenic polling shows New Mexicans are group to cull his MAGA extremism and divisive rhetoric yet again," Democratic Party of New Mexico spokesperson Daniel Garcia claimed successful a statement.

And referring to nan Oct. 31 extremity successful Albuquerque by nan erstwhile president, Garcia took a verbal changeable astatine Trump, saying "a rotund orangish wide will beryllium successful Albuquerque connected Halloween, and we’re not talking astir a pumpkin."

Trump hasn't group ft successful New Mexico successful 5 years. 

Former President Trump speaks during a run arena astatine Historic Greenbrier Farms successful Chesapeake, Virginia, connected June 28, 2024. (Parker Michels-Boyce/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

It's a different communicative in Virginia, where nan erstwhile president held a ample rally successful nan southeastern area of nan authorities successful June.

Trump connected Saturday holds a rally successful Salem, Virginia, successful nan blimpish southwestern area of nan commonwealth.

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Polls successful nan authorities bespeak nan Democratic statesmanlike nominee holding anyplace from a little double-digit lead to a flimsy little azygous digit separator complete nan erstwhile president.

"We person a really bully chance to triumph Virginia – hasn’t been won successful decades by a [GOP] statesmanlike candidate," Trump told Virginia Republicans successful a September tele-rally. 

It's an statement that Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia is besides making.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks during nan Republican National Convention successful Milwaukee, Wisconsin, connected July 15, 2024. (Reuters/Jeenah Moon)

But location whitethorn beryllium different contributing facet to Trump's extremity successful Virginia.

Trump connected Friday pilloried a national judge’s ruling that Virginia must reconstruct much than 1,500 group to nan state’s elector rolls, pinch nan erstwhile president falsely claiming Harris was down nan determination and charging that it amounted to "election interference."

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The authorities of Virginia connected Sunday revenge an emergency enactment exertion to nan U.S. Supreme Court to overturn nan little tribunal ruling, which halted nan state's efforts to region suspected noncitizens from nan elector rolls.

Veteran Virginia-based governmental intelligence David Richards of nan University of Lynchburg told Fox News that "based connected each nan polling I americium seeing, it is not clear that this rally will thief Trump triumph Virginia."

"But I deliberation he has bigger ambitions by coming to cardinal Virginia. I deliberation he wants to capitalize connected nan judicial determination to reinstate voters who person not met nan citizenship requirements aliases had not checked nan correct box, and were picked up by a wide expanse of registered voters successful Virginia," Richards said. "This plays into his wide communicative astir forbidden immigrants trying to ballot successful nan election. I deliberation he is seeking a nationalist audience, not needfully conscionable a Virginia audience, by coming and doing a rally here."

Get nan latest updates from nan 2024 run trail, exclusive interviews and much astatine our Fox News Digital predetermination hub.