Trump, Vance hit battleground states as they counter-program Harris, Walz at DNC

CHICAGO – As day two of the Democratic National Convention gets underway Tuesday in blue state Illinois' largest city, former President Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, will be in nearby battleground states.

It is part of the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee's plan to offer a full week of counter-programming to the Democrats' national nominating convention.

"Donald Trump is barnstorming all across the country over the course of this next week," RNC Chair Michael Whatley emphasized in a Sunday interview on Fox News' "America's Newsroom."

"We are going to be out directly talking to every American family across the country the way that only Donald Trump can. And we are absolutely asking for their votes. We're asking for their support," Whatley highlighted.

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The move is partially to try and blunt the momentum of Vice President Kamala Harris heading into the Democrats' convention. Harris has been riding a wave of energy and enthusiasm – both in polling and in fundraising – since replacing President Biden at the top of the Democrats' 2024 ticket four weeks ago.

However, it also appears to be another move to try and put pressure on Harris for not holding a news conference or a major interview since Biden bowed out and backed his vice president.

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"At the DNC, Kamala Harris will hide behind celebrities because everyday families know that she has been an absolute disaster for our nation, and real Americans are worse off now than four years ago," Trump campaign co-chairs Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita charged in a statement on the eve of the convention.

They argued