Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) went on the offensive against swing-state voters considering the Green Party presidential nominee, Dr. Jill Stein, calling a vote for her a “waste” when “democracy” was on the line.
In an interview with ABC News “This Week” that aired Sunday, Shapiro said he supported the Democratic National Committee‘s billboards in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin that paint Stein as a spoiler in the race, meaning that she could cost Vice President Kamala Harris the voters she needs to defeat former President Donald Trump.
“I think if you vote for Jill Stein, you’re not only throwing away your vote, you’re ignoring your responsibility to protect our democracy here in this country,” said Shapiro. “Jill Stein ain’t winning this election, period.”
SUNDAY: With the DNC buying billboards opposing Jill Stein in the ‘Blue Wall’ states @MarthaRaddatz asked their Democratic governors if the third-party candidate could impact the outcome of the election. See more on @ThisWeekABC https://t.co/bvOTpJa7z3 pic.twitter.com/B5Bfbhwm2R
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) October 19, 2024
In a joint interview with Shapiro, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), and Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI), This Week host Martha Raddatz pressed the Blue Wall governors on why Harris’s messaging on the economy and immigration wasn’t resonating with voters.
“Back to those polls, the economy, immigration, by far, those people who are polled trust Donald Trump. So, so what you’re saying about, ‘Look, he didn’t do the job back then,’ they don’t think that,” said Raddatz in an interview with the panel during a stop on a bus tour ahead of Sunday. “They think he can do it now better than Kamala Harris. His message is getting through on immigration and on the economy. Yours is not.”
Whitmer said Trump was a “charlatan,” but stopped short on explaining why Harris was not connecting with voters on leading policy issues.
“He’s a charlatan. He’s convinced people that he is strong when he’s actually very weak,” said Whitmer. “He told Michiganders he wouldn’t let a single auto plant close. Under his watch, six closed. We lost 280,000 jobs in Michigan. He just came into Detroit … he denigrated auto workers, saying children could do their jobs. He likes to pretend he’s tough, but in the reality, he’s weak.”
Pushed by Raddatz again, Evers said Trump had “done nothing” for Wisconsin and that the state’s best-ever economy was not thanks to him.
“We’re in good shape, and people are making more money than they ever be. So, we’re, we’re in a good place, and it had nothing to do with Donald Trump,” said Evers.
Former Pres. Trump is a “charlatan,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer tells @MarthaRaddatz.
“He’s convinced people that he is strong when he’s actually very weak. He told Michiganders he wouldn’t let a single auto plant close under his watch — six closed.” https://t.co/Aj70VhKw4t pic.twitter.com/klL5YTjrTV
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) October 20, 2024
The Democratic governors of three battleground states all agreed the election will be “close,” and have placed their focus on working to elect the Democratic candidate between now and Nov. 5.
“I think Kamala Harris wins, but make no mistake, it’s close,” said Shapiro. “We’re not afraid of that. It doesn’t worry us. It causes us to get out and work. And that’s what we’re doing. That’s why the three of us are on this blue wall bus tour going through Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. I feel really, really confident.”
Whitmer agreed, “It’s going to be close,” with just over two weeks until Election Day.
“But you cannot roll up your sleeves if you’re wringing your hands,” said Whitmer. “So the antidote to apathy is action. We are working our tails off. I think Michigan goes with Harris Walz, but we’re not going to take any, make any assumptions. We’re going to do the work all the way through.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Harris slightly edged out Trump in an average of national polling conducted between Oct. 4 and Oct. 19, according to RealClearPolitics. Harris received 49.2% of voter support compared to Trump’s 48.3%.
However, Trump edges out Harris in all three states. Recent averages from Pennsylvania have Trump at 48.1% and Harris at 47.4%, while in Michigan, Trump leads 48.8% to Harris’s 47.6%. In Wisconsin, the margins are the tightest, as Trump has 48% to Harris’s 47.8%.
SUNDAY: @MarthaRaddatz asked all three ‘Blue Wall’ governors if they think V.P. Harris will win their states. See more on @ThisWeekABC https://t.co/kzsvfeqWYW pic.twitter.com/ofHRhATbp0
