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Saturday, May 9, 2026

Duelling US presidents descend on key swing state Pennsylvania - BBC

By Boer Deng

BBC News, Washington

It is rare for Donald Trump to deliver the same message as Barack Obama and Joe Biden - but it happened when the Republican and two Democrats campaigned in Pennsylvania on the same day.

The political foes all urged Americans in the crucial state: go vote.

Mr Biden and Mr Obama cast the election as a battle for democracy, while Mr Trump said the country's safety and security were on the line.

Tuesday's US midterm elections will determine control of Congress.

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives are being contested, while 35 are up for grabs in the Senate.

In Pennsylvania a razor-thin margin separates Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman, 53, from Republican Mehmet Oz, 62. The appearances of two ex-presidents and President Biden on the last weekend before the election signalled the state's importance.

Mr Trump's victory in Pennsylvania helped deliver him the White House in 2016, when his message of populist anger struck a chord with blue-collar voters in the state.

An opposing sentiment of pragmatism and liberal politics in urban centres gave it back to Democrats in 2020, when Mr Biden won his home state by a margin of less than 2%.

Speaking in Philadelphia on Saturday, Mr Biden declared that it was "good to be home" as he stumped for Mr Fetterman and Josh Shapiro, the Democratic candidate for governor.

He warned the crowd that failing to return Democratic majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate would mean...



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