Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) on Tuesday tried to calm the nerves of Democrats heading into election week, saying they’re in a good spot as former President Trump and Vice President Harris head for the finish line.
“No, I’m not freaking out,” Schatz told reporters at the Capitol. “It’s a toss-up, and we’re executing well and they’re not, so I like our chances.”
Schatz contrasted the situation for Democrats with the latest firestorm on the GOP side after comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico “a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean” during Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
“Statistically speaking, you don’t make your closing argument deeply offensive to a half a million people in a swing state,” Schatz said. “There’s no universe in which this is smart strategy.”
“I think we all just have to acknowledge, even though we’ve been disappointed before, that we are executing well and they are closing chaotic and with explicit racism,” he continued. “I think that’ll result in a good night next week.”
Schatz’s comments come as concern grows among Democrats that the race might be slipping away from the party in power, especially with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s loss to Trump in 2016 squarely in mind.
Trump and Harris continue to run neck-and-neck in battleground states. According to the latest Decision Desk HQ forecast, the former president has a 54 percent chance of winning a second term in office.
