Countdown to 2024: Harris riding high after DNC, but Trump burns campaign with 10 weeks to go

Tuesday marks 10 weeks until Election Day, November 5.

And former President Trump is now working at a furious pace to try to slow the momentum of Vice President Harris, who is riding a wave of energy and enthusiasm from last week's Democratic National Convention.

Trump is campaigning this week in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, three of the seven key states from coast to coast that will likely determine the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. His running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio, is returning to Michigan.

Last week, as Democrats held their convention in Chicago, Trump stopped in five key swing states as part of his counterprogramming effort, with Vance also crisscrossing the campaign trail.

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Former President Trump, Republican presidential candidate, speaks at a campaign event in Las Vegas on August 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

The vice president and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, begin a two-day bus tour this week in the crucial battleground state of southeast Georgia.

Expect bumper-to-bumper traffic on the campaign trail to continue through Election Day.

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But over the next month, a handful of major events could also impact the outcome of the election.

Interview with Harris?

Trump, Vance, their campaign and allied Republicans have repeatedly criticized Harris for not holding a news conference or giving an interview since she replaced President Biden as the 2024 Democratic leader more than five weeks ago.

Presidential candidate Vice President Harris is pictured at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

“She can’t answer questions,” Trump said Monday as he fielded questions from reporters during a stop in northern Virginia. “Why doesn’t she do something like what I’m doing right now?”

All eyes will be on Harris to see if she follows through on her promise to give an interview to a national media outlet by the end of the month.

Fight for fundraising

With just a few days left in August, the end of the month brings the anticipation of the latest fundraising numbers from the Trump and Harris campaigns.

Biden enjoyed a fundraising lead over Trump earlier this year, but the former president saw his fundraising skyrocket in the late spring and early summer.

But after Biden's resounding decision to end his re-election campaign and his replacement by Harris as the Democrats' standard-bearer, campaign and party fundraising surged, and Harris beat Trump in fundraising in July.

Former President Trump and Vice President Harris (Getty Images)

The August numbers, which campaigns could release as early as September 1, will be closely watched and scrutinized, as fundraising and polling are a crucial metric.

Debate on conflicts

The first and perhaps only presidential debate between Harris and Trump is scheduled for September 10 in Philadelphia. But on Monday, Trump questioned whether he would participate in the showdown hosted by ABC News, accusing the network of being “biased.”

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This showdown, if it actually happens, could be the most important night of the 2024 presidential election, with the power to potentially alter or transform the current margin-of-error race between the vice president and the former president.

For evidence, recall the late June debate between Biden and Trump. The president’s disastrous performance raised questions about whether the 81-year-old president had the mental and physical stamina to last four more years in the White House. And it sparked calls within his own party for Biden to drop out of the race.

Less than a month after the Atlanta clash, the president was out of the race.

Early voting

There are 70 days left until Election Day, but some voters will begin casting ballots next month.

In the swing state of North Carolina, mail-in voting begins Sept. 6. And early voting begins Sept. 16 in Pennsylvania and Sept. 26 in Michigan, two other crucial electoral battlegrounds.

Get the latest 2024 election campaign updates, exclusive interviews and more on our Fox News Digital Election Hub.