What is the ‘blue wall’ Trump is trying to demolish in 2024?

In the final hours before Tuesday's showdown, Harris and Trump are eyeing not just the swing states but also the ‘blue wall’ states, here's what to know:

As the campaign for the 2024 US presidential election reaches its final hours, the stakes are high for both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. In a final sprint to gain a decisive edge ahead of Tuesday’s showdown, the two candidates are eyeing not just the swing states but also the “blue wall.”

This combination of pictures created on November 03, 2024 shows, L-R, former US President Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaking during a campaign rally in Kinston, North Carolina, on November 3, 2024 and US Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris speaking during a service at Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ in Detroit, Michigan, on November 3, 2024. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly and ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP) (AFP)

What is the ‘blue wall’?

Throughout their campaign, the vice president and the former president have spent considerable time in the “blue wall.” The term refers to a cluster of 18 states and the District of Columbia. Collectively, they had been Democratic strongholds for decades.

The so-called blue wall was notably breached in 2016 when Trump flipped three of them. However, Joe Biden had reverted them to blue again in 2020, according to USA Today. In addition to Washington DC, the 18 states behind the blue wall are:

1. California
2. New York
3. Illinois
4. Pennsylvania
5. New Jersey
6. Massachusetts
7. Michigan
8. Washington
9. Wisconsin
10. Maryland
11. Minnesota
12. Connecticut
13. Oregon
14. Maine
15. Hawaii
16. Delaware
17. Rhode Island
18. Vermont

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The breach of the ‘blue wall’, their status in 2024 race

The “blue wall” states had been loyal to the Democratic Party in every presidential election from 1992 to 2012. Up until the 2016 election, when Trump flipped Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, Democrats were confident in their influence in each of these states.

HT in US: Special Coverage of the American elections by Prashant Jha

Together, these three key states account for a total of 44 electoral votes in the 2024 race. According to the final NYC/Sienna poll published Sunday, Harris has a narrow edge in Wisconsin, with 49% of those likely to vote for her. Meanwhile, she is tied with Trump in the states of Michigan (47%) and Pennsylvania (48%).