By james art 
Washington:
Donald Trump is making a bold move in the final days of his presidential campaign, visiting New Mexico and Virginia, two states that have historically been difficult for Republican candidates to win.
The former president campaigned in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Thursday and was scheduled to visit Salem, Virginia, on Saturday in an effort to build momentum and potentially turn those states red.
Trump’s team is optimistic about his chances, citing early voting numbers and the possibility of sweeping the swing states of Nevada and Arizona. That strategy carries significant risk, however, since neither New Mexico nor Virginia has been carried by a GOP candidate since George W. Bush in 2004.
The battleground states have received considerable attention since the past few weeks, with billboards, smartphones and televisions bombarding them with political ads. The presidential and vice presidential candidates have made 21 appearances in Pennsylvania, 17 in Michigan and 13 in North Carolina over the past two weeks.
Trump’s visit to Albuquerque draws attention to his immigration stance in a border state with the highest concentration of Hispanic voters in the country. About 44 percent of New Mexico’s voting-age population identifies as Hispanic, and the state is dealing with a surge in migrant deaths along the U.S.-Mexico border.
“If we could bring God down from heaven, he could be the vote counter and we could win this,” Trump said. He also added that he is visiting New Mexico because it is “good for my credentials” with Latino voters.
Virginia was once considered a battleground state, but in recent years it has swung toward the Democrats. Trump lost the state to Clinton in 2016 and Biden in 2020. However, Trump believes he has a “real chance” to win, and his visit may focus on the recent Supreme Court ruling on voter registration.
Democratic strategist Bob Shrum questioned Trump’s strategy, saying, “I don’t think he has a strategy … I think he insisted on doing it. It doesn’t make sense.” Meanwhile, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin thinks the state is more competitive than expected.
Susan Swecker, chairwoman of the Democratic Party of Virginia, is of the opinion that this visit will only make it harder for Trump to win votes. “Kamala Harris will win Virginia in a landslide, as she knows, and any visit from this deranged lunatic will only widen the gap,” she said.