Countdown to the US Elections with White House Correspondent Jon Decker
In collaboration with fellow Nordic AmChams, AmCham Norway hosted an exclusive session on the 2024 US Elections with White House Correspondent Jon Decker on the same day of the first Harris-Trump debate and live from the battleground state of Pennsylvania.
Decker highlighted critical battleground states like Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, and especially Pennsylvania, which could play a decisive role in such a close race. He shared his thoughts on the candidates’ strategies to sway undecided voters, emphasizing that the presidential debate might influence the outcome. Decker also discussed the election’s potential impact on transatlantic trade and investment, as well as the importance of the Electoral College over the popular vote.
Decker even gave us some early predictions on some of the battleground states. He felt comfortable calling Wisconsin and Michigan for the Democrats. The rest are still up in the air in the race for 270 electoral votes needed to win the election.
During the Q&A session, Decker explained how the new Electoral Count Reform Act addresses vulnerabilities exposed by attempts to overturn the 2020 election. The act clarifies the Vice President’s ceremonial role in opening electoral votes and that while election results can still be challenged in court, recent attempts have failed.
Decker also touched on down-ballot races and the key issues both campaigns are focusing on. He pointed out that Harris has prioritized middle-class voters and reproductive rights, while Trump has focused on border security and boosting US business. The Senate race looks promising for Republicans, especially with the likely flip of Joe Manchin’s seat in West Virginia.
Jon Decker has been a member of the White House Press Corps since 1995, covering the Clinton, Bush, Obama and Trump administrations. He is the only lawyer in the press pool and was among the few political journalists to correctly predict the outcome of the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections.