High stakes, divided nation, says political analyst, as US braces for presidential election

As the 2024 United States presidential election approaches, the stakes are high, and America stands divided, according to one political analyst. "America is divided into two tribes. Neither tribe trusts the other tribe. They're very suspicious of the motives. They think the other side wants to destroy the kind of America that they love," said Darrell M. West, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and Douglas Dillon Chair in Governmental Studies. With the economy traditionally being a critical factor in elections, West said that while there has been a slight increase in manufacturing jobs, overall economic well-being in Midwestern states lags behind the coasts. Despite a low unemployment rate, many individuals feel the economy is not working in their favor, fueling anxiety about the future. West identified key issues favoring each party. For Republicans, it's "immigration policy... On the Democratic side, abortion and reproductive rights in general," he said. The race between Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump remains tight, with Harris currently holding a slight lead. "This race will stay close until the very end, probably it's going to come down to one or two crucial swing states," said West. Trump faces Harris in the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election. (Production: Roselle Chen) For more ABS-CBN News videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmgUHWUpi2ioSp4xAP1SmAaf For more latest news and analysis from ABS-CBN News videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmg4pcvfM9a96rbUcLD_0P_U For more News Digital News Raw Cuts, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmi83yKJH8Dv0p_3D4cyZKzV Subscribe to the ABS-CBN News channel! - http://bit.ly/TheABSCBNNews Watch the full episodes of TV Patrol on iWantTFC: http://bit.ly/TVPatrol-iWantTFC Visit our website at http://news.abs-cbn.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abscbnNEWS Twitter: https://twitter.com/abscbnnews #Exclusive #LatestNews #ABSCBNNews