As it nears its conclusion, the race for the White House paused in Wisconsin on Tuesday. Both Republican Donald Trump and Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine visited. They each told voters the state will play an important role in the election. The candidates also both made a point to question the character of the other party's nominee for president.
GOP nominee Donald Trump has made frequent appearances in Wisconsin in the last couple months. This time he chose Eau Claire.
"In just one week we are going to win the great state of Wisconsin and we are going to win back the White House. It's going to happen, folks," Trump said.
Trump told the crowd -- and others who might be watching -- that they can help him reach his goal, even if they've already voted for his opponent.
"This is a message for any Democratic voter who have already cast their ballots for Hillary Clinton and who are having a bad case of buyer's remorse. In other words, you want to change your vote. Wisconsin is one of several states where you can change your early ballot if you think you've made a mistake. A lot of stuff has come out since you voted," Trump said.
Trump was referring to the news the FBI made late last week. That's when the agency's head said it would look at newly discovered emails, to see if they pertain to a probe into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server. Last summer, the FBI announced it had concluded the investigation. Trump claims the renewed interest shows Clinton is embroiled in a scandal, which he believes will lead to criminal charges. At his Eau Claire rally the GOP nominee questioned not just Clinton's ethics, but those of others he also considers to be Washington insiders.
"I want the entire corrupt Washington establishment to hear and heed the words we are all here to say. When we win on November 8, we are going to Washington, D.C., and we are going to drain the swamp," Trump said.
Meanwhile in Madison Tuesday, Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine called Trump's character into question. Kaine reminded the audience of Trump's recent comments about women, including during one of the presidential debates.
"When Donald Trump said 'that nasty woman' to Hillary when she was on the debate stage, because she had the nerve to stand up, stand up for herself, stand up for her country, tell it like she sees it. 'That nasty woman.' What that tells you is Donald Trump is not a person who can look at a woman and see an equal. That is a fundamental problem," Kaine said.
Kaine added that he believes Trump only is concerned about his own well-being, and if elected, would not look out for citizens' best interests. The Democrat referenced reports alleging that Trump pocketed money people had invested in condo projects that never got off the ground, and took money from students at Trump University, which Kaine says turned out to be a rip-off.
"Words with Donald Trump are completely empty. People who trust Donald Trump get tricked by Donald Trump, get hurt by Donald Trump. The actions are as clear as day: we can't afford to let him now say he's going to be completely different than the person he's been for his entire life," Kaine said.
Despite their differences, Kaine agrees with Trump on one thing: Wisconsin voters could be key to the outcome on Election Day. Kaine says it remains one of the nation's battleground states.
"By the end of the campaign, with a week or 10 days to go, it whittles down to about 6 or 7 states where all the action is. You guys are one of the 6 or 7. Do you feel the pressure on your shoulders? I'm trying to up the pressure here for you to do your best work," Kaine said.
Because both parties are so eager to capture Wisconsin's electoral votes, the campaign visits could continue all the way until Tuesday's election.
