US Midterm Election 2018: Road trip across key states

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02:35

The US is just days away from its midterm elections that could shift political power in Washington.

CGTN's Nathan King traveled across several key states in the upcoming elections, to find out where voters stand on major issues, including trade and the economy, immigration and the increase of divisive politics.

He visited five states in ten days, including the three that critically sealed the presidency for Donald Trump: Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

US President Donald Trump departs after speaking at a campaign rally at Southern Illinois Airport in Murphysboro, Illinois, US, October 27, 2018. /VCG Photo

First Illinois, where trade tariffs are on farmer Ralph Coffman's mind as he brings in the soybean harvest. Now that the market to China has collapsed, he may not be planting them anymore.

"We might give up on soybeans, yeah, if we don't see a market improvement in the price. If we got some other countries to come in and replace China, that would help the market and move some of these beans out, but there's just too many soybeans," Coffman said.

In Wisconsin, sitting senator Tammy Baldwin tells CGTN reciprocal tariffs from Mexico and China are killing the state's dairy industry.

"Mexico was 25 percent of the export market for cheese. That has gone away," said Baldwin.

Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin speaks at a rally in support of Wisconsin Democrats at North Division High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, October 26, 2018. /VCG Photo

In Michigan, auto worker and staunch Republican Brian Pannebecker backs the US president and the trade wars he has started.

"It's been a long time since we've had leadership who would go toe-to-toe with our trading partners, making sure we are getting fair deals to try and keep our jobs here so we can export our products that we built to other countries," Pannebecker said.

Immigration is on the mind of a growing Hispanic community in Abbotsford, Wisconsin, though a recent immigration raid worried many.

And in Pennsylvania, the former mayor of a fading steel town, Monessen, is angry that despite a visit by then-candidate Trump in 2016, his community is still dying.

"Nobody's done a damn thing. It doesn't make any difference whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, the two-party system doesn't work for communities like this," said Lou Mavrakis.

People gather to protest the arrival of US President Donald Trump as he visits the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US, October 30, 2018. /VCG Photo

A tragedy unfolded in Pittsburgh on October 27. Eleven were killed at a synagogue shooting in the neighborhood of Squirrel Hill. Gun violence and hate crimes have become election issues once again.

What effect the tragedy in Pittsburgh will have on the midterm elections remains to be seen but what is clear is that aside from the issues, the rhetoric in America has never been more divided.