‘Could you imagine losing to this guy?’
Trump, Biden hold duelling rallies in Florida
COCONUT CREE K, FLA. • President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden rallied supporters on Thursday in the closely fought state of Florida, highlighting their contrasting approaches to the resurgent coronavirus pandemic as the clock ticks down to Election Day.
Opinion polls show Biden with a significant edge nationally, but with a tighter lead in the battleground states that play a decisive role in the final result.
A Reuters/ Ipsos poll released on Wednesday showed Trump had essentially moved into a tie with Biden in Florida, with 49 per cent saying they would vote for Biden and 47 per cent for the president. With its 29 electoral votes, the state is a major prize in Tuesday’s election. Trump’s victory in Florida in 2016 was vital to his surprise election win.
Thousands of people, many of them without masks, crowded together at an outdoor event in Tampa on Thursday to hear Trump mock his opponent, the former vice-president.
“Could you imagine losing to this guy? Could you imagine?” Trump said, adding he was confident of winning a second term.
Biden held a drive-in rally at the same time at a college in Broward County, north of Miami, where attendees remained in their cars.
“Donald Trump has given up” on fighting COVID-19, said Biden.
He also took a swipe at Trump over claims he has paid low amounts of federal income taxes.
“Why should a firefighter, a nurse ... an educator pay a higher tax rate than the super- wealthy? Why should you pay more taxes than Donald Trump?” he asked.
The New York Times reported last month that Trump had paid only $750 in federal income taxes in both 2016 and 2017, and no income taxes in 10 of the prior 15 years. Trump has said the number was “wrong.”
The Republican president hailed figures released on Thursday that showed the U. S. economy grew at an unrivalled annualized pace of 33 per cent in the third quarter because of a huge federal pandemic relief program.
“So glad this great GDP number came out before November 3rd,” Trump wrote in a tweet.
The president plans to visit 10 states in the last days of the campaign and will host 11 rallies in the final 48 hours, a campaign official said.
Florida is home to large Latino populations, with Cuban Americans in the south of Florida traditionally tending to favour Republicans, while newer communities of Puerto Ricans in central Florida lean toward the Democrats.
Biden’s campaign tried on Thursday to dampen concerns among Democrats that Biden is not reaching Latino voters nationally as well as former president Barack Obama used to.