Fracking allegation as battle intensifies
JOHNSTOWN/PEMBROKE PINES: United States President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden fanned out to critical battleground states yesterday as the presidential race entered a final, intense phase amid record numbers of early votes cast.
At a rally in Pennsylvania, Trump blasted Biden on his environmental and energy policies, while Biden stumped again in Florida, chasing the senior vote as he faulted Trump for his handling of the Covid19 pandemic.
Trump’s event in Johnstown was his second campaign event in two nights. He plans to hold rallies the rest of the week as he seeks to close what polls say is a significant gap with Biden.
Trump is battling the clock. Almost 12 million ballots have been cast so far, including more than 1.6 million in Florida, according to the US Elections Project at the University of Florida, shattering records.
The president accused Biden of wanting to ban fracking, the process of extracting gas through hydraulic fracturing, which he said would damage the state’s economy.
‘‘Joe Biden has repeatedly pledged to abolish fracking.
He’s a liar.’’
Biden has said that he wants to ban new oil and gas production on federal lands, but not ban fracking outright.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday showed Biden with a sevenpoint lead in Pennsylvania, up from five points a week earlier. Trump narrowly won the state in 2016.
Speaking to about 50 people at a community centre in Broward County in South Florida, Biden said Trump had recklessly dismissed the threat the coronavirus had posed to their atrisk population.
‘‘To Donald Trump, you’re expendable. You’re forgettable. You’re virtually nobody. That’s how he sees seniors. That’s how he sees you,’’ Biden said.
At his Johnstown event, Trump pledged to protect seniors.
Biden has said Trump wants to eliminate the payroll tax, which helps fund the Social Security benefit programme for retirees.
‘‘While I am president, noone will touch your Medicare or your Social Security,’’ Trump said.
A Biden win over Trump in Florida would seriously jeopardise the president’s chances for reelection, and most recent opinion polls show the Democrat ahead. Trump won Florida in 2016 by 1.2 percentage points.
Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, yesterday said they would donate an additional $US100 million
($NZ150 million) to the Centre for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) to support election officials and fund infrastructure for the US election.
CTCL is a Chicagobased charity that, according to its website, is ‘‘working to foster a more informed and engaged democracy, and helping to modernise United States elections’’.
The pair previously donated $US300 million to the cause. — Reuters