Daily Camera (Boulder)

Biden shuns easy virus answers; Trump vows to ‘vanquish’ it

- By Will Weissert, Aamer Madhani and Alexandra Jaffe

BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. — Joe Biden vowed Wednesday not to campaign “on the false promises of being able to end this pandemic by flipping a switch,” pledging instead to prioritize science, even as President Donald Trump used the race’s final days to maintain a whirlwind schedule aimed at focusing on anything but the coronaviru­s.

The Democratic presidenti­al nominee also argued that a Supreme Court conservati­ve majority stretched to 6-3 by newly confirmed Justice Amy Coney Barrett could dismantle the Obama administra­tion’s signature health law and leave millions without insurance coverage during the pandemic. He called Trump’s handling of the coronaviru­s an “insult” to its victims, especially as cases spike dramatical­ly around the country.

“Even if I win, it’s going to take a lot of hard work to end this pandemic,” Biden said during a speech in Wilmington, Delaware. “I do promise this: We will start on day one doing the right things.”

His comments reflected an unwavering attempt to keep the political spotlight on the pandemic. That was a departure from the president, who downplayed the threat and spent his day in Arizona, where relaxed rules on social distancing made staging big rallies easier.

The consequenc­es of the nation’s worst health crisis in a century were nonetheles­s escalating, with virus deaths climbing in 39 states and an average of 805 people dying daily nationwide — up from 714 two weeks ago. Overall, about 227,000 Americans have died. The sharp rise sent shockwaves through financial markets, causing the Dow Jones Industrial Average to drop 900-plus points.

Trump, who frequently lauds rising markets, failed to mention the decline. But he promised that economic growth figures for the summer quarter, due Thursday, would be strong, declaring during a rally in Bullhead City, Arizona, “This election is a choice between a Trump super-recovery and a Biden depression.”

As Trump spoke, an Air Force fighter thundered nearby and released a flare to get the attention of a nonrespons­ive private aircraft that was flying in the restricted airspace. North American Aerospace Defense Command said the plane was escorted out by the F-16 “without further incident.” Trump was at first caught off guard but later cheered the fighter, proclaimin­g, “I love that sound” as it roared overhead.

On another subject, the president condemned violence that occurred during some protests in response to the police shooting of Walter Wallace Jr., a Black man, in Philadelph­ia. He told reporters before his rallies, referring to Biden and those behind the destructiv­e demonstrat­ions, “This is a group that he supports, he doesn’t want to condemn them.”

But Biden said in Wilmington, “There is no excuse whatsoever for the looting and the violence.”

Bullhead City is just across the Colorado River from Nevada, a state Trump is hoping to flip during Election Day next Tuesday. Trump’s Nevada rally last month attracted thousands and led to the airport that hosted it being fined more than $5,500 for violating pandemic crowd restrictio­ns.

 ?? Chip Somodevill­a / Getty Images ?? President Donald Trump addresses thousands of supporters during a campaign rally at Phoenix Goodyear Airport Wednesday in Goodyear, Ariz. With less than a week until Election Day, Trump and his opponent, Democratic presidenti­al nominee Joe Biden, are campaignin­g across the country.
Chip Somodevill­a / Getty Images President Donald Trump addresses thousands of supporters during a campaign rally at Phoenix Goodyear Airport Wednesday in Goodyear, Ariz. With less than a week until Election Day, Trump and his opponent, Democratic presidenti­al nominee Joe Biden, are campaignin­g across the country.

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