Obama blasts Trump's tweets, background in 2020 campaign trail debut
22 October, 2020
Former president Barack Obama returned to the campaign trail on Wednesday (Oct 21), launching a blistering attack on Donald Trump with significantly less than two weeks to go prior to the Republican president's Election Day face-off with Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
Speaking at a drive-in rally in Philadelphia with respect to Biden, his former vice-president, and Democratic running mate Kamala Harris, Obama offered his fiercest critique yet of his successor. He took aim at Trump's divisive rhetoric, his track record in the Oval Office and his habit of re-tweeting conspiracy theories.
"With Joe and Kamala at the helm, you’re not going to have to think about the crazy things they said each day," Obama said. "And that’s worth a whole lot. You’re not likely to need to argue about them each day. It just won’t be so exhausting.”
Obama, who governed for just two terms and remains the most popular figures in the Democratic Party, blasted Trump for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, noting that the president himself had fallen victim to the virus.
"Donald Trump isn't suddenly going to protect all of us," he said. "He can't even take the essential steps to protect himself.
"This is not possible show. That is reality," Obama said in a nod to Trump's past as possible TV host. "And ordinary people experienced to live with the consequences of him proving himself not capable of taking the work seriously.”
Obama's appearance filled a gap left by Biden, who has stayed in the home in Delaware since Monday for meetings and preparation before his Thursday debate with Trump in Nashville, Tennessee.
The drive-in rally was held in the parking large amount of Citizens Bank Park, the baseball stadium in Philadelphia, the city's skyline noticeable in the length. With nearly 280 vehicles spread through the entire lot, it had been the most significant event of its kind that the Biden campaign has staged through the pandemic.
EDGE
With a Reuters/Ipsos poll showing Biden with simply a 4 percentage point edge in Pennsylvania, Obama warned Democrats against complacency.
"We've got to turn out like never before," he said. "We can not leave any doubt in this election."
Americans are voting early at an archive pace this year, with an increase of than 42 million ballots cast both via mail and personally before Nov 3 Election Day on concerns about the coronavirus and make sure their votes are counted.
The early vote up to now represents about 30 % of the full total ballots cast in 2016, in line with the University of Florida's US Elections Project.
Four years back, Obama participated in a rally in Philadelphia with then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton your day before the election, only to see Trump narrowly take the state. The Biden campaign considers winning there a high priority.
In remarks at an evening rally in Gastonia, North Carolina, Trump briefly mentioned Obama, noting that he previously supported Clinton in her losing effort. "It was nobody who campaigned harder for Crooked Hillary than Obama, right?"
NEW YORK is another battleground state where thoughts and opinions polls show a good race. Harris was also in the state on Wednesday to mobilise voters in Asheville and Charlotte.
Obama won NEW YORK in 2008, but lost it in his 2012 campaign. Trump won it in 2016.
Trump argued that coronavirus-related restrictions were harming the state's economy and complained that Democrats and the news media were overly pre-occupied with the pandemic.
"Whatever you hear is COVID, COVID," the president said. "That's all they put on because they would like to scare the hell out of everybody."
Despite the fact that Wednesday marked Obama's 2020 campaign debut, his support has been needed for Biden. He has appeared at joint fundraisers with Biden and Harris, and his network of well-connected former aides has been instrumental in assisting the campaign outpace Trump in bringing in donations.
Biden's team said Obama would campaign in Miami on Saturday for the Democratic ticket.
The last days of campaigning are taking place throughout a surge in cases of COVID-19 and hospitalisations in battleground states, including North Carolina and Pennsylvania but also Wisconsin, Ohio and Michigan.
Pennsylvania has averaged 1,500 new cases a day over the past week, a level it has not seen since April, according to a Reuters analysis. NEW YORK is averaging 2,000 new cases a day in the last week, its highest level yet. The virus has killed a lot more than 221,000 people in america.
Polling shows most voters are disappointed in the manner Trump has handled the pandemic, which he has repeatedly said would disappear alone.
Biden and Trump are scheduled to meet up within their second and final debate on Thursday night, giving the Republican an chance to change the trajectory of a race that Biden is leading in national judgment polls.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com