President Trump is back on the campaign trail Friday after the second and final debate against Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Mr. Trump is rallying supporters in Florida, a swing state he won in 2016 that’s very close in the polls this year.
Mr. Trump and Biden had a more civilized debate on Thursday, which could have in part due to the Commission on Presidential Debate’s ability to mute microphones. They sparred over the future of energy, the president’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and the economy.
“I think that Joe Biden proved last night that he’s not capable of being president of the United States,” Biden said during his first rally in The Villages.
The president also said he thought he was “treated very fairly” by the moderator, NBC News’ Kristen Welker.
On Friday, Mr. Trump repeated his pleas to women to “love” him, which he says he’s “kidding” about, but polls show him far behind Biden among women.
“Please please love me, suburban woman, I want you to love me,” the president told the crowd.
How to watch Trump’s rallies in Florida
- What: President Trump holds Make America Great Again rallies
- Date: October 23, 2020
- Time: 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
- Location: The Villages, Florida, and Pensacola, Florida
- Online stream: Live on CBSN – in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device
Florida, which has a significant senior population, is a must-win for Mr. Trump. Recent polling shows the president is trailing Biden with seniors. On Friday, the president is visiting The Villages, one of the largest retirement communities in the country, as well as Pensacola, Florida.
In The Villages, the president said “American seniors must come first.”
The president’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic is believed to be a factor in his struggles with seniors, a group he easily won in 2016. Earlier this month, the president tweeted out a meme of Biden in a nursing home with other seniors with the title, “Biden for resident.” Both Biden and Mr. Trump are in their 70s.
In The Villages, the president also criticized “Barack Hussein Obama,” emphasizing the “Hussein” part of the name, and blasted Senator Kamala Harris as a “socialist.”
“We’re not supposed to have a socialist — look we’re not going to be a socialist nation. We’re not going to have a socialist president, especially a female socialist president, we’re not gonna’ have it, we’re not gonna’ put up with it,” he said.
