President Trump rallied supporters in Jacksonville, Florida, Thursday night, as he aims to keep a state he won in 2016. Mr. Trump hit on familiar themes, including that former Vice President Joe Biden is weak on criminals.
“Joe Biden is weak as hell,” the president said of his Democratic opponent, claiming Biden wants to eradicate prisons and thinks law enforcement are the enemy.
Mr. Trump brought up Wednesday night’s shooting of two police officers in Louisville, Kentucky. A suspect is in custody and it’s believed the officers will make it. Protests erupted Wednesday night after no police were charged directly with the death of Breonna Taylor.
“Law enforcement, let’s give them a hand, please,” the president said, followed by chants of “Back the blue.”
The president said “Biden’s anti-police crusade must stop.” Biden has said he does not want to defund the police.
CBS News Battleground Tracker poll has the state as a toss-up, giving Biden an edge over Mr. Trump, 48% to 46%. Mr. Trump recently changed his residency from New York to Florida.
How to watch Trump’s rally today
- What: President Trump holds a rally
- Date: September 24, 2020
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Location: Jacksonville, Florida
- Online stream: Live on CBSN – in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device
The president is on defense after he declined to say Wednesday whether he would commit to a peaceful transfer of power.
“Well, we’re going to have to see what happens,” Mr. Trump said when asked by a reporter at a White House news conference whether he would commit to a peaceful transfer of power.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany attempted to clean up that answer when asked about it on Thursday.
“The president will accept the results of a free and fair election,” she said.
He’s also just two days away from announcing his Supreme Court pick, which will take place at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
“I’m getting very close to a final choice,” the president told reporters on Thursday before leaving the White House, insisting his decision will be “very monumental.”
