White House hopeful Joe Biden’s old boss Barack Obama gave a Halloween speech warning voters to “choose a better America” hinting at the nightmare prospect of a Donald Trump win.
The ex-President and Biden held drive-in rallies in Michigan as their campaign focused on driving home the message that the USA’s future is on the line on Tuesday.
And the Democrats also know they need a big turnout from voters to clinch this swing state.
Obama, who appeared before Biden in the city of Flint, launched a scathing attack on Trump focusing on the President’s handling of Covid-19.
“This Tuesday, everything is on the line,” he warned voters. “Our jobs are on the line, our health care is on the line.
“Whether or not we get this pandemic under control is on the line.
“But on Tuesday, you can choose change. You can choose a better America.”
Obama mocked Trump’s claims at a Friday rally in the state that doctors are making money off Covid-19 deaths.
The ex-President said: “He has caused people to get sick from these rallies he has,” adding that some of them have become “super spreader events”.
Meanwhile 370 miles away in Newton, Pennsylvania, Trump defended his handling of coronavirus as the number of infections hit more than nine million.
“We moved heaven and earth to produce the vaccine ahead of schedule and manufacture hundreds of millions of doses in advance all ready to be shipped,” he claimed.
“Our military is going to be shipping, logistics, we have a general – that’s what he knows, he delivers troops. This is easy.”
Trump previously predicted a vaccine would be available before the election. He said in March: “It will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away.”
Coronavirus is the number one issue among American voters – and Trump claims he kept the number of deaths from being higher, despite a death toll now topping 230,000 .
He added America had “the most advanced medical operation anywhere in the world in history. We have already reduced the mortality rate”.
He blasted Biden’s handling of the country’s swine flu epidemic while Vice-President in 2009 as “a disaster”.
Trump added: “I watched Joe Biden speak yesterday. All he does is talk about Covid, Covid. He’s got nothing else to say. We’ve done an incredible job.”
With just two days to go to the election, America set a world record for daily infections on Friday with 99,321 new Covid-19 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The US average of new cases per day is now at 78,738 – soaring well above the previous high in summer. Despite the rises in numbers, Trump continues to declare America is “turning the corner” because of his leadership.
US cities continue to see businesses boarding up in fear of violence during and after the ballot, as many states prepare to activate National Guard soldiers.
It’s feared unrest could be widespread regardless of whether Trump or Biden wins and riots could begin even if the results are not clear on Tuesday.
On Friday, Democrats were forced to cancel an event in Pflugerville – a small Texan city – due to “security reasons” amid accusations of intimidation by Trump supporters.
Rafael Anchía, a member of the Texas House of Representatives, claimed “armed Trump trolls” had been carrying weapons as they followed a Biden campaign bus, “ramming volunteer vehicles and blocking traffic.
He also accused Trump’s son Eric, 36, of inciting violence. Meanwhile, with less than 48 hours to go before the election, more money was bet on Biden (£118million) than the President (£112million) for the first time. Biden is 1/2 odds-on with Trump at 2/1. Betfair’s Sam Rosbottom said: “There’s been a surge of bets for a Biden victory.
“There’s never been more confidence in him becoming the 46th President of the United States.”
