FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden offered dueling styles and differing priorities in simultaneous Florida rallies Thursday as the coronavirus pandemic worsened just five days before Election Day.
The outcome of the deadlocked fight for Florida could determine who holds the keys to the White House.
The candidates mocked each other in events that gave dramatically different optics to the ever-shrinking pool of voters left to cast their ballots in Florida.
In Tampa, a MAGA-clad and mostly maskless crowd stood shoulder-to-shoulder. They chanted "four more years" and "lock him up" when Trump attacked his opponent. Trump promised the United States would "never lock down again," a public health tactic he says leads to economic misery.
He made fun of Biden's purposely small and socially distanced campaign events.
"They say the fact that he has nobody at all show up is because of COVID," Trump said. "No. It is because nobody shows up. I think that is the ultimate poll."
He talked about his own bout with COVID-19 — "If I can get better, anybody can get better," Trump said.
Across the state in Broward County, Biden blasted Trump's handling of the virus at a socially distanced drive-in event at Broward College's north campus in Coconut Creek.
"Donald Trump has waved the white flag, abandoned our families, and surrendered to this virus," said Biden, who was wearing his signature aviator sunglasses and a blue-collared shirt.
Biden promised to listen to science in tackling the virus.
"I am not going shut down the economy," Biden said. "I am not going to shut down the country. But I am going to shut down the virus."
More than 100 cars, most with a couple of people, assembled in parking lots at the Broward College. Many were festooned with Biden signs. Mask wearing was almost universal, and the lectern was sanitized between speakers.
The college's Building No. 46 served as the backdrop. If elected, Biden will be the nation's 46th president.
Time is running out for the candidates to make their case. More than 7 million Floridians have already voted early either in person or by mail.
This was Biden's second campaign visit to Broward County, which has the largest number of Democratic voters in Florida. He's certain to win the state's second-most populous county, but he'll need to run up the numbers if he wants to win Florida.
Broward County Mayor Dale Holness awaited Biden's speech while wearing a Biden-Harris mask.
"If we're able to turn the voters out for Broward County as we did in 2008 for Obama, Broward can deliver the state for the Biden-Harris ticket," he said. "Decency will be brought back to the presidency."
Biden was last in Broward on Oct. 13, where he held an event aimed at senior voters in Pembroke Pines and an event aimed at the Black community in Miramar.
The Miami Heat's Udonis Haslem warmed up the crowd, along with retired NBA player Matt Barnes and Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Manuel and Patricia Oliver introduced Biden. Their teenage son, Joaquin Oliver, was one of the 17 people killed in the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.
Biden's running mate, Kamala Harris, will campaign in South Florida on Saturday, the final weekend of early voting. Stops are planned in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.
Florida is expected to be close as usual. During the last seven presidential contests — from 1992 to 2016 — fewer than 20,000 votes have separated the candidates out of nearly 51 million votes cast.
