TUCSON, Ariz (AP) – Angry President Donald Trump came out on Monday against Dr Anthony Fauci, the press and polls showing him behind Democrat Joe Biden in key battlefield states in a rambling closing message two weeks before polling day
On day three of a Western campaign swing, Trump faced intense pressure to reverse his campaign, hoping for the type of last-minute push that got him a comeback victory four years ago But his inconsistent message, a further rise in virus cases, and attacks on experts like Fauci could undermine his latest efforts to lure voters away from his most loyal base.
« I’m not afraid, » Trump told reporters before taking off to Tucson, Ariz. for his fifth rally in three days « I think I’m angry I’m running happy and doing a lot of content because I did a great job »
His aggressive trip comes as Trump plays defense in the states he won four years ago, though the president has insisted he is confident as he runs a busy agenda despite the pandemic
« We’re going to win, » he told campaign staff on a morning conference call from Las Vegas. He went on to acknowledge that he « wouldn’t have told you that maybe ago. two or three weeks, « referring to the days he was hospitalized with COVID-19 But he said he felt better now than at any time in 2016 » We are in the best shape we have never been, ”he says
Seeking to shore up staff morale amid growing concerns in the private sector that there is no time to catch up, Trump has called his government’s own science experts too negative, even as his management of the pandemic that has killed nearly 220,000 Americans remains a central issue for voters
« People are tired of hearing Fauci and all those idiots, » Trump said of the government’s senior infectious disease specialist « Every time he’s on TV there’s always a bomb But there’s a bigger bomb if you fire him But Fauci is a disaster »
At a rally in Prescott, Ariz., Trump assaulted Biden for pledging to heed scientific expert advice, contemptuously claiming his rival « wanted to listen to Dr. Fauci »
The doctor is both respected and popular, and Trump’s rejection of scientific advice on the pandemic has already drawn bipartisan condemnation
During his rally, Trump also stepped up his attacks on the news media, singling out NBC’s Kristen Welker, the moderator of the upcoming presidential debate, as well as CNN for aggressively covering a pandemic that is now infecting dozens thousands of Americans every day
Fauci, in an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” that aired on Sunday, said he was not surprised Trump contracted the virus after staging a series of big events with little facial coverage
« I was afraid he would get sick when I saw him in a completely precarious situation of overcrowding, no separation between people and hardly anyone wearing a mask, » Fauci said of the president. / p>
Biden was off the campaign trail Monday, but his campaign has praised Fauci and criticized Trump for his « reckless and negligent leadership » which « threatens to put more lives at risk »
“Trump’s closing message in the final days of the 2020 race is to publicly mock Joe Biden for his faith in science and call on Dr. Fauci, the senior public health official on COVID- 19, a « disaster » and other « dumb » public health officials, « the campaign said
Monday’s declared confidence in victory contrasted with some of Trump’s other public comments in recent days reflecting the prospect he could lose
« Can you imagine if I lose my whole life? » What am I going to do? « He asked a rally crowd last week in Macon, Georgia » I’m not going to feel so good I may have to leave the country I don’t know «
Biden, meanwhile, was in Delaware for several days of preparation before Thursday’s last presidential debate. His running mate, California Sen Kamala Harris, returned to the election trail after days in Washington after a close adviser had tested positive for the coronavirus
Late Monday, the Non-partisan Presidential Debates Commission announced that Trump and Biden will each have their microphones muted in Thursday’s debate as their rival delivers their two-minute opening response to each of the six debate topics
The rule changes come three weeks after a chaotic opening confrontation between the two presidential candidates that included frequent interruptions – most often from Trump The open discussion portion of the debate will not have a mute button, but interruptions from either candidate will count towards their time
The commission faced pressure from the Trump campaign to avoid changing the rules, while Biden’s team hoped for a more orderly debate In a statement, the commission said it « has determined that ‘ it was appropriate to adopt measures to promote compliance with the agreed rules and that it was inappropriate to make changes to those rules »
Trump campaign said he would participate in debate despite concerns over new rule
« I just think this is very unfair, » Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One upon his return from Arizona « I’m going to participate, but it is very unfair that they changed the subject and it is very unfair that, again, we have a totally biased anchor »
In addition to public polls that indicate Biden has an advantage, the former vice president has another huge advantage: money
In the past four months, Biden has raised over $ 1 billion, a huge sum that has dramatically overshadowed Trump’s once-overwhelming cash advantage
This became evident in the ad, where Biden and his Democratic allies are on the verge of spending twice as much as Trump and the Republicans in the final days of the race, according to data from advertising tracking firm Kantar / CMAG
« We have more than enough air coverage, almost three times more than in 2016, » said Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien, who insisted Trump has the advantage with the staff field and campaign data targeting
Although Trump has withdrawn from advertising in the Midwestern states that secured his victory in 2016, he has invested heavily elsewhere, including North Carolina, where he is poised to spend slightly more than Biden
Worries about a possible loss of Biden that have come to light in recent days have taken hold of the Trump campaign backstage Trump himself has alternated between disbelief and anger that he could lose to candidate he considers misguided and incompetent, according to three campaign and White House officials not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations
Trump has led anger at the media coverage, but also referred to his chief of staff, Mark Meadows, whom he blames for mismanaging his hospitalization for the virus and COVID relief talks
He asked some of his closest advisers if a campaign reshuffle was needed, officials said The president was encouraged to delay any move so close to election day
Meanwhile, aides began to privately wonder whether Trump’s campaign rallies, which have helped shape U.S. politics for the past five years, are in their final days.
In recent weeks, some White House personnel offices have also attempted to recruit assistants who have never flown on Air Force One or who have rarely done so so they can do so before dawn. of the poll
___ Miller reported from Washington Associated Press editors Will Weissert in Wilmington, Delaware, Jonathan Lemire in New York, and Brian Slodysko in Washington contributed to this report
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World news – United States – Trump « gets angry », attacks polls, press and Dr Fauci
