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DES MOINES, Iowa: Under siege for his handling of the novel coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump on Wednesday (Oct. 14) cited what he said was his son’s mild outbreak of the virus as a reason why schools Americans should reopen as soon as possible.
Republican Trump made the comment about his son, Barron, while he was at a rally at the Des Moines, Iowa airport, on a mission to shore up support in the battlefield states that he won in 2016 but is in danger of losing. before Democratic candidate Joe Biden narrowly. three weeks before the elections.
Biden announced via Twitter that his campaign raised $ 383 million in September, adding to a campaign that is already dwarfing Trump’s campaign. Biden has $ 432 million in cash on hand, the campaign said.
Melania Trump said in a statement earlier that day that the virus that struck both her and her husband had also infected their 14-year-old son.
READ: Barron, Trump’s son, tested positive for COVID-19, says Melania Trump
“I don’t think he knew he had it,” de Barron said, “because they’re young and their immune systems are strong and they fight it. Ninety-nine point nine percent and Barron’s beautiful. And it is free. “
“Barron tested positive. In, like, two seconds, Barron is fine now. He’s tested negative, right? Because it happens. People have it and it goes away. Get the kids back to school, we have to get the kids from back to school “.
Trump has tried to convince states to reopen schools and return to normalcy, but teacher unions have fought the move, arguing that teachers could become infected with their students. Funding for protective measures in schools has been embroiled in a partisan struggle in Washington.
READ: Six US States Report Record COVID Hospitalizations, New Restrictions In Effect
Trump’s stop in Iowa is part of a tour of critical states to decide who will win the November 3 election. He’s behind Biden in national opinion polls and in some state polls.
“Twenty days from now, we’re going to win this state,” Trump said on a windy night in Des Moines, where many in the crowd were not wearing masks to protect against the virus that has killed nearly 216,000 Americans.
On Thursday he will be in North Carolina and Florida, on Friday he will campaign in Florida and Georgia and on Saturday he will speak in Michigan and Wisconsin. These are all states that he won in 2016, but are in danger of going to Biden this year, possibly denying Trump a second term.
He is expected to spend Saturday night in Las Vegas, Nevada, and then wander through the western states.
Trump reiterated his promise to bring most of the US troops out of Afghanistan soon as part of his bid to stop the “endless wars.” The promise has raised concerns within the Afghan government that a US withdrawal could leave the country more vulnerable to the Taliban.
“We are almost done with the arrival of Afghanistan,” he said, adding that he wanted the troops to be reduced “to a small number who return home before the end of the year, hopefully the end of the year, shortly after.”
Trump on Wednesday scored a statistical tie with Biden in hotly contested Florida at 47 percent to 49 percent with a four-point credibility interval, a Reuters / Ipsos opinion poll showed, although Biden held a 10-point lead. percentage points nationwide among the probable. voters.
On Thursday, Trump and Biden, who were due to hold a second presidential debate, will participate in a duel in televised city councils. NBC News said Trump’s Miami event would be held outdoors to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Biden’s ABC News event will be held in Philadelphia.
The fact that Trump, who became ill with the virus earlier this month, travels to Iowa so close to Election Day suggests that his campaign is concerned about voter support there for his re-election. Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton in state by nearly 10 percentage points in 2016, but opinion polls have shown Iowa to be competitive.
Nearly 15 million Americans have cast their votes, marking a record initial rate, according to the University of Florida’s US Elections Project. Many seek to avoid the huge crowds expected on Election Day.
In the last presidential election, some 1.4 million Americans had cast early votes as of October 16, 2016.
Iowa has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases, with hospitalizations at an all-time high.
Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds has resisted any containment measures across the state, such as the command to wear masks, and urged Trump supporters on social media to flock to the president.
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