Struggling to land a battle on Biden, Trump changes toys by nickname

BEDMINSTER, NJ (Reuters) – US President Donald Trump, who has used minor nicknames to describe his opponents throughout his political career, booked a name change for his Democratic rival in the November 3 election, Joe Biden.

Unable to hold his signature major campaign rallies due to the pandemic, Trump brought about 300 police officers supporting his bid for re-election to the open area outside the clubhouse at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club.

Trump asked the public whether he should stay with “Sleepy Joe” or change his nickname to “Slow Joe.”

Trump, 74, has often tried to cast doubt on Biden’s competence because of his age, 77, a strategy that appears to have had little effect as Biden has maintained a steady lead in national and international polls. many battlefield states.

“Which is better, Sleepy Joe or Slow Joe?” Trump asked the crowd. “I go back and forth.”

He talked to the audience about what name the audience liked better. Sleepy Joe got louder cheers.

“That’s what I thought,” Trump said.

He added: “I told all these guys … ‘we do not like’ sly ‘because it’s rude, we’re talking about the President of the United States.’ I’ll tell you one thing, “(Russian President Vladimir) Putin and (North Korean leader) Kim Jong Un and President Xi (Jinping) of China, they are not sleeping…. We can not have slow, sleeping people dealing with them.”

Trump is struggling to find a consistent line of attack against Biden, who is well known to Americans after a career in the U.S. Senate and eight years as vice president.

Trump used his speech to promote a law-and-order theme in the wake of racial justice protests that erupted in the wake of the death of a police officer of an African-American man, George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Trump is set to make a campaign stop in Minnesota on Monday, where the topic is likely to come up again.