Election 2020: SCOTUS rejects attempt to block extended ballot deadline

Trump held a rally with hundreds of supporters in Bullhead City, Arizona, this afternoon as coronavirus cases in the state surge and the situation begins to resemble the early stages of the summer spike that made Arizona one of the worst hot spots in the world.

“You are so lucky, people, that I took you on this journey with me,” Trump told the enthusiastic crowd, aiming to pitch himself both to Arizona voters and Nevadans just across the Colorado River.

At one point, Trump defended what he called his "reputation" for stiffing people, saying people who do a “lousy job” don’t deserve to be paid -- using whoever set up his microphone at the rally as an example.

“Whoever did this microphone, don't pay them. You know, I have a reputation for not paying. And it's a false reputation. When somebody does a lousy job like a microphone that is no good or like teleprompters that fly with the wind, I say don't pay them,” Trump said. 

Sen. Kamala Harris is also campaigning in the Cooper State this afternoon, opting for drive-in style rallies and roundtable events, as opposed to the shoulder-to-shoulder events the Trump campaign has hosted. In a parking lot at Pima Community College earlier in the day, Harris pushed back on Trump calling her a “female socialist.” 

“You know there has been some talk about my values. Let me just tell you, Tucson, I am a proud patriotic American. I love my country and our values reflect the values of America,” Harris said. 

-ABC News’ Averi Harper

The Center for Responsive Politics now estimates nearly $14 billion will be spent on federal elections across the country by the end of the 2020 election cycle, nearly twice the total amount spent during the 2016 election cycle.

The center earlier this month projected $11 billion in total spending for the 2020 cycle but updated the number after seeing a huge influx of political spending reported in the third quarter of this year.

This means that even if committees had stopped all spending at the end of September, the 2020 election would still be the most expensive ever.

“Donors poured record amounts of money into the 2018 midterms, and 2020 appears to be a continuation of that trend -- but magnified," CRP Executive Director Sheila Krumholz wrote in a statement. "Ten years ago, a billion-dollar presidential candidate would have been difficult to imagine. This cycle, we’re likely to see two.”

-ABC News’ Soorin Kim

At an event with truckers in Las Vegas, Trump was asked about the unrest in Philadelphia following the death of Walter Wallace Jr., a Black man, at the hands of police. After condemning riots in what he called the "Democrat run" state, he said the federal government is looking into the fatal shooting.

"It's a terrible thing," Trump said. "What I'm witnessing is terrible, and, frankly, that the mayor or whoever it is, that's allowing people to riot and loot and not stop them is also just a horrible thing."

"We're looking at the shooting and if asked to go in and help, we will do that," Trump said, urging Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, a Democrat, to call in the National Guard -- which the state has already done. 

Looking to the election, Trump also said that "hopefully" the courts will stop ballots from being counted past Nov. 3 -- but experts say to expect record amount of mail-in voting, election night could be more like election week.

Biden, asked earlier about the ongoing situation in Philadelphia, gave a general answer to the ongoing clashes between police officers and protesters as he tries to walk a fine line of supporting both Black Lives Matter protesters and law enforcement.

“There is no excuse whatsoever for the looting and the violence. None whatsoever. I think to be able to protest is totally legitimate, totally reasonable," Biden said, going on to pitch his idea of a national commission on policing. "But there's no excuse for the looting."

The former vice president slammed Trump for the botched scene after his rally in Omaha, Nebraska, Tuesday night, saying the president "gets his photo op then he gets out" leaving "everyone else to suffer the consequences of his failure to make a responsible plan."

Hundreds of Trump supporters were stranded for hours in near-freezing weather following Trump's Tuesday rally, waiting for buses to return them from Eppley Airfield hanger to their cars, resulting in some requiring medical attention and being taken to the hospital.

Forty buses had hauled approximately 25,000 people from parking lots to the airport hanger throughout the day, according to officials. When the rally finished around 9 p.m., people flooded out of the venue to be transported by the Trump campaign in charter buses back to their cars 2.5 miles away, but many ended up walking back or waiting hours in 30-degree weather well into the night hours after Trump had left the state.

The mismanaged post-rally scene by the campaign resulted in attendees, including some elderly, requiring medical attention on-site and at least seven being transported to the hospital, according to the Omaha Scanner, a local police tracker that monitors official radio traffic. A preliminary report from the Omaha Police Department also confirmed that number.

Since many attendees chose to walk back to their cars instead of waiting for buses, foot traffic slowed bus trips "considerably," according to officials who attempted to clear the congestion. Police said the last person was loaded into a bus from the rally site around 11:50 p.m. and traffic returned to normal at about 12:30 a.m.

The Trump campaign blamed the delay on "local road closures" in a statement to ABC News.

"Because of the sheer size of the crowd, we deployed 40 shuttle buses instead of the normal 15, but local road closures and resulting congestion caused delays. We always strive to provide the best guest experience at our events and we care about their safety," said Trump campaign spokesperson Samantha Zager.

-ABC News’ Will Steakin and Terrance Smith