Election 2020 updates: 'I think the mute is very unfair': Trump on debate mics
A candidate's mic will be muted at the debate while the other answers a question
With 13 days to go until Election Day, and President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden racing toward Nov. 3, voters are turning out in record numbers to cast their ballots early.
Roughly 43 million Americans have already voted in the 2020 election, reflecting an extraordinary level of participation and interest despite unprecedented barriers brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
In the final weeks of campaigning, the president remains on defense as his approval rating drags. He's hosting rallies this week mostly in states he won in 2016 including Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia.
Biden, maintaining a lead in national polls -- his largest of the election, according to FiveThirtyEight's average -- has no public events on his schedule this week so far ahead of Thursday's final presidential debate with Trump. Staying off the trail ahead of debates is a pattern for the former vice president.
Polls indicate a huge pre-Election Day edge for Biden and a sizable Trump advantage among those who plan to vote on Nov. 3 itself. Trump has sowed doubt in the mail-in ballot process -- and imminent election results -- for months.
The rhetoric between candidates is expected to heat up ahead of their second and final showdown in Nashville.
All 50 states plus Washington, D.C., currently have some form of early voting underway. Check out FiveThirtyEight’s guide to voting during the COVID-19 pandemic here.
Top headlines
- Trump urges North Carolina to open up despite surging cases
- Obama holds roundtable in Philadelphia with Black leaders
- Maryland man charged for threats to kidnap and kill Biden and Harris
- Early voting turnout shatters records, more than 40 million cast
- Biden campaign deploys Obama, other top surrogates as candidate preps for final debate
- Why Obama still matters to both Biden and Trump
Trump on muted debate mics: 'I think the mute is very unfair'
President Trump continued to complain about Thursday night's debate, saying it's "very unfair" that the candidates' mics will be muted at points, when he spoke briefly to reporters as he departed the White House Wednesday on his way to North Carolina for another campaign rally.
"I think the mute is very unfair, and I think it's very bad they're not talking about foreign affairs, they're supposed to be talking about foreign affairs, and I think the anchor is a very biased person -- her parents are very biased -- but that's my life," Trump said.
Asked about his preparations for the debate, the president said, "I do prep, I do prep" but did not elaborate.
-ABC News' Jordyn Phelps
Obama holds roundtable in Philadelphia with Black leaders
Ahead of this evening’s drive-in rally, Obama made his campaign debut at a roundtable with Black community leaders in North Philadelphia to talk about what’s at stake in this election and encourage voter turnout.
"The answer for young people, when I talk to them, is not that voting makes everything perfect, it's that it makes things better,” Obama said, wearing a mask while he spoke.
"The government’s us, of, by, and for the people. It wasn’t always for all of us. But the way it’s designed, it works based on who's at the table. And if you do not vote, you are not at the table," Obama said. "If you're at the table, then you're part of the solution."
"I really want to emphasize to young people as much as possible, look, in ‘08 when I was elected, we had the highest African American turnout in history. But it was still only about 60%. When people say voting doesn't make a difference, we’ve never tried what it would look like if it was 80% voting or 90% voting," he added.
Black voters remain an overwhelmingly Democratic-leaning constituency, but a notable reduction in their support could still be a problem for Biden, according to an analysis from ABC's partners at FiveThirtyEight. Older Black voters look as if they’ll vote for Biden by margins similar to Clinton’s in 2016, while Trump’s support among young Black voters has jumped from around 10% in 2016 to 21% in UCLA Nationscape’s polling.
Obama touches down in Philadelphia to campaign for Biden
Former President Barack Obama has touched down in Philadelphia ahead of a drive-in rally at Citizens Bank Park at 6 p.m. to campaign for Biden in-person for the first time in the 2020 cycle.
In 2016, Obama delivered Hillary Clinton's final pitch in Philadelphia as well -- at a rally for thousands the night before Election Day on Independence Mall. Amid this year's pandemic, Obama will speak to a much smaller crowd.
The event is ticketed without public access and is expected to draw over 200 cars, which will be assembled in a semi-circle around the stage. Supporters will be able to listen to Obama speak over their car radios.
Obama is expected to emphasize down-ballot races, encourage early voting and offer an appeal to Black voters.
FiveThirtyEight launches interactive election map
ABC's partners at FiveThirtyEight have launched an interactive map where users can pick the winner of each state or district to see how FiveThirtyEight's election forecast changes.
Take Florida as an example. If Biden wins Florida, his chances of winning the Electoral College shoot up to greater than 99%, which could be important on Nov. 3 because Florida generally counts its votes quickly and election offices might be able to determine who won the state on election night. But if Trump wins Florida, his Electoral College chances rise to 39% making the race practically a toss-up.
Here's an example of what that looks like, and Nate Silver's write up on how to use the tool here.