Election 2020: Dueling realities about COVID-19 at Biden, Trump rallies
The images they present reinforce sharply different views of the danger.
With five days until Election Day, and President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden racing toward Nov. 3, nearly 80 million Americans have already cast their ballots -- an early voting record.
Thursday brought both Trump and Biden to Tampa, Florida, revealing how crucial the swing state is to both campaigns, with the contest overshadowed by coronavirus cases rising there and in every battleground state.
The president's aggressive, defensive strategy comes as polls show him trailing nationally and in battleground states key to his reelection hopes. First lady Melania Trump joined him for the first time. A Trump rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, this evening was postponed due to bad weather. Vice President Mike Pence is in Iowa and Nevada.
At his Tampa rally, Biden was expected to again brand the race as a "battle for the soul of the nation" at a drive-in event, after an earlier event in Broward County. Running mate California Sen. Kamala Harris was holding a virtual voter mobilization event with the "Divine Nine" -- historically Black fraternities and sororities-- then an evening virtual rally with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
Top headlines:
- Biden rally cut short abruptly by pouring rain
- At Iowa rally, Pence acknowledges COVID-19 cases are rising
- Biden points to diversity in Latino community for scattered polling on his support
- Melania Trump joins Trump at a rally for the first time of the 2020 cycle
- Trump campaign postpones North Carolina rally due to Zeta
- At dueling Trump and Biden rallies, dueling realities about COVID-19
Contrasting images match competing themes in final election stretch
This time next week -- give or take a few days, perhaps -- the images of the closing days of this election will be held out as evidence that of course things would turn out the way they did.
Thursday will bring both Trump and Biden to Tampa, Florida, for rallies just five days before Election Day.
Trump will draw an enormous crowd. He will almost certainly mock Biden for not doing the same -- hoping his ability to draw a crowd inspires enthusiasm among his supporters.
Biden will hold a "drive-in rally" where honks will be more prevalent than chants. He will almost certainly attack Trump for holding a massive public gathering in the midst of the pandemic -- hoping his choices match better with how voters are living their lives.
On one level, Trump and Biden have adapted their campaigns to the extraordinary circumstances of the moment. Considered another way, they are using images to say something more about themselves as leaders -- in how they view the severity of the crisis, and how a leader should act.
The numbers -- polling, early vote and even COVID-19 spikes -- point toward a favorable environment for Biden and his view of the race. Trump's political career, though, has been built on a sense that he knows better than any numbers might suggest. If nothing else, as the campaign ends, he will act like he has from the start.
-ABC News’ Political Director Rick Klein
Biden rally cut short abruptly by pouring rain
In front of a crowd of 285 cars, and in a speech that was prematurely ended by a classic Florida thunderstorm, former Vice President Joe Biden addressed a drive-in rally with five days to go until Election Day with a familiar message to get out and vote.
"Look, folks, five days left. Five days, but who's counting, right? But who's counting?" Biden began his speech.
"Millions of Americans have already voted. Over 75, I'm told, 75 million. And millions more are gonna vote before this is over. And I believe when you use your power, the power of the vote, we literally are going to change the course of this country for generations to come," Biden added.
Biden delivered much of the same stump speech as he did in Broward County, Florida, earlier today, hitting on several of his big ticket campaign pitches, including dealing with COVID-19, his tax policy, the Supreme Court, health care and climate change.
In a moment of true Florida weather, the sky opened up into sudden downpour, catching Biden and the crowd by surprise, causing the former vice president to wrap up his remarks early to get out of the rain.
The onset of the rain led Biden to end his speech on a slight variation of his line that he cribs from John F. Kennedy’s speech about going to the moon and not “postponing” American greatness.
"Let’s not postpone and get out of the rain! God Bless you all! Thank you!" Biden said as he departed the stage.
Biden’s blue suit was completely soaked as he quickly departed the stage.