US President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden have held rival rallies in Florida on Thursday, where the two presidential candidates have touched upon a number of issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy, and immigration policies.
Trump Slams Europe for Lockdowns, But Says Masks Are a Must
Speaking in Tampa, the president said that the results of the Obama administration's economic policies were the worst since the Great Depression.
"The Obama-Biden recovery was the worst recovery since the Great Depression. All Biden does is talks about COVID", Trump said.
He said that wearing a mask is not controversial to him. "You get close, you wear a mask. Social distance, social distance", he said.
Trump also noted that critics compared the United States to Europe earlier with the implication that countries there like Germany and France were doing better.
"No. They are not doing well. You take a look at what's going on", Trump said. "We want the best for them, we are on their team. We want to work with them… but they are not doing well. They are spiking up big, they are shutting down, they are locking down. I disagree with that because we are never going to lock down again."
Biden Says Trump 'Blew' Economic Recovery Inherited From Obama-Era
Biden, who actually spoke at a socially-distanced organised rally, vowed not to shut down the economy, but promised to "shut down the virus".
"I’m not going to shut down the economy. I’m not going to shut down the country. But I am going to shut down the virus."
The former vice president accused Trump of ruining the economic recovery that he and Obama had worked on, saying, "Now [Trump]'s squandering that economy like he's squandered everything else".
He added that Trump is "spreading more than just the virus — he's spreading division and discord".
Trump Says Biden's America Would Be 'Very, Very Big Venezuela'
Trump accused Biden of "betraying" Hispanic Americans "for 47 years", adding that the former vice president has been "very bad for Hispanic Americans".
"Venezuela on steroids, that's what can happen", Trump said. "A very, very big Venezuela."
Meanwhile, Biden attacked Trump for his policies towards Cuba and Venezuela. According to him, the US president "can't advance democracy and human rights" in these two nations, "when he has embraced so many autocrats around the world". He added that reimposing sanctions on Cuba "isn't working" and that the country is "no closer to freedom and democracy today than it was four years ago".
Biden also said that if Florida "goes blue", the presidential race is "over", apparently hinting at his definite victory. So far, according to the latest polls, Biden is leading Trump by a narrow 48.5% to 46.9% margin in Florida.