There are two weeks to go until election day in the United States, 30 million Americans have already voted and Donald Trump and Joe Biden have spent the past seven days on the campaign trail in the critical swing states that will decide who wins the race for the White House.
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Biden has a stable polling advantage over Trump, more than eight points nationally according to CGTN analysis and by slightly smaller margins in the battlegrounds, but while the Democrat's lead has been steady for weeks, his campaign is warning against complacency.
"The very searing truth is that Donald Trump can still win this race, and every indication we have shows that this thing is going to come down to the wire," Biden's campaign manager cautioned in a memo to supporters on Saturday.
Joe Biden boards a plane at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Florida, October 13, 2020. /VCG
Trump has intensified his schedule, addressing rallies across the country – including Nevada, which he only narrowly lost in 2016 – with mainly mask-less crowds sitting shoulder to shoulder even as COVID-19 cases in the U.S. are on the rise in 48 of the 50 states and polls suggest a majority of Americans disapprove of his handling of the pandemic.
The president encouraged "lock her up" chants towards Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer – the subject of a recent kidnapping plot – again insulted infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci and engaged in Twitter spats with fellow Republicans up for reelection including Senator Ben Sasse, who in a call to his Nebraska constituents warned of a "Republican bloodbath in the Senate."
Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Prescott, Arizona, October 19, 2020. /VCG
There are doubts over whether rallies to existing supporters are the best use of resources for a campaign that is running far behind in fundraising: in September Biden and his affiliates raked in $383 million, a huge $135 million more than Trump's $248 million.
Whereas Trump's rallies led to free media worth tens of millions of dollars in 2016, in this cycle – even though they continue to dominate local news in key areas and aid data collection – they generally only appear on national news in a negative light, reinforcing views of his handling of the pandemic or amplifying the kind of rhetoric which has turned off older voters and suburban women.
Biden, whose running mate Kamala Harris was off the campaign trail for several days after a senior aide tested positive for COVID-19, also surprised many by winning the TV ratings war as the candidates took part in competing town hall events last week.
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But eyes now turn to the last presidential debate, with Trump already telling supporters that the moderator, NBC News' Kristen Welker, is "terrible and unfair" and the campaigns arguing over the topics due for discussion on Thursday evening.
Trump is scheduled to continue his rallies through the week, while Biden is huddling down with advisers preparing for the final mass viewership event of the election – a debate where fireworks are expected, as the president tries to knock his challenger out of his comfort zone and the Democrat aims to keep things steady with the clocking ticking ever closer to November 3.
Video: Wang Zengzheng and Zhou Tingyu
Script: John Goodrich
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