President Trump is rallying his base in Des Moines, Iowa, on Wednesday night, as he tries to motivate his core supporters to get out to the polls.
Mr. Trump, who has made little effort to strike a tone that would attract moderates in the days leading up to the election, on Tuesday night tweeted a meme that could be seen as insulting to seniors, a key demographic he won in 2016 but is losing according to recent polling. In Pennsylvania Tuesday night, the president also pleaded with suburban woman, another key demographic he is struggling to win over, to give him their votes.
“Suburban women, would you please like me? Please. Please,” he said. “I saved your damn neighborhood, OK?”
How to watch President Trump’s rally in Iowa
- What: President Trump holds a rally in Des Moines, IowaDate: October 14, 2020Time: 8 p.m. ETLocation: Des Moines, IowaOnline stream: Live in the player above and on your mobile or streaming device
Mr. Trump has pitched himself as the savior of suburbia to his audiences, insisting Democrats would put low-income housing in the suburbs, and only he can stop this from happening.
The president also joked Tuesday, as he did Monday, that he felt healthy enough to “kiss” the men and women in the audience, after recovering from COVID-19.
“I could come down and start kissing everybody,” he teased. “I’ll kiss every guy. Man and woman. Look at that guy, how handsome he is. I’ll kiss him. Not with a lot of enjoyment but that’s OK.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Clifford Lane, of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, have reviewed Mr. Trump’s COVID test results, including a PCR test, and have agreed that he is “not infectious for anyone else.” The review was completed ahead of his appearance at an NBC town hall Thursday night.
Iowa, a state Mr. Trump won by nine points over Hillary Clinton in 2016, is rated a toss-up by CBS News polling, with Biden and the president each at 49% support right now.