COVID-19 in spotlight in final campaign push

[NFA] Voters say the coronavirus outbreak is their top concern as President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden make a final push for support with a record number of Americans already voting early.

Conway G.

Gittens reports.

(PRESIDENT TRUMP:) “This is one opportunity to turn our country around…and we’re not going to blow it.” (JOE BIDEN): “It's time for Donald Trump to pack his bags and go home." President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden criss-crossed key swing states on Saturday to make closing arguments in the last weekend before Tuesday’s final day to vote.

As the incumbent, Trump’s message to voters in Pennsylvania, was that he, not Biden is the best person one to lead a recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“That’s his only plan to make him a prisoner in your home, a prisoner in your own country.

Under the Biden lockdown the recovery will be totally killed.

The economy will crash.

The country can’t afford it.” Trump, who has refused to admit the virus is still out of control, has spent the closing days of his re-election campaign criticizing public officials and medical professionals who are trying to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

That only gave Biden a new opening to attack Trump’s handling of the crisis at a Michigan rally in Michigan: "I can tell you this, we wouldn't have 9 million confirmed cases of COVID in this nation, over 230,000 deaths.

We wouldn't be seeing a new record of cases we're seeing right now.

Ninety thousand cases today, yesterday.

Ninety thousand new cases.

By the way, 500,000 in just the past week.

This guy tells us it's going away.

Only thing that makes it go away, if he goes away." The final push by both candidates comes amid an unprecedented turnout in early voting.

A record 90 million Americans have already voted, according to Saturday’s data, which means there are only a few undecided voters to sway.

Biden is leading in the national polls, but faces a closer contest in the most competitive states that will decide the election.

With only days to go, Biden pulled out his star witness to try and seal the deal, appearing on stage with former President Barack Obama.

"And we will elect a man who loves this country and who cares about you and who will fight for every single one of us.

And we'll look out not just for folks who support him, but even the folks who don't.

My friend, the next president of the United States of America, Joe Biden." Trump isn’t leaving anything up to chance as well – with four rallies in Pennsylvania alone on Saturday and many more across the country before Tuesday.