Biden, Trump duel for Florida as White House touts GDP figures

Donald Trump and Joe Biden dueled Thursday over the crucial state of Florida, painting radically different visions of the United States as big new GDP figures showed an improving economy even as Covid-19 infections reached record highs.   

With Trump touting an early end to the health crisis, while warning of rampaging “socialists,” and Biden slamming the US president as irresponsible and vowing to heal America’s “soul,” voters face a dramatic choice in five days.   
Trump, 74, held another raucous rally in Tampa, telling the cheering crowd that coronavirus lockdowns under Biden would banish normal life.   

 “They will allow you nothing,” the Republican said.   

 “We’re never going to lock down again.... We’re open for business,” he said, telling supporters that his own recent bout with Covid-19 proved that it can be beaten.   

 “You know, the bottom line is you get better,” he said.   

But the pandemic, which has already taken 228,000 American lives, has shown its resilience and is undergoing a long-predicted second wave. On Thursday more than 91,000 new US infections were recorded, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally, the highest 24-hour total since the pandemic began.   

Despite the grim milestone, Trump --trailing in the polls and with a stunning 81 million Americans already casting their ballots early-- is counting on economic recovery and fear-mongering about Democrats turning the nation into a leftist failed state to outweigh Biden’s health message for remaining voters.   
TAMPA AFP Oct30, 2020