'There'll be nothing': Donald Trump says Joe Biden will take away Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter to combat COVID in the first of his four rallies in critical Pennsylvania
President Donald Trump kicked off the first of four rallies in the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Saturday with an attack on his Democratic rival Joe Biden, accusing him of championing policies that took jobs from the state.
A smaller than normal crowd greeted the president in muddy field in Newton, Pennsylvania.
'Three days from now this is the state that will save the American dream,' he announced to his supporters. 'I am going to be here all day today.'
Trump wasted no time going after Biden, accusing him of betraying the people of Pennsylvania – the state where Biden was born.
He said Biden 'wiped out Pennsylvania steel,' was a 'cheerleader' for NAFTA, championed for China to join the World Trade Organization.
'In Pennsylvania you lost 50% of your manufacturing jobs after those Biden disasters,' the president told the crowd.
President Donald Trump speaks to supporters in a muddy field in Newton, Pa. in Bucks County - an area which voted narrowly for Hillary Clinton in 2016
On stage: Donald Trump heads up a red carpet to the stage set up for his rally in Newton, PA, one of the smallest events he has held
First of four: The Newtown rally was the first of a swing across the Keystone state which Trump sees as critical to his chances of gaining a second White House term
Young audience: Young Trump supporters were in the front for the rally in Newtown
Life before the pandemic: One Trump supporter came dressed in historic costume from the Revolutionary War
Show of support: Trump's limousine got an enthusiastic response from fans as he headed for his Newtown rally
Fall foliage: Donald Trump was in an unusually scenic location for his rally after a series of events on the tarmac of airports
Cheering crowd: Donald Trump was greeted by supporters bundled up for the fall chill as he walked on stage in Newtown
Not at capacity: Unusually for a Trump rally, there was plenty of room - although the crowd did not take advantage of it to socially distance
Not cowboy country: Rolling Bucks County was taken by Hillary Clinton in 2016 but Trump is now focused on reaching every single vote he can in Pennsylvania
He said a vote for Biden would be a vote to end fracking, one of the major industries in Pennsylvania.
'A vote for Biden is a vote to ban fracking, and to send your state into a nightmare of poverty and depression. That's what's going to happen. It's your single biggest industry by far - probably a million jobs one way or the other,' he warned.
Biden said he doesn't want to ban fracking, although he wouldn't allow it on federal land. He seeks to end federal subsidies for oil production while spurring development of renewable energy.
'If Biden wins there will be no fracking no oil, no natural gas, no jobs and no future,' he said.
Masks in front: Some supporters were covered up for the rally
President Donald Trump addresses supporters during a rally on October 31, 2020 in Newtown, Pennsylvania
Supporters of President Donald Trump arrive to a rally on October 31, 2020 in Reading, Pennsylvania
President Donald Trump speaks at a "Make America Great Again" rally in Newton, Pennsylvania, on Saturday
A supporter stands away from the crowd as he listens to President Donald Trump speak at a campaign rally Saturday
Guests: A man in Revolutionary War garb (left) and Mark Meadows (right) the White House chief of staff were among those in the VIP area
He added that Biden backed the Paris Climate Accord, which he called an 'economic nightmare for Pennsylvania miners. And every worker in our country. He backed TPP which would have extinguished the American auto industry.'
He claimed 'these betrayals' made 'his family rich.'
'He profited from the misery of unleashed work in horror given to Pennsylvania workers,' Trump said of Biden. 'He made a lot of money and his family made a lot of money, and nobody, and nobody knew about it until just recently.'
He also brought up Biden's only surviving son, Hunter, accusing Hunter Biden of making millions off the family name.
'Where's Hunter,' Trump said, bringing up his favorite campaign line.
The president talked about his packed campaign schedule, but misstated the number of rallies he's doing Saturday. He has four rallies on Saturday and ten more over the next two days.
'We're doing three rallies, tomorrow we're doing five and the smallest crowd will be 25,000,' Trump predicted.
'On Monday, we're doing five or six. And I can tell you what's going to happen. I think we'll just go home and rest,' he said.
President Trump is holding four rallies in the battleground state on Saturday
President Trump spoke before the historic Keith House-Washington's Headquarters
Trump accused Joe Biden of championing policies that took jobs from Pennsylvania
The president stressed to the crowd one of his arguments that voters gave him high marks for in 2016 – that his wealth makes him independent and beholden to no one.
'I don't answer to the special interests,' he said. 'I don't take instructions from donors and lobbyists. I don't care about them. I don't care about them.'
'I do what's right for America. It's made me a lot of enemies in Washington,' he added.
Trump also defended his work on the coronavirus pandemic as the number of infections reached over 9 million. Cases are on the rise in Pennsylvania and other parts of the Midwest.
'We moved heaven and earth to produce the vaccine ahead of schedule and manufacture hundreds of millions of doses in advance already to be shipped. We have our military is going to be shipping, logistics, we have a general that's what he knows he delivers troops, this is, this is easy,' he said.
Trump had previously predicted a vaccine would be available by the election or before the end of the year but it's unclear when one will be ready.
Voters have given the president low marks for his handling of COVID.
But Trump claims he kept the number of deaths from being higher.
'It's the most advanced medical operation, anywhere in the world in history. Thanks to the therapies we've accelerated, we have already reduced the mortality rate,' he said.
He attacked Biden's handling of the swine flu, which hit the country when Biden was vice president.
'He had his chance with the H1N1 and the swine flu, which was a disaster,' he said.
He accused Biden of only have 'COVID, COVID' to talk about.
'I watched Joe Biden speak yesterday. All he does is talk about COVID COVID. He's got nothing else to say - COVID COVID COVID. We all agree and serious and we've done an incredible job. And at some point, they're going to recognize that,' Trump said.
He said Biden's plan to combat COVID would kill the economy. Trump is making a strong economy the central argument for a second term.
'That's his only plan - to make you a prisoner in your home, a prisoner in your own country. Under the Biden lockdown, the recovery will be totally kill economy will crash country can't afford,' he said.
'There'll be no school. There'll be no graduation. There'll be no weddings, no Thanksgiving stuff, no Christmas, no Easters, no Fourth of Julys. There'll be nothing. We'll be nothing,' he said of life under a Biden presidency.
'We will never lock down again,' Trump vowed.
He also warned the crowd that Biden would allow liberals to dominate his cabinet, take away their guns and control policy.
'Joe Biden would appoint the most radical left wing candidate in history. Beto O'Rourke will be in charge of gun confiscation. Elizabeth 'Pocahontas' Warren will be in charge of the United States Treasury according to what they said. AOC plus three will run the climate policy,' he said in reference to liberal Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
'Representative Ilhan Omar will be running Homeland Security,' he claimed. 'She's going to be guarding our border.'
President Trump is trying to repeat his 2016 win in Pennsylvania
A young supporter of the president listens to his remarks
There was a smaller than usual crowd for President Trump at his first rally of the day in Pennsylvania
Biden leads Trump by 3.7 points in the RealClearPolitics polling average of the state.
Trump is holding four rallies in the key battleground state on Saturday in an attempt to repeat his 2016 victory when he became the first Republican presidential candidate in more than 20 years to win Pennsylvania.
But he carried the state - where Biden was born - by less than a point and Democrats want it back in their corner.
Both candidates are putting their focus on Pennsylvania and its 20 electoral votes in the final days before November 3.
First lady Melania Trump will hold a rally in Wapwallopen Saturday evening. Ivanka Trump and Tiffany Trump will hold separate events there on Sunday. And President Trump will campaign in Biden's hometown of Scranton on Monday.
The Biden campaign is sending its full ticket there on Monday. Joe and Jill Biden along with Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff will barnstorm the state the day before the election.
No comments