Trump predicts victory in election battleground Michigan as thousands
defy coronavirus safety rules
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[September 11, 2020]
By Andrea Shalal
FREELAND, Mich. (Reuters) - U.S. President
Donald Trump predicted at a rally in Michigan on Thursday that he would
win the election battleground state as thousands of cheering, largely
maskless supporters defied state guidelines aimed at containing the
novel coronavirus.
"This is not the crowd of a person who comes in second place," Trump
told men, women and children - many wearing red "Make America Great
Again" T-shirts and hats - as he stood in front of the presidential
aircraft Air Force One at an airport near Midland, Michigan.
Trump campaign officials say that in the run-up to the Nov. 3 election
they are planning to spend "massive amounts" of time in Michigan, an
industrial state that along with Wisconsin and Pennsylvania helped
propel Trump to victory in 2016.
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Democratic candidate Joe Biden leads Republican Trump among all likely
voters nationally by 12 percentage points, according a Reuters/Ipsos
poll. But Biden's lead is slimmer in Michigan, averaging just 4.2
percentage points, according to Real Clear Politics .
Trump campaign deputy national press secretary Samantha Zager said Trump
was tapping into "organic enthusiasm from those who are disillusioned
with career politicians like Joe Biden," and would attract new voters to
"expand an already broad coalition of support."
Biden visited Michigan on Wednesday, hammering Trump over his taped
comments to Washington Post writer Bob Woodward in which he said he was
purposely downplaying the threat of the virus to avoid public panic.
Biden also unveiled an "offshoring tax penalty" on profits from products
made overseas and sold in the United States, taking a page out of
Trump's trade playbook.
The two politicians have widely divergent views on nearly everything,
but both agree on the need to bring back manufacturing supply chains to
the United States from China, and Biden is likely to keep many of
Trump's tariffs in place initially if he were elected.
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![](../images/091120pics/news_g13.jpg)
President Donald Trump gestures as he arrives to a campaign event at
MBS International Airport, in Freeland, Michigan, U.S., September
10, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
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Trump criticized Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's coronavirus
restrictions, saying she "doesn't have a clue" about reopening the
state's economy, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Whitmer's office had no immediate comment on the event, which
appeared to violate state guidelines requiring social distancing and
limiting large crowds. She told a news conference earlier Thursday
she was concerned about plans for the rally, and would keep close
tabs on infection rates in the region.
New York Times reporter Kathy Gray tweeted that she was escorted out
the rally by Trump campaign workers after she tweeted photographs of
the event.
A campaign source said a New York Times correspondent, who had not
applied for credentials through the normal process, was asked to
leave because she was not in the required press area. She was told
she could stay in the general admission area but not while
reporting, and she declined, the source said.
Greg Fernandez, 63, who works in real estate, said he was not
wearing a mask at the rally because he had already had the virus,
"so I'm good."
Fernandez said he expected Trump to win Michigan handily, adding:
"No more globalists, no more new world order. We need a businessman
to run our country, and he's done a great job."
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; editing by Grant McCool and Kim
Coghill)
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