WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden is back on the campaign trail, targeting the critical battleground state of Florida — but without actually leaving home.
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee is staying in his Delaware house amid efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which has shut down most aspects of American life, including the presidential campaign. But he held a virtual roundtable on Thursday with more than a dozen African American leaders in Jacksonville, including Rep. Al Lawson.
“It's great to be in Jacksonville today,” Biden said, grinning. “I'm anxious to get down in person to campaign.”
Later, Biden was holding an online rally with voters in Tampa set to feature many of the fixtures of an in-person appearance.
His virtual stops marked one of the first times Biden has tried to emulate a traditional campaign swing through a key state since locking up the Democratic primary nearly a month ago. In previous weeks he used a makeshift studio in a rec room in his basement to hold online fundraisers and discussions with top Democrats.
“I’m going to need you if we win in November,” Biden told roundtable participants. He promised to reinvigorate the economy in a way that could reduce economic inequality, adding, “I’m going to need you to rebuild the backbone of this country but bring along everyone this time.”
Biden's Florida offensive come as President Donald Trump's campaign has stepped up its efforts to portray the former vice president as soft on China. It released an online video Thursday that included clips of Biden previously describing that country as “not bad folks” and saying economic growth there was in the U.S. interest. The Trump administration also is making ever louder pronouncements casting blame on China for the coronavirus pandemic, aiming to defuse...
