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Trump news: President calls out ‘Barack Hussain Obama’ as supporter at Florida rally appears to make ‘white power’ symbol

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Donald Trump calls India's air "filthy"

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Donald Trump returned to the campaign trail on Friday with a rally targeting senior voters at The Villages retirement community in Florida.

Trump made eyebrow-raising claims like Biden taking away seniors' air conditioning and remembering Barack Hussain Obama, as a member of the crowd appeared to make the so-called "white power" dog whistle in the background.

Biden, meanwhile, returned to his home state of Delaware to outline his coronavirus pandemic plan a day after the US hit a record for the number of new Covid-19 cases, announcing a mask mandate on all interstate transportation and in all federal buildings.

The candidates were coming off their final in-person debate, which turned out to be a remarkably civil affair with lower ratings than their previous encounter.

Trump was also back to work in the White House to announce an historic peace deal between Israel and Sudan, with five more - including Saudi Arabia - expected to be announced after the dam broke with United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in recent weeks.

Trump tried to get Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to attack Biden on a phone call in front of reporters. Bibi did not take the bait, with commentators noting that he is probably keeping a keen eye on the current polling numbers.

Veteran GOP pollster Frank Luntz said that Trump may have won the battle of the last debate, but Biden has won the war. He says it's "impossible" for the president turning around voter sentiment this late in the election cycle.

Trump is also up against a campaign that has broken all records for its spend on television and digital advertising in a presidential election, with still more than a week to go before polls close.  

Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load. 

Trump says he prefers first debate performance

‘I thought I did great, there are certain groups of very aggressive people that loved the first debate’, says Trump.

'I'm able to do different styles': Trump says he prefers his aggressive first debate performance

‘I thought I did great, there are certain groups of very aggressive people that loved the first debate’

Oliver O'Connell23 October 2020 21:51

Making an entrance

Marine One hovered over the crowd at The Villages when the president arrived.

Oliver O'Connell23 October 2020 21:53

Trump addresses the crowds

The president is now giving a freewheeling speech to the excited crowd.

In a segment on the Green New Deal he attacked Hawaii’s Mazie Hirono and claimed that the goal of the environmental legislation was to get rid of aircraft and cars and that Joe Biden want to ban air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter. 

He also, yet again, went after wind power — this time with a little skit about not being able to watch television because the wind isn’t blowing.

Oliver O'Connell23 October 2020 22:03

Trump: Say goodbye to your 401(K)s if Biden wins

“Had an exciting night last night with Sleepy Joe,” says Trump.

“I think Joe Biden proved last night that he’s not capable of being president,” he tells the crowd of mostly retirees.

"Say goodbye to your 401(K)’s,” he warns, adding that if Biden wins, the economy will be “going down the tubes.”

Oliver O'Connell23 October 2020 22:07

Trump still says US is ‘rounding the corner’, as new Covid-19 cases hit record levels

75,064 new cases of Covid-19 were recorded yesterday — an all-time high since the beginning of the pandemic in March.

Oliver O'Connell23 October 2020 22:11

Trump to cast his ballot tomorrow

Florida resident Donald Trump says he is looking forward to casting his ballot tomorrow. He will end today at Mar-a-Lago after his second rally in Pensacola.

Oliver O'Connell23 October 2020 22:15

BREAKING: Trump claims if Biden wins election US seniors will have no AC during the summer or heat in winter

Donald Trump bizarrely claimed that if Joe Biden wins the White House  senior citizens will have no AC in the summer or heat in the winter.

The president attacked his rival’s climate plans at a campaign rally in the Flordia retirement community The Villages.

“Biden’s plan would mean America’ seniors have no air conditioning during the summer, no heat during the winter and no electricity during peak hours.," said Mr Trump.

“It’s true. He wants wind. When the wind doesn’t blow, ‘Lets watch the president on television tonight darling”, “I’m sorry we can’t, the wind is not blowing tonight.'”

The Independent’s Graeme Massie is covering the Trump rally as it unfolds.

Justin Vallejo23 October 2020 22:23

Trump says Covid immunity was for life until he got it

“It used to be before I got it you were immune for life, once I got it they said it’s only four months. Ok. We have a double standard,” Trump says. “It’s the fake news.”

Justin Vallejo23 October 2020 22:30

Therapy ‘cures’ more important than Covid vaccine, says Trump

“Somebody said I look better last night than I used to, and I said ‘I think it was Regeneron,” Trump says. “Maybe I’m not right, not everybody agrees, but to me knowing that there’s something that can knock it out to me is actually more important to a vaccine.”

Justin Vallejo23 October 2020 22:37

Did Trump just confirm that ‘superman’ stunt rumor?

One of the more bizarre stories that did the rounds during Trump’s recovery from Covid was his plan to feebly walk out of Walter Reed Medical Centre before ripping off his short to show the Superman logo – kind of like Willy Wonka’s first appearance in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Looks like Trump continues to chew over that missed opportunity, relieving what could have been at his rally today. See below.

Justin Vallejo23 October 2020 22:43

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