US election 2020: Inside Donald Trump and Joe Biden’s presidential campaigns
With the US election just days away, Donald Trump and Joe Biden have been pulling out the big guns in the race to the White House.
World
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Analysis: Michelle Obama famously said of Republican attacks that “when they go low we go high”.
But in the final sprint of the 2020 presidential race her husband Barack Obama and Democratic candidate Joe Biden seemed happy to shrug off that higher moral ground.
As Obama joined his former vice president on the campaign trail for the first time, Biden muttered that he would have liked to take a shot at “tough guy” Donald Trump if they’d been in high school together.
Later, Biden tore into discredited claims Trump recently made about American doctors being paid more if they could say people had died of COVID.
“Excuse my language, but think about it. It’s perverted,” Biden said in Michigan, a few days after he labelled Trump supporters “chumps” and “ugly people”.
And Obama laughed and jeered at the president’s fixation with his inauguration crowd size.
“What is his obsession, by the way, with crowd size?” he supporters at a drive-in rally to honked car horns.
“This is the one measure he has of success,” Obama said. “Did no one come to his birthday party when he was a kid? Is he traumatised?
“Our country is going through a pandemic! That’s not what you’re supposed to be worried about.”
Donald Trump is a huge target and even his most ardent supporters say his biggest issue is his off-kilter statements and tweets that suck up so much oxygen.
Seeing a return of the Obama and Biden show that was so familiar from their eight years in office was potentially a boost for Democrats.
But with polls tightening there’s more than a touch of desperation in the new approach.
While Team Biden finally seems to be throwing everything at the race in its final days, many are concerned that it may be too little too late.
America’s all-important cable channels carried Obama and Biden’s Michigan events in full.
Despite having little to no crowds because of social distancing, Democrats gave the appearance of old-school retail politics that is traditionally so effective in boosting turnout.
But it begged the question of why they waited so long to step up and get out on the trail.
With more than 90 million Americans having already voted and just 72 hours until polls close, revisionist historians will be looking extremely closely at these final days if Trump again defies predictions with a win.
After months of Biden seeming to think he could stroll into the White House on the back of broad dislike of Trump, it’s about time he got in the game.
TEAM TRUMP
MELANIA TRUMP
Perhaps Donald Trump’s secret – and biggest – weapon, a title that was perhaps previously held by Ivanka. Wildly popular with the MAGA crowd, the former model has been introducing her husband at his many raucous rallies, even giving him a kiss on stage.
IVANKA TRUMP (SENIOR ADVISER)
Has an office on the second floor of the West Wing, with a special interest in education and women’s economic empowerment. Doesn’t get paid, has dad’s ear.
JARED KUSHNER (SENIOR ADVISER)
Ivanka’s husband, he has been accused of profiting off of nepotism but has been tasked by his father-in-law with perhaps the most difficult portfolio in the White House: solving the Middle East conflict, overseeing the US-Mexico wall, fixing the US opioid crisis and managing the COVID-19 response. It’s a big job.
DONALD TRUMP JR
His dad’s attack number one dog and a favourite among MAGA supporters. Loves a stoush – with anyone. Runs the Trump real estate empire with brother, Eric.
ERIC TRUMP
His dad’s second attack dog. Executive Vice President of the Trump Organisation. Loves a Twitter stoush.
LARA TRUMP (ADVISER)
Not entirely sure what she does, but she’s married to Eric Trump, which means she’s a senior adviser to her father-in-law.
KIMBERLY GUILFOYLE (ADVISER)
In a relationship with Don Jr, so the lawyer-turned-TV-political-pundit gets a senior adviser role.
RUDY GIULIANI (DONALD TRUMP’S PERSONAL LAWYER)
Former New York City mayor and Donald Trump’s personal lawyer and confidante. Not a fan of Borat movies.
CHRIS CHRISTIE (ADVISER)
Ran against Donald Trump for the presidential nomination in 2016, but was steamrolled by the US President, and now one of his closest allies. Prepared Donald Trump for his debates against Joe Biden.
JASON MILLER (SENIOR ADVISER)
Donald Trump’s chief speechwriter and man in charge of MAGA messaging.
KAYLEIGH McENANY (WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY)
Political commentator and author turned press secretary. At the front lines of Team Trump.
TEAM BIDEN
JILL BIDEN
Wife of Joe Biden and a schoolteacher who has worked across high school, primary school, taught children with disabilities, and in higher education, with plans to continue teaching if her husband makes it to the White House. A major asset to her husband.
HUNTER BIDEN
In the spotlight for often the wrong reasons, but a staunch supporter of his dad’s.
ASHLEY BIDEN
The presidential challenger’s one child with wife, Jill. A social worker, activist, philanthropist and fashion designer, she keeps largely out of the spotlight.
THE BIDEN GRANDKIDS
Joe Biden has six adorable grandkids who have featured in campaign ads and told the world about their granddad’s love of ice-cream, which makes them pretty adorable.
BARACK OBAMA
A bromance for the ages and Joe Biden’s BFF. Said to still give him counsel behind the scenes.
MICHELLE OBAMA
Joe Biden remains close to both Obamas. Michelle Obama regularly uses her social media presence to support the Democratic nominee (and posts music videos urging Americans to vote for him).
ELIZABETH WARREN
Fought the good fight in the primaries against Joe Biden, but fell short. Now his volunteer foreign policy adviser, a role which could be made permanent, should her former adversary win on November 3.
CINDY McCAIN
Wife of the late famed Republican senator from Arizona, John McCain, who was a close friend of Joe Biden. A lifelong Republican, Cindy McCain has jumped the fence to support her friend against Donald Trump.
KAMALA HARRIS
Joe Biden’s VP pick, the California lawyer and the state’s former Attorney-General could be the first woman and the first female POC to make it to the White House.
RON KLAIN
Was Joe Biden’s Chief of Staff from 2009-2011. Now a senior adviser, and tipped to return to the COS role should his former boss win.
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