2020 Race: Mike Bloomberg donates $100m to Joe Biden

Mike Bloomberg will spend his own money to help Joe Biden win the key swing state of Florida where polls have tightened.

Billionaire Mike Bloomberg will spend $US100 million of his own money to help Joe Biden defeat Donald Trump in the key swing state of Florida in a major bonus for the Biden campaign.

Mr Bloomberg’s move comes as polls have tightened in Florida where Mr Biden’s lead has narrowed from more than five points last month to only 1.2 points.

Mr Biden will travel to Florida for the first time this week in an attempt to halt the swing towards Mr Trump amid concerns the former Vice President is losing support from the state’s large Latino community.

Mr Bloomberg, who spent more than $US1 billion on his own failed presidential bid, decided to use his money to target the close-run state of Florida which is a must-win state for Mr Trump if he is to win the November 3 poll.

“Mike believes that by investing in Florida it will allow campaign resources and other Democratic resources to be used in other states, in particular the state of Pennsylvania,’ Bloomberg adviser Kevin Sheekey said.

Mr Trump responded to news of the Bloomberg plan by tweeting; “I thought Mini Mike was through with Democrat politics after spending almost 2 Billion Dollars, and then giving the worst and most inept Debate Performance in the history of Presidential Politics.”

I thought Mini Mike was through with Democrat politics after spending almost 2 Billion Dollars, and then giving the worst and most inept Debate Performance in the history of Presidential Politics. Pocahontas ended his political career on first question, OVER! Save NYC instead. https://t.co/WgbVvEUt2N

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 13, 2020

The Biden campaign is worried that Mr Biden is not cutting through with Latinos, who make up 20% of eligible voters in Florida.

An NBC News/Marist poll last week showed Mr Trump leading Mr Biden 50% to 46% among Latinos in Florida. In 2016, the Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton won 62 per cent of the Latino vote in Florida compared with just 35 for Mr Trump but she still narrowly lost the state.

The president was in Nevada on Monday (AEST), another state with a large Latino population, where he attacked Mr Biden’s record with Hispanics.

“Sleepy Joe Biden has spent 47 years in politics being terrible to Hispanics. Now he is relying on Castro lover Bernie Sanders to help him out,’ Mr Trump tweeted.

Sleepy Joe Biden has spent 47 years in politics being terrible to Hispanics. Now he is relying on Castro lover Bernie Sanders to help him out. That won’t work! Remember, Miami Cubans gave me the highly honored Bay of Pigs Award for all I have done for our great Cuban Population!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 13, 2020

Meanwhile Senator Sanders is pressuring the Biden campaign to focus more on the progressive parts of Mr Biden’s agenda such as raising the minimum wage, creating jobs and expanding health care, rather than merely attack the president.

“I think those are some of the issues that people want to hear a little bit more from the Biden campaign about,” Senator Sanders said. ‘I think Biden’s in an excellent position to win this election, but I think we’ve got to do more as a campaign than just go after Trump.”

Mr Trump held three rallies in Nevada at the weekend during which he attacked Mr Biden over a new ad which criticises the president for his alleged comments calling fallen US soldiers “suckers” and “losers.”

Describing the ad as “the most vicious TV Commercial I have ever seen”, Mr Trump told a crowd in Minden, Nevada, that Mr Biden was “a pathetic human being to allow that to happen.”

“But you know the good part?” Mr Trump said.

“Now I can be really vicious. Once I saw that ad, I don’t have to be nice anymore.”

“(Biden) doesn’t know he’s alive … Sleepy Joe Biden. You know where he is now? He’s in his damn basement again,” Mr Trump said.

The Biden team moved to refute Mr Trump’s claims about Mr Biden campaigning only from his home in Wilmington, Delaware.

“Not true,” said Biden campaign adviser Symone Sanders. “The reality is Vice President Biden is actively campaigning, as is Senator Harris. But the difference is … we’re doing so safely.

“We are letting the science lead us,” she said. “And that is why Vice President Biden is modelling good behaviour. He’s wearing a mask. We’re social distancing, as you’ll see at our events and press conferences. That stands in stark opposition to what President Trump is doing, having huge rallies with large groups of people who are packed in together. It’s not safe,’ she said.

Mr Biden continues to maintain a solid, but not unbeatable 7.5 point leader over Mr Trump nationally according to the RealClear Politics average of polls.

The contest in the key battleground states which will decide the election is closer, with Mr Biden leading the president by 4.2 points in Michigan, 4.3 points in Pennsylvania, 6.3 points in Wisconsin and 4.5 points in Arizona.

(Cameron Stewart is also US Contributor for Sky News Australia)