A combination photo shows democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden looking on at a campaign event, on his first joint appearance with Vice presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris after being named his running mate, at Alexis Dupont High School in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., August 12, 2020, and U.S. President Donald Trump talking to reporters prior to boarding Air Force One as he departs Washington on travel to Illinois and Wisconsin at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., September 1, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/Leah Millis
WASHINGTON 鈥� President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden took rhetorical swipes at each other on Monday as the presidential campaign entered its traditional homestretch on the U.S. Labor Day holiday.
Trump described Biden, whom he trails in national polls, as a threat to the economy and 鈥渟tupid,鈥� while Biden took aim at Trump鈥檚 reported disparaging of fallen troops.
At a White House news conference, Trump said: 鈥淏iden and his very liberal running mate (Kamala Harris), the most liberal person in Congress by the way 鈥� is not a competent person in my opinion, would destroy this country and would destroy this economy.鈥�
He also called Biden 鈥渟tupid.鈥� Trump has frequently referred to the former vice president as 鈥淪leepy Joe.鈥�
Trump pushed back again against a report in The Atlantic that he had referred to fallen U.S. soldiers as 鈥渟uckers鈥� and 鈥渓osers,鈥� calling it 鈥渁 hoax.鈥� The story has dominated news coverage for days and threatens Trump鈥檚 support among veterans and military members, a key voting bloc.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nobody that has more respect for not only our military, but for people that gave their lives in the military,鈥� Trump said.
Biden cited the reported remarks while campaigning in the electoral battleground state of Pennsylvania.
Referring to his son Beau Biden, who served in Iraq as a member of the Delaware National Guard and died of brain cancer in 2015, he said: 鈥淏eau was wasn鈥檛 a loser or a sucker. 鈥� He served with heroes.鈥�
Biden鈥檚 visit to Pennsylvania on Monday kicked off a flurry of travel to battleground states this week by both Biden and Trump as some opinion polls show the race tightening with less than 60 days to go until the Nov. 3 election.
With the coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest over racism and police brutality commanding attention in recent months, Biden is seeking to maintain his edge by painting the Republican president as an ineffectual leader who thrives on chaos and has left the working class behind.
Trump has struggled to change the contours of the campaign despite highly charged rhetoric on racial polarization and 鈥渓aw and order鈥� intended to motivate his base and draw new supporters in suburban parts of key swing states, such as Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Labor endorsements
Biden met with union leaders in Harrisburg, the Pennsylvania capital, and spoke virtually with the leader of the largest federation of U.S. labor unions, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. He also took questions from union workers and met earlier in the day with union members who served in the U.S. military.
Biden鈥檚 campaign also announced the endorsements of three unions: the Laborers鈥� International Union of North America, the International Union of Elevator Constructors and the National Federation of Federal Employees.
Biden promised to be the 鈥渟trongest labor president鈥� in the history of the country, vowing to hold executives legally accountable if they interfere with union organizing, and to raise the minimum wage and strengthen the National Labor Relations Board.
鈥淔olks have figured out that it鈥檚 not the financial wizards of Wall Street that make this country run. It鈥檚 you, the essential workers,鈥� Biden said during the virtual event with Trumka.
Trump said that if Biden were elected, the Democrat would mandate another economic shutdown to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
鈥淏iden鈥檚 plan for the China virus is to shut down the entire U.S. economy,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淗e鈥檇 be laying off tens of millions of workers and causing countless deaths from suicide, substance abuse, depression, heart disease and other very serious illnesses.鈥�
Trump plans to visit North Carolina, Florida, Michigan and Pennsylvania later in the week, all considered crucial to both candidates鈥� chances of victory.
Polls in Pennsylvania, which Trump won narrowly in 2016, have consistently put Biden in the lead, but averages show that margin narrowing to roughly 4 to 5 percentage points, down from about 8 points in late June. Biden is scheduled to be back in Pennsylvania on Friday.