CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden both delivered Labor Day speeches as their running mates campaigned in Wisconsin.
At an outdoor press conference on the White House grounds, Trump spoke about the economy and a potential COVID-19 vaccine, lauding his record on jobs and lobbing insults at his rivals.
The president made clear he belives the current jobless rate of 8.4 percent is heading down at a fast pace.
“We’re currently witnessing the fastest labor market recovery from an economic crisis in history,” Trump said.
Then he quickly pivoted to politics.
“Biden and his very liberal running mate, the most liberal person in Congress by the way, is not a competent person – in my opinion, would destroy this country and would destroy the economy,” Trump said. “Biden is a stupid person. You know that. You’re not gonna write it.”
Trump said a vaccine to combat the coronavirus may be made available before the election and that Democrats were hoping it doesn’t happen because it may help him politically.
Asked if he too was playing politics by touting an election eve vaccine, the president said this:
“No. I’m saying that because we want to save a lot of lives.”
Biden spoke in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Monday afternoon alongside the head of the largest federation of U.S. labor unions, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.
Biden again attacked the incumbent for alleged comments published last week disparaging soldiers. He chose to ignore the president’s repeated denials.
“If that’s how you talk about our veterans, you have no business being president of the United States of America. Period,” Biden said.
In an interview, Biden tried to turn the tables on the president’s repeated comments that he’s not up to the job physically or mentally.
“Look at how I step and look at how he steps. Watch how I run up ramps and he stumbles down ramps. Thank God my health is good. I would not be running if I wasn’t in good health,” Biden said.
Biden also said he would get a vaccine tomorrow if doctors and scientists said it was safe and effective – even if getting it would cost him the election.
Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris spent Labor Day campaigning in Wisconsin. Pence toured an energy facility in La Crosse. Harris met with union workers and Black business owners in Milwaukee.