Election Day is only two months away and Channel 2 anchor Jovita Moore had the chance to speak exclusively with Democratic nominee Joe Biden Wednesday.
Biden spoke with Moore following a speech in Delaware. President Trump meanwhile paid a visit to Wilmington, North Carolina.
In the 1-on-1 interview, Biden discussed with Moore the importance of this November election and the concerns some of you have about making sure your vote counts.
Moore also asked the former vice president about Channel 2 Action News exclusive Landmark Communications poll of 500 likely voters released Tuesday.
The poll shows President Donald Trump with a growing lead over Biden in Georgia, 47.9% to 40.5%.
“The polling I’ve seen locally as well as nationally, the state of Georgia, I’m doing just fine,” Biden said. “I’m doing better than any Democratic presidential candidate has in a long, long time. And it’s very competitive.”
“If you look at the national polls, the same thing is happening. There’s been no change. I’m averaging being eight to 10 points ahead nationally, and also based on the constituency groups, because I think responding to their concerns.”
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Biden also discussed with Moore how he would be handling the coronavirus pandemic if he was in office right now. Biden has been critical of the Trump administration response throughout the campaign.
“Well, I’d be setting out, what the docs call, for the national standards, I’d lay out what should be done giving the localities, the tools, and the capacity,” he said. “Let’s take opening up schools -- I think is a national emergency. But what’s happened here? The President has not allowed FEMA to be able to use any of the funding that has, they started to do it. To provide for masks, social distancing, ventilation, all the things that are necessary to open schools safely. Why? Why is he not doing that?”
“Why are they unwilling to deal with providing the necessary requirements and necessary equipment for people to be able to open safely? That’s not been done.”
With the upcoming election, mail-in ballots have become a hot-button issue. Biden encourage Georgians to vote early or vote absentee.
“Get your ballot now and vote now,” he said. “Look, part of what the President is doing and his team is doing is trying to de-legitimize whatever happens. So to try to turn down voter turnout, move it down. That’s been clear. You saw that happen in Wisconsin. You saw it happen in part of your state. Make a plan now how you’re going to vote.”
While Biden delivered a speech in Delaware earlier Wednesday, Trump visited Wilmington, North Carolina to designated the city as the first American World War II heritage city.
Trump spoke alongside the battleship U.S.S. North Carolina. At least 25 World War II veterans were at the vent. Many of them are in their late 90s or have reached 100 years old.
“With this designation, we proudly declare that in America, we don’t tear down the past, we celebrate our heroes. We cherish our heritage, we preserve our history, and we build the future,” Trump said.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said earlier this week that there was no “political purpose” to Trump’s visit to North Carolina.
But when the president landed in Wilmington, Trump lost no time in criticizing Biden.
“This is the most important election in the history of our country. I really believe that, because we’re running against people that have got some big issues,” he told supporters. “They have got some big, big problems. They’re stone cold crazy.”
Trump won North Carolina by 3.6 percentage points in 2016, but polls are showing an extremely close race taking shape in a state that generates 15 electoral votes for its winner.
The president’s visit to North Carolina comes as county boards start sending absentee ballots to voters on Friday. Vice President Mike Pence will follow the president by visiting Raleigh on Thursday.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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