Trump To Campaign in Pennsylvania as Early Voting Surges Past 35 Million Mark

President 👤Donald Trump planned to rally his supporters in the swing state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday, as the number of early ballots cast in the contest between him and Democrat Joe Biden passed 35 million with two weeks of voting to go.

Trump’s trip comes the day before Biden’s old boss – former President Barack Obama – is to campaign for the Democratic candidate in Pennsylvania, which will play an important role in deciding who wins the contest that ends on Nov. 3.

National opinion polls show Biden, the former vice president, holding a wide lead over Republican Trump, although the contest is closer in swing states that decide elections, including Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

Trump has gained some ground on Biden in Pennsylvania, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday, which showed the challenger leading by 49% to 45%, slightly narrower than a week earlier.

New data on Tuesday showed Biden maintaining his lead over Trump in Michigan, while the two were in a statistical tie in North Carolina.

Trump was due to hold a rally in Erie, in Pennsylvania’s northwest corner, at 7 p.m. EDT (2300 GMT).

Biden has no events planned for Tuesday.

Underscoring the importance of the “Rust Belt” state, Obama was due to campaign for Biden at a “drive-in car rally” event on Wednesday in a Pennsylvania location yet to be announced. It will be Obama’s first in-person campaign event for Biden, who served with him for eight years.

Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 220,000 people in the United States and thrown millions out of work, has taken a toll on his re-election prospects.

Despite rising cases of the highly contagious disease, which landed Trump in the hospital for three nights, he has resumed a heavy schedule of campaign travel, including rallies where his supporters pack together tightly, many not wearing masks.