CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio — In a wide-ranging speech that praised his own record in office and criticized his opponent, President Donald Trump made only brief remarks on the COVID-19 pandemic - which has largely defined American life for most of 2020.
“It’s going away, it’s rounding the turn,” Trump told the crowd gathered at the Pickaway County fairgrounds.
In fact, the number of coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and ICU admissions have increased in recent weeks, which has raised concerns for Ohio’s Republican Governor Mike DeWine - who mentioned the dangers in increases during his weekly press conferences.
Watch President Trump's speech:
The state has a mask order in place but Saturday’s crowd In Circleville included many people wearing masks and many who were not; social distancing was nearly impossible in certain sections of the Pickaway County fairgrounds - the same location where this summer more than 20 COVID-19 cases were linked to the county fair.
“I had it. I worked out. And now I’m immune,” President Trump told the crowd.
With 10 days to go until Election Day, President Trump's plan included visits to three key states Saturday - Ohio, North Carolina and Wisconsin.
Trump reminded the crowd in Circleville that he won Ohio by 8 points in 2016 and could win again. Ohio is a bellwether state - no Republican has ascended to the White House without Ohio in the modern era of the two-party system.
Much of Saturday’s speech was aimed at criticizing his Democratic opponent - former Vice President Joe Biden.
Trump said Biden would raise taxes, threaten Medicare and social security and lead the country into a depression.
Several people interviewed by 10TV News in attendance told us they trust the president and support his policies.
One of his larger applause lines of the night harkened back to a theme he used four years ago - that he’s an outsider - a theme he stuck with even though now he’s the president
“If I don’t seem like a politician it’s because I am not a politician... I am fighting harder for you than any other President,” Trump said.
Trump landed at Rickenbacker International Airport just after 4 p.m. and spoke briefly with Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine.