Sabtu, 31 Oktober 2020

Donald Trump 'only one who thinks he'll win', says his aide - Daily Mail

Even President's aide says Donald Trump is the only person in the White House who thinks he'll win the election as latest polls put Joe Biden eight points ahead

Trump is embarking on frantic 14-stop tour of key battleground states across US
A record 90 million votes have already been cast ahead of next week's election
One pollster said: 'Trump is the Houdini of politics' and can still cause an upset

By Caroline Graham In Los Angeles For The Mail On Sunday

Published: 23:41 GMT, 31 October 2020 | Updated: 01:12 GMT, 1 November 2020

Donald Trump's hopes of a second term as US President appeared to be fading last night with even his closest aides admitting: 'The only person in the White House who thinks Trump can win is Trump himself.'

As the President embarked on a frantic 14-stop tour of key battleground states across America, the latest polls put his Democratic rival Joe Biden eight points ahead with a record 90 million votes already cast. A Fox News poll had Mr Biden ahead by 52 per cent to 44.

However, victory for either candidate will come down to a small number of 'swing states' including Florida and Pennsylvania where Mr Trump and Mr Biden are running neck and neck.

Under the US system – in which states are assigned a number of 'electoral votes' with candidates needing a total of 270 to win – it is possible for a candidate to triumph in the popular vote and yet lose.

Donald Trump's hopes of a second term as US President appeared to be fading last night with even his closest aides admitting: 'The only person in the White House who thinks Trump can win is Trump himself'

Doctor fury at 'Covid cash' claim

Doctors reacted with fury after Donald Trump claimed at an election rally they were deliberately inflating Covid case numbers to make money.

'Our doctors get more money if somebody dies from Covid. You know that, right?' he told the rally in Michigan. 'Our doctors are very smart people. So what they do is they say, 'I'm sorry but everybody dies of Covid.' '

He said other countries, such as Germany, put less emphasis on the virus as a cause of death. 'With us, when in doubt, choose Covid,' he claimed. 'It's true.'

Medical groups rubbished his claim while pointing out that doctors, nurses and carers had risked their lives to treat people infected with the disease.

'They did it because duty called and because of the sacred oath they took,' said Susan Bailey, president of the American Medical Association.

'The suggestion doctors – in the midst of a public health crisis – are over-counting Covid-19 patients or lying to line their pockets is a malicious, outrageous and completely misguided charge,' she said.

Democratic challenger Joe Biden has attacked the President's cavalier response as the second wave soared across America with 1,000 deaths a day.

Four years ago, Hillary Clinton won three million more votes at the ballot box than Mr Trump, but he captured 304 electoral votes and cruised to victory.

One pollster said: 'Hillary was ahead before the last election and we all know how that turned out, but Biden has double the lead she had at this point.

'The race is Biden's to lose, but Trump is the Houdini of politics and if anyone can pull off an upset then it's him.'

However, a source within the White House last night painted a gloomy picture for the incumbent. 'Most people accept it's over. We've all got other jobs lined up,' the insider said. 'At this point, the only person in the White House who thinks Donald Trump can win is Trump himself.

'But he's a streetfighter and there is a small path to victory if he takes Florida and Pennsylvania. It's unlikely but do-able.'

A record 150 million Americans are expected to cast their vote at the end of a campaign dominated by Mr Trump's handling of the pandemic and violent protests sparked by the killings of unarmed black men and women by police.

Cities from Los Angeles to Chicago to New York have cancelled police leave and governors of many states, including California, have the National Guard standing by in case violence erupts.

The Pentagon has a plan in place to send troops on to the streets of Washington DC should protesters gather if Mr Trump loses. Armed militia groups have threatened to disrupt polling.

Unless one candidate wins by a landslide, the outcome is unlikely to be known on Tuesday night. Mr Trump has already vowed to challenge a win by Mr Biden and says the postal ballot system is rigged against him 'There are thousands of fake ballots and they are working against us,' he said last week. We are going to take this all the way to the Supreme Court if needs be.'

There has been speculation about the future of First Lady Melania. According to one report, she negotiated a post-nuptial deal with Mr Trump to stay with him while he was in the White House, but divorce afterwards. Her spokesperson denied the allegation at the time

If the election is eventually decided by the Supreme Court, Mr Trump may have an advantage, given that he has appointed three Republican judges during his term including, most recently, Amy Coney Barrett.

Mr Biden yesterday appeared alongside former President Barack Obama at a rally in Michigan. Music legend Stevie Wonder was set to play at another Biden rally last night. Mr Biden, 77, has been dubbed 'Sleepy Joe' by Mr Trump, 74, and has made frequent gaffes during the campaign. There have been subtle signs that Trump is preparing for life after the White House.

Last week, he cancelled a 'victory party' scheduled to be held at his Trump Hotel in Washington DC. He told aides it was because he felt 'superstitious'.

His son-in-law Jared Kushner – married to Mr Trump's daughter Ivanka – has also been having meetings with media companies and major investment banks to discuss a possible 'Trump TV' network.

And there has been speculation about the future of First Lady Melania. According to one report, she negotiated a post-nuptial deal with Mr Trump to stay with him while he was in the White House, but divorce afterwards.

Her spokesperson denied the allegation at the time.

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2020-10-31 23:41:00Z
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US election 2020: What has Trump said about your country? - BBC News

President Trump had a slightly bumpy relationship with Theresa May, the first British prime minister he had to deal with in his presidency.

He arrived for his first visit to the UK as president on 12 July 2018 but it was immediately overshadowed by the publication of an interview the US president gave to The Sun newspaper.

In it, he said the UK would "probably not" get a trade deal with the US if the prime minister's Brexit plan went ahead.

"If they do a deal like that, we would be dealing with the European Union instead of dealing with the UK, so it will probably kill the deal," he told the paper, adding that Mrs May's plan "will definitely affect trade with the United States, unfortunately in a negative way."

But at a joint news conference on the second day of his visit, he changed his tone and said a trade deal "will absolutely be possible" after the UK leaves the EU. He also said Brexit was an "incredible opportunity".

Mr Trump also met the Queen, although there was no open carriage ride with her through the streets of the capital as the trip was designated a "working visit" rather than an official state visit.

Asked about the protests that greeted his arrival in the UK, he insisted many people were "delighted" he was visiting, adding: "I get thousands of notifications from people in the UK that they love the president of the United States."

But when he arrived in London for a state visit the following year, he was welcomed by further protests and a giant balloon depicting him as a baby.

This time around, the president was given the honour of a state banquet at Buckingham Palace with the Queen, during which he praised the "eternal friendship" between the UK and US.

But earlier in the day, he had called London Mayor Sadiq Khan - who had said the UK should "not roll out the red carpet" for Mr Trump - a "stone cold loser".

A few weeks later, Mr Trump also laid into Mrs May and her proposed Brexit deal, tweeting: "What a mess she and her representatives have created. I told her how it should be done, but she decided to go another way."

So it was little surprise when Mr Trump appeared excited to congratulate Boris Johnson on becoming the new prime minister in July 2019, saying: "He will be great!"

When asked what advice he would give to Mr Johnson on Brexit, the president replied: "He needs no advice. He's the right man for the job. I've been saying that for a long time."

While the pair have enjoyed warm personal relations, there have been some differences on policy, most notably on China, the Iran nuclear deal and the future of Nato.

But after this year, they now have another thing in common - they both got and recovered from coronavirus. When Mr Johnson left intensive care back in April, Mr Trump said it was "great news" and after he returned to the White House to recover from the virus in October, he thanked the British PM for "his friendship and support".

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2020-10-31 23:36:00Z
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US Election 2020: Biden and Trump in last weekend dash round swing states - BBC News

US Election 2020: Biden and Trump in last weekend dash round swing states

Published: 1 hour ago

Former President Barack Obama and candidate Joe Biden in Flint, Michigan

US Democratic candidate Joe Biden is in Michigan and President Donald Trump is in Pennsylvania, states that could be key to winning the White House as the last weekend of campaigning hots up.

Mr Biden, joined by ex-President Barack Obama, said the US was "done with the chaos" of the Trump administration.

Mr Trump said there would be a "great red wave" of Republican victories.

Mr Biden has a solid lead in the polls, but his advantage is narrower in swing states that could decide the election.

More than 85 million people have voted early in the US elections, 55 million of them by post, setting the country on course for its biggest voter turnout in over a century.

Mr Biden and Mr Obama campaigned at a drive-in event in Flint, Michigan, before heading to Detroit where they were joined by singer Stevie Wonder. Mr Trump narrowly won Michigan in 2016.

Stevie Wonder performing at an event for Joe Biden

In his first appearance on the campaign trail with his former vice-president, Mr Obama compared Mr Biden's character favourably with Mr Trump's.

"It used to be that being a man meant taking care of other people... not looking for credit but trying to live right," he said.

"When you elect Joe, that's what you'll see reflected from the White House."

Taking the stage, Mr Biden tore into his opponent, saying it was time for him to "pack his bags and go home".

"We're done with the chaos, the tweets, the anger, the failure, the refusal to take any responsibility," he added.

Mr Biden's campaign events have generally been small, as the candidate keeps rigorously to social distancing rules.

Not so Mr Trump, who is holding a series of four rallies in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

At the first, in Newtown, he appeared on stage serenaded by chants of "Four more years!" and told the state where the US independence movement began centuries ago that "three days from now this is the state that will save the American dream".

He also joked about his recent brush with coronavirus, which also infected First Lady Melania Trump.

"At least those rumours that we don't live together proved to be false," he said.

After a rally of several hundred people - relatively small for him - the president flew to Reading, where thousands greeted him on the tarmac.

Mr Trump is planning another 10 rallies over the final two days of the campaign.

His campaign has five events in Michigan, Iowa, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida on Sunday, and then five more on election eve in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Banner Image Reading Around the BBC - Blue

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2020-10-31 23:15:00Z
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Lyon gun attack: Arrest made after Greek Orthodox priest seriously injured - Sky News

A Greek Orthodox priest was left with life-threatening gunshot wounds in the French city of Lyon.

Police said the priest, aged in his 40s, was fired at twice while he was closing a church at about 4pm.

Officers locked down the area and had told the public to stay away while the suspect was at large. Police later confirmed that an arrest had been made.

The alleged gunman was alone and fired from a hunting rifle, a police source said, while local media described seeing an injured man being stretchered from the church.

Anti-terrorist authorities were not investigating the shooting.

In a statement, a Lyon prosecutor said residents heard shots and screaming near the church, and when officers arrived they saw an individual running away and found the wounded priest by the back door of the building.

It is understood the suspect was wearing a long black raincoat and a black hat.

Antoine Callot, pastor at another Greek Orthodox church in Lyon, said he asked police for security protection at his church after the shooting.

"We are anxious and anguished. It's really horrible," he said. "Now we need to hide and be careful."

In a tweet, the mayor of Lyon, Gregory Doucet said: "My first thoughts are with the very seriously injured victim. The motive is unknown, the suspect is on the run. An investigation is underway, let's be careful."

Meanwhile, the British Embassy in France posted an alert about the "ongoing security incident" in the Jean-Mace area of the city's 7th arrondissement.

It comes two days after a woman was beheaded and two others killed by a man shouting "Allahu Akbar" in a church in Nice. The incident took place on the same day Muslims celebrate the Prophet Mohammad's birthday.

In a separate attack, Paris schoolteacher Samuel Paty was beheaded by an 18-year-old Chechen two weeks ago after showing his students a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad.

France's defence of the right to publish cartoons depicting the Prophet have angered many Muslims around the world and deepened tensions in the nation.

Ministers have warned of a risk of other Islamist militant attacks.

In response to the recent violence, President Emmanuel Macron sent thousands of soldiers to protect sites such as schools and places of worship.

After today's shooting, French Prime Minister Jean Castex reiterated a commitment to guard those places.

He said French people can "count on the nation to allow them to practice their religion in full safety and freedom".

But, despite this promise, there has been no obvious visible increase in police or military presence at many popular churches and mosques.

No one was guarding the Lyon church attacked today or the one attacked in Nice on Thursday.

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2020-10-31 21:22:30Z
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Lyon attack: Orthodox priest wounded in shooting - BBC News

The incident came days after three people were killed in a knife attack at a church in the southern city of Nice.

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2020-10-31 20:07:00Z
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Lyon gun attack: Greek Orthodox priest shot and seriously injured - Sky News

A Greek Orthodox priest is in a life-threatening condition after being shot by a gunman who remains at large in the French city of Lyon.

Police said the priest, aged in his 40s, was fired at twice in the abdomen while he was closing the church in the French city at about 4pm.

Officers locked down the area and told the public to stay away.

The gunman was alone and fired from a hunting rifle, a police source said, while local media described seeing an injured man being stretchered from the church.

Anti-terrorist authorities were not investigating the shooting, but a special emergency team is following the case while officers search for the gunman.

It is understood the suspect was wearing a long black raincoat and a black hat.

Antoine Callot, pastor at another Greek Orthodox church in Lyon, said he asked police for security protection at his church after the shooting.

"We are anxious and anguished. It's really horrible," he said. "Now we need to hide and be careful."

Meanwhile, the British Embassy in France posted an alert about the "ongoing security incident" in the Jean-Mace area of the city's 7th arrondissement.