BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaBiden and Trump rally in Georgia as 2024 rematch loomsPublished4 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsUS election 2024Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, President Joe Biden is going on the offence following his State of the Union address on ThursdayBy Gary O’Donoghue and Sam Cabralin Atlanta and WashingtonDonald Trump and Joe Biden have both held campaign rallies in the US state of Georgia, as their general election showdown comes into greater focus.The former president, 77, slammed Thursday’s State of the Union speech as an “angry, dark and hate-filled rant”.An hour down the road, President Biden, 81, unveiled new endorsements as he goes on the offence against his rival.Both men are now within striking distance of clinching their respective party nominations for president.Mr Trump has so far amassed 1,076 delegates and is 139 away from the number needed to lock in the Republican nod. Mr Biden has collected 1,859 delegates, 109 short of what he needs to secure the Democratic ticket.Each man has the chance to complete the task in primary contests on Tuesday, including in Georgia.Their shadow-boxing duel on Saturday also comes two days after Mr Biden rebuked his predecessor’s rhetoric and record in harsh terms during his State of the Union address to Congress.Biden draws election battle lines in fiery speechSpeaking in the north-western city of Rome, Mr Trump hammered his “grossly incompetent” opponent for “the most divisive, partisan and radical speech ever delivered by a president in that chamber”.”Joe Biden should not be shouting angrily at America,” he argued.”America should be shouting angrily at Joe Biden.”This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: We asked MAGA: is there anything good about Biden?He also zeroed in on border security and the murder last month of Laken Riley, a Georgia college student allegedly killed by an undocumented immigrant.Immigration is now the top concern for US voters, according to a Gallup poll released last month.With supporters holding aloft photos of Ms Riley, and her family and friends in attendance, the former president vowed to “demand justice for Laken” and “seal the border”.He also slammed Mr Biden for rowing back on comments during the State of the Union in which he referred to the suspect as “an illegal”. The president expressed regret in an MSNBC interview that he had not used Democrats’ preferred term – undocumented.Mr Biden’s controversial remark came during an exchange with top Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene, who rallied with Mr Trump on Saturday in Rome, the city she lives in and represents in Congress. Speaking about an hour’s drive away in the capital city of Atlanta, Mr Biden told supporters: “It can tell you a lot about a person, who he keeps company with.”Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Donald Trump campaigned in Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene’s hometown of Rome on SaturdayHe attacked Mr Trump – who also hosted Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban at his Florida home on Friday – for “sucking up to wannabe dictators and authoritarian thugs all over the world”.Reframing November’s general election as “a contest between competing forces in a battle for the soul of this nation”, the president reiterated his view that Mr Trump’s “story of resentment, revenge and retribution” was not in the best interests of voters.Fresh off the buzz of a State of the Union watched on television by more than 32 million Americans, Mr Biden’s campaign for re-election is on the offensive.He visited the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Friday, and will rally in Michigan and Wisconsin next week, while members of his administration are also fanning out across the country.Did State of the Union change how voters see Biden?In coming weeks, “we will dramatically expand our volunteer engagement, scale up our battleground staff, launch our coalition groups, and invest in new paid media campaigns”, campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said.One such ad – that will target voters in seven swing states over the next six weeks – was launched earlier on Saturday and directly addresses concerns about his age.”Look, I’m not a young guy, that’s no secret,” it begins, before making the case that the veteran politician’s experience has helped him “understand how to get things done for the American people”.During his Saturday appearance in Atlanta, Mr Biden’s crowd was small but enthusiastic, holding up signs passed around by organisers with the phrase “we’re on board”.At the event, the campaign formally unveiled an endorsement from a trio of political action groups, who will spend $30m (£23.3m) to mobilise black, Latino and Asian voters in support of the Democrat.The president hit on many of the points from his punchy address on Capitol Hill, delivering remarks with energy that seems to have suffused his new style.Keeping up that pace over the next eight months will be challenging, but it comes as no surprise his latest tit-for-tat with Mr Trump came in Georgia.Based on the results of their 2020 race, the southern state is the most marginal one in the country. Mr Biden won here by fewer than 12,000 votes.A big part of his victory came from almost nine out of ten black voters supporting him, but recent polls have provided worrying signs, with a distinct lack of enthusiasm among many black voters for Mr Biden’s candidacy.Polls show Mr Trump in the lead here, but he too has problems. Georgia is home to one of the four criminal cases against him that could go to trial before the election, and he faces 13 felony charges over his alleged efforts to overturn his 2020 loss in the state.In short, Georgia is on both these men’s minds and victory in November may well hinge on its result.Related TopicsGeorgiaUS election 2024Donald TrumpUS politicsJoe BidenMore on this storyVoters on election rematch: ‘I wish younger candidates had a chance’Published4 days agoTrump ally and daughter-in-law to lead RepublicansPublished1 day agoBiden draws election battle lines in fiery speechPublished1 day agoDid State of the Union change how voters see Biden?Published1 day agoTop StoriesUS military ship heading to Gaza to build portPublished3 hours agoIDF completes road across Gaza, satellite images showPublished6 hours agoJohnson flew to Venezuela for unofficial talksPublished2 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: Gove’s extremism warning and Johnson in trip to VenezuelaApple ‘like Godfather’ with new App Store rulesThe people keeping the historic foot ferry afloatHow China’s boarding schools are silencing Tibet’s languageWhat a $1 deal says about America’s office marketYour pictures on the theme of ‘speed’Man behind viral fake currency shocked by its successDNA’s discovery changed the world – and my life. VideoDNA’s discovery changed the world – and my lifeOn patrol with the anti-social behaviour squadElsewhere on the BBCHair-pulling, punching and kickingFootage from the moment a brawl erupts in the Maldives ParliamentAttributioniPlayerExploring the mysterious deaths of Nazi fugitivesThree brothers investigate whether a family connection may explain the truthAttributioniPlayerFrom triumph to tragedy…After more than 30 years of service, America’s space shuttle took to the skies for the last timeAttributioniPlayerCan they take on an elite boarding school?Five black inner-city teens must leave their old worlds behind…AttributioniPlayerMost Read1Doctor reveals how ‘brutal’ therapy tackled Rhod Gilbert’s cancer2King gives Scotland’s top honour to Prince Edward3Johnson flew to Venezuela for unofficial talks4Gove’s extremism warning and Johnson in trip to Venezuela5Earl Spencer reveals abuse at boarding school6IDF completes road across Gaza, satellite images show7’Oh my god!’ Donatella Versace rescued from lift8Attack victims hit out at extremism in open letter9Moscow student jailed for pro-Ukraine wi-fi name10US military ship heading to Gaza to build port

• newsinsightplus.com
Blog
• March 10, 2024
• 0 Comments