Playing electoral defense, Trump to promote recovery in Ohio

Forced to play defense in states he led comfortably months ago, President Donald Trump set his sights on Ohio on Thursday in an attempt to reframe centerpiece of his reelection pitch.

During his visit, Trump planned to promote ecomic prosperity that much of nation enjoyed before coronavirus pandemic and try to make case that he is best suited to rebuild a crippled ecomy. But his handling of outbreak has weakened his bid for a second term, causing Trump to spend time and resources in a state he won easily in 2016 but w could be in danger of slipping away.

president also intended to use Ohio trip to kick off a long weekend of fundraising that comes as his Democratic opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, has chipped away at Trump’s financial advant as race enters its final three months.

virus upended Trump’s plan to run on back of a strong ecomy, and Biden has charged that president has pushed to reopen states too soon in hopes of jump-starting markets and lifting his standing in polls. But several states have had to slow down pace of ir reopening, and officials are warily watching a rise in coronavirus cases in Midwest, including Ohio.

When Trump swept through region in 2016, his ecomic populism argument was one of factors that led him to narrowly capture Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. He handily won Ohio, which had been a swing state for decades, by eight percent points.

But Trump w finds himself severely tested in battleground states, and campaign aides have privately all but written off Michigan. president w has been forced to spend time in states that his campaign once thought he had locked up. Ohio trip comes a week after he visited formerly deeply Republican Texas.

In Ohio, Trump was expected to sign an executive order requiring that federal government purchase certain drugs from U.S. manufacturers rar than from foreign companies. order, which Trump intended to sign at Whirlpool Corp.’s manufacturing plant in Clyde, would instruct government to develop a list of “essential” medicines and n buy m and or medical supplies solely from U.S. manufacturers. plant is in district of a close Trump ally, GOP Rep. Jim Jordan.

administration has long looked to reduce U.S. dependency on drugs made overseas, particularly in China. new order would invoke Defense Production Act to procure essential medicines and or equipment from United States, but would t stipulate precisely which drugs would fall under requirements.

Trump has said he wants to prepare for future pandemics by replenishing national stockpile and bringing manufacturing of critical supplies and equipment back to U.S. His critics have suggested that his administration was woefully unprepared for COVID-19, which has killed more than 157,000 Americans, and that Trump has faltered in mobilizing nation’s resources to battle virus.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who took a much more aggressive posture in outlining virus’ dangers than did Trump, has received high marks in polls for his handling of pandemic. But a recent uptick in cases has sharpened scrutiny on Republican goverr, who recently instituted a statewide mask order.

DeWine was scheduled to meet with Trump in Cleveland, where president planned to give a speech on ecomy before traveling to Whirlpool plant and n a fundraiser. Trump plans a long weekend at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, with a high-dollar fundraiser in Hamptons on New York’s Long Island and a second near Jersey shore.

fundraising spree comes a day after Trump anunced that he raised $165 million for his reelection effort in month of July, surpassing what Biden raised during same period.

But a massive cash-on-hand advant that once gave Republican a significant competitive edge has largely been closed. Biden and Democratic Party are reporting that y are just $6 million shy of $300 million that president and Republican National Committee have banked.

money puts two on a virtually even footing that will allow both to amply advertise, fund get-out--vote efforts and mobilize supporters, even if it has to be done virtually in many instances due to coronavirus.

But Trump campaign appears to have a clear lead in one unusual campaign metric: boat parades.

In recent weeks, president’s campaign has promoted dozens of videos of boats — many flying Trump flags — dotting America’s waterways and has attempted to make case that dearth of similar nautical displays for Biden reflected a lack of enthusiasm for Democrat.

Some version of a boat parade was planned for Lake Erie during president’s Ohio visit, according to local supporters.