Welcome to McClatchy’s Voter Survival Guide, an interactive presentation of daily events from one of the strangest presidential campaigns in modern history.
Donald Trump and vice president Joe Biden are going back-and-forth like middle schoolers. After Biden said he would like to, “take him [Trump] behind the gym” Trump responded.
“He wants to bring me to the back of the barn. Ohhhhhh," Trump said with mock fear, botching Biden's quote. "Some things in life you can really love doing.”
Trump received a gift after it was announced that Obamacare premiums would rise in 38 states, and he wasted no time capitalizing on the news while campaigning in Florida.
“This election is going to be about Obamacare—it’s going to be about jobs; it’s going to be about a lot of things,” Trump said. “But Obamacare is just blowing up, and even the White House, our president, announced 25 or 26 percent [increase]. That number is so wrong. That is such a phony number. You’re talking about 60,70, 80 percent in increases, not 25 percent.”
Hillary Clinton’s campaign was quick to respond.
“What we shouldn’t do is what Donald Trump would do, which is to throw away the gains that we have made in terms of 20 million people having access to coverage and also the protections that the Affordable Care Act provides in terms of limits on lifetime costs and covering pre-existing conditions, things like 26-year-olds [having coverage on their parents plans],” said Clinton campaign spokeswoman Jennifer Palmieri.
Bill Clinton hit the campaign trail in North Carolina on Tuesday, and he wasted no time attacking Donald Trump.
“I’m a white southerner – I know what ‘Make America Great Again’ means, and all of you of a certain age know exactly what it means,” Clinton said to a mostly African-American crowd in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. “I didn’t fall off this truck yesterday, I’ve heard this song a long time. It means first, I’ll give you the economy you had 50 years ago, and second, I’ll give you the society you had 50 years ago: I’ll move you up and move somebody else down.”
Even though his tone was forceful, Clinton urged the crowd to treat Trump supporters with understanding.
“Do not treat them with the anger they often display toward us – love them to death,” he said.
Clinton received the endorsement of former Secretary of State Colin Powell, another high-profile Republican to break ranks with the party’s nominee.
Trump has touted the Brexit vote from earlier this summer as a harbinger of what’s to come on November 8th, but he needs to close a big gap in the polls to make that possibility.
The polls open nationally in 12 days. Let’s get started.
Obamacare becomes a Trump campaign rallying cry
News of Obamacare premiums drastically increasing isn’t good for low-income Americans who rely on the service, but it could be good news for Trump.
An increase of sick patients combined with insurers are dropping out of the program resulted in the price increase, which will average 25 percent across all states who are part of Obamacare.