Pres. Trump begins final sprint to Election Day with visit to West Salem, WI

WEST SALEM, Wis. (CBS 58) — President Donald Trump began delivering his closing argument to Wisconsin voters at a rally in western Wisconsin with one week to go until Election Day.

Trump aimed to energize his base by framing the election over the contrast of how a pandemic recovery would look different under his second term versus a Biden administration.

“This election is a choice between a Trump super recovery or a Biden depression,” Trump told supporters. “It’s a choice between a Trump boom or a Biden lockdown.”

The rally occurred on another record-breaking day for Wisconsin’s fight against coronavirus. The event featured nearly no social distancing and mask wearing was sparse. The president attempted to paint a brighter picture of the pandemic that has killed more than 226,000 people in the United States saying the country is “rounding the corner” of the pandemic. Health experts say the pandemic is far from over.

President Trump also criticized governors who he said implemented “lockdowns” in their states and urged supporters to demand Governor Tony Evers to “open up” the state. The state Supreme Court in the spring limited the governor’s powers over Safer at Home. Currently, there are ongoing court battles over Evers’ coronavirus mitigation efforts like the mask mandate and indoor public gathering limits.

While the president trails Joe Biden in recent Wisconsin polling, he hopes to recreate his 2016 success in the state. Trump trailed in several polls examining Wisconsin leading up to Election Day in 2016, but eventually won the state by fewer than 23,000 votes.

“In 2016, Wisconsin voted to fire this corrupt political establishment and you elected an outsider as president who is finally putting America first,” Trump said.

With the end of the election just days away, the Trump campaign believes its presence in the state can make a difference.

“We feel good, we feel we have the candidate, the fighter and the policies to get us across the finish line,” Trump Campaign Press Communications Director Erin Perinne told CBS 58 in an interview. “We’re going to be nonstop here. Joe Biden’s only been here twice. He’s taking Wisconsin for granted. We certainly don’t here on the Trump campaign.”

Joe Biden is set to travel to Wisconsin on Friday.

The Biden campaign sent the following statement ahead of the president’s rally:

As COVID-19 cases continue to surge, there is no end in sight for so many Wisconsinites,” Danielle Melfi, the Biden for President-Wisconsin State Director said. “Families continue to bear the brung of this pandemic and far too many will never again be whole. The Trump administration has admitted openly to trying to control this virus and eight months into this pandemic President Trump’s failures have yielded devastating results. When Wisconsin sends Joe Biden to the White House, we’ll have a president who will listen to the experts, trust the science and get this virus under control.”

The Trump campaign’s focus on Wisconsin continues in the final week of the election when Vice President Mike Pence visits Mosinee for a rally on Wednesday, Oct. 27.

The visit represents a critical moment for Pres. Trump to energize his voters in a part of the state he needs a strong performance from if he hopes to keep Wisconsin in his win column. 

A University of Wisconsin-Madison battleground survey out this week had Joe Biden ahead of Trump by 9 points. The Trump campaign tells CBS 58 they plan on overcoming polls like they did in 2016, and remain confident with one week to go until Election Day, Nov. 3. 

"We feel good, we feel we have the candidate, the fighter and the policies to get us across the finish line. This is a president – I don’t even know how many stops he’s made in Wisconsin, the vice president will be here tomorrow. We’re going to be nonstop here – Joe Biden’s only been here twice he’s taking Wisconsin for granted, we certainly don’t here on the trump campaign," said Trump Campaign Director of Press Communications Erin Perrine.

Biden is set to make his third trip to Wisconsin later this week.