The two main US presidential contenders questioned the commitment of their rival to the campaign, less than a fortnight before the election.
ADVERTISEMENTHillary Clinton celebrated her 69th birthday with chocolate cake which she duly shared with the media in line with tradition, on board her campaign’s plane.
The Democratic nominee says her presidential campaign will focus on battleground states, with under two weeks to go till the election.
The former secretary of state appeared in the key state of Florida, where one poll has given Donald Trump a slight lead – though he trails in other surveys of marginal states, and national surveys put Clinton ahead overall.
“I am going to work as hard as I can over these next 13 days reaching out to as many people as possible. We can’t take our foot off the gas — even for a short time. Every vote counts,” Clinton told her supporters in Lake Worth.
Making a pitch to independents and Republicans, Clinton pointed to a common vision shared by all Americans, accusing her rival of spending “his entire campaign attacking one group of Americans after another”.
“Hillary Clinton is a fighter for all of us. She's the fighter we need.” pic.twitter.com/RTNgVppbwU
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) October 27, 2016
Meanwhile Donald Trump defended his decision to break from the campaign trail to attend the formal opening of his new hotel in Washington.
The Republican candidate also took a dig at previous governments as he spoke at a rally in North Carolina.
“My children worked very hard for that project I wanted to be with them to cut the ribbon. But the other reason the other reason I went there, is because it was brought in under-budget and ahead of schedule, something this country never heard about,” Trump said, sending a message that he could accomplish similar feats if elected president.
His earlier appearance at the hotel launch had drawn criticism from some Republicans and Hillary Clinton who accused him of paying more attention to his business than to the campaign.
Trump responded by saying that Clinton “wants to sleep all the time”, and that “this is not what we need” from a president.
Turning his attention to urban policy, the Republican candidate promised “21st century” banking industry reforms and tax changes to boost job creation and investment in blighted communities.
He plans to ease access to bank credit for young blacks trying to start businesses and create jobs. The New York businessmen is struggling to appeal to African-Americans and people of Latin-American descent.
Trump added that the steps, coupled with efforts to reduce US trade deficits and the outsourcing of jobs abroad, would “raise wages at home, meaning rent and bills become instantly more affordable” for the poor.
Thank you Charlotte, North Carolina. Great afternoon! #ICYMI – I delivered a speech on urban renewal. Full speech: https://t.co/XLYcN1gaVQpic.twitter.com/pWIzcZObVG
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 27, 2016
In response to the opinion polls – which at least one commentator has warned should be treated with a grain of salt – several congressional aides have warned that the Republican Party’s two-year run holding a majority in the US Senate is at serious risk on November 8. One source cited opinion polling in forecasting that Republicans could lose Senate seats in six battleground states, according to Reuters.
Republicans currently hold 54 of the Senate’s 100 seats. The Senate elections which coincide with the presidential vote on November 8 will see a third of the seats (34) contested.