US elections 2020: Donald Trump seeks a 'rebuke of socialism'

Martinsburg (US), Oct 27: US President Donald Trump has warned that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris plan to take the country on the path of socialism, unless voters use the November 3 elections to keep such ideologies at bay. Trump, 74, who is seeking his re-election, on Monday held three campaign rallies in Pennsylvania, a state he narrowly won in 2016.

“You must stop the anti-American radicals from doing what they're doing. You can't let the Democrats and Joe Biden have a far-left victory. This has to be a thundering defeat, not just a defeat it has to be a rebuke of socialism,” Trump told thousands of his supporters here. The president's remarks on socialism and capitalism, hit a chord with the supporters.

“There is no way we can have socialism come into this country,” one of his supporters, Michael, told PTI after the Martinsburg rally. “United States is a free-market, capitalism country. It has to be like this,” said Michael, who is in the construction business in this rural part of Pennsylvania. People lined up hours ahead of the rally. Trump's speech lasted for more than 90 minutes, receiving regular applause and cheer.

“If Biden wins, China wins. When we win, America wins. If I don't sound like a typical Washington politician, it's because I'm not a politician if that's okay,” Trump said. “And I don't always play by the rules of the Washington establishment, it's because I was elected to fight for you harder than anyone has ever fought for you before,” he said. In all three rallies on Monday, the Trump campaign telecast on large screens (vide walls) some remarks made by Biden on oil, fracking, climate change, and China.

“A rising China is an incredibly positive development for not only China but the United States and the rest of the world. Rising China is a positive, positive development. It is in our self-interest that China continue to prosper. We want to see China rise. China is a great nation. And we should hope for their continued expansion,” Biden is heard saying.

“China is not our enemy. We talk about China as our competitor. We should be helping. The idea that China is going to eat our lunch is bizarre. The idea that they are our competition, they are going to beat us is bizarre. China is going to eat our lunch come on, man. They're not bad folks, folks. China is not a problem,” Biden said in another clip, amidst boos from the audience. Trump said the United States will never forget what China did to the country and the world.

“And next year will be the greatest economic year in the history of our country, and that's where we're heading if you look at the job numbers,” he said. This election, Trump said, is a choice between the rule of the people or the rule of the corrupt political class. The president said the US will "never ever" be a socialist country.

“But if Joe Biden and his Democrat socialists are elected, they will delay the vaccine, delay the therapies, prolong the pandemic, close your schools -- they're already closed. Open them up! Open up those schools!” Trump said.

“If Biden and the Democrat socialists are elected, they will raise your taxes to a level that you've never seen before, bury you in regulations, dismantle your police departments, dissolve our borders. They don't want borders. They want to open borders. They even said maybe will take down the wall, which is now almost complete,” Trump said.