MIRAMAR, Fla. – Joe Biden’s trip to Broward County on Tuesday was intended to get out the vote among two key constituencies — senior citizens and Caribbean-Americans.
It wrapped up with a drive-in event at Miramar Regional Park where the Democratic presidential nominee was greeted by a cacophony of car horns.
“You can determine this election,” Biden proclaimed exactly three days before Election Day. “We win Florida and it’s all over.”
After flying into Fort Lauderdale from Delaware, the former vice president’s first stop was the Southwest Focal Point Community Center in Pembroke Pines, where he discussed his vision for older Americans.
Biden told the gathering that President Donald Trump has never been focused on seniors or their health.
“Trump doesn’t really care about lowering the healthcare costs, because he’s beholden to the health insurance companies and the drug companies,” Biden said. “After all, he’s asking the United States Supreme Court, as I speak, he’s asking them right now, to strike down the entire Affordable Care Act.”
Attendees were wearing N95 masks, and both of Biden’s Broward events were invitation-only, a sharp contrast to Trump’s large rally at a Central Florida airport Monday night.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz spoke before Biden in Pembroke Pines, pointing out that most Florida seniors vote, making them crucial to deciding which candidate will win the election.
“Protecting seniors is who Joe Biden is,” the Democratic congresswoman said.
The second event was also strategic for the Biden campaign. Miramar has a sizeable Caribbean-American community, and there is excitement there over Biden’s running mate Kamala Harris being the daughter of a Jamaican man.
WATCH A REPLAY OF BIDEN’S MIRAMAR EVENT BELOW:
WATCH LIVE: Biden campaign event in Broward CountyJoe Biden is in Miramar, campaigning for key Florida votes three weeks before Election Day.
Posted by WPLG Local 10 on Tuesday, October 13, 2020
This was Biden’s third trip to Florida while campaigning for the presidential election. Last week he visited Miami and appealed to the Hispanic constituency.
Broward is the most democratic county in Florida, so Biden counting on this county to win the state’s 29 electoral votes. But non-party affiliation voters are growing, reaching 13% of all voters in Broward.
The latest polls show Biden and Trump within percentage points in Florida, a state where the last big elections were won by less than that.
“Florida is tough,” Biden supporter Saskia Madison said outside the Miramar event. “But we’ve got to do our part. We’ve got to get the message out.”
Trump, Pence coming to Miami
Meanwhile, Miami is preparing for a visit from Trump on Thursday, though his specific plans have not been announced.
Vice President Mike Pence is also scheduled to be in Miami-Dade on Thursday for a 12:30 p.m. event at Memorial Cubano at Tamiami Park.
Trump made his first campaign trip out of the Washington area on Monday night to hold a rally at Orlando Sanford International Airport.
Biden on Obama
Before leaving for South Florida on Tuesday, Biden was asked about President Barack Obama. Biden said Obama “will be out on the trail” and is “doing enough” for the campaign.
Obama has not been a frequent campaign presence during the coronavirus pandemic, which has curtailed in-person campaigning for Democrats' surrogates.