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By Lauren Egan
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has stood up against Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Gillum and Senator Bill Nelson at a rally for the Florida campaign Wednesday night in the President's last push to keep Congressional oversight by the GOP in the mid-term elections.
But Trump, who has fought several times against the Democratic hopeful this week, has left most of the attacks on Gillum's Republican challenger, former representative Ron DeSantis, who has joined the president on stage in Fort . Myers.
"I am the only one who can credibly claim that I am not under investigation for corruption by the FBI," said DeSantis, citing Trump's comments earlier in the week when he called Gillum "a thief." of stones "and without any proof. Gillum was under investigation in a corruption investigation in Tallahassee, where he was mayor.
"Maybe we should dismiss Gillum," DeSantis told the Florida crowd, prompting his fans to chant "Lock it!" – something that is usually reserved for Hillary Clinton at the Trump campaign events.
The closely fought governor's race turned sour a few weeks ago when a group of white supremacists targeted voters with a Gillum phone call simulating a minstrel voice. In October, another call circulated calling Gillum a "ghostwriter" and a "monkey".
"Race is central to governor elections, no question," said Daniel Smith, professor of political science at the University of Florida. "The race card is obvious … We are not talking about dog whistle racism, it's dog-attack mode."
Trump got some of his shots at Gillum, who, according to polls, is in a tight race against DeSantis.
"In Tallahassee, they have the highest crime rate," said Trump, hinting that under Gillum, the number of crimes has increased. "He can not keep Florida safe." Although Leon County, where Tallahassee is located, is above the crime rate in the state, the county's crime rate declined during Gillum's tenure as mayor.
The president also attacked Nelson, who faces a challenge from Republican governor Timothy Rick Scott in another contest that is too close to be followed.
"I am often here and I have never seen Senator Nelson until six months before the elections," Trump said.
Trump has also doubled his Florida immigration message.
"We are getting ready for the caravan, you will not have to worry about it," said Trump, referring to migrants crossing Central America and Mexico hoping to reach the US border. "They have a lot of rough people in these caravans, they are not angels."
Trump reiterated his controversial commitment to end citizenship.
"We will end it," he said, promising to "keep them out of the country."
Birthright's citizenship is established in the 14th Amendment and its abolition would force Trump to overcome the main legal and legislative obstacles.
Before going on stage rallies on Wednesday, Trump said he always strove to tell the truth – "when I can" – in an exclusive interview with Jonathan Karl, of ABC.
"Well, I try, I try … and I always want to tell the truth, when I can, I tell the truth, and sometimes it happens that something different or change is happening. product, but I want to be truthful, "said Trump.
Trump also reaffirmed his belief that the migrant caravan was an "invasion" in the United States.
"When you look at some of them, when you look at some of their people, yes, I think it can be considered an invasion, we can not have it."
Trump won Florida in 2016 by just over a percentage point and the state will play a crucial role in his reelection.
Like many of Trump's half-way rallies, the rally was aimed at getting the base back up before the midterms while paving the way for its 2020 campaign. And it will not be its last stop in Florida before Tuesday's election. Trump will return Saturday for a rally in Pensacola.
"He is going to the most Republican locations in the state, with the exception of Panama City, which has just been destroyed by a hurricane," said Rick Wilson, GOP strategist in Florida and virulent critic of Trump. "Fort Myers has three things: very Republican, very conservative and very very old.It's his friendly audience that should tell you that everything is in 2020. It's a grassroots election only for Trump."
The Wednesday evening event of Trump was the first of the eleven campaign events that he plans to hold in the country during the six days leading up to the mid-term elections.
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