Biden, Trump return to campaign trail in final countdown before Election Day

Washington — President Biden and former President Donald Trump are back out on the campaign trail Sunday stumping for candidates from their respective parties as the midterm election cycle comes to a close.

Mr. Biden is heading to Westchester County, New York, to campaign for Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is fending off a challenge from Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin, while Trump is in Miami for a rally in support of Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who is running for reelection against Democrat Rep. Val Demings.

Also appearing on the campaign trail Sunday is first lady Dr. Jill Biden, who is in Houston to gin up support for Democrats up and down the ballot in Texas. 

Political heavyweights from both parties have criss-crossed the country in the closing days of the midterm elections, for which nearly 39 million Americans in 47 states have already cast their votes. In addition to campaigning in New York, Mr. Biden headed to Philadelphia on Saturday to reunite with former President Barack Obama for an event in support of Democrats John Fetterman, who is running for the Senate, and Josh Shapiro, running for governor.

Political heavyweights from both parties have criss-crossed the country in the closing days of the midterm elections, for which nearly 39 million Americans in 47 states have already cast their votes. In addition to campaigning in New York, Mr. Biden headed to Pennsylvania on Saturday to reunite with former President Barack Obama for an event in Philadelphia in support of Democrats John Fetterman, who is running for the Senate, and Josh Shapiro, running for governor.

Trump also headed to Pennsylvania on Saturday to stump for Republican candidates Dr. Mehmet Oz, who is challenging Fetterman for the Senate seat, and Doug Mastriano, Shapiro’s opponent. 

At Saturday’s rally in GOP stronghold Latrobe in western Pennsylvania, Trump mocked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican rising star who is seen as a possible 2024 presidential candidate, calling him “Ron DeSanctimonious.” DeSantis, who is also up for reelection, is holding events in three Florida counties — Hillsborough, Sarasota and Lee — far away from Trump’s event in Miami. 

In their closing arguments to voters, Mr. Biden and Obama have warned that their fundamental rights are on the ballot Tuesday, and predicted that a Republican-controlled Congress would make it difficult for Mr. Biden to implement his policy priorities during the second half of his first term. But Republicans have continued to paint their Democratic opponents as soft-on-crime, while criticizing Democrats for policies they say has led to high consumer prices.

A CBS News Battleground Tracker found that Republicans are poised to retake the House, while Senate control remains a toss-up.