Biden and Trump Return to Campaign Trail after Spar at Presidential Town Hall

WILMINGTON/DORAL, KOMPAS.com – After dueling it out during the Presidential Town Hall, Joe Biden and President Donald Trump will return to the campaign trail on Friday.

The Democratic challenger and current US President have visits lined up in three battleground states, a day after the two contenders clashed from afar during the town halls.

The split-screen Presidential Town Hall 2020 replaced a presidential debate that was canceled in the wake of Trump's coronavirus diagnosis.

Read also: Donald Trump Tests Positive for Coronavirus, Begins Quarantine

The event also highlighted the sharp contrast between the two candidates' approach to the campaign less than three weeks before the November 3 Election Day.

A combative Trump, sparring with moderator Samantha Guthrie on NBC, refused to condemn the bizarre conspiracy theory QAnon.

During his Presidential Town Hall, the US President was quick to claim that the 2020 election is rife with fraud and questioned whether masks can help combat the spread of Covid-19.

Read also: Trump Again Downplays Virus as White House Outbreak Spreads

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden delivered policy-heavy answers and focused his attacks on Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed 216,000 Americans and hammered the economy.

Joe Biden has led the contest for months, according to polls, and it was not clear whether President Donald Trump’s aggressive posture during the Presidential Town Hall would succeed in altering what has been a stable race despite a whirlwind of news.

More than 18 million Americans have already cast ballots, far more than at a similar juncture in 2016, according to a tracker at the US Elections Project at the University of Florida.

Read also: Early Voting 2020 Shatters Record as Election Day Draws Near

Louisiana will begin early voting on Friday, following record turnout in competitive states Georgia, Texas and North Carolina this week.

Trump's campaign travel includes a visit to Florida and Georgia, two states that are seen as crucial to his chances of victory, while Biden will visit two cities in Michigan, another battleground state.

The second presidential debate had been scheduled for Thursday, but Trump pulled out of the event after organizers said it would be virtual to lessen the risk of infection.