America holds its breath: President Trump casts his vote and lashes out at mail-in ballots as poll shows Joe Biden eight points clear in White House race’s closing stages
- US President Trump yesterday voted in Palm Beach County Main Library
- He again lashed out at mail-in voting which he warned ‘could fall victim to fraud’
- Latest polls show Mr Biden, 77, ahead in the race for the White House. An Ipsos poll yesterday had Mr Biden in front by eight points
US President Donald Trump cast his vote yesterday and joked that he ‘voted for a guy named Trump’.
The 74-year-old, who has previously described postal voting as corrupt, went to Palm Beach County Main Library and left saying: ‘It was a very secure vote. Everything was perfect.’
However, he again lashed out at mail-in voting which he warned ‘could fall victim to fraud and cost me the election’, adding: ‘You cannot have security like this with mail-in votes.’
Just days after appearing to snatch her hand away from Mr Trump’s palm after the Presidential TV debate on Thursday, First Lady Melania was noticeably absent from the trip to Florida.
A White House spokesman said he had ‘no idea’ when she would vote.
Florida is one of many states which have opened for early in-person voting because of the pandemic and Mr Trump is among millions of Americans who have already voted ahead of the November 3 election.
More than 85 million mail-in ballots have been requested, with 46 per cent of those planning to vote for Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
Latest polls show Mr Biden, 77, ahead in the race for the White House. An Ipsos poll yesterday had Mr Biden in front by eight points.
Facing defeat, Mr Trump set off on a whirlwind tour of battleground states. He told a cheering crowd in Lumberton, North Carolina: ‘The polls are so wrong. We’re going to get four more years.’
Citing inaccurate polls during the last election in 2016, he defiantly added: ‘They showed me losing last time. I apologised to my wife saying, “I’m not used to losing.” Then I won. Now the polls are much closer. They’ve all got it wrong.’
Mr Trump, who spent three days in hospital after contracting coronavirus, also revealed that his son Barron, 14, tested positive for Covid before testing negative ‘15 minutes later’, adding: ‘He has a very strong immune system.’
Meanwhile, Good Morning Britain presenter and Mail on Sunday columnist Piers Morgan appears to have healed his rift with Mr Trump, tweeting yesterday that they had enjoyed a 25-minute phone call.
‘His last words? “Piers, I’m going to win,” ’ tweeted Mr Morgan.