Joe Biden (File)
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was in Des Moines earlier this afternoon to deliver his closing pitch to Iowans at a drive-in rally on the state fairgrounds.
“It’s time for us to stand up, take back our democracy,” Biden said, as car horns blasted in response. “We can do this. We’re so much better than we’ve been.”
Biden accused the Trump Administration of a “weak and chaotic” China trade policy that has dealt set-backs to Iowa farmers and the biofuels industry.
“Ethanol margins have tanked and Iowa’s manufacturing facilities are idle and even closing,” Biden said.
Biden also brought up the $28 billion in trade disruption payments the Trump Administration has provided farmers.
“He says because of quote — his bailouts, our farmers do better now than when they actually had to farm,'” Biden said. “…Where’s this guy from? Who does he think he is?”
Biden said if elected, he’ll mobilize an international effort to address China’s trade abuses that have hit the nation’s farmers as well as U.S. manufacturers.
“I’m going to hold China, which he hasn’t from the pandemic on,” Biden said.
Trump’s critique of wind energy — and Trump’s claim wind turbines cause cancer — got a particularly sharp rebuke from Biden.
“This is also a guy you may recall, the stable genius, who said the problem with the Revolutionary War was that we didn’t have enough airports,” Biden said. “And he talks about mental acuity? Whoa.”
Biden, surrounded by 200 cars, according to his campaign, spoke from a stage in a parking lot on the state fairgrounds and noted this year’s Fair had been cancelled for the first time since World War II. Biden lamented job losses during the pandemic and promised, among other things, to provide federal money to help schools improve ventilation systems.
“I’ve said before I’m not going to shut down the economy. I’m going to shut down the virus,” Biden said to a chorus of car horns.
Biden opened his speech by touting U.S. Senate candidate Theresa Greenfield. She also spoke to rally-goers.
“In 2014, Senator Joni Ernst — she told us she’d be independent, she’d be different and she’d make ’em squeal. Honk if you remember squealing,” Greenfield said. “…She had six years and she failed Iowa.”
Iowa Republican Party chairman Jeff Kaufmann noted this was Biden’s first visit to the state since finishing 4th in the Iowa Caucuses and Kaufmann said today’s visit was “too little, too late” in the state to help the Democratic ticket. Vice President Pence campaigned in Iowa twice this month and the Trump campaign has announced the president will rally with supporters at the Dubuque Airport early Sunday afternoon.