The Latest: Trump makes appeals to older voters in Florida

President Donald Trump says he’s moving “heaven and earth” to protect older people from the coronavirus

Trump (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The latest on the presidential campaign (all times local):

2:35 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he’s moving “heaven and earth” to protect older people from the coronavirus.

Trump is making a direct appeal to older voters during a Friday appearance in Fort Myers, Florida. Polls have shown that Trump’s support among this voting bloc has slipped partly because of his uneven handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more people in the United States than in any other country. Older people are among the groups most vulnerable to the COVID-19 disease it causes.

Trump says in the speech: “I will protect you, I will defend you, and I will fight for you with every ounce of energy and conviction that I have.”

The president is also assuring older people that they will be first in line for a vaccine when one is approved. He adds that he will provide them with treatments like those he received at no cost.

Trump recently recovered from COVID-19 and spent three days in the hospital.

___

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE:

President Donald Trump is holding rallies in Ocala, Florida, and Macon, Georgia, on Friday night. His Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, is in Michigan, where he is talking about health care in Southfield, holding a virtual meeting with Black faith leaders and mobilizing voters in Detroit.

Read more:

— Biden outraises Trump $383 million to $248 million in September

— Trump on defense, courting voters in two must-win states

— AP-NORC poll: Voters see the nation as fundamentally divided