Biden, Trump make final push in Midwest battlegrounds

Heading into the final weekend before the election, U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden barnstormed across Midwestern battleground states Friday where the coronavirus has roared back.

Their rallies came as the country hit another yet grim milestone – recording its 9 millionth COVID-19 case Friday – with 17 states this week hitting record numbers of daily cases.

The virus killing up to 1,000 people a day or more – the death toll now at nearly 230,000 people.

And yet Trump, in Michigan - one of the hardest-hit states - again insisted the country is (quote), “rounding the corner” in its fight against the disease… and made this baseless claim:

“You know, our doctors get more money if someone dies from COVID, you know that right?”

Trump - who has held packed rallies where many people don’t wear masks despite recommendations from public health officials - spotted conservative Fox News host Laura Ingraham in the crowd and chided her for being (quote) “politically correct” for wearing a mask.

“Where is Laura? I can’t recognize you. Is that a mask? No way – are you wearing a mask? I’ve never seen her in a mask. Look at you. Whoa – she’s being very politically correct. Whoa!”

Biden, in Iowa - where polls show him running close to Trump – again blasted the president's response to the virus, saying Trump’s failure to contain it had cost lives and sent the economy into a tailspin.

"One in six businesses is now out of business because he won’t act. Imagine if he had told us in January how dangerous this was and took action. It's estimated that 130,000 people would still be alive. Unlike Donald Trump, we will not surrender to this virus."

Both candidates on Friday also had planned stops in Wisconsin and Minnesota - two of the three historically Democratic industrial states, along with Pennsylvania, which narrowly voted for the Trump in 2016, delivering him an upset victory.

Trump plans to hold several rallies in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

Biden, running mate Kamala Harris and their spouses will spend their last day of campaigning on Monday in Pennsylvania, enabling them to hit all four corners of that closely divided state in the race's final hours.