MIAMI (WSVN) - With six days to go until Election Day, presidential contenders Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton stumped for support in South Florida, as they made eleventh-hour cases for their candidacies in the battleground state.
The lines started early, Wednesday, for Trump’s rally in Downtown Miami. Supporters flocked to the Bayfront Park Amphitheater to hear the Republican candidate speak.
One supporter, Lily Wagner, said, “It’s just to pick up the energy,” she said. “It’s so incredible.”
Wagner said she’s attended the majority of Trump’s rallies in Florida. She added that she and her family have already voted with confidence days before the election. “Listen, I’m positive all the way,” said Wagner. “Trump all the way. I have no doubt he’s going to win.”
Andrew Brett told 7News he doesn’t fit the profile of the typical Trump supporter. “This is my fourth rally. I’m a gay deplorable for Donald Trump, and we need change,” he said.
Trump supporters like Luke Morgan also believe in their candidate. “I’m excited,” said Morgan. “I think he has a good chance, especially in Florida.”
Despite a recent Quinnipiac University poll showing Clinton with a wafer-thin lead in the Sunshine State, Trump assured the crowd that, come Election Day, he would emerge the victor. “We are going to win Florida, and we are going to win back the White House 100 percent,” he said during his roughly 45-minute speech.
Alice Voight said she crossed party lines to back the business tycoon. “You’re talking to a Democrat who is going to vote Republican this year because I believe in everything the man is talking about,” she said.
Trump took the opportunity to call out Clinton over the email scandal that continues to plague her campaign. “Real change also means restoring honesty to our government. As you hear the FBI is — did you hear about this little event? The FBI is reopening the investigation. They’re reopening the investigation into crooked Hillary Clinton,” he said. “Crooked Hillary. She is crooked.”
“Lock her up! Lock her up!” chanted supporters.
Trump warned voters the email controversy could lead to a constitutional crisis if she is elected. “Haven’t we already been through a lot with the Clintons? She’ll be in court for her entire tenure, and she’ll be convicted,” he said. “But I’m glad the FBI gave it a second chance.”
The former secretary of state wasn’t Trump’s only target. He also slammed reporters for what he described as one-sided and dishonest campaign coverage. “These people are among the most dishonest people I have ever met,” he said.
Then he turned to the Affordable Care Act. “Obamacare never had a chance. It’s a catastrophe,” he said. “Premiums are surging, companies are leaving, insurers are fleeing, doctors are quitting and deductibles are absolutely through the roof.”
Health care has been a major point of interest for voters who have said they view the Republican presidential candidate as an agent of change. “The United States is at a tipping point right now,” said Trump supporter Dr. Rick Redalan. “We cannot have another eight years of this and expect average Americans to survive this health care crisis.”
The Trump campaign has made numerous stops in the Sunshine State with the intention to gain ground in what many regard as a crucial swing state.
Before this latest trip to Bayfront Park, Trump spent Tuesday in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania alongside running mate Mike Pence, where he also doubled down on ending the Affordable Care Act if he becomes president.
“I will ask Congress to convene a special session, so we can repeal and replace,” said Trump at a rally.
In addition, Trump said, he will likely scrap President Barack Obama’s reopening of diplomatic relations with Cuba if he’s elected.
Pollsters said Trump cannot win the election without Florida. He closed his Bayfront Park speech with a plea and a promise. “We have to close the deal. Get out and vote,” he said, “and we will make America great again.”
With only days until the general election, both candidates continue to fight for every vote they can get. “This is a historical moment with whatever happens,” said Morgan.
Meanwhile, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton made an unannounced stop at an early voting location in Lauderhill on Wednesday. It was around 11 a.m. that her motorcade arrived and surprised voters.
Clinton held a rally in Fort Lauderdale, Tuesday night. It had been scheduled for 8:45 p.m., but did not get underway until after 10 p.m. “I want you to also do me another favor. If you know anybody who says they’re thinking of voting for Trump, I want you to stage an intervention,” she said.
She decided she would stay until Wednesday and visit early voters in Lauderhill.
Clinton told reporters she aims to energize her base, particularly African-American voters, and she is hoping that some of this energy will translate into votes. “Everything you care about is at stake,” she said. “I am proud to have the support of so many Caribbean-Americans, and I can’t wait to work to improve the opportunities for everybody, so please, get out and vote early, and let’s make a future that we can all be part of and proud of.”
An African-American Clinton supporter could barely contain her excitement. “How often do they come to our town, where we are, to hear about our situations that we have concerns about?” she said. “I’m glad that she did come to Lauderhill, Florida.”
And then the supporter screamed for joy and began to dance.
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are also hitting the campaign trail for Clinton this week. Biden stopped in Tampa and West Palm Beach on Wednesday. “It’s gonna be decided: You guys win Florida,” he said at one of the events. “It’s just done, over. There’s no path [for Trump]. There’s no path for him.”
Meanwhile, the commander in chief appeared in North Carolina trying to close that so-called enthusiasm gap before heading back to South Florida, Wednesday night, for an event set for Thursday.
Obama also called in to the Tom Joyner Morning Show, which has a large national African-American audience. He suggested a vote for Trump is a vote to erase the Obama legacy. “You know what? I need everybody to understand that everything we’ve done on me, being able to pass the baton to somebody who believes in the same things I believe in,” he said. “If you really care about my presidency and what we’ve accomplished, then you are going to go and vote.”
After flying from Miami to Orlando, Trump wrapped his whirlwind Florida campaign tour in Pensacola, where he took aim at Obama’s support of Clinton. “I mean, this guy only wants to do his campaign for Hillary. I think he may be hurting her,” he said. “Look, the bottom line is, nobody wants four more years of Obama.”
Early voting continues through Sunday. For locations, hours and wait times, follow this link: http://wsvn.com/news/early-voting-information.
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