President Trump stuck to the script Thursday night during his speech accepting the Republican nomination.
Less than 24 hours later, he was back to his free-wheeling self.
“Tonight I'm in New Hampshire, and we can wing it,” he told the crowd in Londonderry.
What You Need To Know
- Less than 24 hours after his convention speech, Trump held a rally in Londonderry, N.H.
- Trump veered off-script at times, calling Joe Biden “weak as hell,” “stupid,” “a low-IQ individual” and “slow”
- Biden says he’ll resume in-person campaign events after Labor Day
- Nielsen figures show Biden’s convention speech got higher ratings than Trump's
Indeed, while delivering a stump speech similar to the one he gave the night before, Trump also consistently veered off into personal attacks.
He called Joe Biden “weak as hell,” “stupid,” “a low-IQ individual” and “the worst candidate ever put up by the Democratic Party.”
“I believe he’s the worst candidate, the slowest candidate,” Trump said. "Guy doesn't know he's alive."
Trump also mocked Biden for continuing to forgo in-person events. Biden says he’ll resume campaign travel after Labor Day, abiding by each state's regulations on large gatherings.
He also noted that Trump’s convention speech on Thursday featured virtually no social distancing or mask-wearing.
"Mr. President, Americans are canceling weddings and holding funerals without family. They're sacrificing so more Americans don't have to die,” he wrote on Twitter. "But instead of leading by example, you hosted a super spreader event on the South Lawn. When will you take the presidency seriously?"
Biden is also launching $26 million worth of new ads, including one that shows empty streets and stadiums with the message “Trump put America on the sidelines. Let’s get back in the game.”
Polls show Biden with a leg up on Trump both nationally and in crucial battleground states. It’s too soon to tell whether the conventions gave either candidate a bounce.
Biden did come out of the conventions ahead by one measure: Nielsen figures show he got better ratings than Trump for his acceptance speech, a metric that the president is famously sensitive to.
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