>> THIS IS A COMMITMENT 2020 UPDATE.
KENNY: UNDERSTANDABLY, IT HAS FALLEN FROM THE HEADLINES.
BUT IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT, THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS IN EXACTLY 24 WEEKS.
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN HAS STARTED RUNNING NEW ATTACK ADS PRESUMPTIVE -- AGAINST PRESENT OF NOMINEE JOE BIDEN.
I SPOKE WITH A WAKE FOREST POLITICAL SCIENTIST ABOUT THE ADS AND WHAT VOTERS CAN EXPECT IN THE MONTHS AHEAD IN THIS UNUSUAL RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: I LOVE YOU, NORTH CAROLINA.
KENNY: THE PRESIDENT AND HIS SUPPORTERS LOVE TO REFER TO NORTH CAROLINA AS TRUMP COUNTRY.
HE COMES HERE A LOT AND HE EARNED THE 15 ELECTORAL VOTES BY DEFEATING HILLARY CLINTON HEREBY A LARGER MARGIN THEN POLLS PREDICTED.
INTERESTINGLY, A MAJORITY OF NORTH CAROLINIANS DID NOT CAST A BALLOT FOR DONALD TRUMP.
HE RECEIVED 49.8% OF THE VOTE.
WHICH MEANS ABOUT 16,000 MORE PEOPLE CHOSE A DIFFERENT CANDIDATE.
>> WE ANTICIPATE NORTH CAROLINA WILL BE HARD-FOUGHT.
THERE’S NO QUESTION.
>> OR CAROLINA IS ONE OF THE SMALL NUMBER OF STATES THAT WILL DECIDE THE ELECTION.
KENNY: WITH AMERICANS TALKING ABOUT COVID-19, THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN HAS ATTACK ADS ATTACKING JOE BIDEN OVER HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA, WHERE THE VIRUS ORIGINATED.
>> PRESIDENT TRUMP STOOD UP FOR -- TO CHINA.
JOE BIDEN SITS ON THE SIDELINES AND THROWS POLITICAL JABS AT THE PRESIDENT, OFFERING NOTHING CONSTRUCTIVE.
AT THE SAME TIME, HE HAS A HISTORY OF BEING COZY WITH CHINA AND BEING SOFT ON CHINA AND HAVING HIS FAMILY FINANCIALLY DEPENDENT ON CHINA.
KENNY: BIDEN POINTS TO THE TWITTER FEED.
>> THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES HAS TO ENGAGE IN DIPLOMACY WHEN IT IS APPROPRIATE AND WORK WITH CHINA TO COME TO THE TABLE TO STOP THE WAY THEY HAD BEEN RIPPING OFF THE UNITED
STATES IN TRADE.
KENNY: WAKE FOREST POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR SAYS THE AD AIMS TO MAKE IT CLEAR THE PRESIDENT WAS RIGHT TO IMPOSE A TRAVEL BAN AND BIDEN WAS WRONG TO CALL IT HYSTERICAL
XENOPHOBIA.
>> THE IMPLIED MESSAGE IS, IS BIDEN FIT TO BE PRESIDENT?
THIS COMES THROUGH WITH VARIOUS UNFLATTERING SHOTS AND CLIPS.
IT IS NOT THE SPOKEN TEXT OF THE AD, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY WHAT THE AD DESIGNERS ARE HOPING AND EXPECTING VIEWERS TO PICK UP ON.
KENNY: VIEWERS WILL BE SEEING LOTS OF ADS IN THE WEEKS AHEAD BUT IT’S NOT CLEAR WHEN OR IF THEY WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE CANDIDATES IN PERSON.
RESTRICTIONS ON LARGE GATHERINGS REMAIN IN PLACE FOR OUR STATE AND MANY OTHERS.
>> THE PRESIDENT IS INTENT ON GETTING BACK TO RALLIES WHEN IT IS SAFE.
>> IT IS A BIG CHALLENGE FOR THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN.
WE KNOW IN 2016 AND IN THE LAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS, THE PRESIDENT HAS CONTINUED THESE LARGE RALLIES GEARING UP FOR 2020.
THE PRESIDENT AND HIS CAMPAIGN SAYS IT IS OUR STRENGTH.
>> WE ARE CONNECTING WITH VOTERS IN A WAY THAT NO OTHER CAMPAIGN CAN MATCH.
KENNY: IN RESPONSE TO THESE ADS, A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN SAYS THAT TRUMP NEGLECTED REPEATED WARNINGS FROM HIS OWN EXPERTS AND PUBLIC WARNINGS FROM JOE BIDEN WHILE
DISMISSING THE THREAT AND ECHOING CHINESE GOVERNMENT PROPAGANDA ABOUT CONTAINMENT.
THERE IS NO DESPERATE ADD THAT TRUMP CAN DREAM UP THAT IS AS HORRIFYING AS HIS FAILED LEADERSHIP IS PUTTING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THROUGH.
THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN SAYS IT IS ENCOURAGED BY RECENT INTERNAL PULLING FROM KEY STATES THAT IT SAYS SHOWS HE HAS CLOSED THE GAP FROM BEING DOWN NINE POINT FOUR WEEKS AGO TO BEING TIED.
THEY RECALL SEEING RECENT ADS ABOUT JOE BIDEN AND MORE AMERIC