Trump defends virus policies at Miami town hall

Moderator Savannah Guthrie battled President Donald Trump amid questions from undecided Floridians at a fast-paced event Thursday night. Voters asked why the president did not do more to stop the spread of the pandemic early. Trump responded that banning travel from China saved thousands of lives, but he did not address other possible measures. At Guthrie’s prompting, Trump explicitly denounced white supremacy and said he would accept a peaceful transfer of power. “You didn’t ask Joe Biden whether he denounced antifa,” Trump said.

What else did Trump address? A self-described pro-life millennial asked Trump whether if Roe v. Wade was overturned, he would put any protections in place for abortions if the life of the mother was in danger. Trump replied that the matter would go to the states, but Guthrie pressed him on whether he wanted Roe eliminated. He would not answer, saying it could hurt Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. “I don’t want to do anything to influence her,” Trump said.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Stew on early voting problems across the country.