With less than three weeks to go for US Elections 2020, time seems to be running out for Donald Trump as he faces slim odds of winning a second bid at the presidency.

Trump's campaign has been hurt by his poor handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed over 200,000 Americans, as well as the President's image of being a divisive, volatile leader. His record on the economy as well as the perception that he takes tough decisions helps him.

Poll Pourri will bring you a daily round-up of the latest, most important developments in the US election campaign; a cheat sheet to get you up to speed on the action

Here's a round-up of major events from the campaign in the US Presidential Elections 2020:

Tax records show Trump tried to land China projects

President Trump spent a decade unsuccessfully pursuing projects in China, operating an office there during his first run for president and forging a partnership with a major government-controlled company, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

The report is only the latest in a series that supposedly blows a lid off the former real estate tycoon's unsavoury dealings—business or personal. Trump's response to most of these reports is standard: "fake news", and his followers dismiss these as attempts by the "'lamestream' media" to bring down their man.

Barack Obama to hold first in-person event for Biden

Former President Barack Obama will hold his first in-person 2020 campaign event for Joe Biden, albeit with a smaller crowd keeping in mind the coronavirus outbreak.

Ordinarily, one would think a campaign run by Obama—known for his sterling oratory—for his former deputy would be a shot in the arm for the Biden campaign. But in 2016, Obama's supposed charisma had come to naught. He delivered Hillary Clinton’s closing argument at the same place at a rally for thousands the night before Election Day. We all know how that turned out.

Having said that, Hillary's campaign pitch was an extension of the Obama years while Biden's is against Trump's. So much has changed.

Kamala Harris turns 56, Biden says wants to celebrate her next birthday at White House

Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris turned 56 on Tuesday, with the party's presidential nominee Joe Biden greeting her on the big day, saying they would celebrate her next birthday at the White House. Biden took to Twitter to post a photograph showing their hands clasped together.

"Happy Birthday, Kamala Harris. Next year, let's celebrate with some ice cream at the White House," tweeted Biden, who had in August picked her as his running mate.

And what's Harris' birthday wish? "My birthday wish this year? For everyone to go vote," she said.

Trump promises bigger victory than 2016 at rally

Having “defeated” the coronavirus, Trump has hit the campaign playground with full gusto. At a rally, he promised a bigger victory than even 2016, and urged supporters to send a message to “liberal hypocrites by delivering Joe Biden, sleepy Joe, a thundering defeat on November 3”.

He also played on the familiar tropes of his campaign message, saying Kamala Harris would turn the US into a “socialist country”.

Polls say voters aren’t buying his message this time—and experts have even strongly exuded confidence they will not get this election wrong (unlike 2016), dishing out reasons from statistics to psychology.

Trump pressures Barr to investigate Bidens as election nears

With weeks to go before polls, Donald Trump publicly called on Attorney General William Barr to investigate claims of corrupt dealings with Joe Biden’s son Hunter, saying truth about the Bidens “has to be known about before the election.”

Analysts cried out in horror alleging “politicisation” of the justice system, with some calling it a desperate attempt to save his sinking campaign.

It must be remembered that Barr was the guy who let Trump off with merely a rap on the knuckles while also admitting collusion between Trump’s 2016 election campaign and Russia.

Will Barr act? Convention says no but one doesn’t know better.

Trump says he could be 'king' of all fundraisers, slams Biden for being 'servant' of lobbyists

Trump attacked Biden as being the "servant" of lobbyists and "Washington vultures" who got rich by bleeding America dry while responding to his Democratic rival's unprecedented fundraising in September—Biden raised a whopping $383 million in September.

Trump added that he could be the "king" of all fundraisers, and could raise "a billion dollars in a day".

But the bad news season continues for Trump. At a rally, he narrated a hypothetical call with "head of Exxon" to underscore his fundraising abilities.

"Hi, how are you doing? How's energy coming? You need a couple of permits, huh? Okay... You know, I'd love you to send me $25 million dollars for the campaign.

On its part, ExxonMobil was quick to shrug its name off the 'hypothetical' conversation. "Just so we're all clear, it never happened."

—With inputs from agencies

(Edited by : Ajay Vaishnav, Nazim Khan)

First Published:Oct 21, 2020 1:41 PM IST