Trump, Biden Return To Midwest For Final Campaign Stretch: Watch

ACROSS AMERICA — With only four days remaining, President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden return to the Midwest to make their final pleas to undecided voters ahead of Election Day.

Both candidates and their running mates will fan out Friday through multiple swing states. The president will campaign in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, while Biden travels to Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.

While Iowa and Wisconsin are swing states that Trump won in 2016, Minnesota is one where Hillary Clinton was victorious. It’s the first state won by a Democrat in 2016 that Biden has visited in weeks; his last campaign event in such a state was in Nevada in early October.

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The Friday events follow dueling campaign appearances in Florida, a sought-after state in which both candidates are effectively tied, according to recent polls.

Earlier this week, Biden projected that he would win Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, three states seen as keys to his victory, the New York Times reported.

“I am not overconfident about anything,” Biden said earlier this week. “I just want to make sure we can earn every vote possible.”

Experts are predict that surging coronavirus cases could play a pivotal role in shaping the outcome of this year's election.

Electoral battlegrounds Michigan and North Carolina are seeing record numbers of cases and deaths. Hospitals in Wisconsin and other hard-hit areas are reaching capacity. Cases are running rampant, fueling discontent among Americans, one expert told the Times.

About 84.5 million people have voted ahead of Election Day, representing about 62 percent of the total vote in 2016.

In Texas, more than 9 million ballots had been cast as of Friday morning, exceeding the 8.9 million votes cast in 2016, according to an Associated Press tally of early votes from data provided by Texas officials.

Texas is the first state to hit that milestone.

Friday Events & Livestreams

As Trump and Biden trek across the Midwest, Vice President Mike Pence heads to Arizona, where he will stop in Flagstaff and Tucson. Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris will make several stops in Texas, with planned visits in Fort Worth, Houston and McAllen.

All times are Eastern:

TRUMP EVENTS

• 1 p.m.: Trump in Waterford Township, Michigan
• 1:30 p.m.: Pence in Flagstaff, Arizona
• 4 p.m.: Trump in Green Bay, Wisconsin
• 4:30 p.m.: Pence in Tucson, Arizona
• 6:45 p.m.: Trump in Rochester, Minnesota

BIDEN EVENTS

• Noon: Biden in Des Moines, Iowa
• 1:45 p.m.: Harris in Fort Worth, Texas, followed by Houston and McAllen
• 4:45 p.m.: Biden in St. Paul, Minnesota
• 7:30 p.m.: Biden in Milwaukee, Wisconsin