Zombies, twerks and platform boots: the last week on the US campaign trail

With the election just days away, the final sprint of the campaign has thrown up a bumper crop of offbeat news as Americans head to the polls, some of them dressed up to the nines.

– George who? –
Does Joe Biden know the name of the president he is running against?

The Democratic contender seemed to grope for his opponent’s name when speaking at a virtual concert in support of his campaign.

“Four more years of George, uh, George, uh, he, uh, are going to find ourselves in position where if, uh, Trump gets elected, uh, we are going to be uh, going to be in a different world,” Biden said.

Trump, who has constantly questioned his 77-year-old opponent’s mental clarity and calls him “Sleepy Joe,” despite being 74 himself and prone to mixing up names, quickly leapt on the flub and claimed Biden was calling him George, or had mistaken him for former president George W Bush.

But the Biden campaign shot back by saying the candidate was addressing the host of the concert, George Lopez.

– Dirty trick or treat? –
Tapping into the fact that the election is being held just days after Halloween, Trump’s no-holds-barred campaign this week unveiled a video clip portraying the former vice president as a flesh-eating zombie.

“Look for someone who has a corpse-like appearance, exhibits aggressive behavior, craves human flesh, and utters incoherent moans and groans,” the attack ad said.

No need to look for a Halloween costume on Saturday night!

– Political Platforms –
Because of the raging pandemic, early and mail-in voting have beaten all records in the United States, and the country’s celebrities have tuned into the voting vibe.

Two of them transformed early voting into a social media catwalk played out for their adoring fans.

Grammy-winner Lady Gaga dropped her ballot off wearing pink knee-high platform boots and a grey sweatshirt worn like a cape, sporting stylish shades even though it was night time.

Lizzo, a vocal fan of Joe Biden, also strapped on her platforms accompanied by white mini-shorts and a Stars and Stripes bustier, all of it topped off with a twerk to celebrate her fulfilling her civic duty.

– Rap on the knuckles –
Another celebrity hit the news this week on the fringes of the campaign: rapper Lil Wayne shared with his fans a picture of him posing at Trump’s side, a smile on his lips and giving a thumbs up.

The “Lollipop” singer with blond dreadlocks and facial tattoos praised the justice reform measures the president has enacted as part of an outreach to the African American community.

That gesture was slammed by another rapper, 50 Cent, who was however himself denounced recently for aligning himself with the president because of the singer’s outspoken opposition to Biden’s planned taxes on the super-rich. He quickly did an about-face after receiving withering criticism online.

At the same time, yet another rapper, veteran Ice Cube, admitted he had worked with Trump’s campaign team, although declined to say which candidate he was voting for — or what he would be wearing when he casts his ballot.

Agence France-Presse

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)