SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – President Biden’s message to Californians is clear on this, the night before the state’s recall election.
He wants Californians to view leading Republican challenger Larry Elder as a “Donald Trump clone.”
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The President of the United States arrived at Monday night’s Long Beach rally to a giant California flag, as his backdrop. His focus was very much on the national impact of the state-wide recall vote.
“It’s going to reverberate around the nation, and quite frankly, not a joke, around the world,” President Biden said.
The president used his own election victory to motivate more voters.
President Joe Biden, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Jennifer Lynn Siebel Newsom wave to the crowd as they campaign to keep the governor in office at Long Beach City College on the eve of the last day of the special election to recall the governor on September 13, 2021 in Long Beach, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
“All you know the last year I got to run against the real Donald Trump,” Biden said. “This year, the leading Republican running for governor is the closest thing to a Trump clone that I’ve ever seen.”
Larry Elder is the leading Republican cadidate in the recall race. He spent the final day ahead of the recall in Los Angeles speaking out against Governor Newsom’s pandemic restrictions.
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“Donald Trump is irrelevant to this election,” Elder said. “Many of the people that are passing rules and regulations in Sacramento have never so much as even run a hot dog stand.
Republican recall candidate John Cox spoke at French Laundry in Yountville, the site of the now infamous maskless Governor Newsom photo.
“I think there’s still people undecided, and I think there’s still people waiting to vote, even today,” Cox said.
Before the Long Beach rally, President Biden arrived on Air Force One at Mather Airfield in Sacramento.
The power of the president was on full display, in a show of solidarity with Governor Newsom.
The big question heading into the recall was about voter turnout numbers.
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On Monday night, 38 percent of Californians have already cast ballots in early voting, making a strong overall voter turnout likely by the end of election day.