ORLANDO, Fla. — Air Force Two may have been about half an hour late, but it arrived at the Orlando International Airport Saturday afternoon, carrying Vice President Mike Pence as he entered the battleground state of Florida for two campaign stops, his first such appearances since the White House coronavirus outbreak.
Air Force Two was supposed to arrive at Orlando International Airport at 11:50 a.m., but it touched down at around 12:20 p.m.
Onboard, the vice president made his way to the campus at the Central Christian University on Hiawassee Road in Orlando for a “Latinos For Trump” campaign stop.
The crowd he addressed is a section of the Florida vote that the Trump campaign will need to win the state of Florida.
The event was expected to tout the Trump administration’s action to help the Hispanic communities, focusing on expanding educational opportunities.
After his stop at the Central Christian University, Pence will head up to Sumter County to talk to an excited group of supporters in the Villages community, a Republican stronghold in the region. That event was scheduled for 3:30 p.m. but was running late.
The Pew Research Center says nearly one in every four voters is over the age of 65.
It appears that many older voters have been put off by President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus, which has greatly impacted that part of the community over the past year.
The Villages touts itself as “Florida’s friendliest Hometown” and it has a reputation for its Republican roots and attitudes around town.
Pence will have to convince those voters and in other parts of the state that his ticket is the right path forward to protect seniors and Floridians.
Florida and its 29 electoral college votes are critical for Trump's re-election hopes. Expect both Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden to campaign heavily in the Sunshine State, and especially along the I-4 corridor.
Trump, who had to postpone a Sanford rally on October 2 after being infected with the coronavirus, has rescheduled his rally for Tuesday. Meanwhile, Biden was in the Tampa and Central Florida areas several weeks ago.
Spectrum News has a team of reporters and photographers on the ground covering Pence's Central Florida visit. Check back here as they bring you up-to-the-minute images and dispatches from inside and outside the Sanford rally.