Melania Trump says Joe Biden’s ‘socialist agenda’ will ‘destroy America’

Melania Trump speaks to supporters in Pennsylvania

Credit: AFP

Melania Trump criticised Joe Biden for having a "socialist agenda" that would "destroy America" as she made her first solo trip of the 2020 election campaign.

The first lady defended Donald Trump’s record handling the pandemic, accusing Democrats of pursuing a "sham impeachment" against her husband instead of concentrating on coronavirus.

Appearing in the key state of Pennsylvania, she said: "[Mr Biden’s] policies and socialist agenda will only serve to destroy America and all that has been built in the past four years.

"We must keep Donald in the White House so he can finish what he’s started and our country can continue to flourish."

The first lady, who recently recovered from what she has described as a mild case of coronavirus, thanked well-wishers and struck an empathetic tone.

Mrs Trump said she was a "worried mother and wife" who knows "there are many people who have lost loved ones, or know people who have been forever impacted by this silent enemy."

But she praised her husband’s administration for "choosing to keep moving forward during this pandemic, not backward."

She said: "We don’t close down and hide in fear. We get to work to find real and lasting solutions."

Mrs Trump spoke to about 300 supporters in a converted barn 50 miles west of Philadelphia.

The overwhelming majority of supporters wore masks, and two large doors were opened to allow fresh air in.

She said: "Donald is a fighter. He loves this country and he fights for you every single day."

Mrs Trump also defended her husband’s use of Twitter.

She said: "For the first time in history the citizens of this country get to hear directly and instantly from their president every single day through social media.

"I don’t always agree the way he says things, but it is important to him that he speaks directly to the people he serves."