WASHINGTON, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump and front-running Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden on Wednesday respectively made a stop in Pennsylvania, a battleground state that both campaigns have seen as crucial.
Speaking at a shale energy industry conference in Pittsburgh, Trump touted his administration's energy policy and his controversial decision in 2017 to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, an international treaty aimed at reducing the emission of gases that contribute to global warming.
He called the Paris Agreement "a total disaster" for the nation, claiming that his job "is to represent the people of Pittsburgh, not the people of Paris."
Trump has visited Pennsylvania, which he narrowly won in the 2016 presidential election, for more than a dozen times since he took office.
Biden, former U.S. vice president, made an appearance in his hometown of Scranton earlier in the day.
In what his campaign billed as an economic address, Biden criticized Trump's economic policies and pointed out that "many working-class Americans continue to struggle."
"Go back to your old neighborhoods. Ask them how they are doing. How they are feeling. They are in trouble," he said. "You were all raised to believe that if you worked better, you worked hard, you could even be better off than your parents. But not today."
According to a CNN poll released on Wednesday, Biden is holding a comfortable lead over other Democratic presidential contenders, with the support of 34 percent of Democratic and Democratic-leaning registered voters.
Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont are about even for second, with 19 percent and 16 percent, respectively, the poll showed.
Trump is facing an impeachment inquiry led by House Democrats after an anonymous whistleblower triggered concern that he abused his presidential powers and sought help from a foreign government to undermine Biden and help his own reelection.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing and urged more efforts from Republicans to challenge the impeachment inquiry. Biden has stated his support of Trump's impeachment.
