WASHINGTON • Mr Donald Trump has vowed to pour his own millions into the race for the White House, refusing to be written off in the battle against front runner Hillary Clinton.
He also touted his newest hotel venture, citing it as an example of his business success and ability to "get things done" for the American people.
The media headlines, however, seized on the tale of two buildings as Mrs Clinton revealed where she will hold her likely victory party and Mr Trump unveiled an alternative Washington address - just in case the White House eludes him.
Mrs Clinton's camp announced on Wednesday that she would await the results on Nov 8 at the vast Jacob K. Javits Convention Centre in New York, which has a literal "glass ceiling" to match the metaphorical barrier she plans to shatter on behalf of women.
On the same day, Mr Trump set aside time from his campaign for the grand opening of his new hotel in Washington, the Trump International. Hundreds of journalists covered the grandiose re-opening of the former post office, a stone's throw from the White House, but many mocked him for focusing on his business so close to polling day.
Mrs Clinton said: "Donald Trump is actually paying more attention to his business than to the campaign." Mr Trump, however, insisted that he had wanted to cut the ribbon at his hotel's opening with his children "who had worked very hard", and said the building was "under budget and ahead of schedule".
Pressed on whether he will open his own wallet to match an onslaught of Clinton ads, Mr Trump said he would have spent US$100 million (S$139 million) of his own money by election day, a sum which would imply him digging much deeper into his own pockets than he has so far.
He also laid out a platform for a "new deal for Black America" in Charlotte, a major commercial hub in the US South. It combines elements of his education proposals, tax cuts and immigration policies to revive urban areas that he has described as blighted and in despair.
"That deal is grounded in three promises: safe communities, great education and high-paying jobs," Mr Trump told the crowd of roughly 700 people, gathered by invitation, in a more intimate setting than the raucous rallies that are the trademark of his campaign.
But there was more bad news for him, as a new poll showed more Republicans now think Mrs Clinton will win the presidency. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday and conducted from Oct 20 to 24 found that 41 per cent of Republicans expected Mrs Clinton to win, versus 40 per cent who picked Mr Trump.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS, NYTIMES
