Daily US Times: Billionaire and former Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg has pledged at least $100m (£78m) to help his party’s candidate Joe Biden’s presidential campaign in Florida.

Of the battleground states, the state of Florida offers the biggest share of the electoral college votes needed to win.

Mr Bloomberg already spent $1bn this year trying to defeat the former Vice President Joe Biden to become the Democratic challenger.

US President Donald Trump has hinted he will spend his own money in the state ahead of early voting opening on 24 September.

Both campaigns are keen to appeal to voters who may be casting their votes early by mail-in ballot and set the tone of the final weeks of their campaigns.

Postal voting is expected to be double this year compared to 2016 due to current coronavirus pandemic which is encouraging voters to avoid the polling station.

Florida offers 29 of the 270 electoral college voters needed to win the election. Only Texas (38) and California (55) offer more but are seen as safe Republican and Democrat territory respectively. President Trump won Florida in 2016, while in 2012, Democrat Barack Obama took the state.

Kevin Sheekey, an adviser to Mr Bloomberg, told Reuters: “Mike Bloomberg is committed to helping defeat Trump, and that is going to happen in the battleground states.”

Donald Trump reacted in a tweet by criticising Mr Bloomberg’s own run to become the Democratic candidate for president in which he reportedly spent $409m (£313m).

He wrote about the former mayor of New York City: “I thought Mini Mike was through with Democrat politics. Save NYC instead.”

When asked by journalists earlier this week if he was considering spending his own money in Florida, President Trump told reporters “If I have to, I will. Whatever it takes, we have to win.”

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