Trump and Biden hold dueling town halls as Covid cases spike and millions cast their votes early - CNN

Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, by calling him a Democrat and falsely stating that he encouraged Americans "not to wear a mask under any circumstances."

Early in the pandemic when less was known about the spread of coronavirus, medical experts like Fauci asked the public not to rush out and buy masks because a shortage posed the risk that first responders would not have enough.

In a statement to CNN's Jim Acosta later Thursday, Fauci said, "I'm not registered with any political party." Fauci also spoke up publicly earlier this week after his words were taken out of context in a Trump campaign ad, touting the President's response to the virus.

Fauci has served under six presidents from both parties.

On Thursday, Trump also falsely told his North Carolina crowd that masks don't work 85% of the time, and that 99% of people are recovering from coronavirus: "99%.

99 plus, plus," he said, despite the fact that more than 217,000 people have died in the US.

In the town hall setting, Biden hopes to show his empathy, a skill that has been a strength for him on the campaign trail, as he speaks with voters about how the medical and economic toll of Covid-19 has harmed their families.