thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-29--Joe Biden's unserious pandemic response

Joe Biden's unserious pandemic response

If it were up to Joe Biden , the national shutdown implemented due to the coronavirus pandemic would never end .
When he accepted the nomination for president on the final night of the Democratic National Convention , he promised that if elected , he would pass a federal mask mandate as part of his effort to defeat the virus .
Of course , Biden didn ’ t bother to elaborate on this proposed mandate or explain how his administration would enforce it — because he knows that such a heavy-handed restriction would be legally dubious and almost impossible to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states have the primary duty to protect public health and safety .
This is why many of them have been able to pass their own mask mandates , while others have simply encouraged residents to follow suit .
No president may usurp that authority even during a pandemic .
And no president would have the law enforcement personnel necessary to enforce it , either .
At a time when there is supposed to be a national reckoning about excessive policing , do Democrats want to create a new policy that , if enforced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police and people in minority neighborhoods ?
Masks do not fall under any of the president ’ s listed constitutional powers , nor under those of Congress .
Yet , Biden keeps insisting that a federal mask mandate is not only possible , but necessary .
Other Democrats agree .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in June that a national mask mandate is “ long overdue , ” and other congressional Democrats have claimed that President Trump ’ s refusal to pass one proves he doesn ’ t take the coronavirus seriously .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ mandate through Congress because the whole exercise is nothing but an attempt to contrast their supposedly serious coronavirus response with Trump ’ s .
As long as they can see ways to try and make the president look feckless and aloof , Democrats will persist in such attempts and scuttle back to their base and claim they ’ re the only party willing to act on behalf of the public — even though they ’ ve never actually followed through .
It has become clear in recent months that Democrats will say just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump .
When Trump shut down travel back and forth to China early this year , Democrats opposed argued it was premature .
We know now that this travel ban was probably one of the best decisions Trump has made throughout this crisis .
The same thing happened when Trump encouraged schools to begin developing reopening plans .
Democrats accused him of endangering lives , even though the vast majority of health experts publicly agreed with the president that getting children back to school was the right call .
Now that Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats have made it a key feature of their coronavirus platform despite the fact that such a mandate would be unconstitutional and maybe even unnecessary , since we don ’ t know how prevalent this virus will still be in January of next year when Biden would take office if elected .
The fact is that the Democratic Party has no real plan to combat the coronavirus .
Every policy they ’ ve suggested has been a reaction to something Trump said or did .
There has been no initiative , no substance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If Biden hopes to be president , he ’ ll have to do better with a realistic platform that takes account of constitutional restrictions , the limited nature of the presidency , and the economic and social costs this pandemic has caused .
But that kind of approach would require humility .
Because it would force Biden to admit that Trump ’ s hands-off approach has not always been unwarranted and that this crisis has been far more complicated than most would like to admit .

If it were up to Joe Biden, the national shutdown implemented due to the coronavirus pandemic would never end.
When he accepted the nomination for president on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, he promised that if elected, he would pass a federal mask mandate as part of his effort to defeat the virus.
“It’s a patriotic duty,” he declared.
Of course, Biden didn’t bother to elaborate on this proposed mandate or explain how his administration would enforce it — because he knows that such a heavy-handed restriction would be legally dubious and almost impossible to enforce.
Under the U.S. Constitution, states have the primary duty to protect public health and safety. This is why many of them have been able to pass their own mask mandates, while others have simply encouraged residents to follow suit. No president may usurp that authority even during a pandemic. And no president would have the law enforcement personnel necessary to enforce it, either. At a time when there is supposed to be a national reckoning about excessive policing, do Democrats want to create a new policy that, if enforced, would require many more interactions between police and people in minority neighborhoods?
Masks do not fall under any of the president’s listed constitutional powers, nor under those of Congress. Yet, Biden keeps insisting that a federal mask mandate is not only possible, but necessary. Other Democrats agree. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in June that a national mask mandate is “long overdue,” and other congressional Democrats have claimed that President Trump’s refusal to pass one proves he doesn’t take the coronavirus seriously. But Democrats won't pass such a mandate through Congress because the whole exercise is nothing but an attempt to contrast their supposedly serious coronavirus response with Trump’s. As long as they can see ways to try and make the president look feckless and aloof, Democrats will persist in such attempts and scuttle back to their base and claim they’re the only party willing to act on behalf of the public — even though they’ve never actually followed through.
It has become clear in recent months that Democrats will say just about anything to put themselves opposite of Trump. When Trump shut down travel back and forth to China early this year, Democrats opposed argued it was premature. We know now that this travel ban was probably one of the best decisions Trump has made throughout this crisis.
The same thing happened when Trump encouraged schools to begin developing reopening plans. Democrats accused him of endangering lives, even though the vast majority of health experts publicly agreed with the president that getting children back to school was the right call.
Now that Trump has ruled out a national mask mandate, Democrats have made it a key feature of their coronavirus platform despite the fact that such a mandate would be unconstitutional and maybe even unnecessary, since we don’t know how prevalent this virus will still be in January of next year when Biden would take office if elected.
The fact is that the Democratic Party has no real plan to combat the coronavirus. Every policy they’ve suggested has been a reaction to something Trump said or did. There has been no initiative, no substance, no thought outside anti-Trump punditry. If Biden hopes to be president, he’ll have to do better with a realistic platform that takes account of constitutional restrictions, the limited nature of the presidency, and the economic and social costs this pandemic has caused.
But that kind of approach would require humility. Because it would force Biden to admit that Trump’s hands-off approach has not always been unwarranted and that this crisis has been far more complicated than most would like to admit.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-29--Nick Sandmann lands job with Mitch McConnell's reelection campaign

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has hired fellow Kentuckian Nick Sandmann as a member of his reelection campaign .
“ @ @ @ @ @ team , his efforts to bring people together all across Kentucky will be critical to @ @ @ @ @ this November , ” the McConnell campaign said in a statement .
Sandmann , the @ @ @ @ @ last year following a viral interaction with a Native American man at a pro-life rally @ @ @ @ @ grassroots position on McConnell ’ s campaign , according to the New York Post .
@ @ @ @ @ with developing field operations and building coalitions .
“ Finally got to add more to @ @ @ @ @ schools , ” Sandmann tweeted .
Sandmann has against CNN and the Washington Post stemming @ @ @ @ @ s coverage of his viral interaction at the pro-life march last year .
McConnell , @ @ @ @ @ , is set to face off against his Democratic challenger Amy McGrath in November in @ @ @ @ @ him to win .

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has hired fellow Kentuckian Nick Sandmann as a member of his reelection campaign.
“Along with our already strong team, his efforts to bring people together all across Kentucky will be critical to Senator McConnell’s victory this November,” the McConnell campaign said in a statement.
Sandmann, the former Covington Catholic student who gained national notoriety last year following a viral interaction with a Native American man at a pro-life rally, has secured a paid grassroots position on McConnell’s campaign, according to the New York Post.
Sandmann will assist the campaign with developing field operations and building coalitions.
“Finally got to add more to my bio than just my schools,” Sandmann tweeted.
finally got to add more to my bio than just my schools — Nicholas Sandmann (@N1ckSandmann) August 28, 2020
Sandmann has settled multimillion dollar defamation lawsuits against CNN and the Washington Post stemming from the media outlet’s coverage of his viral interaction at the pro-life march last year.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-29--Texas salon owner who was arrested after violating coronavirus order announces run for state Senate

Shelley Luther , the Texas salon owner who was briefly jailed for reopening her business despite lockdown orders , announced that she is running for elected office .
“ I ’ m just a normal person whose life and livelihood was threatened by the government .
I realize the need for real people who recognize the real problems that face our state , ” Shelley said in a press release announcing her run for state Senate .
“ I will fight for Senate District 30 and push back against the Austin insiders who want to control our community.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s representative , Republican Sen. Pat Fallon , decided to run for Republican Rep. John Ratcliffe ’ s congressional seat .
Ratcliffe was nominated to serve as President Trump ’ s director of national intelligence and was confirmed by the Senate in May .
Luther , who owns Salon A la Mode in Dallas , skyrocketed to national prominence in May when Judge Eric Moye sentenced her to a week behind bars and ordered her to pay a $ 500 fine for every day that she operated her business in violation of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abbott .
Luther was freed after less than 48 hours when the Texas Supreme Court granted a motion to release her .
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had publicly demanded that she be released , and conservative figures such as Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz had also expressed support for her .
Cruz later visited her salon on the first day the shop was legally allowed to reopen and got a haircut .
Former Alaska Gov .
Sarah Palin also visited Salon A la Mode .

Shelley Luther, the Texas salon owner who was briefly jailed for reopening her business despite lockdown orders, announced that she is running for elected office.
“I’m just a normal person whose life and livelihood was threatened by the government. I realize the need for real people who recognize the real problems that face our state,” Shelley said in a press release announcing her run for state Senate. “I will fight for Senate District 30 and push back against the Austin insiders who want to control our community.”
The seat opened up when District 30’s representative, Republican Sen. Pat Fallon, decided to run for Republican Rep. John Ratcliffe’s congressional seat. Ratcliffe was nominated to serve as President Trump’s director of national intelligence and was confirmed by the Senate in May.
Amid concerns of the spread of COVID-19, salon owner Shelley Luther wears a mask as she talks on phone just outside her reopened Salon A la Mode in Dallas, Friday, April 24, 2020. (LM Otero/AP)
Luther, who owns Salon A la Mode in Dallas, skyrocketed to national prominence in May when Judge Eric Moye sentenced her to a week behind bars and ordered her to pay a $500 fine for every day that she operated her business in violation of the shutdown order from Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
Luther was freed after less than 48 hours when the Texas Supreme Court granted a motion to release her. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had publicly demanded that she be released, and conservative figures such as Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz had also expressed support for her. Cruz later visited her salon on the first day the shop was legally allowed to reopen and got a haircut. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin also visited Salon A la Mode.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-29--Boom: Trump is ‘clearly back in the game,’ says pollster Zogby

President Trump ’ s rollout of his new and “ unconventional ” reelection campaign shows that he is “ clearly back in the game , ” according to pollster John Zogby .
For our weekly White House Report Card , the Democratic pollster gave Trump an A- for the week and said that the president used the virtual Republican National Convention “ to change the focus of the conversation to his talking points : unprecedented growth before COVID-19 , more new jobs in four years than ever before , more Hispanics and blacks working than ever , standing up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and so on.
” Trump had a good week .
He may not often look or act like a president , but the White House always does — and the White House was the star of the week .
The president and his supporters were able , at least for the week , to change the focus of the conversation to his talking points : unprecedented growth before COVID-19 , more new jobs in four years than ever before , more Hispanic and black people working than ever , standing up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and so on .
His most effective pitch was about prison reform , and Alice Johnson may have been the most visible and credible persona of the week .
He aimed to reframe the discussion on race and police brutality to law and order in an effort to bring white suburban mothers , voters over 65 , and others deeply concerned about violence and rage in the streets , including blacks and Hispanics .
It may not work , but initial polls after the convention show a tighter race nationally and an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What is most striking is that Trump 's strategy is once again unconventional , seeking to divide and splinter instead of heal and unite .
He is clearly back in the game .
Presidential candidates are supposed to get a post-convention bounce , a small , sharp rise in the polls after the convention that nominated them formally .
But this is 2020 , when nothing is normal .
Joe Biden didn ’ t get a post-convention bounce after the Democrats ’ dour snore fest : His bounce showed up in Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s just plain weird .
Now , after the Republican convention , it ’ s a dead heat .
Trump ’ s second-term agenda was finally published ( independent of the party platform , which is already forgotten ) , and it ’ s a good one , full of promises on healthcare , immigration , and a continuation of Trump ’ s “ America First ” policies .
After months of riots ( tolerated by Democratic governors and mayors ) , Biden is finally getting to a Rodney King-like “ Can ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ message , mewing against the continued BLM riots around the nation without actually criticizing the rioters .
Compare that to Vice President Mike Pence ’ s strong law-and-order message in his convention speech ( Pence said they ’ d never defund the police and always back “ the Blue ” ) , and you have another strong , significant issue for Trump and Pence to run on .
Unhappily for the Democrats , they ’ re the party of anarchy and disorder .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is trying to excuse Biden from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refuse to debate Trump because Biden ’ s mental health is clearly an issue , and he can ’ t otherwise prove he can put words together to make understandable sentences .
The debates , which begin around the end of September , could be the end of Biden ’ s run .
John Zogby is the founder of the Zogby Poll and senior partner at John Zogby Strategies .
His weekly podcast with son and partner Jeremy Zogby can be heard here .
Follow him on Twitter @ TheJohnZogby Jed Babbin is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undersecretary of defense in the administration of former President George H.W .
Bush .
Follow him on Twitter @ jedbabbin

President Trump’s rollout of his new and “unconventional” reelection campaign shows that he is “clearly back in the game,” according to pollster John Zogby.
For our weekly White House Report Card, the Democratic pollster gave Trump an A- for the week and said that the president used the virtual Republican National Convention “to change the focus of the conversation to his talking points: unprecedented growth before COVID-19, more new jobs in four years than ever before, more Hispanics and blacks working than ever, standing up to China, a Middle East peace deal, and so on.”
Co-grader Jed Babbin, a conservative analyst, graded a B+ and called the president’s second-term agenda “a good one.”
John Zogby
Grade A-
Trump had a good week. He may not often look or act like a president, but the White House always does — and the White House was the star of the week.
The president and his supporters were able, at least for the week, to change the focus of the conversation to his talking points: unprecedented growth before COVID-19, more new jobs in four years than ever before, more Hispanic and black people working than ever, standing up to China, a Middle East peace deal, and so on. His most effective pitch was about prison reform, and Alice Johnson may have been the most visible and credible persona of the week.
He aimed to reframe the discussion on race and police brutality to law and order in an effort to bring white suburban mothers, voters over 65, and others deeply concerned about violence and rage in the streets, including blacks and Hispanics.
It may not work, but initial polls after the convention show a tighter race nationally and an even closer race in several battleground states. What is most striking is that Trump's strategy is once again unconventional, seeking to divide and splinter instead of heal and unite. He is clearly back in the game.
Jed Babbin
Grade B+
Presidential candidates are supposed to get a post-convention bounce, a small, sharp rise in the polls after the convention that nominated them formally. But this is 2020, when nothing is normal. Joe Biden didn’t get a post-convention bounce after the Democrats’ dour snore fest: His bounce showed up in Trump’s polling numbers. That’s just plain weird. Now, after the Republican convention, it’s a dead heat.
Trump’s second-term agenda was finally published (independent of the party platform, which is already forgotten), and it’s a good one, full of promises on healthcare, immigration, and a continuation of Trump’s “America First” policies. After months of riots (tolerated by Democratic governors and mayors), Biden is finally getting to a Rodney King-like “Can’t we all get along?” message, mewing against the continued BLM riots around the nation without actually criticizing the rioters. Compare that to Vice President Mike Pence’s strong law-and-order message in his convention speech (Pence said they’d never defund the police and always back “the Blue”), and you have another strong, significant issue for Trump and Pence to run on. Unhappily for the Democrats, they’re the party of anarchy and disorder.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is trying to excuse Biden from debating Trump. Biden can’t refuse to debate Trump because Biden’s mental health is clearly an issue, and he can’t otherwise prove he can put words together to make understandable sentences. The debates, which begin around the end of September, could be the end of Biden’s run.
John Zogby is the founder of the Zogby Poll and senior partner at John Zogby Strategies. His weekly podcast with son and partner Jeremy Zogby can be heard here. Follow him on Twitter @TheJohnZogby
Jed Babbin is a Washington Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in the administration of former President George H.W. Bush. Follow him on Twitter @jedbabbin


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-29--Ohio county tells story of the seismic shift of working-class voters toward GOP

NORTH LIMA , Ohio — Ron Spickler is sitting on the front porch of his modest Mahoning County brick home eating dinner and watching the world drive by the busy little state routes that intersect and pass his front door .
On his lawn are a variety of signs that tell the story of Spickler — at least , the political story .
There is a Trump-Pence 2020 sign , a Trump flag , a Trump Country sign , and an Ohio for Trump banner .
There is also a sign thanking healthcare workers for their service and , of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' sign for good measure .
Spickler says children come by — he assumes they are children by the videos he has of them — and take his signs down constantly .
He puts them right back up “ just to mess with them.
” Spickler was a lifetime Democrat .
He voted for Barack Obama , then switched to Donald Trump in 2016 .
He can not wait to show up to vote for him in November and is quick to note the divide in this country .
He hopes whoever wins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miles due north at the Mahoning County Republican headquarters on Market Street , Sher Wenowitz has been there most of the day making calls , handing out Trump-Pence signs , and signing people up who walk through the door asking how they can get involved .
Wenowitz also voted for Obama , also left the Democratic Party in 2016 , and until this year had never volunteered for a political campaign in her life .
“ I talked to my husband , asked him if we could get by if I retired , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volunteer at the campaign headquarters , '' she said .
`` He said , 'Yes , ' and on December 31st , I put my real estate license on inactive and have devoted my time to getting President Trump reelected . ''
If there were an epicenter of the shift in our political parties , Mahoning County , Ohio , would be it .
Mahoning County was the home of blue-collar working Democrats , both black and white , who worked the factories and manufacturing powerhouses that once dotted the valley like bulking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hills .
A combination of automation , technology , and bad trade deals that benefited China and Mexico took those jobs away and left a scarred landscape not just stripped of factories , but of homes , barbershops , churches , and hope .
It also eroded that support for Democrats over the years , not noticed until the stunning shift that played out here in November 2016 .
Trump did not win ‘ the valley , ’ but he came shockingly close .
Clinton won the county with 49 % of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In contrast , four years earlier , President Barack Obama crushed Mitt Romney by 28 percentage points , earning more than 63 % of Mahoning County ’ s vote .
This time , Republicans plan on making the shift whole .
If Trump flips the county , it will become the poster child for the slow drift of the working class into the Republican Party .
While that shift does not guarantee Trump an electoral win , it does illustrate how much both parties have changed .
Case in point : 200 miles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ results of the House special election in August 2018 showed another slim win , this time by Republican Troy Balderson in the 12th Congressional District , a conservative House seat that a Republican has never had to struggle to win .
Yet , he did .
Balderson eked out a victory by earning large numbers of votes from the blue-collar , small-town , and sprawling rural areas , but those suburban voters closest to the city went for his Democratic rival .
Other Republicans in similar situations were not that lucky .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ swept Democrats in the House and left pundits convinced they would not return back to the coalition Trump had crafted .
Both Ohio counties show America ’ s electoral trends that began incrementally in 2002 , long before Trump floated down that escalator in August of 2015 , and are a political trade created not by one man , but by years of the guardians of our culture in government , culture , entertainment , institutions , and the media isolating themselves in a cocoon of wealth , detachment , and disdain far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , entertain , and govern .
The national media missed this slow creep and mistakenly believed it was caused by Trump missing that the middle of the country had been moving away from the Democrats and them for nearly a generation .
He was not the cause but the result of the Democratic Party becoming more focused on issues such as transgender bathrooms and not on jobs and trade deals .
Now , as we enter the stretch for 2020 , the Democrats have turned their focus on gun restrictions , higher taxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rage in the streets while Trump focuses on preserving law and order and jobs , the Columbus suburbs are stalled on who they would support .
Mahoning is poised to make history and vote for its first Republican for president since 1972 .
Outside the Trump headquarters , the door here opens and closes repeatedly as supporters old and new make their way into their office to pick up a sign , or three for their yards , a Trump face mask , and , more often than not , offer to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been at this since 1992 in some capacity or the other , and I ’ ve never seen anything like this , ” explained Tom McCabe , the county party chairman , emphasizing the last two words as he points to the busy office and packed parking lot .
Show up to watch , and you can not miss the brisk activity .
Show up and listen , and you can not miss the enthusiasm .
McCabe is also blown away by the efficiency , investment , and bodies the Trump campaign has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contact .
“ We 've always told our candidates over the years , if you 're going to do one thing , it 's your shoe effort , and you knock on doors , '' he said .
`` It 's that personal contact , because that retail poll ticks with door-to-door .
And what we saw this time is different than in '16 . ''
He added that at times `` '16 was a little chaotic because the Trump team did n't have that organization . ''
“ I 've never seen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focused on personal contact than I 've seen in 2020 , and it started September 1st of last year here in Mahoning County , ” he said .
McCabe said four years ago , Trump ’ s near-win here gave the local party time to bulk up and start to field Republican candidates to run in a place Republican candidates rarely ran because of the overwhelming Democratic presence in the valley .
Now , he says they too have a shot to reshape the political landscape down-ballot in this new , upside-down political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these voters are simply lost to Democrats for the near future , ” said Paul Sracic , a political science professor at Youngstown State University .
Sracic explains Biden 's inconsistency on trade is a big part of the problem , “ He is running ‘ Buy America ’ ads now but voted for Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China and NAFTA.
” That kind of flippant pandering does not earn voters back .
“ One of the mistakes people make when talking about places like the Mahoning Valley is that we think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white voters with no college degree who the globalized economy has passed by .
Well , that ’ s a bit of a distorted image , ” said Sracic .
“ While many of Trump ’ s voters may lack a college degree , that doesn ’ t mean they don ’ t work for or maybe even own a small business , for example , a landscaping business or HVAC repair company .
They appreciate the Trump administration ’ s pushback on costly regulations , ” he said .
He added , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many small manufacturing facilities that dot the valley who saw their companies do a little better prior to March of 2020 . ''
In short , even if they are not directly affected by trade deals , they still blame these deals for the negative changes they have seen in their communities driven by the decline in large manufacturing employment and the steady work provided .
“ They might have a job , but they want their kids to be able to find a job nearby , '' said Sracic .
`` Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time here listening to these voters explain the nuance of that complex sentiment in the context of their lives , and it ’ s not hard to contemplate their choices .
“ These voters are not hung up on how Trump talks , '' said Sracic .
`` He delivered on the issue that they care about : trade .
On that issue , he is the most honest politician that they ’ ve ever heard.
” Economists can argue about the significance of the changes to NAFTA in the new USMCA deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign to renegotiate the 1990s trade deal with Mexico and Canada , and he delivered .
Foreign policy wonks can complain about the strategic wisdom of withdrawing from the TPP , but again , Trump said he would withdraw , and he did withdraw .
Overall , in the face of COVID-19 , analysts want to argue that Trump did not deliver , since people in the valley and across the United States are now suffering from record levels of unemployment .
“ Well , the voters remember how well the economy was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” offers Sracic .
However , he conceded , “ There are two issues that could hurt Trump ’ s reelection efforts in the Mahoning Valley : the closing of the GM Lordstown plant and COVID-19 . ''
Lordstown , Ohio , located just over the line in Trumbull County , was the General Motors auto plant and one of the larger employers in the entire region that the company closed in March 2019 .
It was a major economic blow to the Valley .
“ That closing flew in the face of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic situation in the area , '' said Sracic .
`` It ’ s not an accident that when local Congressman Tim Ryan cast Ohio ’ s votes for Joe Biden on video for the DNC Convention , he did so outside of the closed facility . ''
“ I ’ m not sure that using the closing of Lordstown to attack Trump will be effective , '' he said .
`` It was GM , which sells more cars in China now than in the U.S. , and not Trump that made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Locals know that the plant has been on the chopping block for years .
Trump obviously opposed the move and made public statements demanding that GM CEO Mary Barra reverse her decision .
She ignored his efforts . ''
What ’ s easy to miss is that , rather than being a point of blame , it contributes to Trump ’ s narrative about what has gone wrong in the U.S. A quintessential American company such as GM with large luxury corporate offices located far from their plants forgets its roots and goes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the U.S. , and opening factories around the world while closing plants in places such as Ohio and Michigan .
“ Ironically , the closing of a manufacturing plant might actually increase support for Trump ’ s anti-globalization message , ” he said .
`` This also goes to COVID-19 .
To argue that Trump is to blame for the explosion of cases and deaths in the U.S. assumes that Americans agree on a way that the virus could have been stopped .
Masks and lockdowns , however , remain hugely controversial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ located far from this region and national Democrats holed up in the same bubble see a floundering president too preoccupied with bashing his opponents on Twitter to deal with a national crisis such as COVID-19 , his supporters in the Mahoning Valley and in similar places may see a president who , for the first time in their lives , says what they believe about globalization and has actually delivered on some of his explicit promises .
“ Democrats seem to think they steal these voters back by arguing , on the one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and on the other hand , that Democrats also want to protect American jobs and have a better plan [ than ] Trump .
These are going to be hard sells , ” said Sracic .
“ How was renegotiating NAFTA to provide more protection for labor incompetent ?
Because it didn ’ t go far enough ?
Is a politician like Joe Biden who voted for NAFTA , been in government for nearly 50 years , eight as Vice-President , while never changing a word of NAFTA , going to be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” Sracic wonders , adding : “ The result could be even more votes for Trump .
”

NORTH LIMA, Ohio — Ron Spickler is sitting on the front porch of his modest Mahoning County brick home eating dinner and watching the world drive by the busy little state routes that intersect and pass his front door.
On his lawn are a variety of signs that tell the story of Spickler — at least, the political story. There is a Trump-Pence 2020 sign, a Trump flag, a Trump Country sign, and an Ohio for Trump banner. There is also a sign thanking healthcare workers for their service and, of course, a "Beware of Dog" sign for good measure. Spickler says children come by — he assumes they are children by the videos he has of them — and take his signs down constantly. He puts them right back up “just to mess with them.”
Spickler was a lifetime Democrat. He voted for Barack Obama, then switched to Donald Trump in 2016. He cannot wait to show up to vote for him in November and is quick to note the divide in this country. He hopes whoever wins will try to repair it.
Sher Wenowitz is a volunteer at the Mahoning County Republican Party Headquarters. (Justin Merriman/Washington Examiner)
Five miles due north at the Mahoning County Republican headquarters on Market Street, Sher Wenowitz has been there most of the day making calls, handing out Trump-Pence signs, and signing people up who walk through the door asking how they can get involved.
Wenowitz also voted for Obama, also left the Democratic Party in 2016, and until this year had never volunteered for a political campaign in her life. “I talked to my husband, asked him if we could get by if I retired, at least short term so I could volunteer at the campaign headquarters," she said. "He said, 'Yes,' and on December 31st, I put my real estate license on inactive and have devoted my time to getting President Trump reelected."
If there were an epicenter of the shift in our political parties, Mahoning County, Ohio, would be it. Mahoning County was the home of blue-collar working Democrats, both black and white, who worked the factories and manufacturing powerhouses that once dotted the valley like bulking dinosaurs peering out of the softly rolling hills.
A combination of automation, technology, and bad trade deals that benefited China and Mexico took those jobs away and left a scarred landscape not just stripped of factories, but of homes, barbershops, churches, and hope. It also eroded that support for Democrats over the years, not noticed until the stunning shift that played out here in November 2016.
Trump did not win ‘the valley,’ but he came shockingly close. Clinton won the county with 49% of the vote; Trump had 46.9%. In contrast, four years earlier, President Barack Obama crushed Mitt Romney by 28 percentage points, earning more than 63% of Mahoning County’s vote.
This time, Republicans plan on making the shift whole. If Trump flips the county, it will become the poster child for the slow drift of the working class into the Republican Party.
While that shift does not guarantee Trump an electoral win, it does illustrate how much both parties have changed. Case in point: 200 miles due west in suburban Columbus, the results of the House special election in August 2018 showed another slim win, this time by Republican Troy Balderson in the 12th Congressional District, a conservative House seat that a Republican has never had to struggle to win.
Ron Spickler sits on his porch near one of his many Trump signs in North Lima, Ohio. Spickler, a life-long Democrat, switched parties because of Trump. (Justin Merriman / Washington Examiner)
Yet, he did. Balderson eked out a victory by earning large numbers of votes from the blue-collar, small-town, and sprawling rural areas, but those suburban voters closest to the city went for his Democratic rival.
Other Republicans in similar situations were not that lucky. In 2018, those kinds of suburban voters swept Democrats in the House and left pundits convinced they would not return back to the coalition Trump had crafted.
Both Ohio counties show America’s electoral trends that began incrementally in 2002, long before Trump floated down that escalator in August of 2015, and are a political trade created not by one man, but by years of the guardians of our culture in government, culture, entertainment, institutions, and the media isolating themselves in a cocoon of wealth, detachment, and disdain far from the people they serve, educate, entertain, and govern.
The national media missed this slow creep and mistakenly believed it was caused by Trump missing that the middle of the country had been moving away from the Democrats and them for nearly a generation. He was not the cause but the result of the Democratic Party becoming more focused on issues such as transgender bathrooms and not on jobs and trade deals.
Now, as we enter the stretch for 2020, the Democrats have turned their focus on gun restrictions, higher taxes, and climate change and ignored the rage in the streets while Trump focuses on preserving law and order and jobs, the Columbus suburbs are stalled on who they would support. Mahoning is poised to make history and vote for its first Republican for president since 1972.
Outside the Trump headquarters, the door here opens and closes repeatedly as supporters old and new make their way into their office to pick up a sign, or three for their yards, a Trump face mask, and, more often than not, offer to help the effort.
“I’ve been at this since 1992 in some capacity or the other, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” explained Tom McCabe, the county party chairman, emphasizing the last two words as he points to the busy office and packed parking lot.
Show up to watch, and you cannot miss the brisk activity. Show up and listen, and you cannot miss the enthusiasm.
McCabe is also blown away by the efficiency, investment, and bodies the Trump campaign has placed here in Mahoning for person-to-person voter contact.
“We've always told our candidates over the years, if you're going to do one thing, it's your shoe effort, and you knock on doors," he said. "It's that personal contact, because that retail poll ticks with door-to-door. And what we saw this time is different than in '16." He added that at times "'16 was a little chaotic because the Trump team didn't have that organization."
Not this time.
“I've never seen such a concerted effort and organization so focused on personal contact than I've seen in 2020, and it started September 1st of last year here in Mahoning County,” he said.
McCabe said four years ago, Trump’s near-win here gave the local party time to bulk up and start to field Republican candidates to run in a place Republican candidates rarely ran because of the overwhelming Democratic presence in the valley. Now, he says they too have a shot to reshape the political landscape down-ballot in this new, upside-down political world.
“It may be that these voters are simply lost to Democrats for the near future,” said Paul Sracic, a political science professor at Youngstown State University.
Sracic explains Biden's inconsistency on trade is a big part of the problem, “He is running ‘Buy America’ ads now but voted for Permanent Normal Trade Relations with China and NAFTA.”
That kind of flippant pandering does not earn voters back.
“One of the mistakes people make when talking about places like the Mahoning Valley is that we think of Trump’s supporters as down-and-out white voters with no college degree who the globalized economy has passed by. Well, that’s a bit of a distorted image,” said Sracic.
“While many of Trump’s voters may lack a college degree, that doesn’t mean they don’t work for or maybe even own a small business, for example, a landscaping business or HVAC repair company. They appreciate the Trump administration’s pushback on costly regulations,” he said.
He added, “Or they may work in the many small manufacturing facilities that dot the valley who saw their companies do a little better prior to March of 2020."
In short, even if they are not directly affected by trade deals, they still blame these deals for the negative changes they have seen in their communities driven by the decline in large manufacturing employment and the steady work provided.
“They might have a job, but they want their kids to be able to find a job nearby," said Sracic. "Trump offered them that hope.”
Spend some time here listening to these voters explain the nuance of that complex sentiment in the context of their lives, and it’s not hard to contemplate their choices.
“These voters are not hung up on how Trump talks," said Sracic. "He delivered on the issue that they care about: trade. On that issue, he is the most honest politician that they’ve ever heard.”
Economists can argue about the significance of the changes to NAFTA in the new USMCA deal, but Trump had promised during the campaign to renegotiate the 1990s trade deal with Mexico and Canada, and he delivered.
Foreign policy wonks can complain about the strategic wisdom of withdrawing from the TPP, but again, Trump said he would withdraw, and he did withdraw.
Overall, in the face of COVID-19, analysts want to argue that Trump did not deliver, since people in the valley and across the United States are now suffering from record levels of unemployment.
“Well, the voters remember how well the economy was growing prior to March of 2020,” offers Sracic.
However, he conceded, “There are two issues that could hurt Trump’s reelection efforts in the Mahoning Valley: the closing of the GM Lordstown plant and COVID-19."
Lordstown, Ohio, located just over the line in Trumbull County, was the General Motors auto plant and one of the larger employers in the entire region that the company closed in March 2019.
It was a major economic blow to the Valley.
“That closing flew in the face of Trump’s commitment to improve the economic situation in the area," said Sracic. "It’s not an accident that when local Congressman Tim Ryan cast Ohio’s votes for Joe Biden on video for the DNC Convention, he did so outside of the closed facility."
“I’m not sure that using the closing of Lordstown to attack Trump will be effective," he said. "It was GM, which sells more cars in China now than in the U.S., and not Trump that made the decision to close the plant. Locals know that the plant has been on the chopping block for years. Trump obviously opposed the move and made public statements demanding that GM CEO Mary Barra reverse her decision. She ignored his efforts."
What’s easy to miss is that, rather than being a point of blame, it contributes to Trump’s narrative about what has gone wrong in the U.S. A quintessential American company such as GM with large luxury corporate offices located far from their plants forgets its roots and goes global, doing more business with China than the U.S., and opening factories around the world while closing plants in places such as Ohio and Michigan.
“Ironically, the closing of a manufacturing plant might actually increase support for Trump’s anti-globalization message,” he said. "This also goes to COVID-19. To argue that Trump is to blame for the explosion of cases and deaths in the U.S. assumes that Americans agree on a way that the virus could have been stopped. Masks and lockdowns, however, remain hugely controversial."
Sracic says the national press located far from this region and national Democrats holed up in the same bubble see a floundering president too preoccupied with bashing his opponents on Twitter to deal with a national crisis such as COVID-19, his supporters in the Mahoning Valley and in similar places may see a president who, for the first time in their lives, says what they believe about globalization and has actually delivered on some of his explicit promises.
“Democrats seem to think they steal these voters back by arguing, on the one hand, that Trump is incompetent, and on the other hand, that Democrats also want to protect American jobs and have a better plan [than] Trump. These are going to be hard sells,” said Sracic.
“How was renegotiating NAFTA to provide more protection for labor incompetent? Because it didn’t go far enough? Is a politician like Joe Biden who voted for NAFTA, been in government for nearly 50 years, eight as Vice-President, while never changing a word of NAFTA, going to be able to make this argument effectively and believably?” Sracic wonders, adding: “The result could be even more votes for Trump.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-30--Kim Klacik: Black voters 'are definitely listening' to Trump's messaging

Congressional candidate Kimberly Klacik said black voters “ are definitely listening ” to President Trump ’ s platform and messaging .
“ We are definitely listening to that message , and it is resonating .
This is an administration that actually has real results coming into the community , ” Klacik told Fox News ’ s Maria Bartiromo on Sunday .
“ A lot of people don ’ t talk about the fact that criminal justice reform is something that many black Americans thought President Obama would tackle .
He failed to do that .
He didn ’ t even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
Klacik is running for the late Elijah Cummings ’ congressional seat in a Maryland district that includes parts of Baltimore .
She is an outspoken supporter of Trump and said Sunday that he ’ s the candidate campaigning on an optimistic platform .
“ They also saw , if you looked at the RNC convention versus the DNC convention , we seem to be the party of optimism and hope .
You know , we talked about things we ’ re going to continue to do .
President Trump talked about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he ’ s going to continue to do , and that ’ s what ’ s important , ” she said .
“ We don ’ t want just paint on the streets , ” she added , referring to Black Lives Matter murals on some city ’ s streets .
“ We want careers and opportunity , and we want equality .
And I think people are understanding that you ’ ll get that from President Trump rather than what we had in the past.
” She also discussed a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black voters jumped 9 percentage points during the Republican National Convention .
Klacik went viral this month for an ad that featured her “ exposing what life is like in Democrat run cities.
” “ Do you care about black lives ?
” Klacik asked viewers of the ad .
“ The people that run Baltimore don ’ t .
I can prove it .
Walk with me .
They don ’ t want you to see this.
” “ This is the reality for black people every single day : crumbling infrastructure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime , ” Klacik said as she walked by dilapidated buildings .
“ Baltimore has been run by the Democrat Party for 53 years .
What is the result of their decades of leadership ?
”

Congressional candidate Kimberly Klacik said black voters “are definitely listening” to President Trump’s platform and messaging.
“We are definitely listening to that message, and it is resonating. This is an administration that actually has real results coming into the community,” Klacik told Fox News’s Maria Bartiromo on Sunday.
“A lot of people don’t talk about the fact that criminal justice reform is something that many black Americans thought President Obama would tackle. He failed to do that. He didn’t even attempt to do it,” she added.
Klacik is running for the late Elijah Cummings’ congressional seat in a Maryland district that includes parts of Baltimore. She is an outspoken supporter of Trump and said Sunday that he’s the candidate campaigning on an optimistic platform.
“They also saw, if you looked at the RNC convention versus the DNC convention, we seem to be the party of optimism and hope. You know, we talked about things we’re going to continue to do. President Trump talked about things he’s been doing, and he’s going to continue to do, and that’s what’s important,” she said.
“We don’t want just paint on the streets,” she added, referring to Black Lives Matter murals on some city’s streets. “We want careers and opportunity, and we want equality. And I think people are understanding that you’ll get that from President Trump rather than what we had in the past.”
She also discussed a new poll that found support for Trump from black voters jumped 9 percentage points during the Republican National Convention.
Klacik went viral this month for an ad that featured her “exposing what life is like in Democrat run cities.”
Democrats don’t want you to see this.
They’re scared that I’m exposing what life is like in Democrat run cities.
That’s why I’m running for Congress
Because All Black Lives Matter
Baltimore Matters
And black people don’t have to vote Democrat
Help us win https://t.co/CSOjc9aQlS pic.twitter.com/XnEDTaDDIG — Kimberly Klacik (@kimKBaltimore) August 17, 2020
“Do you care about black lives?” Klacik asked viewers of the ad. “The people that run Baltimore don’t. I can prove it. Walk with me. They don’t want you to see this.”
“This is the reality for black people every single day: crumbling infrastructure, abandoned homes, poverty, and crime,” Klacik said as she walked by dilapidated buildings. “Baltimore has been run by the Democrat Party for 53 years. What is the result of their decades of leadership?”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-30--Trump 'has been trying to incite violence this entire summer,' says Biden spokeswoman

A top Joe Biden spokesperson accused President Trump of trying to incite violence at demonstrations and riots that have sprung up across the country in protest of policing and racism .
Kate Bedingfield , deputy campaign manager and communications director for the Biden campaign , claimed Sunday that Trump was inciting violence while answering a question about what the Democratic presidential nominee 's message will be following protests and riots that broke out last week in Kenosha , Wisconsin , over the police shooting of a black man , Jacob Blake .
Fires leveled numerous Kenosha buildings , and 17-year-old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrested last week on charges of homicide after allegedly killing two people participating in the Kenosha demonstrations .
`` He 's going to do what he 's been doing over the course of this summer , which is calling together people , uniting the country , leading , encouraging people to take on this moment with a sense of purpose , '' Bedingfield said Sunday of Biden 's plans in a Fox News interview .
`` It 's exactly the opposite of what we 've been seeing from Trump , who has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace was visibly taken aback .
`` The president is inciting violence ? ''
he asked .
`` You saw Donald Trump go to New Hampshire on Friday and say , you know , 'Protestors my ass , ' '' Bedingfield responded , referencing a comment Trump made about looters and rioters , including those who harassed those who attended his Republican convention speech accepting the party 's presidential nomination at the White House on Thursday night .
`` He 's had every opportunity to speak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is hurting , to speak to people who are struggling , who are trying to rightly seek justice in this moment . ''
Wallace pushed Bedingfield on her claim that Trump is inciting violence .
She stood by the statement .
`` Absolutely , he has .
He has encouraged his supporters to go out , to be aggressive , '' she said .
`` You heard — you were just discussing with Lara Trump , Kellyanne Conway said it unapologetically , it is better for this president if there is more anarchy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He has at every opportunity tried to fan the flames here and we are — and that is the reason we are living in Donald Trump 's America . ''
One of Trump 's most controversial statements about this summer 's riots and protests , interpreted by some as inciting violence , was a tweet in late May following riots in Minneapolis , Minnesota sparked by the death of black man George Floyd after being held under a white officer 's knee .
`` When the looting starts , the shooting starts , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the former two-term vice president and 36-year Delaware senator , has condemned the violence in Kenosha and other cities .
But he has also alleged that `` right-wing militia groups '' that are `` often aligned with white supremacists and white nationalists and neo-Nazis and the KKK '' are `` often the source of the biggest trouble '' during the demonstrations .
The Biden aide pushed back on Trump 's chief campaign argument that violence that engulfed Kenosha and Democratic-controlled cities would be made nationwide if Biden is elected .
`` He is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden 's America , pointing to things that are happening in Donald Trump 's America , '' Bedingfield said .
President Trump is scheduled to visit Kenosha on Tuesday , and Biden said last week that he is open to visiting the community .

A top Joe Biden spokesperson accused President Trump of trying to incite violence at demonstrations and riots that have sprung up across the country in protest of policing and racism.
Kate Bedingfield, deputy campaign manager and communications director for the Biden campaign, claimed Sunday that Trump was inciting violence while answering a question about what the Democratic presidential nominee's message will be following protests and riots that broke out last week in Kenosha, Wisconsin, over the police shooting of a black man, Jacob Blake. Fires leveled numerous Kenosha buildings, and 17-year-old vigilante and Trump supporter Kyle Rittenhouse was arrested last week on charges of homicide after allegedly killing two people participating in the Kenosha demonstrations.
"He's going to do what he's been doing over the course of this summer, which is calling together people, uniting the country, leading, encouraging people to take on this moment with a sense of purpose," Bedingfield said Sunday of Biden's plans in a Fox News interview. "It's exactly the opposite of what we've been seeing from Trump, who has been trying to incite violence this entire summer."
Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace was visibly taken aback. "The president is inciting violence?" he asked.
"You saw Donald Trump go to New Hampshire on Friday and say, you know, 'Protestors my ass,'" Bedingfield responded, referencing a comment Trump made about looters and rioters, including those who harassed those who attended his Republican convention speech accepting the party's presidential nomination at the White House on Thursday night. "He's had every opportunity to speak as a leader to this nation that is hurting, to speak to people who are struggling, who are trying to rightly seek justice in this moment."
Wallace pushed Bedingfield on her claim that Trump is inciting violence. She stood by the statement.
"Absolutely, he has. He has encouraged his supporters to go out, to be aggressive," she said. "You heard — you were just discussing with Lara Trump, Kellyanne Conway said it unapologetically, it is better for this president if there is more anarchy, more violence, more chaos. He has at every opportunity tried to fan the flames here and we are — and that is the reason we are living in Donald Trump's America."
One of Trump's most controversial statements about this summer's riots and protests, interpreted by some as inciting violence, was a tweet in late May following riots in Minneapolis, Minnesota sparked by the death of black man George Floyd after being held under a white officer's knee. "When the looting starts, the shooting starts," the president tweeted.
Biden, the former two-term vice president and 36-year Delaware senator, has condemned the violence in Kenosha and other cities. But he has also alleged that "right-wing militia groups" that are "often aligned with white supremacists and white nationalists and neo-Nazis and the KKK" are "often the source of the biggest trouble" during the demonstrations.
The Biden aide pushed back on Trump's chief campaign argument that violence that engulfed Kenosha and Democratic-controlled cities would be made nationwide if Biden is elected.
"He is trying to make an argument about Joe Biden's America, pointing to things that are happening in Donald Trump's America," Bedingfield said.
President Trump is scheduled to visit Kenosha on Tuesday, and Biden said last week that he is open to visiting the community.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-30--Trump's approval rating among black voters jumps nine points during GOP convention: Poll

President Trump ’ s approval rating from black and Hispanic voters rose amid the Republican National Convention .
Twenty-four percent of registered black voters approve of the job Trump is doing , a rise of 9 percentage points from a poll taken earlier in August , a Hill-HarrisX poll found .
The poll also showed positive movement for the president ’ s approval rating among Hispanic voters , 32 % of whom approve of the job Trump is doing as president , a rise of 2 percentage points .
In 2016 , the president won 8 % of the black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote .
Trump also won 49 % of the suburban vote to Hillary Clinton ’ s 45 % .
However , the 2018 midterm House seats .
The Hill-HarrisX poll surveyed 2,861 people from around the United States between Aug. 22-25 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.83 percentage points .
Trump ’ s overall approval rating sits at 44 % , a loss of 1 point , according to the Hill .
His approval numbers decreased by 1 point among registered Republican voters .
While both Democratic nominee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suburbs , suburban voters disapprove of the president ’ s job performance at 58 % , compared to 42 % approving .
Trump has an edge in rural areas , where 53 % of respondents approve of his job performance .

President Trump’s approval rating from black and Hispanic voters rose amid the Republican National Convention.
Twenty-four percent of registered black voters approve of the job Trump is doing, a rise of 9 percentage points from a poll taken earlier in August, a Hill-HarrisX poll found.
The poll also showed positive movement for the president’s approval rating among Hispanic voters, 32% of whom approve of the job Trump is doing as president, a rise of 2 percentage points.
In 2016, the president won 8% of the black vote and 29% of the Hispanic vote. Trump also won 49% of the suburban vote to Hillary Clinton’s 45%. However, the 2018 midterm elections told a different story, with Democrats flipping suburban House seats.
The Hill-HarrisX poll surveyed 2,861 people from around the United States between Aug. 22-25 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.83 percentage points.
Trump’s overall approval rating sits at 44%, a loss of 1 point, according to the Hill. His approval numbers decreased by 1 point among registered Republican voters.
While both Democratic nominee Joe Biden and Trump are targeting the suburbs, suburban voters disapprove of the president’s job performance at 58%, compared to 42% approving. Trump has an edge in rural areas, where 53% of respondents approve of his job performance.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-01--Biden says Trump is ‘too weak, too scared’ to repudiate Kyle Rittenhouse

Joe Biden accused President Trump of being weak and scared after the incumbent president declined to criticize Kyle Rittenhouse , the 17-year-old vigilante who was charged with murder after allegedly killing two people in Kenosha , Wisconsin .
`` Yesterday , after the violence in Portland , I put out a statement decrying violence under any political banner , and challenged the President to do the same , '' Biden said in a statement Monday night .
`` Tonight , the President declined to rebuke violence .
He would n't even repudiate one of his supporters who is charged with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He is too weak , too scared of the hatred he has stirred to put an end to it . ''
In Portland , Oregon , on Saturday , an apparent pro-Trump demonstrator was killed .
Last week , as well as riots and fires in Kenosha following the police shooting of a black man , Jacob Blake , Rittenhouse traveled from Illinois to Kenosha in hopes of joining other vigilantes to defend private property and allegedly killed two people and injured one other .
During a press conference on Monday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as Rittenhouse .
`` He was trying to get away from them , I guess , it looks like , '' he said .
`` And he fell , and then , they very violently attacked him . ''
Rittenhouse 's legal defense , and prominent conservative defenders , say that he acted in self-defense .
`` I guess he was in very big trouble .
He probably would have been killed .
It 's under investigation . ''
Biden asserted that Trump is unfit to be president .
`` So once again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me in saying that while peaceful protest is a right — a necessity — violence is wrong , period .
No matter who does it , no matter what political affiliation they have .
Period .
If Donald Trump ca n't say that , then he is unfit to be President , and his preference for more violence — not less — is clear , '' the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee said .
Trump 's campaign fired back with its own statement less than half an hour later that accused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden today failed to stand up to the radicals in his party when he refused to call rioters what they are : violent left-wing mobs .
The criminals ravaging American cities are aligned with the extreme elements of the Democrat Party , but Biden is too weak to say so and voters are noticing , '' an unsigned press release said .
Biden earlier on Monday gave a speech in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , that turned Trump 's recent arguments that violence would increase if Biden was elected back onto the incumbent president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence .

Joe Biden accused President Trump of being weak and scared after the incumbent president declined to criticize Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old vigilante who was charged with murder after allegedly killing two people in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
"Yesterday, after the violence in Portland, I put out a statement decrying violence under any political banner, and challenged the President to do the same," Biden said in a statement Monday night. "Tonight, the President declined to rebuke violence. He wouldn't even repudiate one of his supporters who is charged with murder because of his attacks on others. He is too weak, too scared of the hatred he has stirred to put an end to it."
In Portland, Oregon, on Saturday, an apparent pro-Trump demonstrator was killed. Last week, as well as riots and fires in Kenosha following the police shooting of a black man, Jacob Blake, Rittenhouse traveled from Illinois to Kenosha in hopes of joining other vigilantes to defend private property and allegedly killed two people and injured one other.
During a press conference on Monday, Trump was asked to condemn vigilantes such as Rittenhouse.
"He was trying to get away from them, I guess, it looks like," he said. "And he fell, and then, they very violently attacked him."
Rittenhouse's legal defense, and prominent conservative defenders, say that he acted in self-defense.
"I guess he was in very big trouble. He probably would have been killed. It's under investigation."
Biden asserted that Trump is unfit to be president.
"So once again, I urge the President to join me in saying that while peaceful protest is a right — a necessity — violence is wrong, period. No matter who does it, no matter what political affiliation they have. Period. If Donald Trump can't say that, then he is unfit to be President, and his preference for more violence — not less — is clear," the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee said.
Trump's campaign fired back with its own statement less than half an hour later that accused Biden of being weak.
"Joe Biden today failed to stand up to the radicals in his party when he refused to call rioters what they are: violent left-wing mobs. The criminals ravaging American cities are aligned with the extreme elements of the Democrat Party, but Biden is too weak to say so and voters are noticing," an unsigned press release said.
Biden earlier on Monday gave a speech in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that turned Trump's recent arguments that violence would increase if Biden was elected back onto the incumbent president, accusing Trump of inciting fear and violence.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-31--Riots rivaling coronavirus as top 2020 concern

The civil unrest unfolding in cities across the country is starting to rival the coronavirus as a source of voter concern , a possibility that could redound to President Trump ’ s benefit .
Both campaigns are behaving as if they sense such a shift .
A recent Pew poll found violent crime suddenly a top five issue , just a few points behind the coronavirus .
CNN ’ s Don Lemon commented last week that the violence was hurting Democrats .
Support for Black Lives Matter has dropped significantly in some polls .
Marquette Law School found 61 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 48 % to 48 % split in early August .
There were also viral videos of a couple being stalked by protesters in Washington , D.C. , and Rand Paul , a criminal justice reform proponent who introduced a bill banning no-knock warrants named after police shooting victim Breonna Taylor , and his wife being attacked .
As the protests begin to spiral out of control in Kenosha , Wisconsin , following the police shooting of Jacob Blake , Democrats are suddenly finding themselves on the defensive .
Presidential nominee Joe Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in front of the issue , with fresh condemnations of the rioting and looting following relative silence at his party ’ s nominating convention .
He is blaming the unrest on Trump ’ s divisiveness .
“ This president long ago forfeited any moral leadership in this country .
He can ’ t stop the violence — because for years he has fomented it , ” Biden said in a Pittsburgh speech condemning the violence on Monday .
“ He may believe mouthing the words law and order makes him strong , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporters to stop acting as an armed militia in this country shows you how weak he is .
Does anyone believe there will be less violence in America if Donald Trump is reelected ?
” The Republican counterargument is that the violence has mainly been in Democratic-run cities and the demonstrators are overwhelmingly left wing , though there have been some clashes between Trump supporters and protesters .
A young man arrested for shooting two protesters in Kenosha has been characterized as a Trump supporter in some media reports .
Democrats have criticized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Department of Homeland Security intervened to protect a courthouse , and argued Trump is suppressing peaceful protests .
Some liberals have contended property damage doesn ’ t really constitute violence and that insurance will compensate business owners whose buildings have been torched or pelted with projectiles hurled through windows .
“ Looting strikes at the heart of property , of whiteness , and of the police , ” In Defense of Looting author Vicky Osterweil said in an with NPR .
“ It gets to the very root of the way those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it provides people with an imaginative sense of freedom and pleasure and helps them imagine a world that could be .
And I think that 's a part of it that does n't really get talked about — that riots and looting are experienced as sort of joyous and liberatory.
” She added , “ It 's just money .
It 's just property .
It 's not actually hurting any people.
” The Trump campaign chided Biden for failing to condemn antifa or apologize for his staffers donating to bail funds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden supporters trashing cities run by Democrats who support his candidacy , ” Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said in a statement .
“ He has repeatedly given them cover by excusing their violence by calling them ‘ peaceful protestors ’ and accusing law enforcement of ‘ stoking the fires of division.
’ ” “ Make no mistake , if you give power to Joe Biden , the radical Left will defund police departments all across America , ” Trump said in last week ’ s GOP convention speech .
“ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement nationwide .
They will make every city look like Democrat-run Portland , Oregon.
” Trump ’ s numbers , already on a downward spiral due to the coronavirus , fell further after George Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody .
Voters told pollsters they wanted a calming , unifying voice out of the White House , generally not seen as a Trump strength .
Republican strategist Frank Luntz said , at the time , Trump ’ s emphasis on “ law and order ” — he sometimes tweets out that phrase alone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was misplaced .
“ I think the BLM crowd has overplayed its hand with suburban voters .
They are not really agitating for racial justice , ” said Republican strategist John Feehery .
“ They are agitating for a complete overthrow of our free market capitalist system to be replaced by a socialist utopia .
These voters , many of whom have comfortable lives and big homes , are n't all that interested in being hit with loud protests and threats of violence on a continual basis . ''
“ I know that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the streets of suburbia , they are helping to effectively spread their message , but my sense is that it will backfire spectacularly in the November elections for the Democrats , ” Feehery added .

The civil unrest unfolding in cities across the country is starting to rival the coronavirus as a source of voter concern, a possibility that could redound to President Trump’s benefit.
Both campaigns are behaving as if they sense such a shift. A recent Pew poll found violent crime suddenly a top five issue, just a few points behind the coronavirus. CNN’s Don Lemon commented last week that the violence was hurting Democrats.
Support for Black Lives Matter has dropped significantly in some polls. Marquette Law School found 61% to 38% backing in mid-June yet a 48% to 48% split in early August. There were also viral videos of a couple being stalked by protesters in Washington, D.C., and Rand Paul, a criminal justice reform proponent who introduced a bill banning no-knock warrants named after police shooting victim Breonna Taylor, and his wife being attacked.
As the protests begin to spiral out of control in Kenosha, Wisconsin, following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, Democrats are suddenly finding themselves on the defensive. Presidential nominee Joe Biden has begun to try to get out in front of the issue, with fresh condemnations of the rioting and looting following relative silence at his party’s nominating convention. He is blaming the unrest on Trump’s divisiveness.
“This president long ago forfeited any moral leadership in this country. He can’t stop the violence — because for years he has fomented it,” Biden said in a Pittsburgh speech condemning the violence on Monday. “He may believe mouthing the words law and order makes him strong, but his failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia in this country shows you how weak he is. Does anyone believe there will be less violence in America if Donald Trump is reelected?”
The Republican counterargument is that the violence has mainly been in Democratic-run cities and the demonstrators are overwhelmingly left wing, though there have been some clashes between Trump supporters and protesters. A young man arrested for shooting two protesters in Kenosha has been characterized as a Trump supporter in some media reports.
Democrats have criticized the federal response in Portland, where the Department of Homeland Security intervened to protect a courthouse, and argued Trump is suppressing peaceful protests. Some liberals have contended property damage doesn’t really constitute violence and that insurance will compensate business owners whose buildings have been torched or pelted with projectiles hurled through windows.
“Looting strikes at the heart of property, of whiteness, and of the police,” In Defense of Looting author Vicky Osterweil said in an interview with NPR. “It gets to the very root of the way those three things are interconnected. And also, it provides people with an imaginative sense of freedom and pleasure and helps them imagine a world that could be. And I think that's a part of it that doesn't really get talked about — that riots and looting are experienced as sort of joyous and liberatory.” She added, “It's just money. It's just property. It's not actually hurting any people.”
The Trump campaign chided Biden for failing to condemn antifa or apologize for his staffers donating to bail funds. “These left-wing rioters are Joe Biden supporters trashing cities run by Democrats who support his candidacy,” Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said in a statement. “He has repeatedly given them cover by excusing their violence by calling them ‘peaceful protestors’ and accusing law enforcement of ‘stoking the fires of division.’”
“Make no mistake, if you give power to Joe Biden, the radical Left will defund police departments all across America,” Trump said in last week’s GOP convention speech. “They will pass federal legislation to reduce law enforcement nationwide. They will make every city look like Democrat-run Portland, Oregon.”
Trump’s numbers, already on a downward spiral due to the coronavirus, fell further after George Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody. Voters told pollsters they wanted a calming, unifying voice out of the White House, generally not seen as a Trump strength. Republican strategist Frank Luntz said, at the time, Trump’s emphasis on “law and order” — he sometimes tweets out that phrase alone — rather than “public safety” was misplaced.
“I think the BLM crowd has overplayed its hand with suburban voters. They are not really agitating for racial justice,” said Republican strategist John Feehery. “They are agitating for a complete overthrow of our free market capitalist system to be replaced by a socialist utopia. These voters, many of whom have comfortable lives and big homes, aren't all that interested in being hit with loud protests and threats of violence on a continual basis."
“I know that BLM thinks that by taking their fight to the streets of suburbia, they are helping to effectively spread their message, but my sense is that it will backfire spectacularly in the November elections for the Democrats,” Feehery added.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-31--Twitter labels Trump campaign tweet featuring segment of Biden speech 'manipulated media'

Twitter labeled a tweet by the Trump campaign featuring a three-second clip of Joe Biden ’ s Pennsylvania speech as “ manipulated media.
” The tweet , which was posted on Monday , includes a video of the former vice president saying , “ You won ’ t be safe in Joe Biden ’ s America.
” The clip leaves out the context of Biden ’ s full statement .
“ Since they can ’ t run on the simple proposition of sending our children safely back to school and since they have no agenda or vision for a second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on this : ‘ You won ’ t be safe in Joe Biden ’ s America , ’ ” Biden said during a Monday speech that addressed civil unrest in the United States .
The Trump campaign later added a tweet to the thread indicating that it was meant to be a joke .
“ To all the triggered journalists who ca n't take a joke about their candidate , it 's not our fault Joe Biden was dumb enough to say this on camera , ” the campaign said .
The Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for comment about the labeling but did not immediately receive a response .
This is not the first time Trump has faced labeling from Twitter .
In late May , Twitter placed a fact-checking label for the first time on a tweet from Trump ’ s account after he wrote about mail-in voting .
The following month , the tech company flagged a video he posted that featured two toddlers , one black and one white , and that was edited to make it appear as though it were a CNN report .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and “ Racist baby probably a Trump voter , ” the captions read .

Twitter labeled a tweet by the Trump campaign featuring a three-second clip of Joe Biden’s Pennsylvania speech as “manipulated media.”
The tweet, which was posted on Monday, includes a video of the former vice president saying, “You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America.” The clip leaves out the context of Biden’s full statement.
“Since they can’t run on the simple proposition of sending our children safely back to school and since they have no agenda or vision for a second term, Trump and Pence are running on this: ‘You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America,’” Biden said during a Monday speech that addressed civil unrest in the United States.
The Trump campaign later added a tweet to the thread indicating that it was meant to be a joke.
“To all the triggered journalists who can't take a joke about their candidate, it's not our fault Joe Biden was dumb enough to say this on camera,” the campaign said.
To all the triggered journalists who can't take a joke about their candidate, it's not our fault Joe Biden was dumb enough to say this on camera. — Trump War Room - Text TRUMP to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) August 31, 2020
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Trump campaign for comment about the labeling but did not immediately receive a response.
This is not the first time Trump has faced labeling from Twitter. In late May, Twitter placed a fact-checking label for the first time on a tweet from Trump’s account after he wrote about mail-in voting.
The following month, the tech company flagged a video he posted that featured two toddlers, one black and one white, and that was edited to make it appear as though it were a CNN report.
“Terrified toddler runs from racist baby” and “Racist baby probably a Trump voter,” the captions read.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-31--Team Trump targets 'hidden' white, working-class voters who skipped 2016 race

Millions of white , working-class voters in swing states stayed home in the 2016 presidential race , a potentially huge pool of supporters for President Trump to win over if his campaign can find the right message .
Whites without a college degree make up a disproportionate amount of residents in states throughout the Rust Belt and the South , creating a potent new voting bloc in trying to build an Electoral College majority of at least 270 .
And just as the Trump campaign turned out many white , working-class voters in his upset victory over Democratic rival Hillary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal more .
Winning over at least some of them would help offset the edge Democrats have gained in recent years by winning the votes of suburban residents turned off by the president 's tone and tenor .
But much of that depends on whether Trump and Republican National Committee staffers can get them to the polls .
Exciting nonvoters has long been a white whale for both Republicans and Democrats , with candidates like Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont basing his primary and hypothetical general campaign on the notion that he could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national politics .
Sanders 's failure in both the 2016 and 2020 Democratic primaries demonstrates the difficulty of this task .
Nor is there any guarantee that those voters will necessarily support the candidate actively courting them .
The potential spoils , however , could fundamentally shift electoral politics in the short and medium term — or as long as the Electoral College exists .
Consider Michigan , where 1.6 million of those who did n't vote in 2016 are whites without a college degree .
In Pennsylvania , that number jumps to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 800,000 white working-class Wisconsin residents who opted out of the 2016 election .
Roughly 80,000 voters in all three states combined handed Trump the keys to the White House in 2016 .
Assuming Trump manages to win just 10 % of new white nonvoters in November , he could help stop his electoral bleeding in the suburbs , which have slowly been shifting toward the Democrats over the last two election cycles .
Yet that assumes he maintains his grip over white , working-class voters who supported him in 2016 , which some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far from a certainty .
The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment .
One individual who worked with the RNC suggested that the Trump campaign ought to court voters at gun stores in exurban communities aggressively — like Kenosha County , Wisconsin .
Instead , the individual said , the GOP has been using blanket messages about socialism and tax hikes — issues traditionally used by Republicans that often prove ineffective with the white working class .
During the presidential primary , Biden consistently outperformed Hillary Clinton with working-class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Pennsylvania , signaling that many of these voters are more than happy to switch back to the Democratic Party .
Although many white working-class voters are generally less ideological than the college educated , keeping them in the GOP column requires a significant change in messaging from what might have historically played well in Fairfield County , Connecticut .
Nor are Democrats , unlike Clinton in 2016 , blind to Trump 's potential political advantage in the Rust Belt .
Although he 's sparingly left his Wilmington , Delaware , home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Joe Biden 's few trips out of state lines have been to working-class towns in Pennsylvania .
In remarks during these trips , Biden has emphasized his support for organized labor while also distancing himself from more radical members of his party .
So-called moderate Democrats like Biden carry an advantage in some of these states because they enjoy far more flexibility on social issues than the GOP with its pledges for smaller government and less spending , things that the white working class do n't necessarily support .
`` When we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should also talk about the basic security of being able to look your kid in the eye and tell them everything is going to be okay , '' Biden said Monday afternoon in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania .
`` We won ’ t lose our home .
We ’ ll be able to put food on the table . ''

Millions of white, working-class voters in swing states stayed home in the 2016 presidential race, a potentially huge pool of supporters for President Trump to win over if his campaign can find the right message.
Whites without a college degree make up a disproportionate amount of residents in states throughout the Rust Belt and the South, creating a potent new voting bloc in trying to build an Electoral College majority of at least 270. And just as the Trump campaign turned out many white, working-class voters in his upset victory over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, there are potentially a good deal more. Winning over at least some of them would help offset the edge Democrats have gained in recent years by winning the votes of suburban residents turned off by the president's tone and tenor.
But much of that depends on whether Trump and Republican National Committee staffers can get them to the polls. Exciting nonvoters has long been a white whale for both Republicans and Democrats, with candidates like Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont basing his primary and hypothetical general campaign on the notion that he could excite those who are normally disillusioned by national politics.
Sanders's failure in both the 2016 and 2020 Democratic primaries demonstrates the difficulty of this task. Nor is there any guarantee that those voters will necessarily support the candidate actively courting them. The potential spoils, however, could fundamentally shift electoral politics in the short and medium term — or as long as the Electoral College exists.
Consider Michigan, where 1.6 million of those who didn't vote in 2016 are whites without a college degree. In Pennsylvania, that number jumps to 2.1 million, nearly 3 times the 800,000 white working-class Wisconsin residents who opted out of the 2016 election. Roughly 80,000 voters in all three states combined handed Trump the keys to the White House in 2016.
Assuming Trump manages to win just 10% of new white nonvoters in November, he could help stop his electoral bleeding in the suburbs, which have slowly been shifting toward the Democrats over the last two election cycles. Yet that assumes he maintains his grip over white, working-class voters who supported him in 2016, which some who work in GOP politics say is far from a certainty.
The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
One individual who worked with the RNC suggested that the Trump campaign ought to court voters at gun stores in exurban communities aggressively — like Kenosha County, Wisconsin. Instead, the individual said, the GOP has been using blanket messages about socialism and tax hikes — issues traditionally used by Republicans that often prove ineffective with the white working class.
During the presidential primary, Biden consistently outperformed Hillary Clinton with working-class whites in states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, signaling that many of these voters are more than happy to switch back to the Democratic Party. Although many white working-class voters are generally less ideological than the college educated, keeping them in the GOP column requires a significant change in messaging from what might have historically played well in Fairfield County, Connecticut.
Nor are Democrats, unlike Clinton in 2016, blind to Trump's potential political advantage in the Rust Belt. Although he's sparingly left his Wilmington, Delaware, home since the end of the Democratic primary, Joe Biden's few trips out of state lines have been to working-class towns in Pennsylvania.
In remarks during these trips, Biden has emphasized his support for organized labor while also distancing himself from more radical members of his party. So-called moderate Democrats like Biden carry an advantage in some of these states because they enjoy far more flexibility on social issues than the GOP with its pledges for smaller government and less spending, things that the white working class don't necessarily support.
"When we talk about safety and security, we should also talk about the basic security of being able to look your kid in the eye and tell them everything is going to be okay," Biden said Monday afternoon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. "We won’t lose our home. We’ll be able to put food on the table."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-08-31--Republicans aim to undercut Abigail Spanberger's centrist reputation in Virginia House race

Republicans in Virginia 's 7th Congressional District intend to show that Rep. Abigail Spanberger is not the centrist her campaign ads portray her to be .
Spanberger , a first-term Democrat who considers herself a centrist within her party , represents a district then-candidate Donald Trump won in 2016 by 6 points .
She won the seat in 2018 by 2 points against two-term Republican incumbent Rep. David Brat .
The former CIA officer will now face Republican Nick Freitas , a two-tour Army veteran and member of the Green Berets who presently represents the 30th District in Virginia 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her as a liberal .
“ She obviously styled herself as a reach-across-the-aisle kind of moderate Democrat , and that 's not what we 've seen in the voting record .
She 's voted with Democrat leadership over 90 % of the time .
When it comes to obstructing the president , Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has voted in line with the president more than Abigail has , ” Freitas told the Washington Examiner .
The district is in the center of the state and includes Culpeper , Orange , Goochland , Nottoway , Amelia @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regions of Chesterfield and Henrico counties .
Most of the counties are relatively conservative when it comes to gun rights .
Each county adopted a resolution either declaring itself a `` Second Amendment sanctuary county '' last year , meaning any gun control measure passed in Richmond would not be locally enforced , or declaring support for the Second Amendment .
Spanberger , however , supported her party ’ s gun control measures on Capitol Hill , including universal background checks and reinstating the assault weapons ban .
“ How many years did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to take your guns ' ?
And then , as soon as they got into office , they immediately started dropping bills , criminalizing people for having standard handguns and rifles , ” Freitas said .
“ And so , I think that 's the part that a lot of people are really concerned about and are really waking up to the idea that the Democratic Party is not the one that they recognize from even 20 years ago.
” The Washington Examiner asked Spanberger for comment but received no response .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advantage over Freitas , according to the latest Federal Election Commission records , and J .
Miles Coleman , associate editor of Sabato 's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics , told the Washington Examiner that he thinks that edge and Sen. Mark Warner ’ s reelection campaign are big pluses in her favor .
“ In the 2017 gubernatorial race , the Republican , Ed Gillespie , hit on some 'law and order ' themes .
He attacked now-Gov .
Northam on sanctuary cities and was critical of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting rights to felons .
Gillespie lost that race , but he carried the 7th District by 4 percentage points .
So , that may suggest that type of messaging has some promise for Freitas , ” Coleman said .
“ In 2018 , the congressional results were tied closely to the Senate race .
I found that Sen. Tim Kaine carried seven of the state 's 11 districts .
The seven he carried elected Democrats to the House , while the four he lost stayed in Republican hands , '' Coleman continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year has been scant , but the last poll puts Mark Warner up 21 % .
That 's a bigger margin than Kaine 's 16 % edge in 2018 .
Assuming we 'll see another relatively straight-party vote , Warner could lift Spanberger.
” He added , “ Overall , the Crystal Ball has the race at 'leans Democratic . '
If Trump carries the district , it may just be by a few points like Gillespie in 2017 .
While there 's less ticket-splitting these days , we think Spanberger could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Biden and hold on.
” Freitas argued that since his nomination , Republicans and conservative organizations have been raising money for the race .
`` So we 're working together , everyone 's cooperating .
If you look at the total number that we 've raised , plus what 's been reserved for us through , CLF and other conservative orgs , I think we 're closing in on $ 6 million .
That 's not on hand .
That 's that 's total raised . ''
He added , “ Fundraising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I said ... the Republican House caucus have been incredibly helpful , very supportive .
So , we 're very happy with the cooperation that we 're getting from all the Republican conservative organizations .
”

Republicans in Virginia's 7th Congressional District intend to show that Rep. Abigail Spanberger is not the centrist her campaign ads portray her to be.
Spanberger, a first-term Democrat who considers herself a centrist within her party, represents a district then-candidate Donald Trump won in 2016 by 6 points. She won the seat in 2018 by 2 points against two-term Republican incumbent Rep. David Brat.
The former CIA officer will now face Republican Nick Freitas, a two-tour Army veteran and member of the Green Berets who presently represents the 30th District in Virginia's House of Delegates, who will cast her as a liberal.
“She obviously styled herself as a reach-across-the-aisle kind of moderate Democrat, and that's not what we've seen in the voting record. She's voted with Democrat leadership over 90% of the time. When it comes to obstructing the president, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has voted in line with the president more than Abigail has,” Freitas told the Washington Examiner.
The district is in the center of the state and includes Culpeper, Orange, Goochland, Nottoway, Amelia, and Powhatan counties as well as regions of Chesterfield and Henrico counties.
Most of the counties are relatively conservative when it comes to gun rights. Each county adopted a resolution either declaring itself a "Second Amendment sanctuary county" last year, meaning any gun control measure passed in Richmond would not be locally enforced, or declaring support for the Second Amendment.
Spanberger, however, supported her party’s gun control measures on Capitol Hill, including universal background checks and reinstating the assault weapons ban.
“How many years did we hear Democrats say, 'Nobody wants to take your guns'? And then, as soon as they got into office, they immediately started dropping bills, criminalizing people for having standard handguns and rifles,” Freitas said. “And so, I think that's the part that a lot of people are really concerned about and are really waking up to the idea that the Democratic Party is not the one that they recognize from even 20 years ago.”
The Washington Examiner asked Spanberger for comment but received no response.
The Virginia Democrat has a nearly 12:1 cash-on-hand advantage over Freitas, according to the latest Federal Election Commission records, and J. Miles Coleman, associate editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, told the Washington Examiner that he thinks that edge and Sen. Mark Warner’s reelection campaign are big pluses in her favor.
“In the 2017 gubernatorial race, the Republican, Ed Gillespie, hit on some 'law and order' themes. He attacked now-Gov. Northam on sanctuary cities and was critical of ex-Gov. Terry McAuliffe's restoration of voting rights to felons. Gillespie lost that race, but he carried the 7th District by 4 percentage points. So, that may suggest that type of messaging has some promise for Freitas,” Coleman said.
“In 2018, the congressional results were tied closely to the Senate race. I found that Sen. Tim Kaine carried seven of the state's 11 districts. The seven he carried elected Democrats to the House, while the four he lost stayed in Republican hands," Coleman continued. "Polling for the Senate race this year has been scant, but the last poll puts Mark Warner up 21%. That's a bigger margin than Kaine's 16% edge in 2018. Assuming we'll see another relatively straight-party vote, Warner could lift Spanberger.”
He added, “Overall, the Crystal Ball has the race at 'leans Democratic.' If Trump carries the district, it may just be by a few points like Gillespie in 2017. While there's less ticket-splitting these days, we think Spanberger could run at least a few points ahead of Biden and hold on.”
Freitas argued that since his nomination, Republicans and conservative organizations have been raising money for the race.
"So we're working together, everyone's cooperating. If you look at the total number that we've raised, plus what's been reserved for us through, CLF and other conservative orgs, I think we're closing in on $6 million. That's not on hand. That's that's total raised."
He added, “Fundraising has been going well, and like I said ... the Republican House caucus have been incredibly helpful, very supportive. So, we're very happy with the cooperation that we're getting from all the Republican conservative organizations.”