thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-19--Biden tax hikes would undercut his 'Made in America' plan, economists warn

Joe Biden ’ s ‘ Made in America ’ plan may not bring back as many jobs as the campaign expects because of corporate tax increases in other parts of his agenda .
By imposing a minimum tax on corporations with certain earnings and increasing the corporate income tax , Biden ’ s plan to incentivize companies to invest and bring jobs back to the United States could be erased in part or completely , right-leaning economic analysts say .
`` If a company has to pay the minimum tax , that could disincentivize them from utilizing his Made in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Watson , an economist at the Tax Foundation , a center-right think tank .
“ It ’ s basically a tax floor , so if you ’ re beneath that floor , his plan doesn ’ t help you much .
It ’ s focused more on sticks rather than carrots , ” said Watson .
As part of a broader initiative to take on President Trump on economic issues , particularly Trump ’ s protectionist policies , Biden in September proposed changes to the corporate tax code to incentivize investments in American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jobs .
The former vice president has proposed a 10 % tax penalty on companies that move their operations overseas and a 10 % tax credit for companies that create manufacturing jobs in the U.S. Biden 's plan would also close several tax `` loopholes '' in Trump 's 2017 tax law that the campaign claims allow American companies to shield their profits made abroad from full taxation .
At the same time , Biden , as part of his broader tax agenda , would increase the corporate income tax rate to 28 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minimum tax on corporations with book profits of $ 100 million or higher , and double the tax rate on Global Intangible Low Tax Income earned by foreign subsidiaries of U.S. firms to 21 % from 10.5 % .
Overall , Biden ’ s tax agenda would increase the tax burden on most U.S. companies with foreign operations , and so the benefits of his ‘ Made in America ’ plan would thereby be significantly diminished , some economists said .
“ Biden ’ s proposals would overall discourage investment in the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Kyle Pomerleau , an economist at the American Enterprise Institute , a right-of-center think tank .
Pomerleau said he disagreed with the fundamental premise of Biden ’ s ‘ Made in America ’ plan , which is that Trump ’ s 2017 tax cut encouraged companies to go offshore and invest overseas rather than in the U.S. Biden has said he wants to reverse Trump ’ s tax cut , including in his ‘ Made in America ’ plan .
“ I think Trump ’ s tax cut encouraged domestic investment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if there is debate about how much overall investment there has been compared to before , ” said Pomerleau .
Trump , in his second term agenda , announced in August that he would create his own 'Made in America ' tax credits but did not give any further details on how they would be structured or when they would be put in place .
Economists on both sides of the aisle who spoke with the Washington Examiner criticized Trump for not putting out a detailed list of policy goals to evaluate for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America ' idea .
Nevertheless , if Trump wins and his tax credit idea is put in place , it will likely be “ much broader and larger ” than Biden ’ s , said Pomerleau .
This is likely to be the case , Pomerleau argued , because Trump 's actions in the past four years have shown that he is serious about attempting to bring back manufacturing jobs from other countries and has imposed heavy tariffs on multiple nations .
However , liberal economists say that Biden ’ s plan would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ U.S. by forcing corporations to pay higher taxes abroad rather than lower taxes in the U.S. “ His plan will make sure companies don ’ t pay next to nothing abroad , but also , his tax credits will [ be ] rewarding new investment while taxing old investment , which is a healthy trade-off , ” said Seth Hanlon , an economist with Center for American Progress , a liberal think tank .
Biden ’ s minimum tax on corporations with profits of $ 100 million or higher could scale back the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his ‘ Made in America ’ plan , said Hanlon , but it would vary from company to company and change over time .
Furthermore , Biden ’ s plan will raise revenue for the federal government and create even more jobs in the country through Biden ’ s ambitious programs , Hanlon said .
Biden plans to spend almost $ 7 trillion over the next decade on areas such as climate change , infrastructure , healthcare , and higher education .

Joe Biden’s ‘Made in America’ plan may not bring back as many jobs as the campaign expects because of corporate tax increases in other parts of his agenda.
By imposing a minimum tax on corporations with certain earnings and increasing the corporate income tax, Biden’s plan to incentivize companies to invest and bring jobs back to the United States could be erased in part or completely, right-leaning economic analysts say.
"If a company has to pay the minimum tax, that could disincentivize them from utilizing his Made in America tax credit," said Garrett Watson, an economist at the Tax Foundation, a center-right think tank.
“It’s basically a tax floor, so if you’re beneath that floor, his plan doesn’t help you much. It’s focused more on sticks rather than carrots,” said Watson.
As part of a broader initiative to take on President Trump on economic issues, particularly Trump’s protectionist policies, Biden in September proposed changes to the corporate tax code to incentivize investments in American manufacturing and punish U.S. companies that offshore jobs.
The former vice president has proposed a 10% tax penalty on companies that move their operations overseas and a 10% tax credit for companies that create manufacturing jobs in the U.S.
Biden's plan would also close several tax "loopholes" in Trump's 2017 tax law that the campaign claims allow American companies to shield their profits made abroad from full taxation.
At the same time, Biden, as part of his broader tax agenda, would increase the corporate income tax rate to 28% from 21%, create a minimum tax on corporations with book profits of $100 million or higher, and double the tax rate on Global Intangible Low Tax Income earned by foreign subsidiaries of U.S. firms to 21% from 10.5%.
Overall, Biden’s tax agenda would increase the tax burden on most U.S. companies with foreign operations, and so the benefits of his ‘Made in America’ plan would thereby be significantly diminished, some economists said.
“Biden’s proposals would overall discourage investment in the U.S. rather than the other way around,” said Kyle Pomerleau, an economist at the American Enterprise Institute, a right-of-center think tank.
Pomerleau said he disagreed with the fundamental premise of Biden’s ‘Made in America’ plan, which is that Trump’s 2017 tax cut encouraged companies to go offshore and invest overseas rather than in the U.S. Biden has said he wants to reverse Trump’s tax cut, including in his ‘Made in America’ plan.
“I think Trump’s tax cut encouraged domestic investment and did not encourage production overseas even if there is debate about how much overall investment there has been compared to before,” said Pomerleau.
Trump, in his second term agenda, announced in August that he would create his own 'Made in America' tax credits but did not give any further details on how they would be structured or when they would be put in place. Economists on both sides of the aisle who spoke with the Washington Examiner criticized Trump for not putting out a detailed list of policy goals to evaluate for his reelection, including his 'Made in America' idea.
Nevertheless, if Trump wins and his tax credit idea is put in place, it will likely be “much broader and larger” than Biden’s, said Pomerleau. This is likely to be the case, Pomerleau argued, because Trump's actions in the past four years have shown that he is serious about attempting to bring back manufacturing jobs from other countries and has imposed heavy tariffs on multiple nations.
However, liberal economists say that Biden’s plan would bring jobs and investment back to the U.S. by forcing corporations to pay higher taxes abroad rather than lower taxes in the U.S.
“His plan will make sure companies don’t pay next to nothing abroad, but also, his tax credits will [be] rewarding new investment while taxing old investment, which is a healthy trade-off,” said Seth Hanlon, an economist with Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank.
Biden’s minimum tax on corporations with profits of $100 million or higher could scale back the benefit of the 10% tax credit of his ‘Made in America’ plan, said Hanlon, but it would vary from company to company and change over time.
Furthermore, Biden’s plan will raise revenue for the federal government and create even more jobs in the country through Biden’s ambitious public investment programs, Hanlon said.
Biden plans to spend almost $7 trillion over the next decade on areas such as climate change, infrastructure, healthcare, and higher education.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-19--Melania Trump returning to campaign trail in Pennsylvania

Following a bout with the coronavirus , first lady Melania Trump is set to visit Pennsylvania to campaign for her husband two weeks before Election Day .
Trump will appear alongside President Trump at a rally in Erie , Pennsylvania , on Tuesday , according to an NBC News report , marking her first rally appearance in over a year and her first public appearance since being stricken with the virus along with her husband in early October .
The president is facing off against former Vice President Joe Biden in the general election contest .
The first lady delivered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in August during the Republican National Convention .
Before that , she had a series of high-profile fundraisers in March scuttled following the outbreak of the coronavirus .
Melania Trump has spent much of this year promoting messaging surrounding the health crisis and has been seen in advertisements that stress the importance of social distancing and the wearing of masks to slow the spread of the virus .
The Trumps were both sidelined for a week in October , when their family , including son Barron Trump , all contracted the virus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
She attended the Rose Garden event last month , where the president announced Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his latest pick for the Supreme Court , an event which Anthony Fauci , the nation 's top infectious disease expert , has dubbed a `` superspreader '' event .
The rally in Erie on Tuesday is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. EDT .

Following a bout with the coronavirus, first lady Melania Trump is set to visit Pennsylvania to campaign for her husband two weeks before Election Day.
Trump will appear alongside President Trump at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, according to an NBC News report, marking her first rally appearance in over a year and her first public appearance since being stricken with the virus along with her husband in early October.
The president is facing off against former Vice President Joe Biden in the general election contest.
The first lady delivered a rare speech at the White House in August during the Republican National Convention. Before that, she had a series of high-profile fundraisers in March scuttled following the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Melania Trump has spent much of this year promoting messaging surrounding the health crisis and has been seen in advertisements that stress the importance of social distancing and the wearing of masks to slow the spread of the virus.
The Trumps were both sidelined for a week in October, when their family, including son Barron Trump, all contracted the virus, though it remains unclear where they got it.
She attended the Rose Garden event last month, where the president announced Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his latest pick for the Supreme Court, an event which Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, has dubbed a "superspreader" event.
The rally in Erie on Tuesday is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. EDT.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-19--Kanye West says SNL 'uses black people' after skit mocked his presidential bid

Rapper-turned-presidential candidate Kanye West is unhappy with a Saturday Night Live skit that mocked his bid for the Oval Office over the weekend .
In the sketch , cast member Kenan Thompson played a talk show host on the fictional “ Your Voice Chicago , '' during which SNL host Issa Rae , portraying a black political activist , told Thompson she plans to vote for “ everybody black ” on Election Day .
The punchline is that after backing increasingly outlandish candidates , she ca n't bring herself to vote for West .
“ Kanye ?
‘ F ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after Thompson said that West is on this year 's presidential ballot .
The skit was reportedly inspired by Rae 's comments at the 2017 Emmy Awards when she said she was “ rooting for everybody black.
” West , who hosted the show in September 2018 , was met with controversy when he appeared on stage after the episode ended in a Make America Great Again hat before giving a speech in which he said cast members `` bullied '' him backstage for wanting to wear the hat .
`` I 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold other black people back , '' West tweeted on Sunday .
`` My heart goes out to Issa Rae I ’ m praying for her and her family I know that the twenty years of service that I ’ ve paid in the entertainment field has furthered our ability to be more successful . ''
West 's response was criticized by some who pointed out that he has appeared on the show six times as a musical guest .
The rapper is running for president as an independent and has qualified to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In his first campaign advertisement released last week , the Jesus is King artist said his campaign `` will revive our nation 's commitment to faith . ''
`` By turning to faith , we will be the kind of nation , the kind of people , God intends us to be , '' West continued .

Rapper-turned-presidential candidate Kanye West is unhappy with a Saturday Night Live skit that mocked his bid for the Oval Office over the weekend.
In the sketch, cast member Kenan Thompson played a talk show host on the fictional “Your Voice Chicago," during which SNL host Issa Rae, portraying a black political activist, told Thompson she plans to vote for “everybody black” on Election Day. The punchline is that after backing increasingly outlandish candidates, she can't bring herself to vote for West.
“Kanye? ‘F’ him,” Rae's character responded after Thompson said that West is on this year's presidential ballot.
The skit was reportedly inspired by Rae's comments at the 2017 Emmy Awards when she said she was “rooting for everybody black.”
West, who hosted the show in September 2018, was met with controversy when he appeared on stage after the episode ended in a Make America Great Again hat before giving a speech in which he said cast members "bullied" him backstage for wanting to wear the hat.
"I've always said SNL uses black people to hold other black people back," West tweeted on Sunday. "My heart goes out to Issa Rae I’m praying for her and her family I know that the twenty years of service that I’ve paid in the entertainment field has furthered our ability to be more successful."
West's response was criticized by some who pointed out that he has appeared on the show six times as a musical guest.
The rapper is running for president as an independent and has qualified to appear on several state ballots this November.
In his first campaign advertisement released last week, the Jesus is King artist said his campaign "will revive our nation's commitment to faith."
"By turning to faith, we will be the kind of nation, the kind of people, God intends us to be," West continued.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-19--Belmont University in Nashville prepares for final Trump-Biden debate

In less than a week , President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will face off for the second and final presidential debate before the Nov. 3 election – and the stage is set .
The debate , organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates , will take place in the Curb Event Center at Belmont University in Nashville from 8 to 9:30 p.m. CDT on Thursday – 11 days before the election .
“ While the debate itself will only last 90 minutes , the lessons imparted and the experiences that folks are having around this will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ University President Bob Fisher said during a news conference Friday .
“ We believe it 's our responsibility as an institution of higher education to host events like this and to create forums where our country can make those decisions about our future.
” After a debate scheduled for Oct. 15 in Miami was cancelled , Thursday ’ s debate in Nashville will mark the last time the two candidates meet face to face before Americans choose the next president .
The debate will be moderated by Kristen Welker , a White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential primary debate with NBC colleagues Rachel Maddow , Andrea Mitchell and Ashley Parker in November 2019 .
Thursday will be the second time a presidential debate is held on the Belmont campus .
In October 2008 , then-Sens .
John McCain and Barack Obama faced off in a debate moderated by NBC ’ s Tom Brokaw .
Debate coverage is set to be broadcast in 40 countries .
“ Next week , Belmont will once again shine a light on our great state , putting the eyes of the world on Tennessee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote for the President of the United States , ” Gov .
Bill Lee said in a video statement , welcoming both candidates , the Commission on Presidential Debates and the world media to the state .
Extensive safety precautions are underway .
All media and attendees are required to wear surgical grade masks throughout their time on the Belmont campus .
Credentialed media are required to undergo a provided COVID-19 test and show proof of a negative result within 72 hours to gain access to the campus .
While the 2008 debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Belmont ’ s campus , the media filing center is limited to 200 reporters to accommodate social distancing .
An additional 48 TV broadcast teams will work from platforms on the campus lawn .
“ We have a reputation for safety that we have built , and we are maintaining , ” Nashville Mayor John Cooper said .
“ We have taken action to control the virus instead of letting the virus control us.
” Security , too , is extensive .
The Secret Service has collaborated with Nashville ’ s police and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Management to execute security for the candidates , attendees and media .
“ This has been a unified and collaborative effort within the Nashville law enforcement public safety community , ” said Todd Hudson , special agent in charge of the Secret Service ’ s Nashville Field Office .
Butch Ferran , board chairperson of the Nashville Convention Corporation , said he looks forward to the attention Nashville and Tennessee will receive .
“ This debate will shine a very positive global spotlight on our city , ” Ferran said , noting the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much-needed economic boost.
” “ I fully expect this debate to pay off as much as 2008 , ” he said .
“ And I can only hope that FIFA is watching this , and that Saturday Night Live takes another shot at Nashville just a few days after .
”

In less than a week, President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will face off for the second and final presidential debate before the Nov. 3 election – and the stage is set.
The debate, organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates, will take place in the Curb Event Center at Belmont University in Nashville from 8 to 9:30 p.m. CDT on Thursday – 11 days before the election.
“While the debate itself will only last 90 minutes, the lessons imparted and the experiences that folks are having around this will last for a lifetime,” Belmont University President Bob Fisher said during a news conference Friday. “We believe it's our responsibility as an institution of higher education to host events like this and to create forums where our country can make those decisions about our future.”
After a debate scheduled for Oct. 15 in Miami was cancelled, Thursday’s debate in Nashville will mark the last time the two candidates meet face to face before Americans choose the next president.
The debate will be moderated by Kristen Welker, a White House Correspondent for NBC who moderated a Democratic presidential primary debate with NBC colleagues Rachel Maddow, Andrea Mitchell and Ashley Parker in November 2019.
Thursday will be the second time a presidential debate is held on the Belmont campus. In October 2008, then-Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama faced off in a debate moderated by NBC’s Tom Brokaw.
Debate coverage is set to be broadcast in 40 countries.
“Next week, Belmont will once again shine a light on our great state, putting the eyes of the world on Tennessee just 11 days before Americans cast their vote for the President of the United States,” Gov. Bill Lee said in a video statement, welcoming both candidates, the Commission on Presidential Debates and the world media to the state.
Extensive safety precautions are underway. All media and attendees are required to wear surgical grade masks throughout their time on the Belmont campus. Credentialed media are required to undergo a provided COVID-19 test and show proof of a negative result within 72 hours to gain access to the campus.
While the 2008 debate welcomed more than 2,500 media members to Belmont’s campus, the media filing center is limited to 200 reporters to accommodate social distancing. An additional 48 TV broadcast teams will work from platforms on the campus lawn.
“We have a reputation for safety that we have built, and we are maintaining,” Nashville Mayor John Cooper said. “We have taken action to control the virus instead of letting the virus control us.”
Security, too, is extensive. The Secret Service has collaborated with Nashville’s police and fire departments and the Office of Emergency Management to execute security for the candidates, attendees and media.
“This has been a unified and collaborative effort within the Nashville law enforcement public safety community,” said Todd Hudson, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s Nashville Field Office.
Butch Ferran, board chairperson of the Nashville Convention Corporation, said he looks forward to the attention Nashville and Tennessee will receive.
“This debate will shine a very positive global spotlight on our city,” Ferran said, noting the event will provide the city a “much-needed economic boost.”
“I fully expect this debate to pay off as much as 2008,” he said. “And I can only hope that FIFA is watching this, and that Saturday Night Live takes another shot at Nashville just a few days after.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-20--'He’s got to act': Trump calls on Barr to appoint special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden materi

'He’s got to act': Trump calls on Barr to appoint special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden materials

President Trump urged Attorney General William Barr to appoint a special counsel to investigate materials from Hunter Biden that have raised concerns about corruption and national security related to his father , former Vice President Joe Biden , who is running for the presidency .
Asked on Fox & Friends about a letter from nearly a dozen House Republicans who have called for a special counsel to look into allegations that have arisen from a laptop and a hard drive that purportedly belonged to the younger Biden , Trump agreed there is a need for an investigation .
`` We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general to act .
He ’ s got to act .
And he ’ s got to act fast .
He ’ s got to appoint somebody .
This is major corruption , and this has to be known about before the election , '' Trump said .
The trove of emails and photos , first reported on by the New York Post , sheds light on Hunter Biden 's foreign business dealings and other matters that critics say raise concerns about possible corruption and national security issues for him and his father @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as being part of a `` smear campaign , '' but neither his son nor his campaign has denied the authenticity of the data .
Breitbart News has also reported that it has obtained 26,000 emails related to Hunter Biden from a former business partner that are completely separate from the laptop and hard drive .
Election Day is two weeks away .

President Trump urged Attorney General William Barr to appoint a special counsel to investigate materials from Hunter Biden that have raised concerns about corruption and national security related to his father, former Vice President Joe Biden, who is running for the presidency.
Asked on Fox & Friends about a letter from nearly a dozen House Republicans who have called for a special counsel to look into allegations that have arisen from a laptop and a hard drive that purportedly belonged to the younger Biden, Trump agreed there is a need for an investigation.
"We’ve got to get the attorney general to act. He’s got to act. And he’s got to act fast. He’s got to appoint somebody. This is major corruption, and this has to be known about before the election," Trump said.
The trove of emails and photos, first reported on by the New York Post, sheds light on Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings and other matters that critics say raise concerns about possible corruption and national security issues for him and his father. Joe Biden has decried these reports as being part of a "smear campaign," but neither his son nor his campaign has denied the authenticity of the data.
Breitbart News has also reported that it obtained 26,000 emails related to Hunter Biden from a former business partner that are completely separate from the laptop and hard drive.
Election Day is two weeks away.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-20--Trump not sticking to his campaign script as final act begins

President Trump entered the campaign ’ s two final weeks downplaying the coronavirus and mocking White House pandemic adviser Anthony Fauci even as aides insisted his closing message against Democratic nominee Joe Biden was focused on the economy and seniors .
Trump said Monday during a conference call with campaign staff that reporters were invited to listen to that people are “ tired ” of the coronavirus , adding , “ People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots.
” The president repeated similar lines later in the day on Twitter and during a campaign rally in Arizona @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ago but where Biden leads on the strength of support in suburban Phoenix .
To boost Trump ’ s flagging support with seniors , his campaign , in conjunction with the Republican National Committee , announced a new television spot for Michigan , another swing state where the president trails , targeting seniors on healthcare .
A Trump confidant conceded the president might not follow the plan .
“ The campaign ’ s message and the president ’ s message don ’ t necessarily ” match up , this Republican operative said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the script — but he riffs a bunch.
” Nevertheless , Trump 's riffing earned him the White House in 2016 .
Biden leads Trump by 8.9 percentage points nationally in the RealClearPolitics average of recent polls .
The former vice president holds a smaller lead of 4.1 points in the competitive battleground states .
Republican insiders , including those counseling the Trump campaign , want the president to concentrate on his plans for rebuilding the economy during the final 14 days of the race while differentiating his agenda from Biden 's `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ priority with voters , and they still give Trump high marks for his handling of the economy despite a pandemic-induced recession .
But Trump has other ideas .
He continues to diminish the seriousness of the coronavirus .
The president also is trying to tear down Biden by raising revelations of his son Hunter Biden ’ s business dealings .
Some Republican operatives monitoring polling for GOP congressional candidates say neither message is having the desired effect .
Ridiculing “ Fauci , who has more credibility than any politician on managing the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” one GOP strategist said .
“ Talking about the economy would be a good move , but you can ’ t expect voters to follow you if you ’ re dismissing their No .
1 concern , COVID , to get there.
” Marc Thiessen , a fellow at the conservative Washington think tank American Enterprise Institute who is supportive of Trump , urged him to drop the Hunter Biden story .
In an appearance on Fox News , Thiessen said the issue was a political loser with voters .
“ They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he said .
“ They care about the economy and about not having four more years of chaos.
” In a statement emailed to the Washington Examiner , the Trump campaign said the president was an outsider running against a 47-year veteran of the Washington establishment who is lying about his family 's corruption .
`` The President has an optimistic vision for our future that includes a roaring , post-COVID economy where everyone can achieve their version of the American Dream , '' Trump campaign spokeswoman Samantha Zager said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden ’ s decades of failure and his refusal to give voters answers on everything from his socialist agenda to his lies about his family ’ s corruption during his vice presidency.
” Four years ago , amid Trump ’ s bluster and showmanship , his campaign was remarkably disciplined down the stretch .
He toned down his rhetoric in the closing days of his race against Democrat Hillary Clinton and focused on a domestic and foreign policy agenda that appealed to swing voters .
This year , the president has provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in interviews and during rallies , seems more interested in revving up his base .
As Election Day closes in , the overarching message from the Trump campaign is that polling is wrong and the president is headed to a bigger victory than 2016 .
As some Republican insiders have voiced more concerns about a Trump loss and the prospect he might drag the party ’ s Senate majority , and more House seats , down with him , Trump and his campaign have used an increasing amount of airtime to push @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the Trump campaign touted early voting statistics in battleground states , GOP voter registration gains , and the RNC ground game as indicators that another upset is in the offing .
`` We are as confident as ever on our pathway to victory , '' Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien said .

President Trump entered the campaign’s two final weeks downplaying the coronavirus and mocking White House pandemic adviser Anthony Fauci even as aides insisted his closing message against Democratic nominee Joe Biden was focused on the economy and seniors.
Trump said Monday during a conference call with campaign staff that reporters were invited to listen to that people are “tired” of the coronavirus, adding, “People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots.” The president repeated similar lines later in the day on Twitter and during a campaign rally in Arizona, a battleground he won four years ago but where Biden leads on the strength of support in suburban Phoenix.
To boost Trump’s flagging support with seniors, his campaign, in conjunction with the Republican National Committee, announced a new television spot for Michigan, another swing state where the president trails, targeting seniors on healthcare. A Trump confidant conceded the president might not follow the plan.
“The campaign’s message and the president’s message don’t necessarily” match up, this Republican operative said. “Sometimes, the president sticks to the script — but he riffs a bunch.”
Nevertheless, Trump's riffing earned him the White House in 2016.
Biden leads Trump by 8.9 percentage points nationally in the RealClearPolitics average of recent polls. The former vice president holds a smaller lead of 4.1 points in the competitive battleground states.
Republican insiders, including those counseling the Trump campaign, want the president to concentrate on his plans for rebuilding the economy during the final 14 days of the race while differentiating his agenda from Biden's "socialism." The issue is a priority with voters, and they still give Trump high marks for his handling of the economy despite a pandemic-induced recession. But Trump has other ideas.
He continues to diminish the seriousness of the coronavirus. The president also is trying to tear down Biden by raising revelations of his son Hunter Biden’s business dealings. Some Republican operatives monitoring polling for GOP congressional candidates say neither message is having the desired effect.
Ridiculing “Fauci, who has more credibility than any politician on managing the pandemic, is wholly unhelpful and counterproductive,” one GOP strategist said. “Talking about the economy would be a good move, but you can’t expect voters to follow you if you’re dismissing their No. 1 concern, COVID, to get there.”
Marc Thiessen, a fellow at the conservative Washington think tank American Enterprise Institute who is supportive of Trump, urged him to drop the Hunter Biden story. In an appearance on Fox News, Thiessen said the issue was a political loser with voters. “They don’t care about Hunter Biden,” he said. “They care about the economy and about not having four more years of chaos.”
In a statement emailed to the Washington Examiner, the Trump campaign said the president was an outsider running against a 47-year veteran of the Washington establishment who is lying about his family's corruption.
"The President has an optimistic vision for our future that includes a roaring, post-COVID economy where everyone can achieve their version of the American Dream," Trump campaign spokeswoman Samantha Zager said. "He’ll contrast that with Joe Biden’s decades of failure and his refusal to give voters answers on everything from his socialist agenda to his lies about his family’s corruption during his vice presidency.”
Four years ago, amid Trump’s bluster and showmanship, his campaign was remarkably disciplined down the stretch. He toned down his rhetoric in the closing days of his race against Democrat Hillary Clinton and focused on a domestic and foreign policy agenda that appealed to swing voters. This year, the president has provided fewer details about a second term, and in interviews and during rallies, seems more interested in revving up his base.
As Election Day closes in, the overarching message from the Trump campaign is that polling is wrong and the president is headed to a bigger victory than 2016. As some Republican insiders have voiced more concerns about a Trump loss and the prospect he might drag the party’s Senate majority, and more House seats, down with him, Trump and his campaign have used an increasing amount of airtime to push back.
During a conference call Monday, the Trump campaign touted early voting statistics in battleground states, GOP voter registration gains, and the RNC ground game as indicators that another upset is in the offing. "We are as confident as ever on our pathway to victory," Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-21--Trump says 'normal life will finally resume' if he wins reelection

Heading into the final stretch of the 2020 election cycle , President Trump is promising that life will return to normal if he is reelected to the Oval Office .
At a campaign rally in Erie , Pennsylvania , on Tuesday , Trump said the coronavirus pandemic was `` ending '' and that people were ready to get back to `` normal life . ''
`` You know what we want ?
Normal life , '' Trump said to applause .
`` Normal life will finally resume , and next year will be the greatest economic year in the history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ optimistic message touting a `` return to normal '' life following the election comes on the heels of a Monday campaign call during which Trump said people were `` tired '' of the coronavirus .
Trump lashed out at CNN during a rally later in the day , calling the network `` dumb bastards '' for its around-the-clock coverage of the coronavirus pandemic .
The president said voters have a choice between two vastly different economic outcomes depending on who they select at the ballot box — him or former Vice President Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ between the Trump super recovery , which is happening right now , and a Biden depression , '' Trump said .
`` If he gets elected , you 're going to have a depression the likes of which you have never seen . ''

Heading into the final stretch of the 2020 election cycle, President Trump is promising that life will return to normal if he is reelected to the Oval Office.
At a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, Trump said the coronavirus pandemic was "ending" and that people were ready to get back to "normal life."
"You know what we want? Normal life," Trump said to applause. "Normal life will finally resume, and next year will be the greatest economic year in the history of our country."
TRUMP: “You know what we want? Normal life.”
“Normal life will finally resume and next year will be the greatest economic year in the history of our country.”pic.twitter.com/fiF0yATZd7 — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) October 21, 2020
Trump's optimistic message touting a "return to normal" life following the election comes on the heels of a Monday campaign call during which Trump said people were "tired" of the coronavirus. Trump lashed out at CNN during a rally later in the day, calling the network "dumb bastards" for its around-the-clock coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.
The president said voters have a choice between two vastly different economic outcomes depending on who they select at the ballot box — him or former Vice President Joe Biden.
"This is an election between the Trump super recovery, which is happening right now, and a Biden depression," Trump said. "If he gets elected, you're going to have a depression the likes of which you have never seen."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-20--FBI and DOJ do not believe Hunter Biden laptop part of Russian disinformation campaign

Federal law enforcement agencies do not believe the contents on Hunter Biden 's laptop are part of a foreign election interference effort .
`` 1 ) FBI & DOJ concur w/ Ratcliffe that Hunter Biden 's laptop & the emails in question were n't part of a Russian disinformation campaign , '' Fox News producer Sean Langille tweeted Tuesday evening .
`` 2 ) The FBI DOES have possession of the Hunter Biden laptop in question . ''
He said it was first reported by Fox News 's Justice Department producer Jake Gibson .
A federal law enforcement official confirmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Separately , Langille tweeted that Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum `` is told by a Federal Law Enforcement Official that the emails are 'authentic . '
And that the laptop may have not been looked at right away when it was received . ''
The laptop controversy , which Trump has signaled he plans to bring up during the final debate Thursday against Hunter Biden 's father , former Vice President Joe Biden , threatens to shake up an election contest that is now only two weeks away .
Since the release of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week , many Democrats and former intelligence officials have speculated that the contents of the hard drive can not be trusted .
`` We ’ ve got to get the attorney general to act .
He ’ s got to act .
And he ’ s got to act fast .
He ’ s got to appoint somebody .
This is major corruption , and this has to be known about before the election , '' President Trump said on Fox & Friends Tuesday morning .
The trove of emails and photos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last week contained insights into Biden 's foreign business dealings , including one deal that seemed to imply a payoff to his father .
The reporting includes an email that purportedly talks about Biden setting up a meeting between a senior official at the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma , where he worked , and his father while the elder Biden was vice president .
Joe Biden 's campaign has denied that such a meeting took place based on `` Biden ’ s official schedules from the time '' but only as it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So far , neither the Biden campaign nor Hunter Biden has denied any other element of the emails story , though the elder Biden has called it part of a `` smear campaign . ''
The FBI is reportedly investigating if the Hunter Biden email stories are tied to a Russian disinformation effort .
Asked about the laptop issue last week , an FBI spokesman told the Washington Examiner that `` the FBI declines to comment , keeping with our standard practice of not confirming or denying the existence of an investigation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeatedly declared to CNN ’ s Wolf Blitzer on Friday that the Hunter Biden laptop issue was a Russian disinformation plot , though he provided no evidence , saying that `` we know that this whole smear on Joe Biden comes from the Kremlin . ''
Politico reported Monday that over 50 former intelligence officials , including former Obama CIA Director John Brennan , said that the Hunter Biden laptop story “ has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation ” — though the letter they signed admitted that “ we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said on Monday that he did n't believe the news related to the laptop and emails are connected to the Kremlin .
`` The intelligence community doesn ’ t believe that because there is no intelligence that supports that , and we have shared no intelligence with Chairman Schiff or any other member of Congress that Hunter Biden ’ s laptop is part of some Russian disinformation campaign , '' he told Fox Business .
Ratcliffe added that “ Adam Schiff saying that this is part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the IC has assessed that or believes that is simply not true.
” “ The IC and DOJ are in lock-step on this : there is absolutely zero evidence or intel that the laptop or the information contained therein is a Russian op .
Schiff and the former officials making unfounded statements or signing their names to open letters are proving themselves to be the gang who couldn ’ t shoot straight , '' a senior intelligence official told the Washington Examiner .
John Paul Mac Isaac , the computer repair shop owner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ younger Biden 's computer and hard drive , told the New York Post that he made a copy of the hard drive and provided it to a lawyer for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani as well as to federal investigators .
The outlet said that former Trump adviser Steve Bannon alerted the outlet about the hard drive ’ s existence in September , and Giuliani , now a personal lawyer to Trump , handed over a copy of it earlier this month .
Giuliani was a staunch defender of Trump throughout @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sources inside the United States and abroad , including Ukrainian lawmaker Andriy Derkach , to push allegations that Joe Biden had abused his power in Ukraine .
Bill Evanina , who leads the National Counterintelligence and Security Center , released an intelligence assessment in early August warning that Russia is “ using a range of measures to primarily denigrate ” Joe Biden , and that Derkach `` is spreading claims about corruption — including through publicizing leaked phone calls — to undermine '' the former vice president .
The Treasury Department announced sanctions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is no evidence that the leaked emails from Hunter Biden were connected to Derkach or Russia , and the nation ’ s spy chief and a federal law enforcement official have both denied that it is Kremlin disinformation .

Federal law enforcement agencies do not believe the contents on Hunter Biden's laptop are part of a foreign election interference effort.
"1) FBI & DOJ concur w/ Ratcliffe that Hunter Biden's laptop & the emails in question weren't part of a Russian disinformation campaign," Fox News producer Sean Langille tweeted Tuesday evening. "2) The FBI DOES have possession of the Hunter Biden laptop in question." He said it was first reported by Fox News's Justice Department producer Jake Gibson.
A federal law enforcement official confirmed the report with the Washington Examiner.
Separately, Langille tweeted that Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum "is told by a Federal Law Enforcement Official that the emails are 'authentic.' And that the laptop may have not been looked at right away when it was received."
The laptop controversy, which Trump has signaled he plans to bring up during the final debate Thursday against Hunter Biden's father, former Vice President Joe Biden, threatens to shake up an election contest that is now only two weeks away.
Since the release of some emails to the New York Post last week, many Democrats and former intelligence officials have speculated that the contents of the hard drive cannot be trusted.
"We’ve got to get the attorney general to act. He’s got to act. And he’s got to act fast. He’s got to appoint somebody. This is major corruption, and this has to be known about before the election," President Trump said on Fox & Friends Tuesday morning.
The trove of emails and photos first published by the New York Post last week contained insights into Biden's foreign business dealings, including one deal that seemed to imply a payoff to his father.
The reporting includes an email that purportedly talks about Biden setting up a meeting between a senior official at the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma, where he worked, and his father while the elder Biden was vice president. Joe Biden's campaign has denied that such a meeting took place based on "Biden’s official schedules from the time" but only as it was described in the New York Post.
So far, neither the Biden campaign nor Hunter Biden has denied any other element of the emails story, though the elder Biden has called it part of a "smear campaign." The FBI is reportedly investigating if the Hunter Biden email stories are tied to a Russian disinformation effort. Asked about the laptop issue last week, an FBI spokesman told the Washington Examiner that "the FBI declines to comment, keeping with our standard practice of not confirming or denying the existence of an investigation."
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff repeatedly declared to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Friday that the Hunter Biden laptop issue was a Russian disinformation plot, though he provided no evidence, saying that "we know that this whole smear on Joe Biden comes from the Kremlin." Politico reported Monday that over 50 former intelligence officials, including former Obama CIA Director John Brennan, said that the Hunter Biden laptop story “has all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation” — though the letter they signed admitted that “we do not have evidence of Russian involvement.”
Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe said on Monday that he didn't believe the news related to the laptop and emails are connected to the Kremlin.
"The intelligence community doesn’t believe that because there is no intelligence that supports that, and we have shared no intelligence with Chairman Schiff or any other member of Congress that Hunter Biden’s laptop is part of some Russian disinformation campaign," he told Fox Business. Ratcliffe added that “Adam Schiff saying that this is part of some Russian disinformation campaign and that the IC has assessed that or believes that is simply not true.”
“The IC and DOJ are in lock-step on this: there is absolutely zero evidence or intel that the laptop or the information contained therein is a Russian op. Schiff and the former officials making unfounded statements or signing their names to open letters are proving themselves to be the gang who couldn’t shoot straight," a senior intelligence official told the Washington Examiner.
John Paul Mac Isaac, the computer repair shop owner who allegedly came into possession of the younger Biden's computer and hard drive, told the New York Post that he made a copy of the hard drive and provided it to a lawyer for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani as well as to federal investigators. The outlet said that former Trump adviser Steve Bannon alerted the outlet about the hard drive’s existence in September, and Giuliani, now a personal lawyer to Trump, handed over a copy of it earlier this month.
Giuliani was a staunch defender of Trump throughout the impeachment process and worked with numerous sources inside the United States and abroad, including Ukrainian lawmaker Andriy Derkach, to push allegations that Joe Biden had abused his power in Ukraine.
Bill Evanina, who leads the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, released an intelligence assessment in early August warning that Russia is “using a range of measures to primarily denigrate” Joe Biden, and that Derkach "is spreading claims about corruption — including through publicizing leaked phone calls — to undermine" the former vice president. The Treasury Department announced sanctions against Derkach this summer, but there is no evidence that the leaked emails from Hunter Biden were connected to Derkach or Russia, and the nation’s spy chief and a federal law enforcement official have both denied that it is Kremlin disinformation.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-20--Trump voters confident, Biden supporters nervous

WILKES-BARRE , Pennsylvania — Scars from the 2016 presidential campaign are a major force in the dichotomy between supporters of President Trump and Joe Biden when it comes to personal predictions about who will win the 2020 election .
Loyal Trump supporters feel certain that he is going to win the election .
But those who support the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee are not so confident .
“ Oh , it 's gon na be a revolution , ” said Luigi Tesoro , an Italian immigrant who said his first vote for president after becoming a citizen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he 's gon na win.
” Tesoro , 55 , had several Trump signs and flags outside his home and ground-floor barbershop outside Scranton , Pennsylvania .
He doesn ’ t have a problem with vandalism , he said , because of the pro-Second Amendment warning signs he also has hung .
He pulled out a .25mm handgun from the pocket of his NYPD sweatshirt as proof .
Michelle Grochalski , who attended a Trump campaign event last week that featured the president ’ s daughter-in-law Lara Trump in Boiling Springs , Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a little ?
“ Landslide , ” she said , attributing her prediction to just a “ feeling.
” At the same event , Bruce Fields , 66 , said that he expects Trump to win by “ more than before.
” Their sentiments echo messages coming from the Trump campaign : Public polls are “ fake ” and flawed , and the president is set to surprise the Washington elite again just as he did in 2016 .
The shock of Hillary Clinton ’ s 2016 loss also reverberates through the Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ refrain , and they warn their supporters not to become complacent .
That message hits home with Scott Hoffman , a 51-year-old property maintenance worker in Wilkes-Barre .
Outside his house sits an RV with two large Biden-Harris signs attached to the sides .
Asked if he thinks Biden is going to win , Hoffman said , “ I would hope so.
” Part of the reason he ’ s hesitant is that he expected Clinton to win in 2016 and then procrastinated and didn ’ t vote that year .
He ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , “ I do n't want to count my chickens before , put the carriage ahead of the horse , so to speak.
” Economist/YouGov national tracking polls regularly ask voters who they expect to win the presidential election , regardless of who they plan to vote for .
Trump supporters have consistently far-outpaced Biden supporters in believing that their preferred candidate will prevail .
An Oct. 11-13 found that 79 % of Trump supporters expected him to win , while 18 % were unsure , and 4 % expected Biden to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % expected the former vice president to win , while 6 % said that Trump will win , and 24 % were unsure .
But Trump supporters ’ confidence has dwindled over time .
In a Sept. 13-15 Economist/YouGov , 90 % of Trump supporters thought he would win , and 9 % were unsure , while 68 % of Biden supporters thought the former vice president would prevail , and 26 % were unsure .
The result is an overall shift away from a plurality of registered voters long believing that Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in national and state battleground polls .
In the September poll , 42 % of voters thought Trump would win , 35 % thought Biden would prevail , and 23 % were not sure .
That changed in October to 39 % believing Biden will win , 38 % thinking Trump will win , and 24 % unsure .
Give the chance to elaborate , Biden voters say that they are cautiously optimistic .
“ It ’ s going to be close .
A lot of Trumpers switched over , I think , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 58 , who works in drafting and design and keeps a Biden-Harris flag on his front porch .
“ I have a funny feeling .
Just by — on social media , a lot of the people that were blasting about Trump before aren ’ t doing it now.
” Asked about the Biden signs in front of his neighbors ’ houses down the street , Tesoro , the Trump-supporting barber , scoffed .
“ Maybe they collect unemployment , ” he said .
Trump supporter confidence could mean that they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this time .
In the last Economist/YouGov during the cycle , 51 % of likely voters expected Clinton to win , 27 % thought Trump would win , and 22 % were not sure .
A large 83 % of Clinton supporters expected her to win , compared to just 59 % for Trump supporters .

WILKES-BARRE, Pennsylvania — Scars from the 2016 presidential campaign are a major force in the dichotomy between supporters of President Trump and Joe Biden when it comes to personal predictions about who will win the 2020 election.
Loyal Trump supporters feel certain that he is going to win the election. But those who support the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee are not so confident.
“Oh, it's gonna be a revolution,” said Luigi Tesoro, an Italian immigrant who said his first vote for president after becoming a citizen was for Trump. “I know he's gonna win.”
Tesoro, 55, had several Trump signs and flags outside his home and ground-floor barbershop outside Scranton, Pennsylvania. He doesn’t have a problem with vandalism, he said, because of the pro-Second Amendment warning signs he also has hung. He pulled out a .25mm handgun from the pocket of his NYPD sweatshirt as proof.
Michelle Grochalski, who attended a Trump campaign event last week that featured the president’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania, agreed.
By a lot or a little?
“Landslide,” she said, attributing her prediction to just a “feeling.” At the same event, Bruce Fields, 66, said that he expects Trump to win by “more than before.”
Their sentiments echo messages coming from the Trump campaign: Public polls are “fake” and flawed, and the president is set to surprise the Washington elite again just as he did in 2016.
The shock of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 loss also reverberates through the Biden campaign. “ Ignore the polls ” is a common refrain, and they warn their supporters not to become complacent.
That message hits home with Scott Hoffman, a 51-year-old property maintenance worker in Wilkes-Barre. Outside his house sits an RV with two large Biden-Harris signs attached to the sides. Asked if he thinks Biden is going to win, Hoffman said, “I would hope so.”
Part of the reason he’s hesitant is that he expected Clinton to win in 2016 and then procrastinated and didn’t vote that year. He’s changing that this year, but said, “I don't want to count my chickens before, put the carriage ahead of the horse, so to speak.”
Economist/YouGov national tracking polls regularly ask voters who they expect to win the presidential election, regardless of who they plan to vote for. Trump supporters have consistently far-outpaced Biden supporters in believing that their preferred candidate will prevail.
An Oct. 11-13 poll found that 79% of Trump supporters expected him to win, while 18% were unsure, and 4% expected Biden to win. Among Biden supporters, 70% expected the former vice president to win, while 6% said that Trump will win, and 24% were unsure.
But Trump supporters’ confidence has dwindled over time.
In a Sept. 13-15 Economist/YouGov poll , 90% of Trump supporters thought he would win, and 9% were unsure, while 68% of Biden supporters thought the former vice president would prevail, and 26% were unsure.
The result is an overall shift away from a plurality of registered voters long believing that Trump would win the election despite Biden leading in national and state battleground polls.
In the September poll, 42% of voters thought Trump would win, 35% thought Biden would prevail, and 23% were not sure. That changed in October to 39% believing Biden will win, 38% thinking Trump will win, and 24% unsure.
Give the chance to elaborate, Biden voters say that they are cautiously optimistic.
“It’s going to be close. A lot of Trumpers switched over, I think,” said Brian Healey of Jenkins Township, 58, who works in drafting and design and keeps a Biden-Harris flag on his front porch. “I have a funny feeling. Just by — on social media, a lot of the people that were blasting about Trump before aren’t doing it now.”
Asked about the Biden signs in front of his neighbors’ houses down the street, Tesoro, the Trump-supporting barber, scoffed. “Maybe they collect unemployment,” he said.
Trump supporter confidence could mean that they are the ones shocked at the election results this time.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-20--Trump urged to let Biden do the talking in final debate

President Trump has a chance to walk away with a win in Thursday night ’ s final debate if he can step back and allow Biden to talk himself into trouble , according to Republican strategists , debate experts , and his unofficial coaches at Fox News .
The debate , in Nashville , Tennessee , comes with new rules and muted microphones following the first debate , which was marked by repeated interruptions .
Sam Nunberg , a senior aide to Trump during the 2016 campaign , said the president needed to lay out competing visions for America ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manner .
The new rules would help , he added .
“ Anything Biden says , even though he likes to package it as a moderate , is actually radical .
His policy proposals are not popular , ” he said .
“ Republicans win when we argue the issues .
Democrats win when we get into personalities.
” The first debate , held in Cleveland , Ohio , was dominated by Trump ’ s effort to derail Biden ’ s train of thought with repeated interruptions .
Although Republicans declared him the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ headlines and let his opponent off the hook , according to some .
The Trump campaign has been trying to change the election from a referendum on the president ’ s performance to a choice between two candidates with different plans for the country .
With less than two weeks before Election Day , the final debate offers a chance to convince a prime-time audience that Biden is a radical socialist , gain momentum , and claw back some of the poll deficit .
On Tuesday morning , during a live TV interview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change his strategy .
A telephone interview for Fox and Friends on Tuesday morning turned into live debate prep as hosts Brian Kilmeade and Will Cain tried to coach the president in how to let Biden talk himself into trouble .
Kilmeade suggested modeling his approach on the vice president , who successfully parried and pivoted his way through a debate with Kamala Harris to make sure he changed the subject to get to his favorite issues .
“ I do my own debating , and I do fine , ” replied Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ After that last debate , there are many who suggested that if you just let Joe Biden share his ideas , America might not be too keen on those ideas.
” “ Well , I may do that .
If you let him talk , he may lose his train of thought because he ’ s gonzo , ” said Trump .
“ And I understand that .
But I also understand that as he ’ s going down the line and issuing lies , generally , it ’ s OK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expressed his frustration that the debate will not focus on foreign policy , traditionally the theme of the final debate , an area that he believes would have given him multiple ways to attack Biden ’ s record in the Obama administration .
“ We 're talking about things that are not foreign policy .
And frankly , it was a change that they made that was far bigger than the mute button , ” he told Fox News .
A source close to the campaign , who was not authorized to discuss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are ways to do this .
He has to focus on answering the questions he wants to answer , not necessarily answer the ones that are asked . ''
Erick Sanchez , who was traveling press secretary for Democratic challenger Andrew Yang during the primaries and co-founder of United Public Affairs , said he did not expect Trump to change his strategy now .
“ The key is , you want to look presidential , you want to be measured , thoughtful , ” he said .
“ But that ’ s never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' “ In spite of that , his base gives him high poll numbers .
He ’ s in a bubble that tells him he ’ s incredible , and he is going to be thinking about how the polls were wrong in 2016 , so I feel it will likely be more of the same .
”

President Trump has a chance to walk away with a win in Thursday night’s final debate if he can step back and allow Biden to talk himself into trouble, according to Republican strategists, debate experts, and his unofficial coaches at Fox News.
The debate, in Nashville, Tennessee, comes with new rules and muted microphones following the first debate, which was marked by repeated interruptions.
Sam Nunberg, a senior aide to Trump during the 2016 campaign, said the president needed to lay out competing visions for America’s future in a “non-bullying” manner. The new rules would help, he added.
“Anything Biden says, even though he likes to package it as a moderate, is actually radical. His policy proposals are not popular,” he said.
“Republicans win when we argue the issues. Democrats win when we get into personalities.”
The first debate, held in Cleveland, Ohio, was dominated by Trump’s effort to derail Biden’s train of thought with repeated interruptions. Although Republicans declared him the winner, his hectoring approach dominated the headlines and let his opponent off the hook, according to some.
The Trump campaign has been trying to change the election from a referendum on the president’s performance to a choice between two candidates with different plans for the country.
With less than two weeks before Election Day, the final debate offers a chance to convince a prime-time audience that Biden is a radical socialist, gain momentum, and claw back some of the poll deficit.
On Tuesday morning, during a live TV interview, he was told he needed to change his strategy.
A telephone interview for Fox and Friends on Tuesday morning turned into live debate prep as hosts Brian Kilmeade and Will Cain tried to coach the president in how to let Biden talk himself into trouble.
Kilmeade suggested modeling his approach on the vice president, who successfully parried and pivoted his way through a debate with Kamala Harris to make sure he changed the subject to get to his favorite issues.
“I do my own debating, and I do fine,” replied Trump.
Cain tried again. He said: “After that last debate, there are many who suggested that if you just let Joe Biden share his ideas, America might not be too keen on those ideas.”
“Well, I may do that. If you let him talk, he may lose his train of thought because he’s gonzo,” said Trump. “And I understand that. But I also understand that as he’s going down the line and issuing lies, generally, it’s OK to really attack that.”
Trump also expressed his frustration that the debate will not focus on foreign policy, traditionally the theme of the final debate, an area that he believes would have given him multiple ways to attack Biden’s record in the Obama administration.
“We're talking about things that are not foreign policy. And frankly, it was a change that they made that was far bigger than the mute button,” he told Fox News.
A source close to the campaign, who was not authorized to discuss debate preparation, said: “There are ways to do this. He has to focus on answering the questions he wants to answer, not necessarily answer the ones that are asked."
Erick Sanchez, who was traveling press secretary for Democratic challenger Andrew Yang during the primaries and co-founder of United Public Affairs, said he did not expect Trump to change his strategy now.
“The key is, you want to look presidential, you want to be measured, thoughtful,” he said.
“But that’s never been Donald Trump at any point."
“In spite of that, his base gives him high poll numbers. He’s in a bubble that tells him he’s incredible, and he is going to be thinking about how the polls were wrong in 2016, so I feel it will likely be more of the same.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-20--Trump hyperlocal strategy heads to Sinclair TV station network

President Trump 's efforts to reach voters where they are with an increasingly strenuous campaign schedule are being augmented Tuesday with an appearance on Sinclair Broadcast Group , which owns TV stations in scores of local markets .
Trump will participate in a question-and-answer session that will air on the network 's stations Wednesday , one day before the final debate between Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden .
Eric Bolling , host of Sinclair 's America This Week and a longtime friend of Trump 's , helms the hourlong event from the White House Rose Garden .
Sinclair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hall is broadcast Wednesday .
`` I 'm looking forward to it , '' Bolling told the Washington Examiner from the White House ahead of the 3 p.m. event .
The event will grant Trump precious airtime in the crunch before Nov. 3. as he races to overtake Biden 's lead .
The former vice president is ahead in national polls and has more money to run ads in the two weeks before Election Day .
Trump has held more than a dozen rallies since recovering from the coronavirus earlier this month , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day .
In a conference call Monday , Trump told staffers he hopes to boost the daily number to as many as five , hitting local towns in a last-minute bid to draw his supporters to the polls .
“ We at the Trump campaign recognized , beginning in 2016 , the value of local and regional media , and Sinclair is a big piece of that , '' said a source close to Trump .
`` Every time you see President Trump go to a state or a city for a rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ granting a local or regional interview as well , '' the source added .
`` It is very easy for the national media to miss the presence and the consequence of that — the president is literally coming to a town near you .
And then it 's being covered by the local networks , by the local newspapers , the local websites , and that is something — it 's very easy for the national media to miss . ''
Sinclair is among the country 's largest local news providers , owning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 200 television stations in 89 markets , including NBC , ABC , Fox , and Univision .
In a video shared on Facebook , Bolling showed the Rose Garden 's layout , with chairs spaced out for the participants .
The event includes a combination of questions from Bolling and the audience .
Critics have accused the television behemoth of stumping for Trump and his administration , including reports that Sinclair executive David Smith met with the president during the 2016 election year , telling him , `` We are here to deliver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's friendship suggests the potential for an easier discussion than the discussion the president had during a town hall last week on NBC with host Savannah Guthrie .
The former Fox News and Fox Business host and commentator has conducted more than a half-dozen interviews with Trump and is a staunch supporter .

President Trump's efforts to reach voters where they are with an increasingly strenuous campaign schedule are being augmented Tuesday with an appearance on Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns TV stations in scores of local markets.
Trump will participate in a question-and-answer session that will air on the network's stations Wednesday, one day before the final debate between Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
Eric Bolling, host of Sinclair's America This Week and a longtime friend of Trump's, helms the hourlong event from the White House Rose Garden. Sinclair will share clips before the full town hall is broadcast Wednesday.
"I'm looking forward to it," Bolling told the Washington Examiner from the White House ahead of the 3 p.m. event.
The event will grant Trump precious airtime in the crunch before Nov. 3. as he races to overtake Biden's lead. The former vice president is ahead in national polls and has more money to run ads in the two weeks before Election Day.
Trump has held more than a dozen rallies since recovering from the coronavirus earlier this month, last week holding two or three each day. In a conference call Monday, Trump told staffers he hopes to boost the daily number to as many as five, hitting local towns in a last-minute bid to draw his supporters to the polls.
“We at the Trump campaign recognized, beginning in 2016, the value of local and regional media, and Sinclair is a big piece of that," said a source close to Trump.
"Every time you see President Trump go to a state or a city for a rally, he more often than not is granting a local or regional interview as well," the source added. "It is very easy for the national media to miss the presence and the consequence of that — the president is literally coming to a town near you. And then it's being covered by the local networks, by the local newspapers, the local websites, and that is something — it's very easy for the national media to miss."
Sinclair is among the country's largest local news providers, owning, running, or affiliated with nearly 200 television stations in 89 markets, including NBC, ABC, Fox, and Univision.
In a video shared on Facebook, Bolling showed the Rose Garden's layout, with chairs spaced out for the participants. The event includes a combination of questions from Bolling and the audience.
Critics have accused the television behemoth of stumping for Trump and his administration, including reports that Sinclair executive David Smith met with the president during the 2016 election year, telling him, "We are here to deliver your message."
Bolling and Trump's friendship suggests the potential for an easier discussion than the discussion the president had during a town hall last week on NBC with host Savannah Guthrie. The former Fox News and Fox Business host and commentator has conducted more than a half-dozen interviews with Trump and is a staunch supporter.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-20--Biden ad depicts struggling bar owner — turns out he's a wealthy investor who donated thousands to B

Biden ad depicts struggling bar owner — turns out he's a wealthy investor who donated thousands to Biden campaign

A Biden campaign ad depicting a Michigan bar owner struggling with the coronavirus pandemic is being criticized after it was revealed that the man featured is actually a wealthy tech investor who donated thousands to Joe Biden ’ s campaign .
Joe Malcoun , the co-owner of The Blind Pig bar featured in the ad , is a in several Michigan tech companies and $ 5,000 to the Biden campaign in July , Fox News reported .
He has also been a vocal supporter of Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ’ s lockdown policies , saying in April that she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Keep saying it with me : this means @ GovWhitmer is doing it right .
White men with fragile egos will always be intimidated by smart powerful woman .
And they should be , ” Malcoun said on Twitter .
He has since made his account private .
The , which was first posted to YouTube on Thursday and then aired during Sunday ’ s NFL games on CBS , features Malcoun lamenting the state of his business after months of lockdowns .
“ For 50 years , The Blind Pig has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , it ’ s an empty room , ” he said as cameras showed the empty venue .
“ This is the reality of Trump ’ s COVID response.
” “ We don ’ t know how much longer we can survive not having any revenue .
A lot of restaurants and bars that have been mainstays for years will not make it through this .
This is Donald Trump ’ s economy , ” he said .
“ There ’ s no plan , and you don ’ t know how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so angry .
My only hope for my family and for this business and my community is that Joe Biden wins this election .
That ’ s the kind of person we need.
” Malcoun inherited money from his wife ’ s grandfather to help get his start , which he said was like “ winning the lottery . ''
He founded CKM Capital Partners in 2013 , becoming an investor in local tech companies shortly thereafter .
The Blind Pig did reopen in June , but Malcoun voluntarily closed it down again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constantly changing coronavirus rules to customers .
“ Now that we tried it and saw it ’ s really hard to communicate what it means to have a really socially distanced live music show , we decided it ’ s not really worth trying .
The very last thing we want is to be the epicenter of a new outbreak , ” Malcoun at the time .

A Biden campaign ad depicting a Michigan bar owner struggling with the coronavirus pandemic is being criticized after it was revealed that the man featured is actually a wealthy tech investor who donated thousands to Joe Biden’s campaign.
Joe Malcoun, the co-owner of The Blind Pig bar featured in the ad, is a prominent “angel investor” in several Michigan tech companies and donated $5,000 to the Biden campaign in July, Fox News reported. He has also been a vocal supporter of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s lockdown policies, saying in April that she was “doing it right."
“Keep saying it with me: this means @GovWhitmer is doing it right. White men with fragile egos will always be intimidated by smart powerful woman. And they should be,” Malcoun said on Twitter. He has since made his account private.
The ad , which was first posted to YouTube on Thursday and then aired during Sunday’s NFL games on CBS, features Malcoun lamenting the state of his business after months of lockdowns.
“For 50 years, The Blind Pig has been open and crowded — but right now, it’s an empty room,” he said as cameras showed the empty venue. “This is the reality of Trump’s COVID response.”
“We don’t know how much longer we can survive not having any revenue. A lot of restaurants and bars that have been mainstays for years will not make it through this. This is Donald Trump’s economy,” he said. “There’s no plan, and you don’t know how to go forward. It makes me so angry. My only hope for my family and for this business and my community is that Joe Biden wins this election. That’s the kind of person we need.”
Malcoun inherited money from his wife’s grandfather to help get his start, which he said was like “winning the lottery." He founded CKM Capital Partners in 2013, becoming an investor in local tech companies shortly thereafter.
The Blind Pig did reopen in June, but Malcoun voluntarily closed it down again after he found it difficult to communicate constantly changing coronavirus rules to customers.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-20--Trump could highlight his agreements with Fauci instead of attacking him

With two weeks to go until Election Day , President Trump is criticizing Anthony Fauci in the strongest terms yet .
He ’ s employing it as a campaign strategy too .
It doesn ’ t make any sense .
At a rally on Monday , Trump , “ You know Biden wants to lock it down .
He wants to listen to Dr. Fauci .
He wants to listen to Dr. Fauci.
” Except in his interview on 60 Minutes , which aired the day before on Sunday , Fauci opposed lockdowns .
“ First of all , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we want to use public health measures not to get in the way of opening the economy , but to being a safe gateway to opening the economy , ” he said .
“ So , instead of having an opposition , open up the economy , get jobs back , or shut down .
No .
Put ‘ shut down ’ away and say , ‘ We ’ re gon na use public health measures to help us safely get to where we wan na go.
’ ” Trump and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing for months .
In fact , just on Monday , the president during a call with campaign staff , “ People are tired of COVID .
... People are saying , ‘ Whatever , just leave us alone.
’ They ’ re tired of it.
” So Fauci , the most visible physician in the country and , agrees with Trump , who is trying to win reelection , on this fundamental question of policy .
Yet , Trump dumps on him .
On that same call , he , “ People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these idiots , these people , these people that have gotten it wrong.
” He continued , “ Fauci ’ s a nice guy .
He ’ s been here for 500 years .
He called every one of them wrong .
And he ’ s like this wonderful guy , a wonderful sage , telling us how he said , ‘ Do not wear face masks ’ — that ’ s a number of months ago.
” He also a “ disaster.
” Depending on the setting and on the news cycle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a wise authority or a liability .
As recently as his NBC town hall on Thursday , Trump said , “ Well , Dr. Fauci said , I saved thousands and thousands of lives , ” referring to his orders restricting travel .
Fauci testified to that before Congress .
Now , Trump says Fauci ( who , at least for now , expressly agrees with Trump that lockdowns are bad and , again , agrees that Trump ’ s travel orders saved lives ) is in the company of idiots , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself .
There ’ s both space and good reason to criticize Fauci and officials who have been wrong and to remind the public that their judgment has limits .
Greg Weiner observed in National Affairs , `` Expertise — which can become both too confident with itself and too obsessive about its own narrow competencies — is not the same as wisdom or judgment . ''
Indeed .
Criticism should be aimed especially at the notion that everything uttered by public health officials and other scientists ought to be written in red @ @ @ @ @ @ @ science ” faithful would seem to demand .
Trump is doing something else altogether .
In base political terms , Trump has much more to lose in a Fauci-as-scourge scenario than to gain .
He has seemed to recognize it too , considering that he has repeatedly dropped Fauci ’ s name to add credibility to his travel orders .
Moreover , Fauci remains popular , with 56 % of independents and 54 % of Republicans that they think he has done a good or excellent job handling the pandemic .
His popularity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They are quite annoyingly walking around Washington sporting “ We are all Fauci ” T-shirts , with an image of the doctor resting his face in his palm .
The people who wear Fauci T-shirts are not likely obtainable voters , but they are beside the point .
There are presumably voters at the margins who think Fauci is respectable , and a Trump victory will be won at the margins .
It should be noted that what set Trump off was the same 60 Minutes interview , in which Fauci said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ came down with COVID-19 .
He said Trump was in a “ precarious situation ” at the Amy Coney Barrett announcement , an event in which there was little distancing or masking .
But what else could he say ?
Trump put himself in that `` precarious situation . ''
Fauci has his own problems .
His virtual omnipresence , on magazine covers and pop-culture podcasts , seems totally self-serving .
It 's just a terrible look for a public health official to pose by his pool during a pandemic caused by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) virus he has ever seen .
He even said on 60 Minutes that the White House has been restricting his media appearances , though that strains credulity .
Fauci is everywhere .
`` One of the most trusted voices in America , and yet , you 're not there , you 're not allowed to talk with us , '' CBS 's Jonathan LaPook said to Fauci , who was very much `` there '' and talking with him .
Fauci is not beyond reproach , but he commands respect .
Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at the outset for a reason .
Now , Trump tries to have it both ways , invoking Fauci on certain occasions and castigating him on others .
It 's just a bizarre and incoherent pitch to voters .
Trump helps his electoral chances ( and the public 's confidence in his judgment and his administration 's coronavirus response more broadly ) by showcasing where he and Fauci agree rather than creating these new fault lines .

With two weeks to go until Election Day, President Trump is criticizing Anthony Fauci in the strongest terms yet. He’s employing it as a campaign strategy too. It doesn’t make any sense.
At a rally on Monday, Trump said , “You know Biden wants to lock it down. He wants to listen to Dr. Fauci. He wants to listen to Dr. Fauci.”
Except in his interview on 60 Minutes, which aired the day before on Sunday, Fauci opposed lockdowns. “First of all, the country is fatigued with restrictions. So, we want to use public health measures not to get in the way of opening the economy, but to being a safe gateway to opening the economy,” he said. “So, instead of having an opposition, open up the economy, get jobs back, or shut down. No. Put ‘shut down’ away and say, ‘We’re gonna use public health measures to help us safely get to where we wanna go.’”
Trump and his surrogates have been saying the exact same thing for months. In fact, just on Monday, the president said during a call with campaign staff, “People are tired of COVID. ... People are saying, ‘Whatever, just leave us alone.’ They’re tired of it.” So Fauci, the most visible physician in the country and a widely trusted one , agrees with Trump, who is trying to win reelection, on this fundamental question of policy.
Yet, Trump dumps on him.
On that same call, he said , “People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots, these people, these people that have gotten it wrong.” He continued, “Fauci’s a nice guy. He’s been here for 500 years. He called every one of them wrong. And he’s like this wonderful guy, a wonderful sage, telling us how he said, ‘Do not wear face masks’ — that’s a number of months ago.” He also called Fauci a “disaster.”
Depending on the setting and on the news cycle, Trump has flipped between treating Fauci as a wise authority or a liability. As recently as his NBC town hall on Thursday, Trump said, “Well, Dr. Fauci said, I saved thousands and thousands of lives,” referring to his orders restricting travel. Fauci testified to that before Congress.
Now, Trump says Fauci (who, at least for now, expressly agrees with Trump that lockdowns are bad and, again, agrees that Trump’s travel orders saved lives) is in the company of idiots, the insinuation being that Fauci is one himself.
There’s both space and good reason to criticize Fauci and officials who have been wrong and to remind the public that their judgment has limits. Greg Weiner observed in National Affairs, "Expertise — which can become both too confident with itself and too obsessive about its own narrow competencies — is not the same as wisdom or judgment." Indeed. Criticism should be aimed especially at the notion that everything uttered by public health officials and other scientists ought to be written in red letters, as the “trust the science” faithful would seem to demand. Trump is doing something else altogether.
In base political terms, Trump has much more to lose in a Fauci-as-scourge scenario than to gain. He has seemed to recognize it too, considering that he has repeatedly dropped Fauci’s name to add credibility to his travel orders.
Moreover, Fauci remains popular, with 56% of independents and 54% of Republicans telling Morning Consult that they think he has done a good or excellent job handling the pandemic. His popularity among liberals and Democrats is much higher. They are quite annoyingly walking around Washington sporting “We are all Fauci” T-shirts, with an image of the doctor resting his face in his palm. The people who wear Fauci T-shirts are not likely obtainable voters, but they are beside the point. There are presumably voters at the margins who think Fauci is respectable, and a Trump victory will be won at the margins.
It should be noted that what set Trump off was the same 60 Minutes interview, in which Fauci said he was not surprised that the president came down with COVID-19. He said Trump was in a “precarious situation” at the Amy Coney Barrett announcement, an event in which there was little distancing or masking. But what else could he say? Trump put himself in that "precarious situation."
Fauci has his own problems. His virtual omnipresence, on magazine covers and pop-culture podcasts, seems totally self-serving. It's just a terrible look for a public health official to pose by his pool during a pandemic caused by the most "puzzling" (his word) virus he has ever seen. He even said on 60 Minutes that the White House has been restricting his media appearances, though that strains credulity. Fauci is everywhere. "One of the most trusted voices in America, and yet, you're not there, you're not allowed to talk with us," CBS's Jonathan LaPook said to Fauci, who was very much "there" and talking with him.
Fauci is not beyond reproach, but he commands respect. Trump followed his lead, more or less, at the outset for a reason. Now, Trump tries to have it both ways, invoking Fauci on certain occasions and castigating him on others. It's just a bizarre and incoherent pitch to voters. Trump helps his electoral chances (and the public's confidence in his judgment and his administration's coronavirus response more broadly) by showcasing where he and Fauci agree rather than creating these new fault lines.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-20--Silicon Valley-backed super PAC to spend $100M on TV ads for Biden

A super PAC backed by wealthy technology executives in California 's Silicon Valley plans to spend more than $ 100 million on television advertising during the final days of the presidential campaign to help Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
The Democratic-aligned group , Future Forward , waited to hit the airwaves until October , believing it could have the biggest impact during the final month of the campaign .
Strategists for the super PAC also believe they can do the most good for Biden by running mostly positive spots versus ads that sharply criticize Trump .
Dustin Moskovitz , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at least ” $ 22 million to Future Forward , according to Recode , which first reported the story .
More than just being one of the group ’ s largest donors , Moskovitz is a key figure in driving its advertising strategy .
Meanwhile , Future Forward could spend $ 28 million supporting M.J. Hegar , the Democrat who is challenging Republican Sen. John Cornyn in Texas .
Future Forward raised $ 66 million from Sept. 1 through Oct. 15 .
The group ’ s fundraising report was not yet available on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But Recode reports that the super PAC ’ s donors include Twilio founder Jeff Lawson and his wife Erica , Google CEO Eric Schmidt , and cryptocurrency trader Sam Bankman-Fried , among others .
Biden is not the only presidential contender who is getting late help from a friendly super PAC with wealthy backers .
Preserve America launched in late August to help Trump compete with the Democratic nominee .
The Republican super PAC was the beneficiary of $ 75 million in contributions from GOP megadonors Sheldon and Miriam Adelson .

A super PAC backed by wealthy technology executives in California's Silicon Valley plans to spend more than $100 million on television advertising during the final days of the presidential campaign to help Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
The Democratic-aligned group, Future Forward, waited to hit the airwaves until October, believing it could have the biggest impact during the final month of the campaign. Strategists for the super PAC also believe they can do the most good for Biden by running mostly positive spots versus ads that sharply criticize Trump.
Dustin Moskovitz, the co-founder of Facebook, has contributed “at least” $22 million to Future Forward, according to Recode, which first reported the story. More than just being one of the group’s largest donors, Moskovitz is a key figure in driving its advertising strategy. Meanwhile, Future Forward could spend $28 million supporting M.J. Hegar, the Democrat who is challenging Republican Sen. John Cornyn in Texas.
Future Forward raised $66 million from Sept. 1 through Oct. 15. The group’s fundraising report was not yet available on the Federal Election Commission’s website. But Recode reports that the super PAC’s donors include Twilio founder Jeff Lawson and his wife Erica, Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and cryptocurrency trader Sam Bankman-Fried, among others.
Biden is not the only presidential contender who is getting late help from a friendly super PAC with wealthy backers. Preserve America launched in late August to help Trump compete with the Democratic nominee. The Republican super PAC was the beneficiary of $75 million in contributions from GOP megadonors Sheldon and Miriam Adelson.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-20--Melania Trump cancels plan to join president on campaign trail over lingering cough

First lady Melania Trump will not be joining her husband , President Trump , on the campaign trail like she originally planned .
The first lady was expected to appear at a rally in Erie , Pennsylvania , on Tuesday , marking her first campaign rally appearance in over a year , but it will have to wait because she 's dealing with a lingering cough weeks after she tested positive for COVID-19 , her chief of staff , Stephanie Grisham , told the Washington Examiner .
Grisham said the decision for her not to attend the rally was made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her recent coronavirus diagnosis .
This would have been her first public appearance since being stricken with the virus along with her husband in early October .
The Trumps were both sidelined for a week in October , when their family , including teenage son Barron Trump , all contracted the virus , though it remains unclear where they got it .
Melania Trump , 50 , attended the Rose Garden event last month , where the president announced Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his latest pick for the Supreme Court , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's top infectious disease expert , has dubbed a `` superspreader '' event .
In the same statement on Wednesday in which she revealed Barron 's coronavirus diagnosis , the first lady announced that both she and her son had since tested negative and added that she hoped `` to resume my duties as soon as I can . ''
The rally in Erie on Tuesday is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. EDT .
Election Day is two weeks away .

First lady Melania Trump will not be joining her husband, President Trump, on the campaign trail like she originally planned.
The first lady was expected to appear at a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, marking her first campaign rally appearance in over a year, but it will have to wait because she's dealing with a lingering cough weeks after she tested positive for COVID-19, her chief of staff, Stephanie Grisham, told the Washington Examiner.
Grisham said the decision for her not to attend the rally was made out of an abundance of caution given her recent coronavirus diagnosis. This would have been her first public appearance since being stricken with the virus along with her husband in early October.
The Trumps were both sidelined for a week in October, when their family, including teenage son Barron Trump, all contracted the virus, though it remains unclear where they got it.
Melania Trump, 50, attended the Rose Garden event last month, where the president announced Judge Amy Coney Barrett as his latest pick for the Supreme Court, an event that Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, has dubbed a "superspreader" event.
In the same statement on Wednesday in which she revealed Barron's coronavirus diagnosis, the first lady announced that both she and her son had since tested negative and added that she hoped "to resume my duties as soon as I can."
The rally in Erie on Tuesday is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. EDT. Election Day is two weeks away.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-10-20--‘Trump does what he says’: Muslims abandon Biden, back president

President Trump , whose Middle East plan is winning support from Arab nations , is gaining strong support from Muslim leaders and their followers who believe that the Democrats have n't delivered on years of promises , according to a new survey of Islamic leaders .
In a shocking turnaround , 61.48 % of the 109 Muslim leaders who “ represent two million voters ” plan to vote for Trump .
That is a slight edge over their 2012 vote for Barack Obama .
The survey of the leaders was done by the Washington correspondent for Aksam Gazetesi , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Muslim leaders ' support for former Vice President Joe Biden was 30.27 % .
Those results represent a dramatic flip of the Muslim vote , which for years has sided with the Democrats .
Aksam 's Washington correspondent Yavuz Atalay shared his results with Secrets and said , “ It ’ s about the trustworthy .
Obama , Clinton said good words , but they did not do what they said .
Biden is doing same things .
Good words but no action .
Trump does what he says.
” For example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their reaction when Biden used the Arabic phrase for “ God willing.
” Just 10 % thought Biden was sincere .
Atalay wrote , “ According to 109 opinion leaders representing approximately 2 million Muslim voters in the states participating in the study , the new candidate Joe Biden could not break the distrust of the Muslim voters who traditionally voted for Democrats , which started with Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election , but rather strengthened it .
The voting address of the Muslim electorate seems to be in favor of Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ echoes one of several Middle East countries that showed support for Trump ’ s Middle East plan , including 79 % of Saudi Arabia .

President Trump, whose Middle East plan is winning support from Arab nations, is gaining strong support from Muslim leaders and their followers who believe that the Democrats haven't delivered on years of promises, according to a new survey of Islamic leaders.
In a shocking turnaround, 61.48% of the 109 Muslim leaders who “represent two million voters” plan to vote for Trump. That is a slight edge over their 2012 vote for Barack Obama.
The survey of the leaders was done by the Washington correspondent for Aksam Gazetesi, a Turkish news site. It suggested that the Muslim leaders' support for former Vice President Joe Biden was 30.27%.
(Image from Aksam Gazetesi)
Those results represent a dramatic flip of the Muslim vote, which for years has sided with the Democrats.
Aksam's Washington correspondent Yavuz Atalay shared his results with Secrets and said, “It’s about the trustworthy. Obama, Clinton said good words, but they did not do what they said. Biden is doing same things. Good words but no action. Trump does what he says.”
For example, the poll asked the leaders for their reaction when Biden used the Arabic phrase for “God willing.” Just 10% thought Biden was sincere.
AKŞAM, 8'i ‘kilit' eyalet olmak üzere 19 eyalette 109 Müslüman Amerikalı kanaat önderine aralarında Türklerin de bulunduğu Müslüman seçmenin siyasal eğilimlerini sordu
Yanıtlar, Biden'in güven vermediğini, ağırlığın Trump'tan yana olduğunu gösteriyor https://t.co/FxnxdUtcak — Akşam Gazetesi (@Aksam) October 20, 2020
Atalay wrote, “According to 109 opinion leaders representing approximately 2 million Muslim voters in the states participating in the study, the new candidate Joe Biden could not break the distrust of the Muslim voters who traditionally voted for Democrats, which started with Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, but rather strengthened it. The voting address of the Muslim electorate seems to be in favor of Republican President Donald Trump.”
The informal poll echoes one of several Middle East countries that showed support for Trump’s Middle East plan, including 79% of Saudi Arabia.