thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-06--Trump moves to placate a restive base

Trump moves to placate a restive base

From military base names such as Fort Bragg to stepping up his criticism of sometimes violent protests in major cities , President Trump is taking steps to shore up his base — and he may need to .
Through many ups and downs over the last four years , Trump ’ s support from the base has been rock-solid , but slight cracks seem to be forming in recent polls .
A large national survey by the Pew Research Center Trump down 7 points since March in job approval from Republicans and Republican-leaning voters .
His approval rating among white @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is 6 points .
That still puts Trump at 78 % and 72 % , respectively , with these voters .
But in a tough race against presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden , even modest slippage with the base could be catastrophic .
His overall job approval rating , according to Pew , stands at 39 % .
The RealClearPolitics polling average puts Trump 's approval at 41.5 % , compared to 56.1 % disapproval .
That ’ s within Trump ’ s normal range but at the low end .
Gallup and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ approval rating as high as 49 % as recently as March .
While 76 % of Trump voters told Pew their vote was affirmatively for the president , an important measure of enthusiasm , only 19 % of Republicans and Republican-leaning voters say they are satisfied with the current direction of the country .
That number was 55 % as recently as April and has been above 50 % for the entirety of Trump ’ s presidency .
“ Trump has never grown at all beyond the base , so he really needs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said a veteran Republican strategist who requested anonymity to speak candidly .
“ They mostly have , but mostly might not be good enough.
” The identity of the voters who have switched from approving of Trump ’ s job performance in March to disapproving in mid-June is a fundamental question facing his reelection effort .
The campaign has been trying to win back some of the suburbanites who have abandoned the GOP and make modest .
“ Joe Biden and his campaign are trying to rewrite the history of the impact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black community , ” reads an email the Republican National Committee ’ s Paris Dennard sent to reporters on Wednesday .
On Thursday , Trump ’ s rapid response team circulated a clip of Biden praising longtime Sen. Robert Byrd , a West Virginia Democrat who had been in the Ku Klux Klan in the 1940s .
Fox News ’ s Tucker Carlson has seen his with nightly monologues saying Trump ’ s real problem is that he and congressional Republicans are not delivering for the base .
“ The moment Trump leaves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll tell you that Republicans lost power because they were mean and intolerant , just like Donald Trump .
And if you listen carefully , you can hear them say that even now , ” Carlson said earlier this week .
“ It ’ s a lie .
Republicans are failing for a much more obvious reason , a more fundamental reason .
They ’ re failing because they haven ’ t done much that is worth doing .
They haven ’ t tried very hard to improve your life .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They did nothing to defend you , they did nothing to defend the country , they were paralyzed.
” '' Tucker ’ s passionate defense of liberty and our national history , coupled with his obvious anger at the establishment writ large has really resonated with a growing number of Americans , '' said Republican strategist John Feehery , who described Carlson as `` more than willing to disagree with the president on occasion , which endears him to his audience , who typically are supportive of Trump but not totally drinking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initiatives such as criminal justice reform and police reform do less for Trump politically than a strong law-and-order stance would .
The White House may be listening to that message .
Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany held a briefing when the “ Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone ” was cleared out on Wednesday .
“ So I am pleased to inform everyone that Seattle has been liberated , ” she said , calling it “ a failed , four-week Democrat experiment by the radical left.
” “ And the results are in : Anarchy is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , peace in our streets will be secured , ” McEnany continued , later adding , “ President Trump has always stood on the side of law and order , and we are pleased to report that law and order has prevailed , and Seattle has been liberated from the anarchists.
” “ Lawlessness has been allowed to prevail , ” Trump said in a video statement on Thursday , amid images of blood splattered on a statue of Ulysses S. Grant and other memorabilia being toppled .
“ We ’ re not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” He then touted his executive order protecting statues and monuments .
“ It started off with Confederate statues , but then it went to George Washington , Thomas Jefferson , Abraham Lincoln , ” he said .
“ It went to people that were abolitionists , people that wanted to stop slavery.
” Meantime , rumors continue about a potential decline in influence for senior adviser and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner , who is perceived by some as antagonistic toward the base .
A base-pleasing strategy carries its own risks .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that many 2016 Trump voters who are defecting now dislike his tone and oppose his handling of everything but the economy .
Even if a base strategy is successful , it could still leave Trump stuck in the mid-40s .

From defending military base names such as Fort Bragg to stepping up his criticism of sometimes violent protests in major cities, President Trump is taking steps to shore up his base — and he may need to.
Through many ups and downs over the last four years, Trump’s support from the base has been rock-solid, but slight cracks seem to be forming in recent polls.
A large national survey by the Pew Research Center found Trump down 7 points since March in job approval from Republicans and Republican-leaning voters. His approval rating among white evangelicals, a key GOP demographic, is down 6 points.
That still puts Trump at 78% and 72%, respectively, with these voters. But in a tough race against presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, even modest slippage with the base could be catastrophic. His overall job approval rating, according to Pew, stands at 39%. The RealClearPolitics polling average puts Trump's approval at 41.5%, compared to 56.1% disapproval. That’s within Trump’s normal range but at the low end. Gallup and some other pollsters found Trump with an approval rating as high as 49% as recently as March.
While 76% of Trump voters told Pew their vote was affirmatively for the president, an important measure of enthusiasm, only 19% of Republicans and Republican-leaning voters say they are satisfied with the current direction of the country. That number was 55% as recently as April and has been above 50% for the entirety of Trump’s presidency.
“Trump has never grown at all beyond the base, so he really needs his voters to stay with him,” said a veteran Republican strategist who requested anonymity to speak candidly. “They mostly have, but mostly might not be good enough.”
The identity of the voters who have switched from approving of Trump’s job performance in March to disapproving in mid-June is a fundamental question facing his reelection effort. The campaign has been trying to win back some of the suburbanites who have abandoned the GOP and make modest inroads with black voters . “Joe Biden and his campaign are trying to rewrite the history of the impact of his 1994 crime bill on the black community,” reads an email the Republican National Committee’s Paris Dennard sent to reporters on Wednesday. On Thursday, Trump’s rapid response team circulated a clip of Biden praising longtime Sen. Robert Byrd, a West Virginia Democrat who had been in the Ku Klux Klan in the 1940s.
Fox News’s Tucker Carlson has seen his viewership boom with nightly monologues saying Trump’s real problem is that he and congressional Republicans are not delivering for the base. “The moment Trump leaves, they will attack him. They’ll tell you that Republicans lost power because they were mean and intolerant, just like Donald Trump. And if you listen carefully, you can hear them say that even now,” Carlson said earlier this week. “It’s a lie. Republicans are failing for a much more obvious reason, a more fundamental reason. They’re failing because they haven’t done much that is worth doing. They haven’t tried very hard to improve your life. When the crisis came, they fled. They did nothing to defend you, they did nothing to defend the country, they were paralyzed.”
"Tucker’s passionate defense of liberty and our national history, coupled with his obvious anger at the establishment writ large has really resonated with a growing number of Americans," said Republican strategist John Feehery, who described Carlson as "more than willing to disagree with the president on occasion, which endears him to his audience, who typically are supportive of Trump but not totally drinking the lemonade."
The theory is that initiatives such as criminal justice reform and police reform do less for Trump politically than a strong law-and-order stance would. The White House may be listening to that message. Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany held a briefing when the “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” was cleared out on Wednesday. “So I am pleased to inform everyone that Seattle has been liberated,” she said, calling it “a failed, four-week Democrat experiment by the radical left.”
“And the results are in: Anarchy is anti-American, law and order is essential, peace in our streets will be secured,” McEnany continued, later adding, “President Trump has always stood on the side of law and order, and we are pleased to report that law and order has prevailed, and Seattle has been liberated from the anarchists.”
“Lawlessness has been allowed to prevail,” Trump said in a video statement on Thursday, amid images of blood splattered on a statue of Ulysses S. Grant and other memorabilia being toppled. “We’re not going to let it prevail any longer.” He then touted his executive order protecting statues and monuments. “It started off with Confederate statues, but then it went to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln,” he said. “It went to people that were abolitionists, people that wanted to stop slavery.”
Meantime, rumors continue about a potential decline in influence for senior adviser and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, who is perceived by some as antagonistic toward the base.
A base-pleasing strategy carries its own risks. The New York Times/Siena College battleground poll finds that many 2016 Trump voters who are defecting now dislike his tone and oppose his handling of everything but the economy. Even if a base strategy is successful, it could still leave Trump stuck in the mid-40s.
A Monmouth University poll out Thursday found Trump trailing Biden by 12 points.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-06--Democrats are worried about mail-in voting too

President Trump and his Republican allies have trashed Democratic efforts to make voting by mail easier in the United States amid the COVID-19 pandemic , but some Democrats are also questioning the push .
With voter access lawsuits piling up before November 's elections , Trump and the GOP argue more mailed-in ballots during the outbreak means more opportunities for fraud .
Yet what worries Democrats is whether their vote will be counted at all .
A John Zogby Strategies poll of 1,001 likely voters nationwide found , in late May , a majority of respondents believed their ballots cast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final tally , with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points .
Almost a quarter did n't , and another fifth were n't sure .
When the results were broken down by party affiliation , 70 % of Democratic respondents agreed .
Three in ten disagreed or did n't know .
`` By and large , Democrats have been calling for mail-in voting more so because it 's more convenient .
Secondly , they appear to be more conscious of the dangers of being in line and being in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington Examiner .
`` But if you look at 30 % of Democrats with reservations , that 's pretty large . ''
Zogby found younger voters especially did n't trust the process due to Trump .
They were also concerned election officials , and the United States Postal Service would be crushed by the uptick in demand if it did n't have adequate staff or the right technology .
`` And if they vote , they are on a path to giving Democrats a wide margin , '' he said .
Marquette Law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fielded a survey , yet said he understood the sentiment after the Supreme Court intervened in partisan bickering over voting by mail in Wisconsin 's spring contests .
In April , about three-fifths of Wisconsin 's ballots were submitted via mail , roughly 10 times that of previous cycles , according to Franklin .
Of the 1.3 million ballots sent to voters , 23,000 or almost 2 % were returned after the deadline or rejected on some other basis .
Another 129,000 , or approximately 9 % , of ballots were n't returned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ may have not gotten it in time or not at all , '' he said .
`` So somewhere between as little as 2 % or as much as 11 % of those who were mailed ballots didn ’ t have their vote counted . ''
Pepperdine University 's Pete Peterson predicted the issue would be exacerbated in the fall by voters mailing ballots for the first time .
Potential snafus could involve unverifiable signatures or marking their preferences incorrectly .
`` Both of these problems are eliminated with in-person voting as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and most voters see their ballot scanned in front of them , '' Peterson said .
The academic , who focuses on public engagement and civic leadership , added voter rolls could create challenges if officials do n't have current or valid addresses .
Susan Dzieduszycka-Suinat , president of nonprofit organization U.S. Vote Foundation , explained there were anonymous procedures to `` cure '' signatures on ballots that do n't match what 's on file .
And she described the fear that votes wo n't be counted if the race has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a contest ca n't be certified until all ballots have been tallied .
`` There 's a lot of worry about the U.S .
Postal Service delays slowing down ballots arriving .
I think those are reasonable worries , but they can be overcome in a number of ways , '' she said .
`` In the U.S. , they can do ballot drop boxes , which are secure boxes . ''
Dzieduszycka-Suinat detailed how the situation 's more complicated for domestic voters compared to Americans abroad since there 's a two-step application @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail-in ballot .
She implored lawmakers to open more polling places for longer and to expand the Uniformed and Absentee Voting Act that covers military personnel and Americans overseas .
That legislation permits emergency ballots to be dispatched online if paperwork gets held up in the mail .
`` I 'm just sitting here waiting for the equal protection class-action lawsuit , '' she said .
`` The idea that we 're not going to be extending the known , existing framework in use across all 50 states for emergency ballots to domestic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have a pandemic is pure pigheadedness . ''
David Becker , head of the Center for Election Innovation and Research , agreed with Dzieduszycka-Suinat that voting by mail was n't the panacea to all coronavirus-related ballot access issues .
For Becker , Republican claims regarding fraud were `` a laughable endeavor , '' given the integrity checks and balances in place across the different jurisdictions .
`` The biggest misconception from the Left is that mail voting is going to magically fix the problems of the pandemic and that it 's for everybody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Becker advised candidates , campaigns , news outlets , and other political observers to expect to wait to learn the outcomes of many Nov. 3 races .
Particularly in battleground states such as Georgia , North Carolina , and Pennsylvania , which are `` relatively new to mail voting . ''
Becker encouraged voters to have a plan as well .
`` It might be legal to request a mail ballot a week before the election .
But that 's not a good plan because the likelihood is you 're going to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a very big challenge trying to return it , '' he said .

President Trump and his Republican allies have trashed Democratic efforts to make voting by mail easier in the United States amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but some Democrats are also questioning the push.
With voter access lawsuits piling up before November's elections, Trump and the GOP argue more mailed-in ballots during the outbreak means more opportunities for fraud. Yet what worries Democrats is whether their vote will be counted at all.
A John Zogby Strategies poll of 1,001 likely voters nationwide found, in late May, a majority of respondents believed their ballots cast by mail would be included in the final tally, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points. Almost a quarter didn't, and another fifth weren't sure. When the results were broken down by party affiliation, 70% of Democratic respondents agreed. Three in ten disagreed or didn't know.
"By and large, Democrats have been calling for mail-in voting more so because it's more convenient. Secondly, they appear to be more conscious of the dangers of being in line and being in crowds," John Zogby told the Washington Examiner. "But if you look at 30% of Democrats with reservations, that's pretty large."
Zogby found younger voters especially didn't trust the process due to Trump. They were also concerned election officials, and the United States Postal Service would be crushed by the uptick in demand if it didn't have adequate staff or the right technology.
"And if they vote, they are on a path to giving Democrats a wide margin," he said.
Marquette Law School Poll Director Charles Franklin hadn't fielded a survey, yet said he understood the sentiment after the Supreme Court intervened in partisan bickering over voting by mail in Wisconsin's spring contests.
In April, about three-fifths of Wisconsin's ballots were submitted via mail, roughly 10 times that of previous cycles, according to Franklin. Of the 1.3 million ballots sent to voters, 23,000 or almost 2% were returned after the deadline or rejected on some other basis. Another 129,000, or approximately 9%, of ballots weren't returned for an unknown reason.
"Some may have not gotten it in time or not at all," he said. "So somewhere between as little as 2% or as much as 11% of those who were mailed ballots didn’t have their vote counted."
Pepperdine University's Pete Peterson predicted the issue would be exacerbated in the fall by voters mailing ballots for the first time. Potential snafus could involve unverifiable signatures or marking their preferences incorrectly.
"Both of these problems are eliminated with in-person voting as a voter signs in at a registration table, and most voters see their ballot scanned in front of them," Peterson said.
The academic, who focuses on public engagement and civic leadership, added voter rolls could create challenges if officials don't have current or valid addresses.
Susan Dzieduszycka-Suinat, president of nonprofit organization U.S. Vote Foundation, explained there were anonymous procedures to "cure" signatures on ballots that don't match what's on file. And she described the fear that votes won't be counted if the race has been called "a long-term myth" because a contest can't be certified until all ballots have been tallied.
"There's a lot of worry about the U.S. Postal Service delays slowing down ballots arriving. I think those are reasonable worries, but they can be overcome in a number of ways," she said. "In the U.S., they can do ballot drop boxes, which are secure boxes."
Dzieduszycka-Suinat detailed how the situation's more complicated for domestic voters compared to Americans abroad since there's a two-step application to register to vote and request a mail-in ballot. She implored lawmakers to open more polling places for longer and to expand the Uniformed and Absentee Voting Act that covers military personnel and Americans overseas. That legislation permits emergency ballots to be dispatched online if paperwork gets held up in the mail.
"I'm just sitting here waiting for the equal protection class-action lawsuit," she said. "The idea that we're not going to be extending the known, existing framework in use across all 50 states for emergency ballots to domestic voters in the year 2020 when we have a pandemic is pure pigheadedness."
David Becker, head of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, agreed with Dzieduszycka-Suinat that voting by mail wasn't the panacea to all coronavirus-related ballot access issues.
For Becker, Republican claims regarding fraud were "a laughable endeavor," given the integrity checks and balances in place across the different jurisdictions.
"The biggest misconception from the Left is that mail voting is going to magically fix the problems of the pandemic and that it's for everybody," Becker said.
Instead, Becker advised candidates, campaigns, news outlets, and other political observers to expect to wait to learn the outcomes of many Nov. 3 races. Particularly in battleground states such as Georgia, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, which are "relatively new to mail voting."
Becker encouraged voters to have a plan as well.
"It might be legal to request a mail ballot a week before the election. But that's not a good plan because the likelihood is you're going to get your mail ballot very late and have a very big challenge trying to return it," he said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-06--Jon Huntsman stumbles in bid to become Utah's first governor to serve nonconsecutive terms

Former Utah Gov .
Jon Huntsman wo n't serve a third term after losing his Republican gubernatorial primary to Lt. Gov .
Spencer Cox .
Huntsman , 60 , would 've been Utah 's first governor to hold office for nonconsecutive periods of time , but he failed to keep pace with Cox , 44 , in their close race .
Cox 's bid was boosted by incumbent Gov .
Gary Herbert 's endorsement and Cox 's high-profile role in Utah 's response to the COVID-19 outbreak .
Huntsman , meanwhile , was sidelined after he contracted the illness .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his public life .
Huntsman was Utah 's governor from 2005 to 2009 before he was nominated to become President Barack Obama 's ambassador to China .
He worked as part of the Obama administration until 2011 when he left to campaign unsuccessfully for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination .
Formerly President George H.W .
Bush 's top Singapore diplomat from 1992 to 1993 , Huntsman then agreed to join President Trump 's administration as chief envoy to Russia in 2017 .
He left his post in 2019 to return to Utah .

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman won't serve a third term after losing his Republican gubernatorial primary to Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox.
Huntsman, 60, would've been Utah's first governor to hold office for nonconsecutive periods of time, but he failed to keep pace with Cox, 44, in their close race.
Cox's bid was boosted by incumbent Gov. Gary Herbert's endorsement and Cox's high-profile role in Utah's response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Huntsman, meanwhile, was sidelined after he contracted the illness.
Huntsman's defeat closes this chapter in his public life.
Huntsman was Utah's governor from 2005 to 2009 before he was nominated to become President Barack Obama's ambassador to China. He worked as part of the Obama administration until 2011 when he left to campaign unsuccessfully for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.
Formerly President George H.W. Bush's top Singapore diplomat from 1992 to 1993, Huntsman then agreed to join President Trump's administration as chief envoy to Russia in 2017. He left his post in 2019 to return to Utah.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-06--Supreme Court rules against 'faithless' electors

States can require presidential electors to vote for the candidates they are committed to , the Supreme Court ruled less than four months before what could be another tight national contest .
The 538 members of the Electoral College are chosen based on the presidential vote in each state , and they , in turn , elect the president of the United States .
States can require these electors to vote for the statewide winner or otherwise follow state laws , the court ruled .
Justices decided against four 2016 Electoral College electors seeking to overturn state laws binding them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are pledged .
In that race , a record seven electors did n't back the candidate to which they were pledged .
A total of 10 electors rebelled last cycle , and seven of those votes counted toward the final tally .
The overall results were 304 for Donald Trump , 227 for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton , and others seven , instead of Trump 306 to Clinton 232 .
Four `` faithless electors , '' one from Colorado and another three from Washington , presented their oral arguments to the Supreme Court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states and the District of Columbia .
In 2016 , Democratic Colorado elector Micheal Baca voted for John Kasich and had his ballot replaced with one from a loyal alternate elector .
The Democratic Washington electors cast `` deviant '' votes for Colin Powell and were fined $ 1,000 for their transgressions .
In deciding Colorado Department of State v. Baca and Chiafalo v. Washington , the Supreme Court weighed whether electors were free , independent agents or simply popular will proxies .
The justices also considered the constitutional question of whether states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meant they can penalize electors or discount their vote should electors exercise their own discretion .
The ruling comes less than four months out from November 's 2020 general election , a contest that could be tighter than the fall fight four years ago .
Faithless electors are traditionally a rare phenomenon .
But the electors brought cases in their respective jurisdictions after an uptick in objections in 2016 that were part of the `` Hamilton Electors movement . ''
The movement was a failed pressure campaign that was cobbled together as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

States can require presidential electors to vote for the candidates they are committed to, the Supreme Court ruled less than four months before what could be another tight national contest.
The 538 members of the Electoral College are chosen based on the presidential vote in each state, and they, in turn, elect the president of the United States. States can require these electors to vote for the statewide winner or otherwise follow state laws, the court ruled.
Justices decided against four 2016 Electoral College electors seeking to overturn state laws binding them to the presidential nominee to whom they are pledged. In that race, a record seven electors didn't back the candidate to which they were pledged. A total of 10 electors rebelled last cycle, and seven of those votes counted toward the final tally. The overall results were 304 for Donald Trump, 227 for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, and others seven, instead of Trump 306 to Clinton 232.
Four "faithless electors," one from Colorado and another three from Washington, presented their oral arguments to the Supreme Court last month challenging the laws in 32 states and the District of Columbia.
In 2016, Democratic Colorado elector Micheal Baca voted for John Kasich and had his ballot replaced with one from a loyal alternate elector. The Democratic Washington electors cast "deviant" votes for Colin Powell and were fined $1,000 for their transgressions.
In deciding Colorado Department of State v. Baca and Chiafalo v. Washington, the Supreme Court weighed whether electors were free, independent agents or simply popular will proxies. The justices also considered the constitutional question of whether states' rights to appoint and remove electors meant they can penalize electors or discount their vote should electors exercise their own discretion.
The ruling comes less than four months out from November's 2020 general election, a contest that could be tighter than the fall fight four years ago.
Faithless electors are traditionally a rare phenomenon. But the electors brought cases in their respective jurisdictions after an uptick in objections in 2016 that were part of the "Hamilton Electors movement." The movement was a failed pressure campaign that was cobbled together as a last-ditch effort to deny Trump the presidency.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-07--Trump tries to tie Biden to civil unrest and far-left in culture war strategy

In a barrage of new television advertisements airing across the country , President Trump and the GOP are attempting to tie presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden to the civil unrest plaguing the nation 's cities in the wake of George Floyd 's death in late May .
`` Joe Biden 's supporters are fighting to defund police departments , '' reads the text on one ad over footage of rioters torching storefronts in cities such as Minneapolis .
`` Violent crime has exploded .
You wo n't be safe in Joe Biden 's America . ''
It 's the latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers and internal feuding over strategy .
Attempts to question Biden 's mental state have largely fallen flat with most voters and possibly offended those over the age of 65 , who now are less likely to support a Republican for president this November than at any time in decades .
Nor has the former vice president 's son , Hunter Biden , seen much of a spotlight in attack ads as voter concerns over the coronavirus pandemic overshadow any questions of Biden family political corruption .
Instead , Trump , as best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech , is committed to framing the election around debates over monuments , urban crime , and the legacy of the nation 's founding .
Whether voters see Biden as synonymous with radical members of the Democratic Party remains to be seen .
And so far , some limited data implies that people remain more concerned with stopping the coronavirus from spreading further than a stronger response to violent activists .
A Google trends breakdown of searches from the first of June to July 6 shows the public looking for information on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the police , whereas searches for `` statue '' or `` antifa '' remain nearly unchanged in over a month .
But Republican strategists say that Biden 's relative silence on rising crime or `` cancel culture '' will assist in bringing voters who supported Trump in 2016 back to their home with the GOP .
`` There 's no question that Hillary Clinton was a foil and carried Trump to victory in 2016 .
This election is different , of course .
But his supporters say , 'he ’ s the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ barbarians at the gate , ' and I 've just never heard language like that from voters before , '' said GOP strategist Brendan Steinhauser .
`` And these people are 50-50 suburban voters .
They notice crime is going up .
There ’ s a sense of 'we ’ re under siege , our culture is under siege . '
What I think people in cities and suburbs are saying to Biden is 'OK , that ’ s good , we ’ re with you , Joe , but what are you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ? '
And folks in suburban communities , they get their news from local news stations and what do they see ?
They see left-wing mayors leading the effort on goofy policies.
” The Left 's push to dismantle traditional law enforcement and question the practice of honoring past presidents such as George Washington have given many Republicans some hope that Trump still has a chance .
On Monday , Trump 's approval rating hit a near all-time low at 38 % in Gallup , down 11 points from an all-time high in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans rose from 85 % to 91 % , his approval among independents dropped 6 points to 33 % .
But as with all things related to Trump , Republicans say , nothing is set in stone .
`` The campaign doesn ’ t really start until Biden picks a running mate , '' said GOP strategist John Feehery .
`` Law and order works with turning out the base , and the Democrats have moved farther to the left than any other political party in our national history . ''
Biden , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stepping into the cultural debates playing out across cable television and newspaper op-ed pages , often seeking a middle ground on the issues rather than aligning himself with his party 's activists .
`` There is a difference between reminders and remembrances of history , ” Biden said last week during a press conference .
“ The idea of comparing whether or not George Washington owned slaves or Thomas Jefferson owned slaves and somebody who was in rebellion committing treason ... trying to take down the Union and keep slavery .
I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that balancing act may become harder and harder as his potential vice presidential picks begin weighing in on the issues .
On Sunday , Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth , reportedly on Biden 's running mate shortlist , said she 'd be willing to `` listen to '' those who believe government monuments to George Washington should be taken down .

In a barrage of new television advertisements airing across the country, President Trump and the GOP are attempting to tie presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden to the civil unrest plaguing the nation's cities in the wake of George Floyd's death in late May.
"Joe Biden's supporters are fighting to defund police departments," reads the text on one ad over footage of rioters torching storefronts in cities such as Minneapolis. "Violent crime has exploded. You won't be safe in Joe Biden's America."
It's the latest messaging pivot after months of plummeting poll numbers and internal feuding over strategy. Attempts to question Biden's mental state have largely fallen flat with most voters and possibly offended those over the age of 65, who now are less likely to support a Republican for president this November than at any time in decades. Nor has the former vice president's son, Hunter Biden, seen much of a spotlight in attack ads as voter concerns over the coronavirus pandemic overshadow any questions of Biden family political corruption.
Instead, Trump, as best seen by his Friday night Mount Rushmore speech, is committed to framing the election around debates over monuments, urban crime, and the legacy of the nation's founding. Whether voters see Biden as synonymous with radical members of the Democratic Party remains to be seen.
And so far, some limited data implies that people remain more concerned with stopping the coronavirus from spreading further than a stronger response to violent activists. A Google trends breakdown of searches from the first of June to July 6 shows the public looking for information on the coronavirus 4 times more than anything related to the police, whereas searches for "statue" or "antifa" remain nearly unchanged in over a month.
But Republican strategists say that Biden's relative silence on rising crime or "cancel culture" will assist in bringing voters who supported Trump in 2016 back to their home with the GOP.
"There's no question that Hillary Clinton was a foil and carried Trump to victory in 2016. This election is different, of course. But his supporters say, 'he’s the only thing standing between us and the barbarians at the gate,' and I've just never heard language like that from voters before," said GOP strategist Brendan Steinhauser. "And these people are 50-50 suburban voters. They notice crime is going up. There’s a sense of 'we’re under siege, our culture is under siege.' What I think people in cities and suburbs are saying to Biden is 'OK, that’s good, we’re with you, Joe, but what are you doing to speak out against this stuff?' And folks in suburban communities, they get their news from local news stations and what do they see? They see left-wing mayors leading the effort on goofy policies.”
The Left's push to dismantle traditional law enforcement and question the practice of honoring past presidents such as George Washington have given many Republicans some hope that Trump still has a chance. On Monday, Trump's approval rating hit a near all-time low at 38% in Gallup, down 11 points from an all-time high in early May. Although his standing among Republicans rose from 85% to 91%, his approval among independents dropped 6 points to 33%.
But as with all things related to Trump, Republicans say, nothing is set in stone.
"The campaign doesn’t really start until Biden picks a running mate," said GOP strategist John Feehery. "Law and order works with turning out the base, and the Democrats have moved farther to the left than any other political party in our national history."
Biden, meanwhile, has been careful to avoid stepping into the cultural debates playing out across cable television and newspaper op-ed pages, often seeking a middle ground on the issues rather than aligning himself with his party's activists.
"There is a difference between reminders and remembrances of history,” Biden said last week during a press conference. “The idea of comparing whether or not George Washington owned slaves or Thomas Jefferson owned slaves and somebody who was in rebellion committing treason ... trying to take down the Union and keep slavery. I think there’s a distinction.”
But that balancing act may become harder and harder as his potential vice presidential picks begin weighing in on the issues. On Sunday, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, reportedly on Biden's running mate shortlist, said she'd be willing to "listen to" those who believe government monuments to George Washington should be taken down.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-07--Biden camp grows confident as Trump attacks fall flat

Buoyed by a continuing lead in the polls , Joe Biden ’ s campaign is gleefully characterizing failed attacks from President Trump in the way children on playgrounds use the “ sticks and stones ” taunt in response to ineffective name-calling .
Lines from the Trump campaign such as “ Sleepy Joe ” and “ Bejing Biden ” were “ deployed unsuccessfully for over a year , ” Biden ’ s deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said in a Sunday on the “ false attacks.
” “ This endless rotation of the same debunked smears isn ’ t the product @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s a sign of myopia and desperation as each successive attempt backfires , re-elevating a massive Trump liability while leaving his campaign scrambling to find something new.
” Biden leads the president by 8.7 points in the RealClearPolitics of national polls and has significant leads in swing states such as Florida , Michigan , and Pennsylvania .
It isn ’ t for lack of trying on the part of the Trump campaign .
The campaign spent in a spring that Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale compared to the Star Wars “ death star.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ polls , the message appeared to not break through the coronavirus pandemic upending normal life and the economy or racial tensions bubbling into nationwide protests and riots throughout June .
Another challenge for Trump is that polls find that voters generally like the former vice president .
Trump ’ s last opponent , Hillary Clinton , was widely disliked and villainized , and he benefited , in part , by voters who either turned out to vote against her or stayed home rather than voting for her .
A of books published in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , such as Dinesh D ’ Souza ’ s Hillary ’ s America : The Secret History of the Democratic Party , working to define her as conniving , corrupt , and untrustworthy .
There isn ’ t the same wave of books this year critical of Biden ’ s record , as Dave Weigel of the Washington Post .
Biden ’ s team is with the candidate having a low national profile this summer , explicitly saying that they hope to make the election a referendum on Trump and his record .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ meanwhile , are scrambling to define Biden and make the election more of a choice between two less-than-perfect candidates , as in 2016 .
But for the most common attacks , the Biden campaign fires back with quips and flaunts more favorable poll numbers .
Trump operatives are gleefully amplifying the former vice president ’ s many verbal stumbles and misstatements , egging on perceptions that the 77-year-old has “ cognitive decline.
” “ Trump literally suggested Americans inject disinfectant to cure COVID-19 , ” Bedingfield said in the Sunday memo , to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up using UV light or disinfectant “ by injection inside or almost a cleaning.
” In response to continued Trump attacks that Biden is too cozy with China , Bedingfield pointed to national polls that found voters trust Biden more than Trump on dealing with China , including a released Thursday that showed Biden with a 10-point lead over Trump on the issue .
As Trump ’ s campaign paints Biden as corrupt — namely by pointing to his son , Hunter Biden , serving on the board of a Ukrainian gas company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Biden withheld aid to Ukraine because of an investigation into that company — the Biden campaign says that Trump is the one who is “ abusing his office to enrich himself , his family , and his political friends at the expense of taxpayers.
” The latest attack from Trump is to tie Biden to the or the destruction of non-Confederate monuments such as Mount Rushmore .
But a Politico/Morning Consult national poll released last week found that 23 % of voters view Biden as moderate , while only 9 % think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a long way to go in defining Biden as a radical or a puppet for a radical agenda .
The Biden campaign is banking on voters continuing to ignore or not agree with the attacks from Trump .
“ The American people know Joe Biden .
They know who Biden is , his values , his record , and why he ’ s running for president , ” Bedingfield said .

Buoyed by a continuing lead in the polls, Joe Biden’s campaign is gleefully characterizing failed attacks from President Trump in the way children on playgrounds use the “sticks and stones” taunt in response to ineffective name-calling.
Lines from the Trump campaign such as “Sleepy Joe” and “Beijing Biden” were “deployed unsuccessfully for over a year,” Biden’s deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said in a Sunday memo on the “false attacks.”
“This endless rotation of the same debunked smears isn’t the product of some strategic genius, it’s a sign of myopia and desperation as each successive attempt backfires, re-elevating a massive Trump liability while leaving his campaign scrambling to find something new.”
Biden leads the president by 8.7 points in the RealClearPolitics average of national polls and has significant leads in swing states such as Florida, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
It isn’t for lack of trying on the part of the Trump campaign. The campaign spent $24 million in a spring advertising blitz that Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale compared to the Star Wars “death star.” But as Trump slipped in the polls, the message appeared to not break through the coronavirus pandemic upending normal life and the economy or racial tensions bubbling into nationwide protests and riots throughout June.
Another challenge for Trump is that polls find that voters generally like the former vice president .
Trump’s last opponent, Hillary Clinton, was widely disliked and villainized, and he benefited, in part, by voters who either turned out to vote against her or stayed home rather than voting for her.
A wave of books published in 2016 and before tore into her record, such as Dinesh D’Souza’s Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party, working to define her as conniving, corrupt, and untrustworthy. There isn’t the same wave of books this year critical of Biden’s record, as Dave Weigel of the Washington Post noted .
Biden’s team is content with the candidate having a low national profile this summer, explicitly saying that they hope to make the election a referendum on Trump and his record.
Trump’s team and allies, meanwhile, are scrambling to define Biden and make the election more of a choice between two less-than-perfect candidates, as in 2016.
But for the most common attacks, the Biden campaign fires back with quips and flaunts more favorable poll numbers.
Trump operatives are gleefully amplifying the former vice president’s many verbal stumbles and misstatements, egging on perceptions that the 77-year-old has “cognitive decline.”
“Trump literally suggested Americans inject disinfectant to cure COVID-19,” Bedingfield said in the Sunday memo, referring to when Trump, in April, brought up using UV light or disinfectant “by injection inside or almost a cleaning.”
In response to continued Trump attacks that Biden is too cozy with China, Bedingfield pointed to national polls that found voters trust Biden more than Trump on dealing with China, including a Suffolk University/USA Today poll released Thursday that showed Biden with a 10-point lead over Trump on the issue.
As Trump’s campaign paints Biden as corrupt — namely by pointing to his son, Hunter Biden, serving on the board of a Ukrainian gas company while Biden was vice president and suggesting that Biden withheld aid to Ukraine because of an investigation into that company — the Biden campaign says that Trump is the one who is “abusing his office to enrich himself, his family, and his political friends at the expense of taxpayers.”
The latest attack from Trump is to tie Biden to the far-left activists calling for revolution or the destruction of non-Confederate monuments such as Mount Rushmore. But a Politico/Morning Consult national poll released last week found that 23% of voters view Biden as moderate, while only 9% think Trump is, showing that Trump has a long way to go in defining Biden as a radical or a puppet for a radical agenda.
The Biden campaign is banking on voters continuing to ignore or not agree with the attacks from Trump.
“The American people know Joe Biden. They know who Biden is, his values, his record, and why he’s running for president,” Bedingfield said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-07--Karl Rove: Trump tweet about NASCAR's Bubba Wallace hurt message of Mount Rushmore speech

Karl Rove advised President Trump to reconsider his Twitter habits as November 's election approaches .
The former senior adviser to President George W. Bush praised the speech Trump gave on Friday at Mount Rushmore , but he noted that social media posts about NASCAR 's Bubba Wallace do not `` advance the cause '' that he spoke about during the pre-Independence Day event in South Carolina .
“ The question is , did what the president tweeted on Monday advance the cause that he laid out on Saturday ?
And I think the answer is an unambiguous no .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The president has a limited number of days between now and the election .
And when he tweets , it ’ s a powerful message .
And the question is , does that message continue to advance the narrative that he and those around him decided that he would lay out on [ Friday ] at Mount Rushmore ?
And the answer is no , it didn ’ t. ” Trump 's speech on Friday , a rallying cry in defense of U.S. heritage and the nation 's founding ideals , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Its critics panned the speech as being divisive .
By Monday morning , the president made headlines for attacking Wallace , NASCAR 's sole black driver , asking on Twitter if he had `` apologized to all of those great NASCAR drivers & officials who came to his aid , '' given that the FBI determined there was no hate crime after a noose-shaped rope was found in his car stall at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama last month .
Trump also said that the whole incident was a `` HOAX '' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to ban the Confederate flag `` has caused lowest ratings EVER ! ''
“ I saw the press secretary yesterday say to the White House press corps , ‘ Why aren ’ t you asking about all of the violence that was in our American cities over the weekend ?
’ ” Rove said , adding : “ That was a good question .
But the answer is because the president didn ’ t tweet about that .
He tweeted about Bubba Wallace and the Confederate flag and NASCAR .
And I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his cause at all.
” Last week , he wrote an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal explaining that the Trump campaign needed a `` reset '' and that the month of June was `` catastrophic '' for the president 's reelection efforts .

Karl Rove advised President Trump to reconsider his Twitter habits as November's election approaches.
The former senior adviser to President George W. Bush praised the speech Trump gave on Friday at Mount Rushmore, but he noted that social media posts about NASCAR's Bubba Wallace do not "advance the cause" that he spoke about during the pre-Independence Day event in South Carolina.
“The question is, did what the president tweeted on Monday advance the cause that he laid out on Saturday? And I think the answer is an unambiguous no. It did not,” Rove said. “The president has a limited number of days between now and the election. And when he tweets, it’s a powerful message. And the question is, does that message continue to advance the narrative that he and those around him decided that he would lay out on [Friday] at Mount Rushmore? And the answer is no, it didn’t.”
Trump's speech on Friday, a rallying cry in defense of U.S. heritage and the nation's founding ideals, was praised by some on the Right. Its critics panned the speech as being divisive.
By Monday morning, the president made headlines for attacking Wallace, NASCAR's sole black driver, asking on Twitter if he had "apologized to all of those great NASCAR drivers & officials who came to his aid," given that the FBI determined there was no hate crime after a noose-shaped rope was found in his car stall at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama last month.
Trump also said that the whole incident was a "HOAX" and that this situation combined with NASCAR's decision to ban the Confederate flag "has caused lowest ratings EVER!"
“I saw the press secretary yesterday say to the White House press corps, ‘Why aren’t you asking about all of the violence that was in our American cities over the weekend?’” Rove said, adding: “That was a good question. But the answer is because the president didn’t tweet about that. He tweeted about Bubba Wallace and the Confederate flag and NASCAR. And I don’t see that those advance his cause at all.”
Last week, he wrote an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal explaining that the Trump campaign needed a "reset" and that the month of June was "catastrophic" for the president's reelection efforts.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-07--Dual programming: The Trump Show versus The Biden Show

Hamilton is not the only performance coming into your home this week .
After four years on Pennsylvania Avenue , the Washington , D.C. , equivalent of Broadway , The Donald Trump Show is on the road , though appealing to smaller audiences .
According to a recent Gallup , 38 % approve of his job “ performance ” while 59 % disapprove , a 19 % gap .
Even off Broadway , at his rally in Tulsa , Oklahoma , for example , there were empty seats , and the overflow venue outdoors was closed due to the small @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Show ( really a kind of no-show conducted largely from his Delaware basement ) has attracted growing interest .
Most of the recent polls show Biden with a significant 8-12 % lead over Trump .
Biden has also attracted more investors than Trump , outperforming the president ’ s prodigious fundraising operation each of the last two months and for the last quarter .
By those measures , candidate Biden would do well to stay in his basement .
The conventional wisdom is that people are frustrated by the president ’ s lack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crises .
A president ’ s campaign for a second term is generally a referendum on his performance in his first four years , so that is certainly an important factor .
It is also the case that the strong economy on which the president had planned to run for reelection has been pulled out from under him .
I would say it differently , however .
I would argue that having a disrupter for president , one more interested in performance than governing , might have seemed tempting in theory but has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practice .
If you remember Trump ’ s campaign premise , it was that someone outside of Washington needed to come in and “ drain the swamp '' — or disrupt a corrupt system .
As Yuval Levin points out in his recent book , A Time to Build , Trump is the first president who was never formed and shaped by American institutions such as the military , large corporations , the legislature , or a governor ’ s office .
He came to the presidency from a career in a family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s what he knows .
As a celebrity president , Trump is more about tweets and speeches than legislative accomplishments or policy programs .
As campaign veteran Karl Rove recently pointed out , he has yet to tell the American people what he would do if elected to a second term .
His presidency is not about agendas and policies but about him — his values and his frustrations , which his base shares .
But it ’ s difficult to run a government that way , and in the end , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a president to do .
Along comes Biden , then , who seems to know how to run a government .
His career has been shaped by the Senate and the vice presidency .
In the face of recent challenges , Biden has released specific plans about what he would do with the coronavirus challenge , for example .
His communications tend to be more about policies and programs than his personal grievances and frustrations .
He appears to be interested in governing .
Frustration and disruption have their place , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that base .
Leadership as performance has long been a part of politics , but never has a political leader tried to invest so much in those without showing more interest in policy and governance .
It appears that The Trump Show may not be renewed for an extended run .
Critics have never liked it , but now , except for his stalwart base , even audiences seem to be weary of it .
A non-performance from an experienced candidate ’ s basement seems poised to overtake the rallies and tweets , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidacy .
As former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson famously said , however , “ A week is a long time in politics.
” We ’ ll have to keep our eyes on the stage and the basement for another several months .
David Davenport is a contributor to the Washington Examiner 's Beltway Confidential blog .
He is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution and a visiting scholar with the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation .
He is the co-author , with Gordon Lloyd , of How Public Policy Became War .

Hamilton is not the only performance coming into your home this week.
After four years on Pennsylvania Avenue, the Washington, D.C., equivalent of Broadway, The Donald Trump Show is on the road, though appealing to smaller audiences. According to a recent Gallup poll , 38% approve of his job “performance” while 59% disapprove, a 19% gap. Even off Broadway, at his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for example, there were empty seats, and the overflow venue outdoors was closed due to the small attendance.
Meanwhile, The Joe Biden Show (really a kind of no-show conducted largely from his Delaware basement) has attracted growing interest. Most of the recent polls show Biden with a significant 8-12% lead over Trump. Biden has also attracted more investors than Trump, outperforming the president’s prodigious fundraising operation each of the last two months and for the last quarter. By those measures, candidate Biden would do well to stay in his basement.
The conventional wisdom is that people are frustrated by the president’s lack of leadership during the coronavirus and protest crises. A president’s campaign for a second term is generally a referendum on his performance in his first four years, so that is certainly an important factor. It is also the case that the strong economy on which the president had planned to run for reelection has been pulled out from under him.
I would say it differently, however. I would argue that having a disrupter for president, one more interested in performance than governing, might have seemed tempting in theory but has been more difficult to pull off in practice. If you remember Trump’s campaign premise, it was that someone outside of Washington needed to come in and “drain the swamp" — or disrupt a corrupt system. As Yuval Levin points out in his recent book, A Time to Build, Trump is the first president who was never formed and shaped by American institutions such as the military, large corporations, the legislature, or a governor’s office. He came to the presidency from a career in a family business and celebrity, so that’s what he knows.
As a celebrity president, Trump is more about tweets and speeches than legislative accomplishments or policy programs. As campaign veteran Karl Rove recently pointed out, he has yet to tell the American people what he would do if elected to a second term. His presidency is not about agendas and policies but about him — his values and his frustrations, which his base shares. But it’s difficult to run a government that way, and in the end, that’s what we have traditionally expected a president to do.
Along comes Biden, then, who seems to know how to run a government. His career has been shaped by the Senate and the vice presidency. In the face of recent challenges, Biden has released specific plans about what he would do with the coronavirus challenge, for example. His communications tend to be more about policies and programs than his personal grievances and frustrations. He appears to be interested in governing.
Frustration and disruption have their place, but it is difficult to lead an institution from that base. Leadership as performance has long been a part of politics, but never has a political leader tried to invest so much in those without showing more interest in policy and governance.
It appears that The Trump Show may not be renewed for an extended run. Critics have never liked it, but now, except for his stalwart base, even audiences seem to be weary of it. A non-performance from an experienced candidate’s basement seems poised to overtake the rallies and tweets, the disruption and grievance of the Trump candidacy.
As former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson famously said, however, “A week is a long time in politics.” We’ll have to keep our eyes on the stage and the basement for another several months.
David Davenport is a contributor to the Washington Examiner's Beltway Confidential blog. He is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution and a visiting scholar with the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation. He is the co-author, with Gordon Lloyd, of How Public Policy Became War.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-07--Biden beefs up Pennsylvania team in key Electoral College state

Joe Biden has brought on several longtime political operatives to win Pennsylvania , the latest sign the presumptive Democratic nominee 's campaign sees the state 's 20 Electoral College votes as key to claiming the White House .
On Tuesday , Biden 's campaign announced that it hired two new staffers with deep ties to Pennsylvania politics , including a veteran of both President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton 's efforts in the state .
Brendan McPhillips , who will serve as the state director , previously worked as the Iowa state director for Pete Buttigieg , the former South @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Iowa caucuses earlier this year .
Biden also hired Sincere Harris as a senior adviser for operations in the state .
Harris , an alumna of Pennsylvania Gov .
Tom Wolf 's campaign , also worked for Obama 's reelection campaign in 2012 .
Pennsylvania remains a sore point for Democrats after Clinton 's 2016 loss to Trump .
The Keystone State voted Democratic all six times between the 1992 and 2012 presidential elections , forming a `` blue wall '' with Wisconsin and Michigan .
The wall crumbled in 2016 when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And Democrats have sworn since that they would invest heavily in Pennsylvania , particularly in the Philadelphia area , which traditionally offsets Republican strength in more conservative , rural regions .
Since the coronavirus pandemic , Biden has held every single one of his out-of-state visits in Pennsylvania , occasionally driving over the Delaware state line to meet with voters and deliver remarks attacking President Trump .
A native of Scranton , Biden launched his campaign from Philadelphia , which is also the home of his campaign headquarters .
Trump 's campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the GOP column , with 106 staffers already employed in the state .
Vice President Mike Pence is also scheduled to make several stops there this week .
A RealClearPolitics average of polls has Biden with a significant lead over Trump at 6.5 percentage points .
In 2016 , Trump narrowly won Pennsylvania by under a percentage point .

Joe Biden has brought on several longtime political operatives to win Pennsylvania, the latest sign the presumptive Democratic nominee's campaign sees the state's 20 Electoral College votes as key to claiming the White House.
On Tuesday, Biden's campaign announced that it hired two new staffers with deep ties to Pennsylvania politics, including a veteran of both President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's efforts in the state. Brendan McPhillips, who will serve as the state director, previously worked as the Iowa state director for Pete Buttigieg, the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor who won the Iowa caucuses earlier this year.
Biden also hired Sincere Harris as a senior adviser for operations in the state. Harris, an alumna of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf's campaign, also worked for Obama's reelection campaign in 2012.
Pennsylvania remains a sore point for Democrats after Clinton's 2016 loss to Trump. The Keystone State voted Democratic all six times between the 1992 and 2012 presidential elections, forming a "blue wall" with Wisconsin and Michigan. The wall crumbled in 2016 when Trump captured each state, albeit narrowly. And Democrats have sworn since that they would invest heavily in Pennsylvania, particularly in the Philadelphia area, which traditionally offsets Republican strength in more conservative, rural regions.
Since the coronavirus pandemic, Biden has held every single one of his out-of-state visits in Pennsylvania, occasionally driving over the Delaware state line to meet with voters and deliver remarks attacking President Trump. A native of Scranton, Biden launched his campaign from Philadelphia, which is also the home of his campaign headquarters.
Trump's campaign is working hard to keep the state in the GOP column, with 106 staffers already employed in the state. Vice President Mike Pence is also scheduled to make several stops there this week.
A RealClearPolitics average of polls has Biden with a significant lead over Trump at 6.5 percentage points. In 2016, Trump narrowly won Pennsylvania by under a percentage point.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-07--Trump tries to tie Biden to civil unrest and far-Left in culture war strategy


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-08--'Get Susie Wiles': Trump's Florida 'winner' returns to the fold

Veteran Florida GOP strategist Susie Wiles 's return to the Trump campaign shows that the president is still competing in his adopted home state , despite presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden 's monthslong lead in most head-to-head public polls .
Florida officials and political consultants rallied behind Wiles in interviews with the Washington Examiner , hopeful that this was a step toward President Trump 's victory in the fall .
`` Susie Wiles is one of the most effective , if not the most effective , political operative in Florida on the Republican side , '' said Republican strategist and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` What this means is , it 's an all-hands-on-deck moment in Florida , and the Trump campaign is betting Florida is going to be tight as a drum . ''
The Trump campaign made the announcement in a tweet last week as Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov .
Ron DeSantis met in Tampa to discuss the surging number of coronavirus cases .
Wiles was ousted from the Trump campaign last year at DeSantis 's urging after securing his unlikely victory in the 2018 gubernatorial race , along with Trump 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race , and Sen. Rick Scott 's win in his race for governor in 2010 .
Palm Beach County Republican Party Chairman Michael Barnett said he was `` thrilled '' at Wiles 's return .
`` Those of us who are grassroots and who work with the grassroots know Susie and respect her abilities , and we 're thrilled to see that she is back on the team , '' Barnett said .
`` She 's a winner .
She won Florida for the president back in 2016 .
And you should stick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Florida , where Trump recently claimed residency , Biden leads the president by 5 points , according to a RealClearPolitics statewide polling average .
Biden is ahead in all but 1 of the 10 latest public polls .
Despite Wiles 's status as `` persona non grata , '' said former Palm Beach County Republican Party Chairman Sid Dinerstein , campaign officials looked at the polls , `` and they said , 'What are we going to do ? '
There 's only one answer .
Get Susie Wiles .
She never loses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ events were placed on hold as the coronavirus spread across the country , and they are resuming slowly , presenting an additional challenge .
Amid the lockdown , Trump has struggled to grow a foothold in Florida , where nearly one-quarter of the population is aged 65 and over and where virus cases have exploded over the last four weeks .
The pivot to Wiles was do or die , advisers said .
Trump 's Florida political director , Kevin Cabrera , `` left a leadership void , '' said one operative , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The operative said Cabrera failed to build a loyal and experienced ground game operation , leaving the president exposed and without the capacity to deliver messaging at the level needed for a presidential reelection campaign .
`` He 's a little out of his league . ''
Donors , local organizers , and Trump 2016 campaign veterans who have dealt with Cabrera made their displeasure known to officials all the way up to campaign manager Brad Parscale , a Broward County transplant .
One state committee chairwoman raised her concerns with Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now that they see what 's going on here with Florida , they 've decided that you 've got to let the operative operate , '' another Florida adviser close to the White House said .
`` That 's why you 're seeing Susie come in .
We 've got to stay the bleeding .
This is winnable .
You 've got to bank on Florida out . ''
`` The Trump campaign has been lashing out at the way the Florida and the Arizona operations have been run , '' this person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Trump 's support has cratered in Florida and in the national polls amid the shock of the coronavirus , related economic woes , and social unrest in the wake of George Floyd 's death .
`` There 's no question June was not good for Trump , '' the person said .
`` Some people are very scared about what 's going on .
That 's why you 're seeing Trump go to New Hampshire to an airplane hangar . ''
Many hope Wiles 's return will help Trump rally seniors and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Susie is a seasoned hand , '' said a political consultant with a winning history in Florida who is close to Trump .
`` Her role is to close the deal . ''
This person described Wiles as a consensus-builder , crucial in a state like Florida , where the margin for victory could be razor-thin .
`` Everybody 's going to listen to her , and she will get everybody marching in the same direction , '' said Dinerstein .
The Trump campaign and the Florida Republican Party did not return @ @ @ @ @

Veteran Florida GOP strategist Susie Wiles's return to the Trump campaign shows that the president is still competing in his adopted home state, despite presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden's monthslong lead in most head-to-head public polls.
Florida officials and political consultants rallied behind Wiles in interviews with the Washington Examiner, hopeful that this was a step toward President Trump's victory in the fall.
"Susie Wiles is one of the most effective, if not the most effective, political operative in Florida on the Republican side," said Republican strategist and former Florida congressional candidate Ford O'Connell. "What this means is, it's an all-hands-on-deck moment in Florida, and the Trump campaign is betting Florida is going to be tight as a drum."
The Trump campaign made the announcement in a tweet last week as Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis met in Tampa to discuss the surging number of coronavirus cases.
Wiles was ousted from the Trump campaign last year at DeSantis's urging after securing his unlikely victory in the 2018 gubernatorial race, along with Trump's win in Florida in the 2016 presidential race, and Sen. Rick Scott's win in his race for governor in 2010.
Palm Beach County Republican Party Chairman Michael Barnett said he was "thrilled" at Wiles's return. "Those of us who are grassroots and who work with the grassroots know Susie and respect her abilities, and we're thrilled to see that she is back on the team," Barnett said. "She's a winner. She won Florida for the president back in 2016. And you should stick with the winning team."
In Florida, where Trump recently claimed residency, Biden leads the president by 5 points, according to a RealClearPolitics statewide polling average. Biden is ahead in all but 1 of the 10 latest public polls.
Despite Wiles's status as "persona non grata," said former Palm Beach County Republican Party Chairman Sid Dinerstein, campaign officials looked at the polls, "and they said, 'What are we going to do?' There's only one answer. Get Susie Wiles. She never loses an election."
Most in-person political events were placed on hold as the coronavirus spread across the country, and they are resuming slowly, presenting an additional challenge. Amid the lockdown, Trump has struggled to grow a foothold in Florida, where nearly one-quarter of the population is aged 65 and over and where virus cases have exploded over the last four weeks.
The pivot to Wiles was do or die, advisers said.
Trump's Florida political director, Kevin Cabrera, "left a leadership void," said one operative, who was granted anonymity to speak freely. The operative said Cabrera failed to build a loyal and experienced ground game operation, leaving the president exposed and without the capacity to deliver messaging at the level needed for a presidential reelection campaign. "He's a little out of his league."
Donors, local organizers, and Trump 2016 campaign veterans who have dealt with Cabrera made their displeasure known to officials all the way up to campaign manager Brad Parscale, a Broward County transplant. One state committee chairwoman raised her concerns with Trump during an Oval Office meeting.
"Now that they see what's going on here with Florida, they've decided that you've got to let the operative operate," another Florida adviser close to the White House said. "That's why you're seeing Susie come in. We've got to stay the bleeding. This is winnable. You've got to bank on Florida out."
"The Trump campaign has been lashing out at the way the Florida and the Arizona operations have been run," this person said, noting the frustration.
Meanwhile, Trump's support has cratered in Florida and in the national polls amid the shock of the coronavirus, related economic woes, and social unrest in the wake of George Floyd's death. "There's no question June was not good for Trump," the person said. "Some people are very scared about what's going on. That's why you're seeing Trump go to New Hampshire to an airplane hangar."
Many hope Wiles's return will help Trump rally seniors and turn out Florida's rural voters.
"Susie is a seasoned hand," said a political consultant with a winning history in Florida who is close to Trump. "Her role is to close the deal."
This person described Wiles as a consensus-builder, crucial in a state like Florida, where the margin for victory could be razor-thin.
"Everybody's going to listen to her, and she will get everybody marching in the same direction," said Dinerstein.
The Trump campaign and the Florida Republican Party did not return a request for comment.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-08--Montana provides unexpected Senate opportunity for Democrats

A state that President Trump handily won by 20 percentage points in 2016 could help Democrats claw back power in the Senate .
Two-term Democratic Montana Gov .
Steve Bullock is pacing well against Republican incumbent Sen. Steve Daines ahead of November .
And if Bullock finishes on top , Democrats only need another two or three seats to control the Senate , depending on Trump and Joe Biden 's White House race .
Bullock this week announced he raised $ 7.7 million between April and June , ending the second financial quarter with $ 7.4 million of cash on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brought in more than Daines in the first three months of the year , but the senator has yet to disclose his most recent haul .
The contest is closer , according to polls .
In a University of Montana survey released on July 1 , Bullock had a 4.3-point advantage on Daines in the state rated as a Cook Political Report toss-up , 47.3 % to 43 % .
Another 9.8 % of respondents were undecided .
The study of 517 registered Montana voters , fielded from June 17 to June 26 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plus or minus 4.31 points .
In other words , they 're essentially tied four months out from the election .
Despite Montana 's reputation as a reliably Republican state at the presidential level , it has a history of backing Democrats running for statewide office .
That includes its other sitting senator , Jon Tester , first elected in 2006 .
And before that , Montana Democrat Mike Mansfield was the Senate 's longest-serving majority leader , managing the chamber from 1961 to 1977 .
Bozeman , Montana Mayor Chris Mehl was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given his popularity and record of notching up statewide victories in 2012 and 2016 , when GOP White House nominees carried Montana .
Bullock was the state 's attorney general before that as well .
`` Montana has been a purple state , rather than red for some time , '' Mehl told the Washington Examiner .
`` The state is up for grabs to good candidates .
Remember that Trump visited Montana several times two years ago in an effort to beat Tester , and it did not have much , if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who Mehl described as a no-nonsense problem solver , has been boosted by positive reviews of his COVID-19 response , the mayor explained .
`` This fall will be like none other in recent campaigning .
How that plays out in Montana — we ’ re a cheap date in terms of cost for a Senate seat — will be interesting to watch , '' he said .
Claremont McKenna College politics professor John Pitney , who taught Bullock in college , agreed the contest hinged on goodwill toward the governor rather than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senator has avoided controversy that could 've alienated him with his own constituents .
`` The flip side is he 's not as high-profile as some other senators .
So , apart from merely holding the seat for the party , he 's not a magnet for national attention and national money , '' he said .
Pitney echoed Mehl 's belief Bullock had been aided by his management of the coronavirus outbreak .
He added that even if Trump returned Montana to his ledger on Nov. 3 , it wo n't be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limit his ability to lift Daines at the top of the ticket .
`` If we were looking at the conditions that prevailed in January , we 'd be having a very different conversation .
But the pandemic made Trump look bad , and it enabled Steve Bullock to look good , '' Pitney said .
Bullock 's foothold in Montana is not the Democrats ' only path to Senate power .
Retired astronaut Mark Kelly of Arizona , ex-Colorado Gov .
John Hickenlooper , Iowa `` farm kid '' Theresa Greenfield , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are tracking well in their respective campaigns .
For Pitney , Bullock 's performance so far is a classic example of how parties can succeed by picking candidates who fit their constituency .
After a disappointing 2020 White House bid , Bullock was recruited by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to challenge first-term Daines .
Bullock eventually launched his senatorial operation in March .
`` Even in private , he was not eager to run for the Senate initially , but you know , Schumer is very persuasive , '' he said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ He knows that Bullock is a perfect match for the state , and if anybody could win Montana for the Democrats , it was him . ''

A state that President Trump handily won by 20 percentage points in 2016 could help Democrats claw back power in the Senate.
Two-term Democratic Montana Gov. Steve Bullock is pacing well against Republican incumbent Sen. Steve Daines ahead of November. And if Bullock finishes on top, Democrats only need another two or three seats to control the Senate, depending on Trump and Joe Biden's White House race.
Bullock this week announced he raised $7.7 million between April and June, ending the second financial quarter with $7.4 million of cash on hand before the fall fight. He brought in more than Daines in the first three months of the year, but the senator has yet to disclose his most recent haul.
The contest is closer, according to polls.
In a University of Montana survey released on July 1, Bullock had a 4.3-point advantage on Daines in the state rated as a Cook Political Report toss-up, 47.3% to 43%. Another 9.8% of respondents were undecided. The study of 517 registered Montana voters, fielded from June 17 to June 26, had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.31 points. In other words, they're essentially tied four months out from the election.
Despite Montana's reputation as a reliably Republican state at the presidential level, it has a history of backing Democrats running for statewide office. That includes its other sitting senator, Jon Tester, first elected in 2006. And before that, Montana Democrat Mike Mansfield was the Senate's longest-serving majority leader, managing the chamber from 1961 to 1977.
Bozeman, Montana Mayor Chris Mehl wasn't surprised by Bullock's strong position given his popularity and record of notching up statewide victories in 2012 and 2016, when GOP White House nominees carried Montana. Bullock was the state's attorney general before that as well.
"Montana has been a purple state, rather than red for some time," Mehl told the Washington Examiner. "The state is up for grabs to good candidates. Remember that Trump visited Montana several times two years ago in an effort to beat Tester, and it did not have much, if any, impact."
Bullock, who Mehl described as a no-nonsense problem solver, has been boosted by positive reviews of his COVID-19 response, the mayor explained.
"This fall will be like none other in recent campaigning. How that plays out in Montana — we’re a cheap date in terms of cost for a Senate seat — will be interesting to watch," he said.
Claremont McKenna College politics professor John Pitney, who taught Bullock in college, agreed the contest hinged on goodwill toward the governor rather than being a referendum on Daines. The senator has avoided controversy that could've alienated him with his own constituents.
"The flip side is he's not as high-profile as some other senators. So, apart from merely holding the seat for the party, he's not a magnet for national attention and national money," he said.
Pitney echoed Mehl's belief Bullock had been aided by his management of the coronavirus outbreak. He added that even if Trump returned Montana to his ledger on Nov. 3, it won't be by his 2016 margin. That could limit his ability to lift Daines at the top of the ticket.
"If we were looking at the conditions that prevailed in January, we'd be having a very different conversation. But the pandemic made Trump look bad, and it enabled Steve Bullock to look good," Pitney said.
Bullock's foothold in Montana is not the Democrats' only path to Senate power. Retired astronaut Mark Kelly of Arizona, ex-Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, Iowa "farm kid" Theresa Greenfield, and Maine state House Speaker Sara Gideon are tracking well in their respective campaigns.
For Pitney, Bullock's performance so far is a classic example of how parties can succeed by picking candidates who fit their constituency.
After a disappointing 2020 White House bid, Bullock was recruited by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to challenge first-term Daines. Bullock eventually launched his senatorial operation in March.
"Even in private, he was not eager to run for the Senate initially, but you know, Schumer is very persuasive," he said. "Schumer is also very smart. He knows that Bullock is a perfect match for the state, and if anybody could win Montana for the Democrats, it was him."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-08--Ted Cruz, team player: Senator raising millions for Republicans as he eyes potential 2024 bid

Sen. Ted Cruz is cultivating relationships for a possible 2024 presidential bid with plans to raise more than $ 2.5 million for over two dozen Republican incumbents and challenger candidates running for Congress this November .
The Texas Republican this week is launching “ 20 for 20 , ” a fundraising committee that will funnel at least $ 100,000 , each , to 25 conservative House candidates — all personally vetted by Cruz .
The senator is raising the money from a lucrative list of grassroots donors and network of wealthy contributors built over the course of his 2016 presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ financial backing with hands-on support from his political operation .
In the Senate , Cruz is preparing to sign email fundraising appeals and host a big Texas fundraiser , coronavirus permitting , for vulnerable GOP colleagues running for reelection in contests that hold the key to the majority .
Already , the senator has donated to Republican senators through his political action committee and raised money online for Sens .
John Cornyn of Texas , Steve Daines of Montana , Cory Gardner of Colorado , and Dan Sullivan of Alaska .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senate , and the White House in order to get things done , ” Cruz spokesman Sam Cooper said Tuesday .
“ That 's why Sen. Cruz is launching the 20 for 20 victory program to ensure Republicans can win back the House and usher in a new class of conservative leaders into Washington.
” Cruz , 49 , arrived on Capitol Hill in 2013 and immediately picked fights with Republican leaders and the party establishment as he sought to burnish his image as a brash political outsider in advance of a presidential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ declined to endorse Sen. Thad Cochran for reelection .
The Mississippi Republican , who died last year , barely fended off tea party challenger Chris McDaniel in a Republican primary that year , with Cruz publicly calling for an investigation of the results of a runoff .
The following summer , and by then a White House contender , Cruz called Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky a liar on the Senate floor .
After losing his quest for the Republican nomination to Donald Trump and with his 2018 Senate reelection campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In particular , the senator came to appreciate the political benefits of operating with the support of allies and became more of a team player .
As Cruz looks ahead to his future in Congress and ponders another White House bid , the “ 20 for 20 ” fund and his assistance to incumbent Republican senators is a key component of his strategy to build support for his legislative agenda — and political ambitions .
Some Republican insiders , scarred by Cruz during his first four years in the Senate , view @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But others , including past critics , credit the senator for shifting and say he has become a constructive deal-maker .
“ He traded in his national platform for a head-down approach , prioritizing state constituent services over Senate Republican politics , ” said a GOP strategist whose clients , in the past , had run-ins with the Texan .
Cruz christened his program “ 20 for 20 ” because he initially sought to raise money for 20 House candidates on the 2020 ballot — his contribution to helping the GOP reclaim the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and interviewing prospective candidates , the senator upped his commitment to 25 .
His endorsement comes with campaign cash , testimonial videos , signed email fundraising appeals , appearances in advertising , in-district travel if health conditions allow , and strategic assistance from his political team .
Of the 25 House candidates Cruz is endorsing , six are running in upcoming Republican primaries , and two are incumbents : Rep. Chip Roy of Texas , among his closest friends in Congress and embroiled in a competitive race ; and Rep. Ann Wagner of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president in 2016 and is defending a suburban St. Louis district .
Randy Feenstra , another Cruz endorsee , defeated the senator ’ s one-time ally , Rep. Steve King , in the GOP primary in a northwestern Iowa congressional seat .
Overall , 10 of the 25 backed Cruz ’ s White House bid , loyalty that factored into his decision to invest .
Meanwhile , nine of the candidates are military veterans , nine are running in seats Democrats flipped in 2018 , two are black , and three are Hispanic @

Sen. Ted Cruz is cultivating relationships for a possible 2024 presidential bid, with plans to raise more than $2.5 million for over two dozen Republican incumbents and challenger candidates running for Congress this November.
The Texas Republican this week is launching “20 for 20,” a fundraising committee that will funnel at least $100,000 each to 25 conservative House candidates — all personally vetted by Cruz. The senator is raising the money from a lucrative list of grassroots donors and network of wealthy contributors built over the course of his 2016 presidential campaign and is moving to supplement this financial backing with hands-on support from his political operation.
In the Senate, Cruz is preparing to sign email fundraising appeals and host a big Texas fundraiser, coronavirus permitting, for vulnerable GOP colleagues running for reelection in contests that hold the key to the majority. Already, the senator has donated to Republican senators through his political action committee and raised money online for Sens. John Cornyn of Texas, Steve Daines of Montana, Cory Gardner of Colorado, and Dan Sullivan of Alaska.
“It's clear conservatives need the House, Senate, and the White House in order to get things done,” Cruz spokesman Sam Cooper said Tuesday. “That's why Sen. Cruz is launching the 20 for 20 victory program to ensure Republicans can win back the House and usher in a new class of conservative leaders into Washington.”
Cruz, 49, arrived on Capitol Hill in 2013 and immediately picked fights with Republican leaders and the party establishment as he sought to burnish his image as a brash political outsider in advance of a presidential bid.
In 2014, he pointedly declined to endorse Sen. Thad Cochran for reelection. The Mississippi Republican, who died last year, barely fended off tea party challenger Chris McDaniel in a Republican primary that year, with Cruz publicly calling for an investigation of the results of a runoff. The following summer, and by then a White House contender, Cruz called Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky a liar on the Senate floor.
After losing his quest for the Republican nomination to Donald Trump and with his 2018 Senate reelection campaign on tap, Cruz adjusted his approach.
In particular, the senator came to appreciate the political benefits of operating with the support of allies and became more of a team player. As Cruz looks ahead to his future in Congress and ponders another White House bid, the “20 for 20” fund and his assistance to incumbent Republican senators is a key component of his strategy to build support for his legislative agenda — and political ambitions.
Some Republican insiders, scarred by Cruz during his first four years in the Senate, view his evolution as a cynical ploy. But others, including past critics, credit the senator for shifting and say he has become a constructive deal-maker. “He traded in his national platform for a head-down approach, prioritizing state constituent services over Senate Republican politics,” said a GOP strategist whose clients, in the past, had run-ins with the Texan.
Cruz christened his program “20 for 20” because he initially sought to raise money for 20 House candidates on the 2020 ballot — his contribution to helping the GOP reclaim the majority.
But after examining the field and interviewing prospective candidates, the senator upped his commitment to 25. His endorsement comes with campaign cash, testimonial videos, signed email fundraising appeals, appearances in advertising, in-district travel if health conditions allow, and strategic assistance from his political team.
Of the 25 House candidates Cruz is endorsing, six are running in upcoming Republican primaries, and two are incumbents: Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, among his closest friends in Congress and embroiled in a competitive race; and Rep. Ann Wagner of Missouri, who ultimately endorsed him for president in 2016 and is defending a suburban St. Louis district.
Randy Feenstra, another Cruz endorsee, defeated the senator’s one-time ally, Rep. Steve King, in the GOP primary in a northwestern Iowa congressional seat.
Overall, 10 of the 25 backed Cruz’s White House bid, loyalty that factored into his decision to invest. Meanwhile, nine of the candidates are military veterans, nine are running in seats Democrats flipped in 2018, two are black, and three are Hispanic.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-07-08--'They become the enemy': Trump campaign hits Biden police comments

President Trump 's campaign is charging that presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden 's position on the `` defund the police '' movement has changed significantly , citing an interview he released Wednesday afternoon .
Speaking with NowThis , a progressive media outlet , Biden said that police using surplus military equipment `` become the enemy '' when they go into unfamiliar neighborhoods .
`` Surplus military equipment for law enforcement , they do n't need that !
The last thing you need is an up-armored Humvee coming into a neighborhood , it 's like the military invading , '' the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't know anybody .
They become the enemy .
They 're supposed to be protecting these people . ''
As he was finishing a sentence , the interviewer asked him if he agrees that the government can `` redirect '' some police funding .
Despite the demands by activists leading the `` defund the police '' movement , its proponents often argue that they do not wish to disband law enforcement entirely .
Instead , they say , much of the money that goes to police can be reallocated to social workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Trump campaign was swift in condemning Biden 's comments , sending out an email shortly after with the subject line : `` Biden : CUT police funding ! ''
Biden 's team was quick to mock this reaction , saying the president hired `` an illiterate comms staff . ''
`` Biden is running on *more* COPS funding for community policing , '' Biden spokesman Andrew Bates wrote on Twitter , referring to a Department of Justice grant program that provides federal funding for law enforcement .
Last month , Biden 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vice President Biden does not believe the police should be defunded . ''
`` He hears and shares the deep grief and frustration of those calling out for change and is driven to ensure that justice is done and that we put a stop to this terrible pain , '' the statement read .

President Trump's campaign is charging that presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden's position on the "defund the police" movement has changed significantly, citing an interview he released Wednesday afternoon.
Speaking with NowThis, a progressive media outlet, Biden said that police using surplus military equipment "become the enemy" when they go into unfamiliar neighborhoods.
"Surplus military equipment for law enforcement, they don't need that! The last thing you need is an up-armored Humvee coming into a neighborhood, it's like the military invading," the former vice president said. "They don't know anybody. They become the enemy. They're supposed to be protecting these people."
As he was finishing a sentence, the interviewer asked him if he agrees that the government can "redirect" some police funding.
"Yes, absolutely," Biden replied.
Despite the demands by activists leading the "defund the police" movement, its proponents often argue that they do not wish to disband law enforcement entirely. Instead, they say, much of the money that goes to police can be reallocated to social workers and other forms of public assistance.
The Trump campaign was swift in condemning Biden's comments, sending out an email shortly after with the subject line: "Biden: CUT police funding!"
Biden's team was quick to mock this reaction, saying the president hired "an illiterate comms staff."
"Biden is running on *more* COPS funding for community policing," Biden spokesman Andrew Bates wrote on Twitter, referring to a Department of Justice grant program that provides federal funding for law enforcement.
Last month, Biden's campaign released a statement saying, "Vice President Biden does not believe the police should be defunded."
"He hears and shares the deep grief and frustration of those calling out for change and is driven to ensure that justice is done and that we put a stop to this terrible pain," the statement read.