thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-02--Biden calls to ease Iranian sanctions due to coronavirus outbreak

Joe Biden called on President Trump to ease sanctions on Iran as the country deals with one of the deadliest coronavirus outbreaks in the world .
`` In the midst of this deadly pandemic that respects no borders , the United States should take steps to offer what relief we can to those nations hardest hit by this virus — including Iran — even as we prioritize the health of the American people , '' Biden said in a statement on Thursday .
Iran , which has a population of about 83.7 million people , has reported more than 50,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus complications , according to Johns Hopkins University , one of the highest death tolls in the world .
`` To stop this pandemic effectively , every country on earth will need to work together , '' Biden added .
`` Artificially limiting the flow of international humanitarian assistance to pursue a political point will not only allow the Iranian government to deflect responsibility for its own botched response , it will increase the threat this virus poses to the American people , now and in the future . ''
Biden suggested some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deals with the coronavirus outbreak , including `` issuing broad licenses to pharmaceutical and medical device companies ; creating a dedicated channel for international banks , transportation companies , insurers , and other service firms to help Iranians access life-saving medical treatment ; issuing new sanctions guidance to these groups and international aid organizations to make it clear how they can immediately , directly , and legally respond to the tragedy in Iran , without fear of penalty ; and , for entities already conducting enhanced due diligence , it should issue comfort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be subject to U.S. sanctions if they engage in humanitarian trade with Iran to support its COVID-19 response . ''
The former vice president and likely Democratic presidential nominee acknowledged that the country 's government bears some responsibility for the severe outbreak .
The U.S. and Iran have not had diplomatic relations for 40 years .
`` While the Iranian government has failed to respond effectively to this crisis , including lying and concealing the truth from its own people , and it continues to act provocatively in the region , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden said .
`` It is bad enough that the Trump administration abandoned the Iran nuclear deal in favor of a 'maximum pressure ' strategy that has badly backfired , encouraging Iran to become even more aggressive and restart its nuclear program .
It makes no sense , in a global health crisis , to compound that failure with cruelty by inhibiting access to needed humanitarian assistance . ''
On Wednesday , Trump said in a tweet that Iran or its proxies were `` planning a sneak attack on U.S. troops and/or assets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would pay `` a heavy price '' if it did so .

Joe Biden called on President Trump to ease sanctions on Iran as the country deals with one of the deadliest coronavirus outbreaks in the world.
"In the midst of this deadly pandemic that respects no borders, the United States should take steps to offer what relief we can to those nations hardest hit by this virus — including Iran — even as we prioritize the health of the American people," Biden said in a statement on Thursday.
Iran, which has a population of about 83.7 million people, has reported more than 50,000 coronavirus cases and 3,160 deaths resulting from coronavirus complications, according to Johns Hopkins University, one of the highest death tolls in the world.
"To stop this pandemic effectively, every country on earth will need to work together," Biden added. "Artificially limiting the flow of international humanitarian assistance to pursue a political point will not only allow the Iranian government to deflect responsibility for its own botched response, it will increase the threat this virus poses to the American people, now and in the future."
Biden suggested some specific measures to ease sanctions as Iran deals with the coronavirus outbreak, including "issuing broad licenses to pharmaceutical and medical device companies; creating a dedicated channel for international banks, transportation companies, insurers, and other service firms to help Iranians access life-saving medical treatment; issuing new sanctions guidance to these groups and international aid organizations to make it clear how they can immediately, directly, and legally respond to the tragedy in Iran, without fear of penalty; and, for entities already conducting enhanced due diligence, it should issue comfort letters to reassure them that they will not be subject to U.S. sanctions if they engage in humanitarian trade with Iran to support its COVID-19 response."
The former vice president and likely Democratic presidential nominee acknowledged that the country's government bears some responsibility for the severe outbreak. The U.S. and Iran have not had diplomatic relations for 40 years.
"While the Iranian government has failed to respond effectively to this crisis, including lying and concealing the truth from its own people, and it continues to act provocatively in the region, the Iranian people are hurting desperately," Biden said. "It is bad enough that the Trump administration abandoned the Iran nuclear deal in favor of a 'maximum pressure' strategy that has badly backfired, encouraging Iran to become even more aggressive and restart its nuclear program. It makes no sense, in a global health crisis, to compound that failure with cruelty by inhibiting access to needed humanitarian assistance."
On Wednesday, Trump said in a tweet that Iran or its proxies were "planning a sneak attack on U.S. troops and/or assets in Iraq" and warned that Iraq would pay "a heavy price" if it did so.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-02--Trump campaign delivering large amounts of food to hospitals for coronavirus workers: Report

President Trump ’ s presidential campaign has reportedly been delivering large amounts of food to hospitals to nourish first responders on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic .
Since last week , the president 's reelection campaign has been calling local restaurants and ordering large amounts of food to be sent to hospitals across the country , including in the pandemic hot spots of New York , Washington state , and Michigan , .
The Trump campaign is reportedly placing these orders anonymously .
“ They ’ re doing it as a donor who cares , ” one source told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is tied to it .
... We ’ re just trying to , you know , show a thank you.
” Another source said , “ They ’ re trying to send things that are like , local restaurants that may need support [ and ] cool restaurant icons of the area that may need the business . ''
A source confirmed to Fox News that the campaign has spent tens of thousands of dollars and will continue to spend more over the coming weeks .
“ We ’ re happy to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ employee of an Italian deli in Secaucus , New Jersey , said after an order from an anonymous individual called in 40 platters of pasta , salads , and sandwiches .
When one restaurant manager was told that the order of 20 penne vodkas , 20 pastas , 30 chicken parmesans , and 30 house salads was placed by the Trump campaign in support of a local hospital the response was , “ That ’ s awesome .
That ’ s great .
That ’ s really great , thank you.
” More @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been by the coronavirus and over 230,000 have been infected .

President Trump’s presidential campaign has reportedly been delivering large amounts of food to hospitals to nourish first responders on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic.
Since last week, the president's reelection campaign has been calling local restaurants and ordering large amounts of food to be sent to hospitals across the country, including in the pandemic hot spots of New York, Washington state, and Michigan, according to Fox News .
The Trump campaign is reportedly placing these orders anonymously.
“They’re doing it as a donor who cares,” one source told Fox News. “So nothing politically is tied to it. ... We’re just trying to, you know, show a thank you.”
Another source said, “They’re trying to send things that are like, local restaurants that may need support [and] cool restaurant icons of the area that may need the business."
A source confirmed to Fox News that the campaign has spent tens of thousands of dollars and will continue to spend more over the coming weeks.
“We’re happy to do it. Trust me,” one employee of an Italian deli in Secaucus, New Jersey, said after an order from an anonymous individual called in 40 platters of pasta, salads, and sandwiches.
[Click here for complete coronavirus coverage]
When one restaurant manager was told that the order of 20 penne vodkas, 20 pastas, 30 chicken parmesans, and 30 house salads was placed by the Trump campaign in support of a local hospital the response was, “That’s awesome. That’s great. That’s really great, thank you.”
More than 5,600 people in the United States have been killed by the coronavirus and over 230,000 have been infected.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-02--China emerging as 2020 issue: House hopeful calls it ‘criminal enterprise’

China and its initial cover-up of the coronavirus are threatening to become a key 2020 political issue with several lawmakers lining up to push boycotts and other punishments in Congress .
And now , it has debuted on the campaign trail in Texas in a pointed ad that accuses the communist government of being a “ criminal enterprise.
” Kathaleen Wall , in a May 26 runoff for the seat in Sugarland , has begun airing an ad that accuses China of inflicting the virus on the world and calling for a broad punishment of the country .
“ China @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lied about it .
Now , innocent Americans are dying .
China must be held accountable , ” she said in a statement releasing the ad .
In it , she promises to back President Trump ’ s recent attacks on China .
“ China poisoned our people .
President Trump has the courage to call it what it is , ” the ad says as it shows what looks like missiles of “ Chinese virus ” into the United States .
It adds : “ Wall will cut off trade , aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to replace ‘ Made in China ’ with ‘ Made in America.
’ And stand with President Trump to face down the Chinese threat .
China is a criminal enterprise masquerading as a sovereign nation .
It ’ s time to fight back.
” In her initial race , she trailed leading GOP candidate Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls for the Houston-area seat .
In the past week , several Washington lawmakers have also called for China to be punished .
Florida Sen. Rick Scott , for example , on Wednesday told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Examiner 's Examining Politics podcast , “ First off , if you ever buy anything made in China , you should say to yourself , ‘ You are supporting a government that intentionally misled us , and American citizens died.
’ Why would we ever do that ?
” He added , “ We should try to never buy one product ever built in China .
”

China and its initial cover-up of the coronavirus are threatening to become a key 2020 political issue with several lawmakers lining up to push boycotts and other punishments in Congress.
And now, it has debuted on the campaign trail in Texas in a pointed ad that accuses the communist government of being a “criminal enterprise.”
Kathaleen Wall, in a May 26 runoff for the seat in Sugarland, has begun airing an ad that accuses China of inflicting the virus on the world and calling for a broad punishment of the country.
“China knew about this virus, and they lied about it. Now, innocent Americans are dying. China must be held accountable,” she said in a statement releasing the ad.
In it, she promises to back President Trump’s recent attacks on China.
“China poisoned our people. President Trump has the courage to call it what it is,” the ad says as it shows what looks like missiles of “Chinese virus” into the United States.
It adds: “Wall will cut off trade, aid, & support to China. Fight to replace ‘Made in China’ with ‘Made in America.’ And stand with President Trump to face down the Chinese threat. China is a criminal enterprise masquerading as a sovereign nation. It’s time to fight back.”
47% of voters believe that China is primarily to blame for the coronavirus pandemic, 27% of voters think it's at least somewhat likely that the Chinese government intentionally created and released the coronavirus -- @ScottWRasmussen pic.twitter.com/gfSvSntYqk — Paul Bedard (@SecretsBedard) April 2, 2020
In her initial race, she trailed leading GOP candidate Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls for the Houston-area seat.
In the past week, several Washington lawmakers have also called for China to be punished.
Florida Sen. Rick Scott, for example, on Wednesday told Larry O’Connor in the Washington Examiner's Examining Politics podcast, “First off, if you ever buy anything made in China, you should say to yourself, ‘You are supporting a government that intentionally misled us, and American citizens died.’ Why would we ever do that?”
He added, “We should try to never buy one product ever built in China.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-02--Trump and Biden campaigns trade blows over unemployment claims

In the wake of headache-inducing unemployment numbers and a likely economic contraction larger than any seen in recent history , politics is still playing on as usual between Joe Biden and President Trump .
In dueling campaign statements between the two campaigns , each side accused the other of either inaction or putting policies in place that exasperated the coronavirus outbreak .
Biden , 77 , struck first , releasing a statement Thursday morning as news broke that 6.6 million people in the United States filed for unemployment benefits for the week of March 26 .
`` Donald Trump is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he is responsible for failing to prepare our nation : for the months during which he continually neglected dire warnings from experts and downplayed the threat to us and for the erratic and unacceptably slow federal response that has tragically lagged behind other countries , '' the former vice president said .
`` Now we have more coronavirus cases than anywhere in the world , and that is dealing body-blows to our economy and to the welfare and well-being of millions upon millions of Americans . ''
Biden also called for the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , saying that `` we need to get the direct cash relief into Americans ' bank accounts without delay . ''
That prompted Team Trump to spin its own narrative just hours later , calling Biden `` ill-suited for a role in this fight . ''
`` [ Biden ] supported disastrous , job-killing trade deals like NAFTA and TPP and his proposal to enact the economy-strangling Green New Deal as a response to this crisis is about the worst remedy imaginable .
On top of that , Biden has pledged to eliminate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxes for the vast majority of American taxpayers . ''
The back-and-forth is a preview of the general election to come , which has largely been placed on hold due to states issuing stay-at-home orders .
On Wednesday , Biden took up the White House 's offer on a phone call to help strategize the federal government 's response to the coronavirus .
“ Why doesn ’ t Vice President Biden call the White House today and offer some support ?
” White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said .
“ I have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking about politics here at the White House at all .
We ’ re talking about ventilators and vaccines , not Biden and Bernie .
There ’ s really no time for that , but it ’ s very disappointing when you see the criticism.
” Hours later , an aide to the Biden campaign told the Washington Examiner that they were planning on getting in touch with the president , 73 .

In the wake of headache-inducing unemployment numbers and a likely economic contraction larger than any seen in recent history, politics is still playing on as usual between Joe Biden and President Trump.
In dueling campaign statements between the two campaigns, each side accused the other of either inaction or putting policies in place that exasperated the coronavirus outbreak.
Biden, 77, struck first, releasing a statement Thursday morning as news broke that 6.6 million people in the United States filed for unemployment benefits for the week of March 26.
"Donald Trump is not responsible for the coronavirus, but he is responsible for failing to prepare our nation: for the months during which he continually neglected dire warnings from experts and downplayed the threat to us and for the erratic and unacceptably slow federal response that has tragically lagged behind other countries," the former vice president said. "Now we have more coronavirus cases than anywhere in the world, and that is dealing body-blows to our economy and to the welfare and well-being of millions upon millions of Americans."
Biden also called for the federal government to accelerate its unemployment insurance payouts, saying that "we need to get the direct cash relief into Americans' bank accounts without delay."
That prompted Team Trump to spin its own narrative just hours later, calling Biden "ill-suited for a role in this fight."
"[Biden] supported disastrous, job-killing trade deals like NAFTA and TPP and his proposal to enact the economy-strangling Green New Deal as a response to this crisis is about the worst remedy imaginable. On top of that, Biden has pledged to eliminate the Trump tax cuts, which cut taxes for the vast majority of American taxpayers."
The back-and-forth is a preview of the general election to come, which has largely been placed on hold due to states issuing stay-at-home orders.
On Wednesday, Biden took up the White House's offer on a phone call to help strategize the federal government's response to the coronavirus.
“Why doesn’t Vice President Biden call the White House today and offer some support?” White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said. “I have to tell you, we’re not talking about politics here at the White House at all. We’re talking about ventilators and vaccines, not Biden and Bernie. There’s really no time for that, but it’s very disappointing when you see the criticism.”
Hours later, an aide to the Biden campaign told the Washington Examiner that they were planning on getting in touch with the president, 73.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-02--Trump launching Catholic coalition crucial to winning decisive Midwest battlegrounds

President Trump is unveiling a coalition of Catholics who support his reelection bid , broadcasting the launch online weeks after the coronavirus pandemic forced his campaign to postpone a live event in Milwaukee .
Catholics for Trump is being introduced Thursday evening .
The effort is a critical component of the president ’ s strategy to lock down Midwestern battlegrounds Michigan and Wisconsin , where Catholic voters are a crucial voting bloc .
The necessity of doing a virtual event to launch the coalition is the latest example of how the coronavirus outbreak has altered the contours of the 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much work on the virtual campaign side , ” said Mercedes Schlapp , who , along with husband Matt Schlapp , is spearheading Catholics for Trump .
“ We have worked tirelessly to stay in touch with our coalition members.
” The unveiling of Catholics for Trump follows the use of similar virtual events to initiate Women for Trump and Latinos for Trump , which attracted 1 million and 100,000 views , respectively , according to the campaign .
The coronavirus pandemic has forced nearly every campaign to scrap live events .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Trump , who relishes interaction with an audience and relies on live events more than most candidates .
In 2016 , Trump performed better than Democrat Hillary Clinton among all voters who described themselves as affiliated with a denomination of Christianity , according to exit polling .
He won 59 % of Protestants , 56 % of Mormons , and 54 % of voters lumped into the category of “ other Christian.
” The president also won a majority of Catholics .
But at 50 % to 46 % , it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign is working to improve that margin this November .
Exit polling in 2016 showed that Catholics comprised 23 % of the national electorate .
After three years in office , Trump ’ s record on issues such as abortion , religious liberty , and judge selection has made it easier to pitch the president to Catholics who might be hostile or undecided .
Still , Trump ’ s provocative behavior can be problematic at times .
“ Our goal is not to elect a priest , ” Schlapp said .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schlapp said she and other coalition members are going to spend the next seven months emphasizing this message to Catholic voters across the country , but most vocally in those parts of the country that matter most to Trump ’ s reelection .

President Trump is unveiling a coalition of Catholics who support his reelection bid, broadcasting the launch online weeks after the coronavirus pandemic forced his campaign to postpone a live event in Milwaukee.
Catholics for Trump is being introduced Thursday evening. The effort is a critical component of the president’s strategy to lock down Midwestern battlegrounds Michigan and Wisconsin, where Catholic voters are a crucial voting bloc. The necessity of doing a virtual event to launch the coalition is the latest example of how the coronavirus outbreak has altered the contours of the 2020 campaign.
“We’re doing so much work on the virtual campaign side,” said Mercedes Schlapp, who, along with husband Matt Schlapp, is spearheading Catholics for Trump. “We have worked tirelessly to stay in touch with our coalition members.”
The unveiling of Catholics for Trump follows the use of similar virtual events to initiate Women for Trump and Latinos for Trump, which each attracted more than 1 million views, according to the campaign. The coronavirus pandemic has forced nearly every campaign to scrap live events. But the change has been especially significant for Trump, who relishes interaction with an audience and relies on live events more than most candidates.
In 2016, Trump performed better than Democrat Hillary Clinton among all voters who described themselves as affiliated with a denomination of Christianity, according to exit polling. He won 59% of Protestants, 56% of Mormons, and 54% of voters lumped into the category of “other Christian.” The president also won a majority of Catholics.
But at 50% to 46%, it was a bare majority, and the Trump campaign is working to improve that margin this November. Exit polling in 2016 showed that Catholics comprised 23% of the national electorate. After three years in office, Trump’s record on issues such as abortion, religious liberty, and judge selection has made it easier to pitch the president to Catholics who might be hostile or undecided.
Still, Trump’s provocative behavior can be problematic at times.
“Our goal is not to elect a priest,” Schlapp said. “We’re looking at his actions.”
Schlapp said she and other coalition members are going to spend the next seven months emphasizing this message to Catholic voters across the country, but most vocally in those parts of the country that matter most to Trump’s reelection.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-02--'More coronavirus cases than anywhere in the world': Biden criticism of Trump ignores Chinese concea

'More coronavirus cases than anywhere in the world': Biden criticism of Trump ignores Chinese concealment

Joe Biden ignored suspicions that China concealed the true extent of the coronavirus outbreak when he criticized President Trump by pointing out that the United States has the highest number of reported cases of the virus .
`` Donald Trump is not responsible for the coronavirus , but he is responsible for failing to prepare our nation — for the months during which he continually neglected dire warnings from experts and downplayed the threat to us and for the erratic and unacceptably slow federal response that has tragically lagged behind other countries , '' Biden said in a statement on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million jobless claims last week .
The former vice president , 77 , continued : `` Now , we have more coronavirus cases than anywhere in the world , and that is dealing body blows to our economy and to the welfare and well-being of millions upon millions of Americans . ''
The number of reported coronavirus cases , while widely referenced , is not an end-all-be-all measure of the impact or spread of the pandemic .
Biden 's statement ignores widespread skepticism about China 's reported number of coronavirus cases .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has underreported total coronavirus cases and related deaths , according to three sources cited in a Wednesday Bloomberg story .
White House coronavirus task force response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said Tuesday that `` probably , we were missing a significant amount of the data '' from China , contributing to delayed responses to the pandemic worldwide .
According to the Johns Hopkins University tracker , China , the most populous country in the world , reported 82,432 cases as of Thursday afternoon .
The U.S. had 226,374 .
Varying levels of testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the number of confirmed cases .
India , which has a population of over 1 billion people , has low testing rates and has reported only 2,341 cases , though officials suspect that number is much higher .
Looking at the total number of reported cases in each country also does not account for varying population size .
Spain and Italy have far more cases per capita than the U.S. , though that could change as the U.S. tests more people .
The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chose to point to the total confirmed cases metric .
The Trump campaign took a swipe at Biden for blaming Trump for part of the crisis .
`` President Trump is leading the nation through the coronavirus crisis , but Joe Biden has decided to fill the role of the opposition , ineffectively sniping from the sidelines , stumbling through television interviews , and hoping for relevance and political gain , '' Tim Murtaugh , the Trump 2020 communications director , said in a statement .

Joe Biden ignored suspicions that China concealed the true extent of the coronavirus outbreak when he criticized President Trump by pointing out that the United States has the highest number of reported cases of the virus.
"Donald Trump is not responsible for the coronavirus, but he is responsible for failing to prepare our nation — for the months during which he continually neglected dire warnings from experts and downplayed the threat to us and for the erratic and unacceptably slow federal response that has tragically lagged behind other countries," Biden said in a statement on Thursday following news of a record 6.6 million jobless claims last week.
The former vice president, 77, continued: "Now, we have more coronavirus cases than anywhere in the world, and that is dealing body blows to our economy and to the welfare and well-being of millions upon millions of Americans."
The number of reported coronavirus cases, while widely referenced, is not an end-all-be-all measure of the impact or spread of the pandemic.
Biden's statement ignores widespread skepticism about China's reported number of coronavirus cases. A classified U.S. intelligence report said that China has underreported total coronavirus cases and related deaths, according to three sources cited in a Wednesday Bloomberg story.
White House coronavirus task force response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said Tuesday that "probably, we were missing a significant amount of the data" from China, contributing to delayed responses to the pandemic worldwide.
According to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, China, the most populous country in the world, reported 82,432 cases as of Thursday afternoon. The U.S. had 226,374.
Varying levels of testing in different countries also contribute to differences in the number of confirmed cases. India, which has a population of over 1 billion people, has low testing rates and has reported only 2,341 cases, though officials suspect that number is much higher.
Looking at the total number of reported cases in each country also does not account for varying population size. Spain and Italy have far more cases per capita than the U.S., though that could change as the U.S. tests more people.
The Biden campaign did not respond to a request for comment on why the former vice president chose to point to the total confirmed cases metric.
The Trump campaign took a swipe at Biden for blaming Trump for part of the crisis.
"President Trump is leading the nation through the coronavirus crisis, but Joe Biden has decided to fill the role of the opposition, ineffectively sniping from the sidelines, stumbling through television interviews, and hoping for relevance and political gain," Tim Murtaugh, the Trump 2020 communications director, said in a statement.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-02--Democratic National Convention pushed back a month to mid-August

Democrats have moved their convention to start Aug. 17 as the coronavirus pandemic threatens to plague the country until the summer .
The 2020 Democratic National Convention was originally scheduled to take place in Milwaukee from July 13-16 .
Still set to be held in Wisconsin , the new August date falls one week before the Republican National Convention , which will be hosted in Charlotte , North Carolina , from Aug. 24-27 .
But Joe Solmonese , CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee , indicated on Thursday the shifted timeline wo n't be the only difference between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In our current climate of uncertainty , we believe the smartest approach is to take additional time to monitor how this situation unfolds so we can best position our party for a safe and successful convention , '' Solmonese wrote in a statement .
`` During this critical time , when the scope and scale of the pandemic and its impact remain unknown , we will continue to monitor the situation and follow the advice of healthcare professionals and emergency responders . ''
Possible modifications include adjusting the convention ’ s format to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added .
`` I doubt whether the Democratic convention is going to be able to be held in mid-July , early July , I think it 's going to have to move into August , '' the two-term vice president told NBC 's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon .
`` We just have to be prepared for the alternative . ''
The convention was put in doubt after the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games was pushed back one year until the summer of 2021 because of the COVID-19 outbreak .
The party had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event .

Democrats have moved their convention to start Aug. 17 as the coronavirus pandemic threatens to plague the country until the summer.
The 2020 Democratic National Convention was originally scheduled to take place in Milwaukee from July 13-16. Still set to be held in Wisconsin, the new August date falls one week before the Republican National Convention, which will be hosted in Charlotte, North Carolina, from Aug. 24-27.
But Joe Solmonese, CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee, indicated on Thursday the shifted timeline won't be the only difference between the 2020 convention and previous iterations.
“In our current climate of uncertainty, we believe the smartest approach is to take additional time to monitor how this situation unfolds so we can best position our party for a safe and successful convention," Solmonese wrote in a statement. "During this critical time, when the scope and scale of the pandemic and its impact remain unknown, we will continue to monitor the situation and follow the advice of healthcare professionals and emergency responders."
Possible modifications include adjusting the convention’s format to crowd size and schedule, the DNC added.
Presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden hinted late Wednesday a change was imminent.
"I doubt whether the Democratic convention is going to be able to be held in mid-July, early July, I think it's going to have to move into August," the two-term vice president told NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. "We just have to be prepared for the alternative."
The convention was put in doubt after the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games was pushed back one year until the summer of 2021 because of the COVID-19 outbreak. The party had initially scheduled its convention around the sporting event.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-02--Former Obama adviser predicts near record turnout for Trump that will be 'very dangerous' to Biden

A former adviser to President Barack Obama believes President Trump will see a record turnout of supporters come November .
David Plouffe , who was Obama 's 2008 campaign manager and went on to become a senior adviser in the White House , spoke with Fox News Wednesday and said the coronavirus and struggling economy won ’ t keep Trump supporters away from the ballot boxes .
`` You look at the economic situation and say , 'How can an incumbent win in that ? '
But , you know , no one 's blaming Trump for the damage , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you can lay his crisis response at his feet and connect that to the economy , I do think that 's some headwind he 's got to run into . ''
Plouffe added that the president is “ very dangerous ” to assumed presidential nominee Joe Biden because of his strong voter base .
`` But , '' Plouffe continued , `` almost no matter what happens , [ the question is ] , can Donald Trump win Wisconsin ?
Can he win Michigan ?
Can he win Pennsylvania ?
Can he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ base is so solid .
And I think he 's going to turn out voters almost at a historical level on his behalf , so that makes him very dangerous if you 're Joe Biden .
`` There 's nothing he [ Biden ] can do about it .
He 's not in office .
He 's not a governor .
He 's not the president .
And truthfully , Andrew Cuomo , Gavin Newsom ... Donald Trump , citizens want to hear from those folks because they 're the folks making decisions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Post/ABC poll from the end of March found registered voters trust Trump to `` handle '' both the economy and the coronavirus pandemic over Biden .

A former adviser to President Barack Obama believes President Trump will see a record turnout of supporters come November.
David Plouffe, who was Obama's 2008 campaign manager and went on to become a senior adviser in the White House, spoke with Fox News Wednesday and said the coronavirus and struggling economy won’t keep Trump supporters away from the ballot boxes.
"You look at the economic situation and say, 'How can an incumbent win in that?' But, you know, no one's blaming Trump for the damage," he explained. "I think if you can lay his crisis response at his feet and connect that to the economy, I do think that's some headwind he's got to run into."
Plouffe added that the president is “very dangerous” to assumed presidential nominee Joe Biden because of his strong voter base.
"But," Plouffe continued, "almost no matter what happens, [the question is], can Donald Trump win Wisconsin? Can he win Michigan? Can he win Pennsylvania? Can he win Florida? Sure, because his base is so solid. And I think he's going to turn out voters almost at a historical level on his behalf, so that makes him very dangerous if you're Joe Biden.
"There's nothing he [Biden] can do about it. He's not in office. He's not a governor. He's not the president. And truthfully, Andrew Cuomo, Gavin Newsom ... Donald Trump, citizens want to hear from those folks because they're the folks making decisions," he added.
A Washington Post/ABC poll from the end of March found registered voters trust Trump to "handle" both the economy and the coronavirus pandemic over Biden.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-03--Coronavirus pandemic is election chance for Biden — if he knows how to use it

Although much of Joe Biden 's criticisms of President Trump revolve around the government 's response to the coronavirus outbreak , his campaign senses opportunities to tout its broader healthcare platform .
Still , it 's a tricky political play for the former vice president and presumptive Democratic nominee .
Biden , 77 , wants to play up the healthcare policy chops he built over the course of 36 years as a Delaware senator and eight in the White House .
But he ca n't come across as taking political advantage of the coronavirus crisis , which causes more deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as swaths of people are suddenly put out of work .
In late March , the former vice president and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee wrote to Republican attorneys general asking them to drop a lawsuit that could invalidate the Affordable Care Act .
Trump has supported the Texas-led lawsuit , which would undo the signature domestic achievement of Biden 's old boss , former President Barack Obama .
`` At a time of national emergency , which is laying bare the existing vulnerabilities in our public health infrastructure , it is unconscionable that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ designed to strip millions of Americans of their health insurance and protections under the Affordable Care Act ( ACA ) , including the ban on insurers denying coverage or raising premiums due to pre-existing conditions , '' the letter reads .
On Wednesday , the Trump administration announced that it would not open a special enrollment period for the `` Obamacare '' marketplace despite skyrocketing unemployment often leading to many Americans losing their employer-sponsored insurance .
A number of Democrats blasted Trump for the decision , calling the move irresponsible in the midst @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter , writing that `` lives are at stake . ''
“ We ’ re in the middle of a global pandemic , and the Trump Administration is preventing people from getting healthcare , ” Biden tweeted .
“ I can ’ t believe this needs to be said , but President Trump needs to reopen Obamacare enrollment , and he needs to do it now . ''
On Thursday , the Biden campaign sent out a press release quoting various Democratic healthcare professionals over the move , with statements by former U.S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ congresswoman Karen Bass of California , a former physician assistant .
`` This is yet another failure by the Trump Administration to act in this crisis and it ’ s jeopardizing Americans ’ access to health insurance in the midst of a global pandemic — despite pleas from a bipartisan coalition of leaders , including the Republican Governor of Arizona , Doug Ducey , to do so , '' the letter reads .
Trump has not backed away from his position of repealing the ACA but has promised any new plan would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with preexisting conditions .
Neither the White House nor his campaign has released a replacement bill , and the GOP 's attempt to repeal the law failed in 2017 , when the party controlled both chambers of Congress .
“ What we want to do is get rid of the bad healthcare and put in great healthcare , '' Trump said in March .
Although Biden remains opposed to the `` Medicare for all '' proposal touted by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , his campaign is pushing a public option plan , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a private insurer .
`` This is an opportunity to look at reconstructing the healthcare system in a way that can respond more rapidly and more effectively to these kinds of crises .
Because it ’ s going to come again , '' Biden said last week , with aides telling the press , `` It is imperative the country move quickly to guarantee healthcare as a human right . ''
As a record number of people now find themselves without health insurance , the GOP is once again on the defense @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans were salivating over the opportunity to take on Sanders in a general election as he began winning Democratic primary states .
But Biden 's sudden victory on Super Tuesday and beyond meant Republicans would once again be forced to face an issue where they have no easy position .
In 2018 , the Democratic wave was largely attributed to centrist candidates defending the ACA while many Republicans were caught flat-footed on the issue .
Although polling about `` Medicare for all '' is mixed , when voters are told they would lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the issue quickly sour .
A public option , however , earns broad support from voters across the political spectrum , including from a majority of Republicans , according to some polls .

Although much of Joe Biden's criticisms of President Trump revolve around the government's response to the coronavirus outbreak, his campaign senses opportunities to tout its broader healthcare platform.
Still, it's a tricky political play for the former vice president and presumptive Democratic nominee. Biden, 77, wants to play up the healthcare policy chops he built over the course of 36 years as a Delaware senator and eight in the White House. But he can't come across as taking political advantage of the coronavirus crisis, which causes more deaths daily and is rapidly sinking the economy as swaths of people are suddenly put out of work.
In late March, the former vice president and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee wrote to Republican attorneys general asking them to drop a lawsuit that could invalidate the Affordable Care Act. Trump has supported the Texas-led lawsuit, which would undo the signature domestic achievement of Biden's old boss, former President Barack Obama.
"At a time of national emergency, which is laying bare the existing vulnerabilities in our public health infrastructure, it is unconscionable that you are continuing to pursue a lawsuit designed to strip millions of Americans of their health insurance and protections under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including the ban on insurers denying coverage or raising premiums due to pre-existing conditions," the letter reads.
On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced that it would not open a special enrollment period for the "Obamacare" marketplace despite skyrocketing unemployment often leading to many Americans losing their employer-sponsored insurance.
A number of Democrats blasted Trump for the decision, calling the move irresponsible in the midst of a pandemic. Biden took to Twitter, writing that "lives are at stake."
“We’re in the middle of a global pandemic, and the Trump Administration is preventing people from getting healthcare,” Biden tweeted. “I can’t believe this needs to be said, but President Trump needs to reopen Obamacare enrollment, and he needs to do it now."
On Thursday, the Biden campaign sent out a press release quoting various Democratic healthcare professionals over the move, with statements by former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and Democratic congresswoman Karen Bass of California, a former physician assistant.
"This is yet another failure by the Trump Administration to act in this crisis and it’s jeopardizing Americans’ access to health insurance in the midst of a global pandemic — despite pleas from a bipartisan coalition of leaders, including the Republican Governor of Arizona, Doug Ducey, to do so," the letter reads.
Trump has not backed away from his position of repealing the ACA but has promised any new plan would be "better" and would protect those with preexisting conditions. Neither the White House nor his campaign has released a replacement bill, and the GOP's attempt to repeal the law failed in 2017, when the party controlled both chambers of Congress.
“What we want to do is get rid of the bad healthcare and put in great healthcare," Trump said in March.
Although Biden remains opposed to the "Medicare for all" proposal touted by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, his campaign is pushing a public option plan, which allows individuals to buy into Medicare instead of a private insurer.
"This is an opportunity to look at reconstructing the healthcare system in a way that can respond more rapidly and more effectively to these kinds of crises. Because it’s going to come again," Biden said last week, with aides telling the press, "It is imperative the country move quickly to guarantee healthcare as a human right."
As a record number of people now find themselves without health insurance, the GOP is once again on the defense over the issue. For months, Republicans were salivating over the opportunity to take on Sanders in a general election as he began winning Democratic primary states.
But Biden's sudden victory on Super Tuesday and beyond meant Republicans would once again be forced to face an issue where they have no easy position.
In 2018, the Democratic wave was largely attributed to centrist candidates defending the ACA while many Republicans were caught flat-footed on the issue. Although polling about "Medicare for all" is mixed, when voters are told they would lose their private insurance, their thoughts on the issue quickly sour.
A public option, however, earns broad support from voters across the political spectrum, including from a majority of Republicans, according to some polls.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-03--Biden campaign says he supports Trump's China travel ban and did not call it xenophobic

Joe Biden 's campaign said that he supports President Trump 's decision to implement travel restrictions from China in response to concerns about the coronavirus and denied that he called the move xenophobic .
`` Joe Biden supports travel bans that are guided by medical experts , advocated by public health officials , and backed by a full strategy , '' deputy Biden campaign manager Kate Bedingfeld told CNN .
`` Science supported this ban .
Therefore , he did too . ''
The support for the travel ban comes weeks after Trump and his allies repeatedly asserted that Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Others pointed out that Biden did not explicitly call the policy itself xenophobic .
On Jan. 31 , the day that Trump implemented the travel restrictions , the former vice president said at a town hall in Iowa : “ This is no time for Donald Trump ’ s record of hysteria and xenophobia , hysterical xenophobia , and fearmongering to lead the way instead of science.
” Biden 's `` reference to xenophobia was about Trump 's long record of scapegoating others at a time when the virus was emerging from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the travel restriction .
In a March 24 CNN interview , Biden did not directly refute Trump 's assertion that Biden called Trump 's Chinese travel restrictions xenophobic .
He was shown a clip in which Trump said : `` I made a decision to close off to China .
That was weeks early .
And , honestly , I took a lot of heat .
Sleepy Joe Biden said , it is xenophobic .
I do n't know if he knows what that means , but that 's OK. '' '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden responded , brushing off Trump 's comment .

Joe Biden's campaign said that he supports President Trump's decision to implement travel restrictions from China in response to concerns about the coronavirus and denied that he called the move xenophobic.
"Joe Biden supports travel bans that are guided by medical experts, advocated by public health officials, and backed by a full strategy," deputy Biden campaign manager Kate Bedingfeld told CNN. "Science supported this ban. Therefore, he did too."
The support for the travel ban comes weeks after Trump and his allies repeatedly asserted that Biden called Trump's China travel restrictions xenophobic. Others pointed out that Biden did not explicitly call the policy itself xenophobic.
On Jan. 31, the day that Trump implemented the travel restrictions, the former vice president said at a town hall in Iowa: “This is no time for Donald Trump’s record of hysteria and xenophobia, hysterical xenophobia, and fearmongering to lead the way instead of science.”
Biden's "reference to xenophobia was about Trump's long record of scapegoating others at a time when the virus was emerging from China," Bedingfield said, not to the travel restriction.
In a March 24 CNN interview, Biden did not directly refute Trump's assertion that Biden called Trump's Chinese travel restrictions xenophobic.
He was shown a clip in which Trump said: "I made a decision to close off to China. That was weeks early. And, honestly, I took a lot of heat. Sleepy Joe Biden said, it is xenophobic. I don't know if he knows what that means, but that's OK."
"What a piece of work," Biden responded, brushing off Trump's comment.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-03--Wisconsin polls a warning sign for Trump

Joe Biden 's potential for a knockout win in the Wisconsin primary should add another worry for President Trump 's reelection campaign .
Recent polls show the former vice president leading Bernie Sanders by nearly 30 points , a dramatic reversal from six weeks ago which had the Vermont senator up by double digits .
Biden 's surge is so dramatic that his support in the state has quadrupled since February .
Barring any dramatic changes , Biden is well positioned to replicate his Michigan performance in the neighboring state .
In March , Biden won the Michigan primary by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vote .
And that was in a state where Sanders in 2016 beat the eventual Democratic nominee , Hillary Clinton .
In this year 's Michigan primary , Biden came far ahead in crucial demographics such as suburban women and working-class men — two groups of voters Democrats need to win in a general election to unseat Trump .
Biden also won union voters , and in Michigan districts that Trump won by 30 points in 2016 , such as Livingston County , voter turnout was up by 56 % .
Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Along with Pennsylvania and Michigan , it helped tip the 2016 election to Trump .
Both sides have had organizers on the ground for more than a year , and Wisconsin had looked to be the closest of the three .
Much of Wisconsin 's demographics mirror Michigan 's , with African Americans concentrated in urban centers such as Milwaukee .
Polling shows that Biden 's African American support in the state remains strong and is currently winning a majority of union and union-aligned households .
Wisconsin is still set to hold its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials and liberal groups that cite the spread of the coronavirus and the fact that 15 other states have delayed their elections .
“ People should not be forced to put their lives on the line to vote , which is why 15 states are now following the advice of public health experts and delaying their elections , '' Sanders wrote in a statement Wednesday .
`` We urge Wisconsin to join them .
The state should delay Tuesday ’ s vote , extend early voting and work to move entirely to vote-by-mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the primary wrapped up as soon as possible , fell short of calling for the primary to be moved .
`` I think it could be done based on what I 'm hearing from the news and what I understand the governor and others are saying .
But that 's for them to decide , '' he said .
Three different lawsuits were filed over the decision to maintain the voting date , but a federal judge ruled Thursday that the primary will proceed as originally scheduled .
Sanders 's fortunes have fallen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That cycle , he beat the former secretary of state by over 13 percentage points and provided a crucial argument that he still had every reason to stay in the race .
In retrospect , many Democrats saw the primary as a red flag for Clinton 's general election prospects .
In the general election , Clinton narrowly lost Wisconsin to Trump by less than a percentage point .
Her loss was blamed on her lack of campaigning in the state , as well as her inability to connect with white working-class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the first Democrat to lose the state since 1984 .
General election surveys of the state should also give Biden confidence .
A RealClearPolitics average of recent polls has Biden beating Trump by 2.7 points .
That lead is higher than the one Sanders enjoys at 2 points .
A Marquette University poll released at the end of March had Biden beating Trump by 3 points , with Sanders losing to the president by 2 points .

Joe Biden's potential for a knockout win in the Wisconsin primary should add another worry for President Trump's reelection campaign.
Recent polls show the former vice president leading Bernie Sanders by nearly 30 points, a dramatic reversal from six weeks ago which had the Vermont senator up by double digits. Biden's surge is so dramatic that his support in the state has quadrupled since February.
Barring any dramatic changes, Biden is well positioned to replicate his Michigan performance in the neighboring state. In March, Biden won the Michigan primary by 17 points, with 53% of the vote. And that was in a state where Sanders in 2016 beat the eventual Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton.
In this year's Michigan primary, Biden came far ahead in crucial demographics such as suburban women and working-class men — two groups of voters Democrats need to win in a general election to unseat Trump.
Biden also won union voters, and in Michigan districts that Trump won by 30 points in 2016, such as Livingston County, voter turnout was up by 56%.
Wisconsin looms large in the Democratic imagination. Along with Pennsylvania and Michigan, it helped tip the 2016 election to Trump. Both sides have had organizers on the ground for more than a year, and Wisconsin had looked to be the closest of the three.
Much of Wisconsin's demographics mirror Michigan's, with African Americans concentrated in urban centers such as Milwaukee. Polling shows that Biden's African American support in the state remains strong and is currently winning a majority of union and union-aligned households.
Wisconsin is still set to hold its Tuesday primary despite outrage from public health officials and liberal groups that cite the spread of the coronavirus and the fact that 15 other states have delayed their elections.
“People should not be forced to put their lives on the line to vote, which is why 15 states are now following the advice of public health experts and delaying their elections," Sanders wrote in a statement Wednesday. "We urge Wisconsin to join them. The state should delay Tuesday’s vote, extend early voting and work to move entirely to vote-by-mail."
Biden, eager to get the primary wrapped up as soon as possible, fell short of calling for the primary to be moved.
"I think it could be done based on what I'm hearing from the news and what I understand the governor and others are saying. But that's for them to decide," he said.
Three different lawsuits were filed over the decision to maintain the voting date, but a federal judge ruled Thursday that the primary will proceed as originally scheduled.
Sanders's fortunes have fallen dramatically since his victory there in 2016. That cycle, he beat the former secretary of state by over 13 percentage points and provided a crucial argument that he still had every reason to stay in the race. In retrospect, many Democrats saw the primary as a red flag for Clinton's general election prospects.
In the general election, Clinton narrowly lost Wisconsin to Trump by less than a percentage point. Her loss was blamed on her lack of campaigning in the state, as well as her inability to connect with white working-class voters and lower-than-usual black turnout. Clinton was the first Democrat to lose the state since 1984.
General election surveys of the state should also give Biden confidence. A RealClearPolitics average of recent polls has Biden beating Trump by 2.7 points. That lead is higher than the one Sanders enjoys at 2 points.
A Marquette University poll released at the end of March had Biden beating Trump by 3 points, with Sanders losing to the president by 2 points.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-03--Ilhan Omar challenger rips 'sidekick' AOC for stoking 'racial grievance' during coronavirus pandemic

Rep. Ilhan Omar ’ s Republican challenger , Dalia al Aqidi , criticized Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for injecting race into the coronavirus pandemic discussion .
“ COVID deaths are disproportionately spiking in Black + Brown communities , ” Ocasio-Cortez , who is a member of `` the Squad '' along with Omar , said on Twitter .
“ Why ?
Because the chronic toll of redlining , environmental racism , wealth gap , etc .
ARE underlying health conditions.
” “ Inequality is a comorbidity .
COVID relief should be drafted with a lens of reparations , '' she added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence of Ocasio-Cortez ’ s claim and accusing the New York congresswoman of trying to divide the country .
“ Where is the evidence for this ?
” she asked .
“ AOC and her sidekick Ilhan Omar do nothing but tear at the fabric of America , and stoke racial grievance .
It does nothing but set us against each other .
We can ’ t afford that now .
Hasn ’ t America had enough of this ?
” Al Aqidi , an Iraqi refugee , is one of several Republicans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A conducted last year showed Omar ’ s approval rating sits at 25 % compared with a 34 % disapproval rating .
“ This is a very serious time for our country , ” al Aqidi told Washington Examiner .
“ The unemployment numbers are staggering , and we ’ re facing the prospect of losing a massive chunk of America ’ s small businesses by the time this is over .
It ’ s no time for fanatical , left-wing nonsense , and SJW word salads . ''
“ Omar and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats are always pitting Americans against each other by race , ” she continued .
“ They want minorities in the United States to be full of rage and hate toward our fellow citizens .
AOC ’ s tweet is literally insane .
It was always harmful to America for people to believe these crazy things , but now , it ’ s dangerous.
” Ocasio-Cortez has been a consistent critic of President Trump ’ s response to the coronavirus and was also highly critical of the relief package passed by Congress and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate majority fight for ?
!
” Ocasio-Cortez on the House floor .
“ One of the largest corporate bailouts with as few strings as possible in American history .
Shameful !
The greed of that fight is wrong for crumbs for our families .
”

Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Republican challenger, Dalia al Aqidi, criticized Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for injecting race into the coronavirus pandemic discussion.
“COVID deaths are disproportionately spiking in Black + Brown communities,” Ocasio-Cortez, who is a member of "the Squad" along with Omar, said on Twitter. “Why? Because the chronic toll of redlining, environmental racism, wealth gap, etc. ARE underlying health conditions.”
“Inequality is a comorbidity. COVID relief should be drafted with a lens of reparations," she added.
COVID deaths are disproportionately spiking in Black + Brown communities.
Why? Because the chronic toll of redlining, environmental racism, wealth gap, etc. ARE underlying health conditions.
Inequality is a comorbidity. COVID relief should be drafted with a lens of reparations. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 3, 2020
Al Aqidi responded by asking for evidence of Ocasio-Cortez’s claim and accusing the New York congresswoman of trying to divide the country.
“Where is the evidence for this?” she asked. “AOC and her sidekick Ilhan Omar do nothing but tear at the fabric of America, and stoke racial grievance. It does nothing but set us against each other. We can’t afford that now. Hasn’t America had enough of this?”
Where is the evidence for this?
AOC and her sidekick Ilhan Omar do nothing but tear at the fabric of America, and stoke racial grievance. It does nothing but set is against each other. We can’t afford that now.
Hasn’t America had enough of this? https://t.co/kqv9n0asr6 — Dalia al-Aqidi (@Dalia4Congress) April 3, 2020
Al Aqidi, an Iraqi refugee, is one of several Republicans challenging Omar for her seat in Congress. A poll conducted last year showed Omar’s approval rating sits at 25% compared with a 34% disapproval rating.
“This is a very serious time for our country,” al Aqidi told Washington Examiner. “The unemployment numbers are staggering, and we’re facing the prospect of losing a massive chunk of America’s small businesses by the time this is over. It’s no time for fanatical, left-wing nonsense, and SJW word salads."
“Omar and AOC and the rest of the radical Democrats are always pitting Americans against each other by race,” she continued. “They want minorities in the United States to be full of rage and hate toward our fellow citizens. AOC’s tweet is literally insane. It was always harmful to America for people to believe these crazy things, but now, it’s dangerous.”
Ocasio-Cortez has been a consistent critic of President Trump’s response to the coronavirus and was also highly critical of the relief package passed by Congress and signed by Trump.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-03--Biden 'confident' Bernie Sanders supporters will fall in line

Joe Biden is n't worried about disappointed Bernie Sanders supporters not voting for him in the general election .
`` If I ’ m the nominee , I ’ m confident Bernie will push his supporters to support me , just as I would if it were reversed , '' the former vice president told donors late Thursday .
`` He ’ s poured his heart and soul into this .
He ’ s made some significant changes in American politics that have been positive . ''
Biden is the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee with 1,196 pledged delegates to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would have helped the two-term vice president reach the 1,991 threshold have been pushed back because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Despite the delegate deficiency , Sanders touts the `` movement '' he 's created behind his campaign , saying he can bring new voters into the Democratic Party 's coalition .
Yet in 2016 , many in the Vermont senator 's base were reticent to support Hillary Clinton after a bitter primary fight .
Biden said Thursday his goal was to unite the party and country to respond to the COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back all Trump administration regulations and executive orders that harm the environment and consumer rights .
`` Someone was joking with me saying , 'You still have time to drop out because you ’ ll inherit one ungodly mess . '
The next president will inherit a country that ’ s divided and an international community that ’ s not at ease at all , '' he said .
On a more serious note , Biden , a third-time candidate , added he would n't pressure Sanders to drop out of the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I have significant respect for Sen. Sanders and his supporters .
Now ’ s not the time for me or anyone to call for him to drop out .
I know firsthand what a personal decision that is , '' he continued .

Joe Biden isn't worried about disappointed Bernie Sanders supporters not voting for him in the general election.
"If I’m the nominee, I’m confident Bernie will push his supporters to support me, just as I would if it were reversed," the former vice president told donors late Thursday. "He’s poured his heart and soul into this. He’s made some significant changes in American politics that have been positive."
Biden is the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee with 1,196 pledged delegates to Sanders's 883, though primary contests that would have helped the two-term vice president reach the 1,991 threshold have been pushed back because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite the delegate deficiency, Sanders touts the "movement" he's created behind his campaign, saying he can bring new voters into the Democratic Party's coalition.
Yet in 2016, many in the Vermont senator's base were reticent to support Hillary Clinton after a bitter primary fight.
Biden said Thursday his goal was to unite the party and country to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak together, also vowing to roll back all Trump administration regulations and executive orders that harm the environment and consumer rights.
"Someone was joking with me saying, 'You still have time to drop out because you’ll inherit one ungodly mess.' The next president will inherit a country that’s divided and an international community that’s not at ease at all," he said.
On a more serious note, Biden, a third-time candidate, added he wouldn't pressure Sanders to drop out of the Democratic race for the White House.
"I have significant respect for Sen. Sanders and his supporters. Now’s not the time for me or anyone to call for him to drop out. I know firsthand what a personal decision that is," he continued.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-03--Trump can ignore Biden, for now at least

The coronavirus pandemic poses a serious threat to public health and the economy , but if President Trump meets the moment , he 'll have the upper hand heading into the general election .
Incumbency has in-built advantages ahead of reelection bids , and although dramatically different in this cycle , that 's one aspect of the political landscape that remains the same in 2020 .
Trump and his COVID-19 task force have commandeered the news cycle as millions tune in to their daily White House press briefings for the latest regarding the outbreak .
Some media critics have urged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unless they are fact-checked in real time , a repeat complaint from the 2016 election when then-candidate Trump claimed he helped networks drive up their ratings .
Meanwhile , Joe Biden , the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee , is stuck in the recreation room of his Delaware home , giving national TV interviews , convening short press conferences , and hosting happy hours with limited reach and relevancy as he tries to turn November 's election into a referendum on Trump .
Republican strategist Chris DeRose agreed Trump 's political fate in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , while Biden , a former two-term vice president and 36-year Delaware senator , was hamstrung by not having an official platform .
`` No one is paying any attention to the election — it 's out of Joe Biden 's hands , '' DeRose said .
`` This would be different if the president was running against a governor or even a member of Congress .
Imagine if New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo were the nominee . ''
While the United States is yet to reach its coronavirus peak and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its third week , Trump 's job approval rating holds steady amid fierce criticism from state and local governments over his administration 's handling of medical equipment and supplies procurement .
As the 2020 election nears , Trump will be judged by how well the country blunts the case curve , with estimates suggesting the novel respiratory illness could claim more than 100,000 lives despite social distancing precautions .
He 'll also be assessed on how he assists the more than 3 million people who have already lost their jobs as almost 90 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stay at home and nonessential businesses are shuttered .
University of California , San Diego 's Thad Kousser told the Washington Examiner the situation , however , played against Trump 's instincts to contrast his handling of the crisis with a Biden hypothetical .
`` The curse is that it takes away one of his political strengths , which is the ability to inflict enough damage upon his political rivals to win a race even if voters do not strongly approve of him , '' he said .
Republican communications expert Ron Nehring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remain focused on the pandemic because `` the politics will take care of itself . ''
He reminded them that `` the buck stops at the Oval Office , '' though the president has insisted otherwise .
`` Every action taken by every person in the administration must reflect that this is first a public health crisis , not a PR crisis .
Yet , they need to adhere to the principles of communicating in a crisis : Be first , be accurate , be complete , and be compassionate .
Anything else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
For Nehring , there was also pressure on Biden , given his penchant for verbal missteps .
`` The best news for Joe Biden is that with this public health crisis raging , nobody cares about his son ’ s business dealings , the Ukraine or Burisma , '' he said .
`` The worst news for Biden is that the president has the daily opportunity to demonstrate his leadership in overcoming the crisis .
Every day , the president is going to be in the A-block of the cable shows , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nehring added , `` There is a very good chance the country will be back in a full-speed recovery by November .
That ’ s the worst possible case for Biden . ''

The coronavirus pandemic poses a serious threat to public health and the economy, but if President Trump meets the moment, he'll have the upper hand heading into the general election.
Incumbency has in-built advantages ahead of reelection bids, and although dramatically different in this cycle, that's one aspect of the political landscape that remains the same in 2020.
Trump and his COVID-19 task force have commandeered the news cycle as millions tune in to their daily White House press briefings for the latest regarding the outbreak. Some media critics have urged outlets not to broadcast the events live unless they are fact-checked in real time, a repeat complaint from the 2016 election when then-candidate Trump claimed he helped networks drive up their ratings.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden, the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee, is stuck in the recreation room of his Delaware home, giving national TV interviews, convening short press conferences, and hosting happy hours with limited reach and relevancy as he tries to turn November's election into a referendum on Trump.
Republican strategist Chris DeRose agreed Trump's political fate in the fall fight was tied to the pandemic, while Biden, a former two-term vice president and 36-year Delaware senator, was hamstrung by not having an official platform.
"No one is paying any attention to the election — it's out of Joe Biden's hands," DeRose said. "This would be different if the president was running against a governor or even a member of Congress. Imagine if New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo were the nominee."
While the United States is yet to reach its coronavirus peak and the national quarantine recommendation is only in its third week, Trump's job approval rating holds steady amid fierce criticism from state and local governments over his administration's handling of medical equipment and supplies procurement.
As the 2020 election nears, Trump will be judged by how well the country blunts the case curve, with estimates suggesting the novel respiratory illness could claim more than 100,000 lives despite social distancing precautions. He'll also be assessed on how he assists the more than 3 million people who have already lost their jobs as almost 90% of the country is ordered to stay at home and nonessential businesses are shuttered.
University of California, San Diego's Thad Kousser told the Washington Examiner the situation, however, played against Trump's instincts to contrast his handling of the crisis with a Biden hypothetical.
"The curse is that it takes away one of his political strengths, which is the ability to inflict enough damage upon his political rivals to win a race even if voters do not strongly approve of him," he said.
Republican communications expert Ron Nehring advised Trump and his reelection campaign to remain focused on the pandemic because "the politics will take care of itself." He reminded them that "the buck stops at the Oval Office," though the president has insisted otherwise.
"Every action taken by every person in the administration must reflect that this is first a public health crisis, not a PR crisis. Yet, they need to adhere to the principles of communicating in a crisis: Be first, be accurate, be complete, and be compassionate. Anything else is a distraction," Nehring said.
For Nehring, there was also pressure on Biden, given his penchant for verbal missteps.
"The best news for Joe Biden is that with this public health crisis raging, nobody cares about his son’s business dealings, the Ukraine or Burisma," he said. "The worst news for Biden is that the president has the daily opportunity to demonstrate his leadership in overcoming the crisis. Every day, the president is going to be in the A-block of the cable shows, and Biden is an afterthought."
Nehring added, "There is a very good chance the country will be back in a full-speed recovery by November. That’s the worst possible case for Biden."


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-04--Coronavirus could make 2020 the lawsuit and legal threat election

The coronavirus has brought normal life to a standstill , preventing candidates from conducting normal campaign activities and directing attention away from the usual hot-button issues .
In 2020 , legal battles could play a much more prominent role in the election fight between President Trump and Joe Biden .
The legal swipes , coming mostly from Trump and Republicans , revolve around voting requirements , advertising , and campaign finance .
At the forefront of the legal fights during the coronavirus pandemic are battles over voting laws , particularly .
Some states are moving to an entirely vote-by-mail system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few months , and Republicans are hoping to keep the loosening of voting requirements in check .
The New Mexico Republican Party filed a this week to block efforts to make the June primary contest entirely vote-by-mail .
In Pennsylvania and Georgia , Trump and his team worked to make stricter rules than what Democrats proposed on obtaining absentee and mail-in ballots .
“ It is beyond disgusting that the Democrats are using this crisis to try to dismantle the integrity of our voting system , ” Justin Clark , senior counsel for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The American people won ’ t stand for this , and the campaign and the party intend to fight with them for a free , fair , and open vote in November . ''
The coronavirus-prompted primary ballot changes are only a portion of the legal battles taking place in 2020 .
The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee in February announced it would spend on lawsuits challenging voting laws and changes Democrats want to make .
In Michigan , for instance , the RNC and the state Republican Party are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ PAC Priorities USA to laws that prevent “ ballot harvesting ” ( volunteers compiling absentee ballots ) and that prevent arranged transportation to bring groups of voters to the polls .
Trump and his allies are also working to gain an edge through legal maneuvering in the news media .
After Priorities USA created an ad that spliced together statements from Trump around the coronavirus crisis , including him appearing to call the coronavirus a `` hoax , '' the Trump campaign that aired the ad .
Fact-checkers have that Trump did not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead , he called Democrats “ politicizing ” the crisis “ their new hoax.
” In recent months , the Trump campaign filed a series of lawsuits against major media outlets relating to coverage of special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election .
It over an opinion article the network ran on its website and similarly filed against the New York Times and the Washington Post for publishing “ false and defamatory statements.
” Allies of Trump are also wading into legal fights to prevent Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules .
The pro-Trump Great America super PAC filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against Michael Bloomberg transferring from his defunct presidential committee to the Democratic National Committee .
Because the money to the committee all came from Bloomberg himself , the transfer is an illegal of campaign finance limits on donations , the group says .

The coronavirus has brought normal life to a standstill, preventing candidates from conducting normal campaign activities and directing attention away from the usual hot-button issues. In 2020, legal battles could play a much more prominent role in the election fight between President Trump and Joe Biden.
The legal swipes, coming mostly from Trump and Republicans, revolve around voting requirements, advertising, and campaign finance.
At the forefront of the legal fights during the coronavirus pandemic are battles over voting laws, particularly vote-by-mail . Some states are moving to an entirely vote-by-mail system for primaries taking place in the next few months, and Republicans are hoping to keep the loosening of voting requirements in check.
The New Mexico Republican Party filed a lawsuit this week to block efforts to make the June primary contest entirely vote-by-mail. In Pennsylvania and Georgia, Trump and his team worked to make stricter rules than what Democrats proposed on obtaining absentee and mail-in ballots.
“It is beyond disgusting that the Democrats are using this crisis to try to dismantle the integrity of our voting system,” Justin Clark, senior counsel for the Trump campaign, told Politico. “The American people won’t stand for this, and the campaign and the party intend to fight with them for a free, fair, and open vote in November."
The coronavirus-prompted primary ballot changes are only a portion of the legal battles taking place in 2020.
The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee in February announced it would spend $10 million on lawsuits challenging voting laws and changes Democrats want to make.
In Michigan, for instance, the RNC and the state Republican Party are trying to block challenges by liberal super PAC Priorities USA to laws that prevent “ballot harvesting” (volunteers compiling absentee ballots) and that prevent arranged transportation to bring groups of voters to the polls.
Trump and his allies are also working to gain an edge through legal maneuvering in the news media.
After Priorities USA created an ad that spliced together statements from Trump around the coronavirus crisis, including him appearing to call the coronavirus a "hoax," the Trump campaign threatened lawsuits against television stations that aired the ad. Fact-checkers have found that Trump did not call the virus itself a hoax; instead, he called Democrats “politicizing” the crisis “their new hoax.”
In recent months, the Trump campaign filed a series of lawsuits against major media outlets relating to coverage of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. It sued CNN for libel over an opinion article the network ran on its website and similarly filed other lawsuits against the New York Times and the Washington Post for publishing “false and defamatory statements.”
Allies of Trump are also wading into legal fights to prevent Democrats from exploiting a loophole in campaign finance rules.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-04-04--Delayed convention forces Biden to put campaign funds on ice for weeks

The delay of the Democratic convention forced by the coronavirus means likely nominee Joe Biden must wait until late summer before beginning to spend millions in campaign funds to defeat President Trump .
Federal law prohibits candidates for national office from spending general election funds before securing their party ’ s nomination .
Even if Bernie Sanders suspends his campaign for the Democratic nomination immediately , Biden can not claim the crown until he receives a ratifying vote of delegates to the party ’ s quadrennial national convention .
Originally scheduled for mid-July , the Democratic National Committee kicked the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , costing Biden an entire month of control over his resources .
“ You always want to have an earlier convention , ” a veteran Democratic operative said Friday .
“ It just allows you to start spending general election funds earlier.
” The DNC is dismissing those concerns , expressing confidence the party can bridge gap and protect its nominee from being swamped by a Trump campaign and Republican National Committee that are cash-rich and fully deployed in every important 2020 battleground .
The Biden campaign declined to comment .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infrastructure that will help make Trump a one-term president , ” party spokesman David Bergstein told the Washington Examiner .
“ Our offices , on-the-ground organizers , and state-of-the-art data program are already up and running and will help ensure our eventual nominee enters the general election prepared to win.
” As the former vice president turns his attention to Trump , raising resources to cut into the president ’ s mammoth financial and organizational advantage is a major priority .
History shows waiting to spend it hurts .
In 2012 , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Romney .
Now a Utah senator , Romney that year was the Republican presidential nominee versus Barack Obama .
Throughout the summer , up until the GOP convention in Tampa in late August , Romney absorbed millions of dollars in attack advertising from the Obama campaign , with limited ability to strike back .
That experience led Reince Priebus , then RNC chairman , to schedule the 2016 convention in Cleveland for mid-July .
“ We had to access the cash , ” Priebus said .
“ We also wanted more time to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team.
” Trump is set to be re-nominated in Charlotte the week of August 24 .
But as the incumbent , the president is not as challenged by the spending rule as Biden .
Donors have separate limits on donations to candidates for the primaries and the general election .
While Biden has had to spend his primary donations winning the Democratic nomination , Trump has had no serious GOP challenger and has been able — and can continue — to use the money collected for his primary to attack Biden .
Plus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tight grip on the party machinery needed to secure his election .
For Biden , a later convention could also stretch the primary contest by an extra month , giving the former vice president less time to consolidate the party and integrate it with his campaign .
Sanders , meanwhile , could gain more time to push the former vice president further left .
Should Sanders continue to fade , however , the Biden campaign could accelerate the shift toward battling Trump .
Some political operatives in both parties say a delayed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact on Biden , arguing much has changed about presidential campaigns since 2012 .
Already , a flush Democratic super PAC is spending big against Trump in battleground states .
This group is part of a robust liberal ecosphere of political groups expected to buy time for Biden prior to his accepting the Democratic nomination in late August .
And , with the coronavirus poised to dominate the fall campaign , some Democratic insiders believe Trump ’ s edge in money and organization will be tempered by the fallout from the pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go dry for a month won ’ t make one iota of difference in the grand scheme , ” said T.J. Rooney , former chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party , when asked to assess the risk to Biden because of a delay in access to general election funds .
“ The Trump campaign ’ s attacks are going to be blunted and muted because all that ’ s going to matter in a few short months is what [ the president ] does in a few short weeks .
”

The delay of the Democratic National Convention forced by the coronavirus means likely nominee Joe Biden must wait until late summer before beginning to spend millions in campaign funds to defeat President Trump.
Federal law prohibits candidates for national office from spending general election funds before securing their party’s nomination. Even if Bernie Sanders suspends his campaign for the Democratic nomination immediately, Biden cannot claim the crown until he receives a ratifying vote of delegates to the party’s quadrennial national convention. Originally scheduled for mid-July, the Democratic National Committee kicked the gathering to the week of Aug. 17, costing Biden an entire month of control over his resources.
“You always want to have an earlier convention,” a veteran Democratic operative said Friday. “It just allows you to start spending general election funds earlier.”
The DNC is dismissing those concerns, expressing confidence the party can bridge the gap and protect its nominee from being swamped by a Trump campaign and Republican National Committee that are cash-rich and fully deployed in every important 2020 battleground. The Biden campaign declined to comment.
“The DNC has been building a massive battleground infrastructure that will help make Trump a one-term president,” party spokesman David Bergstein told the Washington Examiner. “Our offices, on-the-ground organizers, and state-of-the-art data program are already up and running and will help ensure our eventual nominee enters the general election prepared to win.”
As the former vice president turns his attention to Trump, raising resources to cut into the president’s mammoth financial and organizational advantage is a major priority. History shows waiting to spend it hurts.
In 2012, that dilemma was a considerable challenge for Mitt Romney. Now a Utah senator, Romney that year was the Republican presidential nominee versus Barack Obama. Throughout the summer, up until the GOP convention in Tampa in late August, Romney absorbed millions of dollars in attack advertising from the Obama campaign, with limited ability to strike back. That experience led Reince Priebus, then the RNC's chairman, to schedule the 2016 convention in Cleveland for mid-July.
“We had to access the cash,” Priebus said. “We also wanted more time to campaign for the general election as a team.”
Trump is set to be renominated in Charlotte the week of Aug. 24. But as the incumbent, the president is not as challenged by the spending rule as Biden. Donors have separate limits on donations to candidates for the primaries and the general election. While Biden has had to spend his primary donations winning the Democratic nomination, Trump has had no serious GOP challenger and has been able — and can continue — to use the money collected for his primary to attack Biden. Plus, as president, he already has a tight grip on the party machinery needed to secure his election.
For Biden, a later convention could also stretch the primary contest by an extra month, giving the former vice president less time to consolidate the party and integrate it with his campaign. Sanders, meanwhile, could gain more time to push the former vice president further left. Should Sanders continue to fade, however, the Biden campaign could accelerate the shift toward battling Trump.
Some political operatives in both parties say a delayed convention will not have a lasting negative impact on Biden, arguing much has changed about presidential campaigns since 2012. Already, a flush Democratic super PAC is spending big against Trump in battleground states. This group is part of a robust liberal ecosphere of political groups expected to buy time for Biden prior to his accepting the Democratic nomination in late August.
And with the coronavirus poised to dominate the fall campaign, some Democratic insiders believe Trump’s edge in money and organization will be tempered by the fallout from the pandemic.
"The fact they’re going to go dry for a month won’t make one iota of difference in the grand scheme,” said T.J. Rooney, the former chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, when asked to assess the risk to Biden because of a delay in access to general election funds. “The Trump campaign’s attacks are going to be blunted and muted because all that’s going to matter in a few short months is what [the president] does in a few short weeks.”