thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-15--Trump moves to expand electoral map by flipping Clinton-won states

President Trump is pushing to expand the electoral map to include states he narrowly lost to Hillary Clinton in 2016 , despite being threatened in the ones where he was victorious .
Trump campaigned Sunday in Nevada , with a large indoor rally in Henderson .
He will appear in Minnesota this week .
And he held a rally in New Hampshire late last month , the day after delivering his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention from the White House .
“ We ’ re going to win .
We ’ re going to win , ” Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have any doubt ?
” The move comes as polls show Trump in a tight race in Florida and North Carolina while trailing in polling averages for Arizona , Pennsylvania , Michigan , and Wisconsin .
These are all states Trump carried four years ago , though mostly by small margins .
“ They are playing defense in so many states , they need an offense state , ” said Amy Koch , a former Minnesota senate majority leader .
The attempt to pick off states that went for Clinton can be second-guessed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in them and the need to shore up the Rust Belt .
Clinton tried to flip normally Republican states such as Arizona , where Trump seemed vulnerable , when she needed to focus on Wisconsin .
Trump has cut back on ad spending in Nevada and New Hampshire .
But operatives in all three states believe Trump has a real chance to win .
“ The president has obsessed about winning New Hampshire since falling short here by such a small margin in 2016 , ” said Jim Merrill , a Republican strategist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve had a large and smart team working the ground game for a long time now , and we ’ re seeing more campaign visits and an uptick in paid media .
He is an underdog for sure , but a path for Trump to win New Hampshire exists.
” Trump lost New Hampshire by just 0.3 points , as Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte also went down in defeat .
Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson , a former two-term Republican governor of New Mexico whose running mate was a former two-term Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of the vote .
After Mitt Romney lost Nevada by 6.68 points and John McCain lost it by 12.49 points , Trump lost the state by just 2.42 points .
He became the first Republican to win the presidency without Nevada ’ s electoral votes since William Howard Taft .
GOP Sen. Dean Heller lost his seat in the 2018 midterm elections by about 5 points .
Minnesota went for Clinton over Trump by just 1.5 points , the closest presidential contest in the traditionally Democratic state since Walter Mondale held off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per precinct in 1984 .
Just 44,765 votes separated the two major-party candidates .
Conservative independent Evan McMullin won nearly 54,000 votes , Johnson the Libertarian took more than 112,000 .
Unlike in Nevada and New Hampshire , the 2016 polls largely failed to predict Minnesota ’ s closeness , a fact that buoys Trump supporters in spite of new surveys showing the president down 9 points there this year .
“ Trump would have won last time ” if he could have attracted Republicans who voted third party , Koch said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ shifting back and forth ” between Democratic challenger Joe Biden and Trump , “ and who knows where we ’ ll end up ?
” The divide between rural voters and large , liberal cities — Minneapolis , the city where George Floyd died in police custody , has become an epicenter of occasionally violent racial justice protests — looms large .
“ I think it ’ s definitely in play , ” former Nevada state GOP Chairwoman Amy Tarkanian said of her state .
Even though “ we used to be more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we ’ re leaning blue.
” A common thread in all three states is that the Trump campaign has remained active on the ground while COVID-19 has made the Democrats more scarce , though Biden and his running mate , Kamala Harris , have them on their travel itineraries .
“ A lot of campaigns up and leave , ” said Tarkanian .
“ President Trump ’ s team has stayed in place.
” The Trump campaign is hardly neglecting the states the president won by small margins four years ago .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump Jr. was in Michigan with Kid Rock on Monday .
Ivanka Trump was to North Carolina , with Arizona , Texas ( for a fundraiser ) , and Florida soon to follow .
Vice President Mike Pence has been to Michigan and Wisconsin , as well as Minnesota , and is headed to Arizona .
But turning an extra state or two red could be valuable insurance in what figures to be a closely fought contest in the Electoral College , as Biden threatens in multiple Trump 2016 states .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ easy , ” Tarkanian said .

President Trump is pushing to expand the electoral map to include states he narrowly lost to Hillary Clinton in 2016, despite being threatened in the ones where he was victorious.
Trump campaigned Sunday in Nevada, with a large indoor rally in Henderson. He will appear in Minnesota this week. And he held a rally in New Hampshire late last month, the day after delivering his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention from the White House.
“We’re going to win. We’re going to win,” Trump vowed in Manchester. “Does anybody have any doubt?”
The move comes as polls show Trump in a tight race in Florida and North Carolina while trailing in polling averages for Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. These are all states Trump carried four years ago, though mostly by small margins.
“They are playing defense in so many states, they need an offense state,” said Amy Koch, a former Minnesota senate majority leader.
The attempt to pick off states that went for Clinton can be second-guessed based on public polls showing him trailing in them and the need to shore up the Rust Belt. Clinton tried to flip normally Republican states such as Arizona, where Trump seemed vulnerable, when she needed to focus on Wisconsin. Trump has cut back on ad spending in Nevada and New Hampshire. But operatives in all three states believe Trump has a real chance to win.
“The president has obsessed about winning New Hampshire since falling short here by such a small margin in 2016,” said Jim Merrill, a Republican strategist in the Granite State. “They’ve had a large and smart team working the ground game for a long time now, and we’re seeing more campaign visits and an uptick in paid media. He is an underdog for sure, but a path for Trump to win New Hampshire exists.”
Trump lost New Hampshire by just 0.3 points, as Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte also went down in defeat. Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson, a former two-term Republican governor of New Mexico whose running mate was a former two-term Republican governor of neighboring Massachusetts, received 4.1% of the vote.
After Mitt Romney lost Nevada by 6.68 points and John McCain lost it by 12.49 points, Trump lost the state by just 2.42 points. He became the first Republican to win the presidency without Nevada’s electoral votes since William Howard Taft. GOP Sen. Dean Heller lost his seat in the 2018 midterm elections by about 5 points.
Minnesota went for Clinton over Trump by just 1.5 points, the closest presidential contest in the traditionally Democratic state since Walter Mondale held off Ronald Reagan by fewer than one vote per precinct in 1984. Just 44,765 votes separated the two major-party candidates. Conservative independent Evan McMullin won nearly 54,000 votes, Johnson the Libertarian took more than 112,000.
Unlike in Nevada and New Hampshire, the 2016 polls largely failed to predict Minnesota’s closeness, a fact that buoys Trump supporters in spite of new surveys showing the president down 9 points there this year.
“Trump would have won last time” if he could have attracted Republicans who voted third party, Koch said. She added Minnesota “has definitely been shifting back and forth” between Democratic challenger Joe Biden and Trump, “and who knows where we’ll end up?” The divide between rural voters and large, liberal cities — Minneapolis, the city where George Floyd died in police custody, has become an epicenter of occasionally violent racial justice protests — looms large.
“I think it’s definitely in play,” former Nevada state GOP Chairwoman Amy Tarkanian said of her state. Even though “we used to be more of a purple state, but now, we’re leaning blue.”
A common thread in all three states is that the Trump campaign has remained active on the ground while COVID-19 has made the Democrats more scarce, though Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, have them on their travel itineraries. “A lot of campaigns up and leave,” said Tarkanian. “President Trump’s team has stayed in place.”
The Trump campaign is hardly neglecting the states the president won by small margins four years ago. He has appeared in Pennsylvania. Donald Trump Jr. was in Michigan with Kid Rock on Monday. Ivanka Trump was dispatched to North Carolina, with Arizona, Texas (for a fundraiser), and Florida soon to follow. Vice President Mike Pence has been to Michigan and Wisconsin, as well as Minnesota, and is headed to Arizona.
But turning an extra state or two red could be valuable insurance in what figures to be a closely fought contest in the Electoral College, as Biden threatens in multiple Trump 2016 states. “It’s definitely not going to be easy,” Tarkanian said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-15--'A huge risk': Trump bets reelection on pandemic recovery

President Trump is gambling his reelection on “ normal , ” holding indoor campaign rallies and airing television ads that cast the coronavirus as fading — a message some Republicans worry could backfire amid a pandemic that continues to cost lives .
Trump rallied with thousands of supporters Sunday inside a Las Vegas-area manufacturing plant .
Even outdoors , the Trump campaign has begun pre-pandemic political revivals , with tightly packed crowds that often eschew protective face masks , coinciding with the launch of a glossy new television advertisement that treats the coronavirus as a vanishing phenomenon .
“ In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ finish line is approaching , ” the spot proclaims .
“ President Trump ’ s great American comeback is now underway.
” But the coronavirus remains a deadly threat , and there is no guarantee of a viable vaccine or that there will not be another surge in COVID-19 infections .
Nor is recovery from a deep , pandemic-induced recession assured to proceed smoothly .
And that is what concerns many Republican strategists less than 50 days until Election Day .
“ He ’ s doubling down on base messaging when he really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ independents so that he can break past 45 % , ” said John Couvillon , a Republican pollster in Louisiana .
Jim Dornan , a veteran Republican strategist in Washington , added that “ continuing to downplay the virus when it could very well come back is a huge risk.
” The Trump campaign is dismissive .
“ People want to hear from their president , and as the economic recovery increases , people are eager to get engaged in the president ’ s re-election , ” said Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump , who feeds off the crowd .
The raucous , concert-style gatherings also function as a key component of the president ’ s strategy to defeat Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
The Trump campaign uses the events to dominate targeted , local media markets with the president ’ s message — and to motivate voter turnout among people who are inclined to support the incumbent , as long as they show up at the polls .
Republicans are not recommending that the president return to a virtual footing , agreeing that his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Biden , who leads in many national polls and battleground state surveys .
But they fear the imagery of Trump headlining crowded rallies will only reinforce voters ’ broadly held dissatisfaction with his management of the coronavirus , an issue that could hand the election to his Democratic challenger .
Republicans are less critical of Trump ’ s optimistic message of economic restoration , but they are leery .
“ This is their easiest play , ” a Republican operative said .
“ Trying to back off the ‘ things are great/will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be complicated.
” Trump ’ s approach received a boost from the August jobs report .
The unemployment rate dropped below 10 % for the first time since the pandemic decimated the economy in March , and nearly 1.4 million new jobs were added .
But the following week , unemployment insurance claims hit 884,000 , higher than expected , and industries and small businesses are continuing to reel from the coronavirus .
Still , Biden ’ s decision to go all-in on a pandemic campaign strategy carries its own uncertainty .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ is traveling more after saying he was staying put as a health precaution .
On Friday , he was in New York City and Shanksville , Pennsylvania , to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 , 2001 , terrorist attacks .
On Tuesday , Biden is scheduled to be in Florida , while his wife Jill will be in Michigan .
This Friday , Biden is headed to Minnesota .
But he is hitting the road less often than Trump , and his ground game , though aggressive , continues to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worry the president might have more success at turning out his key supporters because , over the summer , the Republican campaign returned to knocking on doors , believed to be the most effective turnout tactic .
The Biden campaign is expressing confidence in its approach , with Democratic operatives arguing that the last thing a voter wants to see in the middle of a pandemic is a stranger at his or her front door .
This strategy also fits with Biden ’ s message that addressing the coronavirus is paramount .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Biden campaign spokesman Michael Gwin said .

President Trump is gambling his reelection on “normal,” holding indoor campaign rallies and airing television ads that cast the coronavirus as fading — a message some Republicans worry could backfire amid a pandemic that continues to cost lives.
Trump rallied with thousands of supporters Sunday inside a Las Vegas-area manufacturing plant. Even outdoors, the Trump campaign has begun pre-pandemic political revivals, with tightly packed crowds that often eschew protective face masks, coinciding with the launch of a glossy new television advertisement that treats the coronavirus as a vanishing phenomenon. “In the race for a vaccine, the finish line is approaching,” the spot proclaims. “President Trump’s great American comeback is now underway.”
But the coronavirus remains a deadly threat, and there is no guarantee of a viable vaccine or that there will not be another surge in COVID-19 infections. Nor is recovery from a deep, pandemic-induced recession assured to proceed smoothly. And that is what concerns many Republican strategists less than 50 days until Election Day.
“He’s doubling down on base messaging when he really needs to focus on soft partisans and independents so that he can break past 45%,” said John Couvillon, a Republican pollster in Louisiana. Jim Dornan, a veteran Republican strategist in Washington, added that “continuing to downplay the virus when it could very well come back is a huge risk.”
The Trump campaign is dismissive.
“People want to hear from their president, and as the economic recovery increases, people are eager to get engaged in the president’s re-election,” said Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh in a statement.
The rallies energize Trump, who feeds off the crowd. The raucous, concert-style gatherings also function as a key component of the president’s strategy to defeat Democratic nominee Joe Biden. The Trump campaign uses the events to dominate targeted, local media markets with the president’s message — and to motivate voter turnout among people who are inclined to support the incumbent, as long as they show up at the polls.
Republicans are not recommending that the president return to a virtual footing, agreeing that his aggressive travel schedule could fuel a comeback against Biden, who leads in many national polls and battleground state surveys. But they fear the imagery of Trump headlining crowded rallies will only reinforce voters’ broadly held dissatisfaction with his management of the coronavirus, an issue that could hand the election to his Democratic challenger.
Republicans are less critical of Trump’s optimistic message of economic restoration, but they are leery.
“This is their easiest play,” a Republican operative said. “Trying to back off the ‘things are great/will be fine’ message after six months would be complicated.”
Trump’s approach received a boost from the August jobs report. The unemployment rate dropped below 10% for the first time since the pandemic decimated the economy in March, and nearly 1.4 million new jobs were added. But the following week, unemployment insurance claims hit 884,000, higher than expected, and industries and small businesses are continuing to reel from the coronavirus.
Still, Biden’s decision to go all-in on a pandemic campaign strategy carries its own uncertainty.
This month, the former vice president is traveling more after saying he was staying put as a health precaution. On Friday, he was in New York City and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. On Tuesday, Biden is scheduled to be in Florida, while his wife Jill will be in Michigan. This Friday, Biden is headed to Minnesota.
But he is hitting the road less often than Trump, and his ground game, though aggressive, continues to engage voters virtually. Some Biden supporters worry the president might have more success at turning out his key supporters because, over the summer, the Republican campaign returned to knocking on doors, believed to be the most effective turnout tactic.
The Biden campaign is expressing confidence in its approach, with Democratic operatives arguing that the last thing a voter wants to see in the middle of a pandemic is a stranger at his or her front door. This strategy also fits with Biden’s message that addressing the coronavirus is paramount.
“Joe Biden believes in leading by example,” Biden campaign spokesman Michael Gwin said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-15--Hillary Clinton, Amy Poehler, and Maya Rudolph help raise $6M during fundraiser with Kamala Harris

Hillary Clinton , Amy Poehler , and Maya Rudolph helped Sen. Kamala Harris , the running mate of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden , raise more than $ 6 million for his campaign during a virtual fundraiser on Monday night .
Rudolph and Poehler , who have depicted Clinton and Harris , respectively , on Saturday Night Live , talked about their political skits .
The four also addressed the California wildfires and the Affordable Care Act .
Clinton , who ran an unsuccessful campaign for president in 2016 , gave Harris advice and encouragement on how to handle the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tried to keep the evening lighthearted , cracking jokes throughout the call .
After Poehler struggled to get her audio off mute , Clinton quipped , `` I thought it was the Russians . ''
Clinton , who announced the $ 6 million haul and an average donation under $ 30 , also said 100,000 people participated in the event .
Biden hosted a more intimate virtual fundraiser Monday evening with billionaire Haim Saban .
That event only included 22 people but raised $ 4.5 million for the campaign .
Biden , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump in the general election that is less than two months away , leads by a wide margin in most national polls .

Hillary Clinton, Amy Poehler, and Maya Rudolph helped Sen. Kamala Harris, the running mate of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, raise more than $6 million for his campaign during a virtual fundraiser on Monday night.
Rudolph and Poehler, who have depicted Clinton and Harris, respectively, on Saturday Night Live, talked about their political skits. The four also addressed the California wildfires and the Affordable Care Act. Clinton, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for president in 2016, gave Harris advice and encouragement on how to handle the remainder of the campaign.
The women tried to keep the evening lighthearted, cracking jokes throughout the call.
After Poehler struggled to get her audio off mute, Clinton quipped, "I thought it was the Russians."
Clinton, who announced the $6 million haul and an average donation under $30, also said 100,000 people participated in the event.
Biden hosted a more intimate virtual fundraiser Monday evening with billionaire Haim Saban. That event only included 22 people but raised $4.5 million for the campaign.
Biden, who is set to face off against President Trump in the general election that is less than two months away, leads by a wide margin in most national polls.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-18--Biden says Barr comment on lockdowns and slavery is 'sick' and discourages mask use

Joe Biden called William Barr 's comment about coronavirus lockdowns and slavery `` sick '' and said that the comment would encourage people not to wear masks .
In a CNN town hall on Thursday night , Anderson Cooper sought clarity on whether the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee would encourage more lockdowns while also bringing up the attorney general 's comment from the night before , in which he said coronavirus-related lockdowns were one of the greatest restrictions on civil liberties in U.S. history , other than slavery .
Biden did not directly address Barr 's comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question , saying that the need for lockdowns if the virus got worse would vary from state to state while also saying that wearing masks is important .
Cooper then asked if he thinks Barr 's comments encourage people not to wear masks .
`` Sure .
I mean , quite frankly , they 're sick , '' Biden said .
`` Think about it .
Did you ever , ever think , any of you , that you 'd hear [ an ] attorney general say , that following the recommendations of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other people 's lives , is equivalent to slavery , people being put in chains ? ''
Barr compared civil rights restraints form the coronavirus-related lockdowns to the infringement of slavery at a Hillsdale College event on Wednesday but did not , as Biden said , draw an equivalency between the lockdowns and slavery .
“ You know , putting a national lockdown , stay-at-home orders , is like house arrest .
It ’ s — you know , other than slavery , which was a different kind of restraint , this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American history , ” Barr said .
Biden went on to say that people lost their freedom because the Trump administration did not act sooner .
`` Anderson , I 've been doing this a long time .
I never , ever , ever thought I would see such a thoroughly , totally irresponsible administration , '' Biden said .

Joe Biden called William Barr's comment about coronavirus lockdowns and slavery "sick" and said that the comment would encourage people not to wear masks.
In a CNN town hall on Thursday night, Anderson Cooper sought clarity on whether the former vice president and Democratic presidential nominee would encourage more lockdowns while also bringing up the attorney general's comment from the night before, in which he said coronavirus-related lockdowns were one of the greatest restrictions on civil liberties in U.S. history, other than slavery.
Biden did not directly address Barr's comment while answering the first part of the question, saying that the need for lockdowns if the virus got worse would vary from state to state while also saying that wearing masks is important.
Cooper then asked if he thinks Barr's comments encourage people not to wear masks.
"Sure. I mean, quite frankly, they're sick," Biden said. "Think about it. Did you ever, ever think, any of you, that you'd hear [an] attorney general say, that following the recommendations of the scientific community to save your and other people's lives, is equivalent to slavery, people being put in chains?"
Barr compared civil rights restraints form the coronavirus-related lockdowns to the infringement of slavery at a Hillsdale College event on Wednesday but did not, as Biden said, draw an equivalency between the lockdowns and slavery.
“You know, putting a national lockdown, stay-at-home orders, is like house arrest. It’s — you know, other than slavery, which was a different kind of restraint, this is the greatest intrusion on civil liberties in American history,” Barr said.
Biden went on to say that people lost their freedom because the Trump administration did not act sooner.
"Anderson, I've been doing this a long time. I never, ever, ever thought I would see such a thoroughly, totally irresponsible administration," Biden said.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-17--Presidential debates 2020: Everything you need to know

President Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden are scheduled to hold three debates , while Vice President Mike Pence and California Sen. Kamala Harris , the Democratic vice presidential nominee , have one scheduled debate .
Below is everything you need to know on dates and other information for the debates , as well as ongoing controversies and relevant background : First presidential debate between Trump and Biden Date : Tuesday , Sept. 29 Moderator : Chris Wallace , anchor at Fox News Sunday Location : Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland , Ohio Time : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breaks Format : There will be six segments of approximately 15 minutes each on major topics .
The moderator , Wallace , will select the questions and announce them at least one week before the debate .
Wallace will open each segment with a question , and Trump and Biden will each have two minutes to respond .
After that , Trump and Biden can respond to each other , while Wallace will balance time between the two for the remaining discussion time about the topic .
Date : Wednesday , Oct. 7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chief at USA Today Location : The University of Utah in Salt Lake City , Utah Time : 9:00 p.m-10:30 p.m. EDT , without commercial breaks Format : There will be nine segments of approximately 10 minutes each .
The moderator , Page , will ask an opening question , and Pence and Harris will have two minutes to respond .
After that , the candidates will be able to respond to each other , with Page balancing time between the two .
Second presidential debate between Trump and Biden Date : Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , senior executive producer and political editor at C-SPAN Networks Location : Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami , Florida Time : 9:00 p.m-10:30 p.m. EDT , without commercial breaks Format : The debate will be a town hall format , with questions posed to the candidates by around 30 undecided voters from the South Florida area .
Trump and Biden will have two minutes to respond to each question , and Scully will moderate further discussion for an additional minute after each question .
Frank Newport , a public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the selection of the voters who pose questions .
Third presidential debate between Trump and Biden Date : Thursday , Oct. 22 Moderator : Kristen Welker , co-anchor of Weekend TODAY and White House correspondent at NBC News Location : Belmont University in Nashville , Tennessee Time : 9:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. EDT , without commercial breaks Format : There will be six segments of approximately 15 minutes each on major topics .
The moderator , Wallace , will select the questions and announce them at least one week before the debate .
Wallace @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Trump and Biden will each have two minutes to respond .
After that , Trump and Biden can respond to each other , while Wallace will balance time between the two for the remaining discussion time about the topic .
Despite repeated assurances from Biden and his campaign that he can `` hardly wait '' to debate Trump , there have been repeated pushes from Democrats and liberals for him to skip the debate , fueling conservative theories that gaffe and verbal stumble-prone Biden is looking for an excuse not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi said in August that she thinks Biden should skip the presidential debates .
`` I do n't think there should be any debates , '' Pelosi said in a press conference .
“ I do not think that the president of the United States has comported himself in the way that has any association with truth .
Evidence , data , and facts .
I wouldn ’ t legitimize a conversation with him , nor a debate in terms of the presidency of the United States.
” New York Times columnist Thomas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not debate Trump unless the president agrees to terms such as live fact-checking .
Clinton administration press secretary Joe Lockhart said recently that Biden should skip the debates because of Trump 's lies .
Journalist Elizabeth Drew wrote in the New York Times in August that the debates should be scrapped altogether .
Last winter , Trump was the one who was thinking of skipping presidential debates , according to the New York Times , because of his disagreements with the commission on how the 2016 debates against Hillary Clinton were handled .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump skipped one presidential debate when he was polling ahead of the rest of the crowded primary field .
Trump campaign pushes for more debates and specific moderators In an August letter from Trump lawyer and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani , Trump 's campaign requested that the Commission on Presidential Debates add a fourth debate to its schedule , to take place before early and absentee voting started in September .
The commission denied that request .
Trump 's campaign also released a list of two dozen recommended debate moderators , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ News personalities .
Location changes due to the coronavirus pandemic The University of Notre Dame and the University of Michigan were originally scheduled to host the first and second debates between Trump and Biden , but the schools withdrew from hosting debates earlier this summer , citing concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic .
In light of those changes , the Trump campaign called on the debate commission to release backup plans in the case that the current debate locations withdraw from hosting the debates .
Who is in charge of the debates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a nonprofit 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) organization that has sponsored and produced all presidential and vice presidential debates since 1987 .
It was created by the Republican and Democratic parties in order to `` institutionalize '' the debate and strengthen the role of the parties in the election .
Before the commission was created , the League of Women Voters hosted televised presidential debates in 1976 , 1980 , and 1984 .
Exclusion of third-party candidates from the debate stage has been a criticism of the commission since its founding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 15 % threshold in national polls — a standard that the Libertarian and Green parties unsuccessfully challenged in court this year .

(Updated Oct. 19, 2020) President Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden were scheduled to hold three debates, and Vice President Mike Pence and California Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, had one scheduled debate.
But controversy about the Commission on Presidential Debates attempting to move the second Trump-Biden debate to a virtual format, sparked by the president contracting the coronavirus, resulted in the cancellation of the second debate. Instead, the candidates hosted dueling town hall events on ABC and NBC.
The last scheduled presidential debate is set to go on as scheduled.
Final presidential debate between Trump and Biden
Date: Thursday, Oct. 22
Moderator: Kristen Welker, co-anchor of Weekend TODAY and White House correspondent at NBC News
Location: Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee
Time: 9:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. EDT, without commercial breaks, broadcast on all major networks.
Format: There will be six segments of approximately 15 minutes each on major topics. Welker will open each segment with a question, and Trump and Biden will each have two minutes to respond. After that, Trump and Biden can respond to each other, while Wallace will balance time between the two for the remaining discussion time about the topic.
Welker chose the topics for the matchup, and the debate commission announced them on Oct. 16:
American families.
Climate change.
Fighting COVID-19.
Leadership.
National security.
Race in America.
Trump's campaign on Monday sent a letter to the Commission on Presidential Debates objecting to the debate topics, noting that the final presidential debate traditionally had a focus on foreign policy.
Below is information on the previous debates, controversies surrounding them, and relevant background:
The second presidential debate between Trump and Biden was scheduled to take place on Oct. 15.
Moderator: Steve Scully, senior executive producer and political editor at C-SPAN Networks, was set to host a town hall-style format with questions from voters for the candidates at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida, with Frank Newport, a public opinion expert at Gallup, supervising the selection of the voters who pose questions.
But the debate never happened.
Following Trump testing positive for the coronavirus and being hospitalized with the illness, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced the morning of Oct. 8 that it would change the scheduled town hall debate to a virtual format, "in which the candidates would participate from separate remote locations." About a half-hour later, Trump, in a 55-minute Fox Business interview, declared that he was “not going to waste my time on a virtual debate.”
Around the same time, the Biden campaign had accepted the format change. But in response to Trump rejecting the debate change, the Biden campaign, hoping to showcase the former vice president connecting with voters in an expected contrast to Trump, proposed that the town hall-style debate format be pushed back a week to Oct. 22 if Trump refuses to participate in an Oct. 15 virtual version.
That would conflict, though, with the third and final scheduled debate on Oct. 22, a planned one-on-one event. Trump's campaign suggested postponing both remaining debates a week: Move the Oct. 15 debate to Oct. 22 and the Oct. 22 one to Oct. 29.
Biden’s team, though, rejected that proposal. “Trump's erratic behavior does not allow him to rewrite the calendar, and pick new dates of his choosing,” top Biden aide Kate Bedingfield said in a statement. “Donald Trump can show up, or he can decline again. That's his choice.”
By Thursday afternoon, ABC News announced that it would host a single-candidate town hall with Biden on Oct. 15, the day of the scheduled virtual debate. Trump scheduled a competing town hall event on NBC.
The debate commission officially announced that it canceled the second debate on Oct. 9.
More details about the campaigns' back-and-forth about the next two debates can be found here.
Steve Scully false hacking claim
Trump's campaign also accused Scully, the scheduled debate moderator, of being a biased moderator, pointing to the fact that he interned for Biden decades ago.
On Oct. 9, Scully sent a tweet tagging anti-Trump commentator and former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci: "should I respond to trump."
Scully quickly deleted the tweet, claiming that he had been hacked. Both the Commission on Presidential Debates and C-SPAN initially stood by Scully's hacking claim.
But previous Scully tweets revealed that he had claimed his Twitter account was hacked, raising suspicion.
After the debate was canceled, Scully admitted that the claim of hacking was false, and C-SPAN announced that it would indefinitely suspend him.
“I falsely claimed that my Twitter account had been hacked," he said, according to the Associated Press. “These were both errors in judgment for which I am totally responsible for. I apologize. I ask for their forgiveness as I try to move forward in a moment of reflection and disappointment in myself."
The first presidential debate between Trump and Biden took place on Sept. 29.
Moderator: Chris Wallace, anchor at Fox News Sunday
Location: Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio
Time: 9 p.m-10:30 p.m. EDT, without commercial breaks
Format: Six segments of approximately 15 minutes each on major topics. Wallace opened each segment with a question, and Trump and Biden will each have two minutes to respond. After that, Trump and Biden can respond to each other, while Wallace will balance time between the two for the remaining discussion time about the topic.
Six planned topics for the debate, chosen by Wallace, were revealed a week before the debate. The topics are subject to change and will not necessarily be brought up in the following order: the Trump and Biden records, the Supreme Court, COVID-19, the economy, race and violence in American cities, and the integrity of the election.
The vice presidential debate between Pence and Harris took place on Oct. 7.
Moderator: Susan Page, Washington bureau chief at USA Today
Location: The University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah
Time: 9 p.m-10:30 p.m. EDT, without commercial breaks
Format: There will be nine segments of approximately 10 minutes each. The moderator, Page, will ask an opening question, and Pence and Harris will have two minutes to respond. After that, the candidates will be able to respond to each other, with Page balancing time between the two.
Trump's coronavirus diagnosis the previous week, and the possibility that he may have exposed Biden to the virus, prompted some debate changes. The candidates sat 12 feet apart during the debate rather than 8 feet, and two plexiglass dividers separated the candidates.
Theories about Biden skipping debates
Despite repeated assurances from Biden and his campaign that he can "hardly wait" to debate Trump, there have been repeated pushes from Democrats and liberals for him to skip the debate, fueling conservative theories that gaffe and verbal stumble-prone Biden is looking for an excuse not to debate Trump.
Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in August that she thinks Biden should skip the presidential debates.
"I don't think there should be any debates," Pelosi said in a press conference. “I do not think that the president of the United States has comported himself in the way that has any association with truth. Evidence, data, and facts. I wouldn’t legitimize a conversation with him, nor a debate in terms of the presidency of the United States.”
New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman suggested in June that Biden should not debate Trump unless the president agrees to terms such as live fact-checking. Clinton administration press secretary Joe Lockhart said recently that Biden should skip the debates because of Trump's lies. Journalist Elizabeth Drew wrote in the New York Times in August that the debates should be scrapped altogether.
Last winter, Trump was the one who was thinking of skipping presidential debates, according to the New York Times, because of his disagreements with the commission on how the 2016 debates against Hillary Clinton were handled. During the 2016 Republican primary cycle, Trump skipped one presidential debate when he was polling ahead of the rest of the crowded primary field.
Trump campaign pushed for more debates and specific moderators
In an August letter from Trump lawyer and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Trump's campaign requested that the Commission on Presidential Debates add a fourth debate to its schedule, to take place before early and absentee voting started in September. The commission denied that request.
Trump's campaign also released a list of two dozen recommended debate moderators, which included many conservative commentators and Fox News personalities.
Location changes due to the coronavirus pandemic
The University of Notre Dame and the University of Michigan were originally scheduled to host the first and second debates between Trump and Biden, but the schools withdrew from hosting debates earlier this summer, citing concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic.
In light of those changes, the Trump campaign called on the debate commission to release backup plans in the case that the current debate locations withdraw from hosting the debates.
Who is in charge of the debates?
The Commission on Presidential Debates is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that has sponsored and produced all presidential and vice presidential debates since 1987. It was created by the Republican and Democratic parties in order to "institutionalize" the debate and strengthen the role of the parties in the election. Before the commission was created, the League of Women Voters hosted televised presidential debates in 1976, 1980, and 1984.
Exclusion of third-party candidates from the debate stage has been a criticism of the commission since its founding. The commission requires candidates to meet a 15% threshold in national polls — a standard that the Libertarian and Green parties unsuccessfully challenged in court this year.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-17--Election experts say Trump is 99.5% likely to lose. Here’s the simple reason they’re wrong

Forecasting elections is hard .
You would think that after 2016 , the experts would have some humility and accept that even if Joe Biden is leading in all of the relevant polls , Donald Trump still has a decent chance of being reelected .
Some of the experts have learned that lesson , but others seemingly haven ’ t .
One new analysis from rising-star pollsters Rachel Bitecofer and Sam Epstein calculated that Trump had a 0.5 % chance of winning reelection .
How did they come up with that ?
They used polls and demographic data to model @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state .
Then , as the authors state , “ you can calculate the overall chance of different scenarios occurring by multiplying probabilities.
” To simplify : If Trump , in addition to his shoo-in states , needs to win Texas , Georgia , North Carolina , Ohio , Iowa , Florida , and Wisconsin to win , then you multiply his odds of winning each one to determine his odds of winning all of them .
If each of them were a coin flip , a 50/50 state , and Trump had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he would have a 1-in-128 chance of winning , according to this model .
The biggest problem with this “ Multiple Coin Toss ” technique , as the authors call it , is that when you are tossing a coin , each toss is independent of the others .
When you are running for president , though , not each state moves independently .
These days , a candidate who surges or outperforms the polls or models in Iowa is likely to surge or outperform in Ohio and Wisconsin , too .
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ model in any given state , and in both cases , he ’ d be likely to outperform the model in multiple states .
Maybe Trump is doing poorly now because Main Streets are closed , people are still getting the coronavirus , and unemployment is still 8.4 % .
Maybe 50 days from now , Main Street will be open , unemployment will be 6.4 % and falling , and coronavirus cases will be at a trickle , and a vaccine will be on the way .
Maybe Trump dominates the debates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do anything horrific .
Maybe the foreign policy wins keep coming .
These are not necessarily likely outcomes .
Trump would have to do really good work and get lucky for this to happen .
To use a sports analogy , Trump would have to hit five straight free throws .
But the Bitecofer model thinks he has to hit five straight free throws in Texas and then five straight in Florida and so on in every swing state .
He doesn ’ t .
Texas , Florida , Wisconsin , Iowa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same arena .
He 's shooting the free throws for all of them at once .
If Trump surges in one place , he is extremely likely to surge in another place .
Trump doesn ’ t have to make a comeback in every swing state .
He has to make a single , national comeback that is big enough to flip most of those swing states .
Maybe the polls/models are wrong The reason so many of us were wrong in 2016 wasn ’ t because we said Trump had no chance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carolina or Iowa or Michigan or Wisconsin .
We knew the polls could be wrong , and that they were close .
But what were the odds that they were wrong enough and in the same direction in all of those states ?
Well , they were .
And it wasn ’ t chance .
The state polls in 2016 made the same error in all of those states .
Namely , they didn ’ t weight for education .
That is , pollsters don ’ t just turn their raw results into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jones 50 % to 40 % among their respondents , but if their sample was 60 % female , they will tweak the results .
They ’ ll say : Based on past results , we basically know the electorate will be 52 % female , and so we will weight the females in our sample as less and the males as more .
If Jones did better among men , then the final published margin might be 48 % to 42 % .
Well , in 2016 , pollsters got too few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t think it mattered , because in past elections , educational attainment wasn ’ t that big of a predictor of partisan preference .
But in 2016 , Trump did very well among voters without college degrees , and so that undersample by the pollsters produced an error .
So if , for whatever reason that we ca n't ascertain ahead of time , Bitecofer ’ s model is off in Wisconsin , where she gives Trump a 29 % chance of winning , there ’ s a good chance that her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the same reasons .
To use another sports analogy , if a baseball team takes the field in the bottom of the ninth , leading by two runs , that team historically has a 92 % chance of winning the game .
Bitecofer might argue that the odds of losing a two-run lead two games in a row is 8 % of 8 % , or less than 1 % .
But if the closer who blows Game 1 is Edwin Diaz , and he ’ s the closer in Game 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ save in Game 1 is not independent of blowing a save in Game 2 , because you have the same wrench in the machinery in both games .

Forecasting elections is hard. You would think that after 2016, the experts would have some humility and accept that even if Joe Biden is leading in all of the relevant polls, Donald Trump still has a decent chance of being reelected.
Some of the experts have learned that lesson, but others seemingly haven’t. One new analysis from rising-star pollsters Rachel Bitecofer and Sam Epstein calculated that Trump had a 0.5% chance of winning reelection. How did they come up with that?
They used polls and demographic data to model the likelihood of Trump winning a given state. Then, as the authors state, “you can calculate the overall chance of different scenarios occurring by multiplying probabilities.”
To simplify: If Trump, in addition to his shoo-in states, needs to win Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Iowa, Florida, and Wisconsin to win, then you multiply his odds of winning each one to determine his odds of winning all of them. If each of them were a coin flip, a 50/50 state, and Trump had to win all seven of these, he would have a 1-in-128 chance of winning, according to this model.
The biggest problem with this “Multiple Coin Toss” technique, as the authors call it, is that when you are tossing a coin, each toss is independent of the others. When you are running for president, though, not each state moves independently. These days, a candidate who surges or outperforms the polls or models in Iowa is likely to surge or outperform in Ohio and Wisconsin, too.
There are two ways Trump could outperform the model in any given state, and in both cases, he’d be likely to outperform the model in multiple states.
Maybe Trump surges
Maybe Trump is doing poorly now because Main Streets are closed, people are still getting the coronavirus, and unemployment is still 8.4%. Maybe 50 days from now, Main Street will be open, unemployment will be 6.4% and falling, and coronavirus cases will be at a trickle, and a vaccine will be on the way. Maybe Trump dominates the debates, and doesn’t say or do anything horrific. Maybe the foreign policy wins keep coming.
These are not necessarily likely outcomes. Trump would have to do really good work and get lucky for this to happen.
To use a sports analogy, Trump would have to hit five straight free throws.
But the Bitecofer model thinks he has to hit five straight free throws in Texas and then five straight in Florida and so on in every swing state. He doesn’t. Texas, Florida, Wisconsin, Iowa, etc. … are all in the same arena. He's shooting the free throws for all of them at once.
If Trump surges in one place, he is extremely likely to surge in another place. Trump doesn’t have to make a comeback in every swing state. He has to make a single, national comeback that is big enough to flip most of those swing states.
Maybe the polls/models are wrong
The reason so many of us were wrong in 2016 wasn’t because we said Trump had no chance to win Florida or Pennsylvania or North Carolina or Iowa or Michigan or Wisconsin. We knew the polls could be wrong, and that they were close. But what were the odds that they were wrong enough and in the same direction in all of those states?
Well, they were. And it wasn’t chance. The state polls in 2016 made the same error in all of those states. Namely, they didn’t weight for education.
That is, pollsters don’t just turn their raw results into numbers. If they find Smith beating Jones 50% to 40% among their respondents, but if their sample was 60% female, they will tweak the results. They’ll say: Based on past results, we basically know the electorate will be 52% female, and so we will weight the females in our sample as less and the males as more. If Jones did better among men, then the final published margin might be 48% to 42%.
Well, in 2016, pollsters got too few respondents without college degrees. They didn’t think it mattered, because in past elections, educational attainment wasn’t that big of a predictor of partisan preference. But in 2016, Trump did very well among voters without college degrees, and so that undersample by the pollsters produced an error.
So if, for whatever reason that we can't ascertain ahead of time, Bitecofer’s model is off in Wisconsin, where she gives Trump a 29% chance of winning, there’s a good chance that her model is off in Iowa and Michigan for the same reasons.
To use another sports analogy, if a baseball team takes the field in the bottom of the ninth, leading by two runs, that team historically has a 92% chance of winning the game.
Bitecofer might argue that the odds of losing a two-run lead two games in a row is 8% of 8%, or less than 1%. But if the closer who blows Game 1 is Edwin Diaz, and he’s the closer in Game 2, then you realize that blowing a save in Game 1 is not independent of blowing a save in Game 2, because you have the same wrench in the machinery in both games.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-17--California Democrat says political attack ads accusing him of unpaid taxes 'are lies'

Rep. T.J. Cox , a first-term California Democrat , says a slew of new political attacks ads aimed at him are false , including a National Republican Congressional Campaign TV ad accusing him of not paying his taxes .
The ad , which dropped on Tuesday , opens with a voice-over saying , “ This is what a tax lien looks like .
Most of us have never seen one because most of us pay our taxes , but our congressman T.J. Cox has , you know , a lot of tax liens — over $ 400,000 in unpaid taxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxpayers ’ salary .
So , remember , this is what a tax lien looks like , and T.J Cox is what a tax cheat , looks like.
” Cox says his record is being distorted .
“ All they have are lies .
None of it is truth .
But as the good Lord says , 'Love those who hate you and those who attack you , ' '' Cox told the Washington Examiner .
“ As everyone knows , my tax liability is zero , '' he said .
`` There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who 's declared bankruptcy .
There 's only one candidate in this race who has stiffed all of his workers.
” Cox is also under scrutiny for claiming a $ 1 million second home in Maryland as a primary residence in 2019 , as well as having a business partnership with a woman who was prohibited by California social services from engaging in elder or child care services as a result of her own previous misconduct .
The California Democrat is in a rematch in the 21st Congressional District against former Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ district before Cox ousted him in 2018 .
The race is as intense this election cycle as it was two years ago and likely to be just as close .
“ This race is about who 's in the best position to bring healthcare to all of our citizens , '' Cox said .
`` Who is going to bring down the cost of prescription drugs ?
Who 's actually got something done on immigration ?
” As for Valadao , Cox said , “ When they had control of the House , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , particularly on the subject of water , he delivered nothing.
” He added , “ So , people know that I 'm out there in every corner of the district .
I 'm out there listening to them .
And more importantly , I 'm out there delivering for them .
I did n't come to Congress to get a participation trophy .
I came to get things done to deliver real results .
I 'm happy to say that 's exactly what we 've been doing.
” Valadao campaign manager Andrew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling the Washington Examiner in an e-mail statement : “ David is proud of his bipartisan record of accomplishment on immigration , water and health care – important issues that TJ Cox has made absolutely zero progress on during his single , scandal plagued term in Congress .
TJ has spent two years trying to hide from voters his conflict of interest in foreign mining companies , $ 175,000 in unpaid taxes and Maryland homes for tax avoidance , all while the Central Valley pays the price .
His one disgraceful term in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ article was updated with a statement from the Valadao campaign .

Rep. T.J. Cox, a first-term California Democrat, says a slew of new political attacks ads aimed at him are false, including a National Republican Congressional Campaign TV ad accusing him of not paying his taxes.
The ad, which dropped on Tuesday, opens with a voice-over saying, “This is what a tax lien looks like. Most of us have never seen one because most of us pay our taxes, but our congressman T.J. Cox has, you know, a lot of tax liens — over $400,000 in unpaid taxes despite Cox's lavish lifestyle and generous taxpayers’ salary. So, remember, this is what a tax lien looks like, and T.J Cox is what a tax cheat, looks like.”
Cox says his record is being distorted.
“All they have are lies. None of it is truth. But as the good Lord says, 'Love those who hate you and those who attack you,'" Cox told the Washington Examiner.
“As everyone knows, my tax liability is zero," he said. "There's only one candidate in this race, who's declared bankruptcy. There's only one candidate in this race who has stiffed all of his workers.”
Cox is also under scrutiny for claiming a $1 million second home in Maryland as a primary residence in 2019, as well as having a business partnership with a woman who was prohibited by California social services from engaging in elder or child care services as a result of her own previous misconduct.
The California Democrat is in a rematch in the 21st Congressional District against former Republican Rep. David Valadao, who represented the district before Cox ousted him in 2018. The race is as intense this election cycle as it was two years ago and likely to be just as close.
“This race is about who's in the best position to bring healthcare to all of our citizens," Cox said. "Who is going to bring down the cost of prescription drugs? Who's actually got something done on immigration?”
As for Valadao, Cox said, “When they had control of the House, the Senate, and the White House, particularly on the subject of water, he delivered nothing.”
He added, “So, people know that I'm out there in every corner of the district. I'm out there listening to them. And more importantly, I'm out there delivering for them. I didn't come to Congress to get a participation trophy. I came to get things done to deliver real results. I'm happy to say that's exactly what we've been doing.”
Valadao campaign manager Andrew Renteria responded to Cox's assertions, telling the Washington Examiner in an e-mail statement:
“David is proud of his bipartisan record of accomplishment on immigration, water and health care – important issues that TJ Cox has made absolutely zero progress on during his single, scandal plagued term in Congress. TJ has spent two years trying to hide from voters his conflict of interest in foreign mining companies, $175,000 in unpaid taxes and Maryland homes for tax avoidance, all while the Central Valley pays the price. His one disgraceful term in Congress will soon be over.”
*This article was updated with a statement from the Valadao campaign.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-17--Kristi Noem trip to New Hampshire fuels talk of 2024 bid

South Dakota Gov .
Kristi Noem is heading to New Hampshire next month to raise money for the state Republican Party , a trip stoking speculation that she is beginning to make preparations to run for president in 2024 .
New Hampshire typically hosts the second contest on the GOP presidential nominating calendar and the first traditional primary .
Noem , 48 , is headed there next month to headline an evening reception at a Nashua country club for the New Hampshire Republican Party , with tickets running as low as $ 35 and as high as $ 5,000 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ all sorts of swing states for President Trump , ” her spokesman , Ian Fury , said Thursday , dismissing suggestions that Noem has ulterior motives for visiting New Hampshire .
“ She ’ s one of most sought after surrogates for his campaign , and she ’ s putting the work in to make sure he gets reelected.
” Indeed , on Thursday , Noem was in Michigan , with trips to Florida and neighboring Minnesota on tap .
Noem has previously campaigned for Trump in Georgia ; Iowa , another key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; North Carolina , and Pennsylvania .
In mid-October , the governor travels to New Hampshire .
Fury described the state as simply another 2020 battleground , like others Noem has visited , where the president is in a close contest with Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
Nevertheless , some Republicans , who offered their views anonymously , see a link between her appearance in the Granite State and the 2024 primary .
Noem ’ s political star is on the rise with grassroots Republicans , who are applauding her defiant leadership amid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservative Republicans among them , implemented economic lockdowns and mandated the wearing of protective facemasks to mitigate the pandemic , Noem implemented a “ freedom first ” approach to COVID-19 in South Dakota .
Noem was elected South Dakota ’ s first female governor in 2018 after spending eight years in Congress as the state ’ s lone member of the House .
Presiding over a largely rural state with around 885,000 residents , Noem did not have the same pressures to manage coronavirus outbreaks as do governors of states that are more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But her resistance to stringent coronavirus regulations was appreciated on the Right and turned her into a Republican celebrity .
In July , she hosted Trump in South Dakota at Mount Rushmore for his speech defending American history against criticism from the Left .
In August , the governor delivered a keynote at the Republican convention .
Meanwhile , she has been traveling to swing states to stump for the president .

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is heading to New Hampshire next month to raise money for the state Republican Party, a trip stoking speculation that she is beginning to make preparations to run for president in 2024.
New Hampshire typically hosts the second contest on the GOP presidential nominating calendar and the first traditional primary. Noem, 48, is headed there next month to headline an evening reception at a Nashua country club for the New Hampshire Republican Party, with tickets running as low as $35 and as high as $5,000.
“Gov. Noem has been visiting all sorts of swing states for President Trump,” her spokesman, Ian Fury, said Thursday, dismissing suggestions that Noem has ulterior motives for visiting New Hampshire. “She’s one of most sought after surrogates for his campaign, and she’s putting the work in to make sure he gets reelected.”
Indeed, on Thursday, Noem was in Michigan, with trips to Florida and neighboring Minnesota on tap. Noem has previously campaigned for Trump in Georgia; Iowa, another key state in GOP presidential primaries; Ohio; North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. In mid-October, the governor travels to New Hampshire.
Fury described the state as simply another 2020 battleground, like others Noem has visited, where the president is in a close contest with Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Nevertheless, some Republicans, who offered their views anonymously, see a link between her appearance in the Granite State and the 2024 primary.
Noem’s political star is on the rise with grassroots Republicans, who are applauding her defiant leadership amid the coronavirus. While other governors, conservative Republicans among them, implemented economic lockdowns and mandated the wearing of protective facemasks to mitigate the pandemic, Noem implemented a “freedom first” approach to COVID-19 in South Dakota.
Noem was elected South Dakota’s first female governor in 2018 after spending eight years in Congress as the state’s lone member of the House. Presiding over a largely rural state with around 885,000 residents, Noem did not have the same pressures to manage coronavirus outbreaks as do governors of states that are more populous and include crowded, urban centers.
But her resistance to stringent coronavirus regulations was appreciated on the Right and turned her into a Republican celebrity. In July, she hosted Trump in South Dakota at Mount Rushmore for his speech defending American history against criticism from the Left. In August, the governor delivered a keynote at the Republican convention. Meanwhile, she has been traveling to swing states to stump for the president.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-17--Suspect arrested in lethal shooting of staff member working for Ilhan Omar's Republican opponent

A suspect was arrested after the Monday shooting death of a 17-year-old staffer working for Rep. Ilhan Omar ’ s Republican opponent , Lacy Johnson .
“ Today , we are shocked and saddened to learn of this senseless act of violence .
It is shocking and unnecessary acts of violence like this that prove why change is more needed than ever in our community , ” Johnson in a statement on Monday .
A suspect was in connection with the shooting after a police pursuit on Thursday morning , according to the Minneapolis Police Department .
The 17-year-old staffer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convenience store Monday when a gunman opened fire on them .
Both people were rushed to the hospital , where the teenager was pronounced dead .
The other man is expected to recover from his injuries .
Neither the police nor Johnson believe the shooting was connected to the campaign .
in the city following the death of George Floyd when he was in police custody in May , which also sparked protests all over the country .
The Minnesota city has in 2020 than it did in all of 2019 .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department .
The plan called for the police to be replaced with a “ Department of Community Safety , '' but it was delayed in August when the Minneapolis Charter Commission voted to take more time to review the plan .

A suspect was arrested after the Monday shooting death of a 17-year-old staffer working for Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Republican opponent, Lacy Johnson.
“Today, we are shocked and saddened to learn of this senseless act of violence. It is shocking and unnecessary acts of violence like this that prove why change is more needed than ever in our community,” Johnson said in a statement on Monday.
A suspect was arrested in connection with the shooting after a police pursuit on Thursday morning, according to the Minneapolis Police Department.
The 17-year-old staffer and another man were outside of a convenience store Monday when a gunman opened fire on them. Both people were rushed to the hospital, where the teenager was pronounced dead. The other man is expected to recover from his injuries.
Neither the police nor Johnson believe the shooting was connected to the campaign.
Violence and crime have skyrocketed in the city following the death of George Floyd when he was in police custody in May, which also sparked protests all over the country . The Minnesota city has recorded more homicides in 2020 than it did in all of 2019.
The Minneapolis City Council also voted unanimously in June to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department. The plan called for the police to be replaced with a “Department of Community Safety," but it was delayed in August when the Minneapolis Charter Commission voted to take more time to review the plan.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-17--Democrats seek to flip open Texas district with Afro Latina Candace Valenzuela as Republican Beth Va

Democrats seek to flip open Texas district with Afro Latina Candace Valenzuela as Republican Beth Van Duyne warns against socialism

Democrats chose a historic candidate in Candace Valenzuela , an Afro Latino leftist , in their bid to flip another House seat in Texas ’ s 24th Congressional District and keep or widen their House majority .
Valenzuela , a school board trustee , will face Republican Beth Van Duyne , the former three-term mayor of Irving .
Valenzuela ’ s embrace by the far left of the Democratic wing has empowered Van Duyne to run on a message cautioning about Democrats trending toward socialism .
Van Duyne gained a bit of national attention during her mayoral term for pushing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' laws that state that foreign codes , such as sharia law , can not supersede U.S. laws .
The move came after a 2015 Breitbart article that reported on a makeshift sharia court in her city .
In contrast to Van Duyne , a longtime figure in Republican politics , Valenzuela is a political outsider who connects with voters by telling her story , detailing temporary homelessness at age 3 when her mother fled an abusive situation and a car accident that left her with chronic back problems and medical debt .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Force veteran Kim Olson , an early favorite among the Democratic establishment who seemed like a tailor-made candidate recruit .
But Olson missteps and national left-wing support for Valenzuela late in a primary runoff , including endorsements from Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren , EMILY ’ s List , and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee , pushed her to victory .
Texas ’ s 24th District encompasses much of the suburban area between Fort Worth and Dallas .
Republican Rep. Kenny Marchant has held the seat since 2005 , but he is retiring at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s retirement comes following signs that the district is trending blue .
He won reelection by just 3 points in 2018 , while Democratic Senate candidate Beto O ’ Rourke narrowly carried that district that year despite losing that race .
But Republicans have high hopes of keeping the district .
President Trump won the district by 6 points in 2018 .

Democrats chose a historic candidate in Candace Valenzuela, an Afro Latino leftist, in their bid to flip another House seat in Texas’s 24th Congressional District and keep or widen their House majority.
Valenzuela, a school board trustee, will face Republican Beth Van Duyne, the former three-term mayor of Irving.
Valenzuela’s embrace by the far left of the Democratic wing has empowered Van Duyne to run on a message cautioning about Democrats trending toward socialism.
Van Duyne gained a bit of national attention during her mayoral term for pushing the state legislature to adopt "anti-sharia" laws that state that foreign codes, such as sharia law, cannot supersede U.S. laws. The move came after a 2015 Breitbart article that reported on a makeshift sharia court in her city.
In contrast to Van Duyne, a longtime figure in Republican politics, Valenzuela is a political outsider who connects with voters by telling her story, detailing temporary homelessness at age 3 when her mother fled an abusive situation and a car accident that left her with chronic back problems and medical debt.
In the primary, Valenzuela faced Air Force veteran Kim Olson, an early favorite among the Democratic establishment who seemed like a tailor-made candidate recruit. But Olson missteps and national left-wing support for Valenzuela late in a primary runoff, including endorsements from Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, EMILY’s List, and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, pushed her to victory.
Texas’s 24th District encompasses much of the suburban area between Fort Worth and Dallas. Republican Rep. Kenny Marchant has held the seat since 2005, but he is retiring at the end of his term.
Marchant’s retirement comes following signs that the district is trending blue. He won reelection by just 3 points in 2018, while Democratic Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke narrowly carried that district that year despite losing that race.
But Republicans have high hopes of keeping the district. President Trump won the district by 6 points in 2018.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-17--Republicans hope rematch election will take back southern New Mexico district flipped in blue wave

Freshman Democratic Rep. Xochitl Torres Small flipped the southernmost New Mexico congressional district in a close open election in 2018 ’ s blue wave .
Now , the seat is back in play , and she faces a rematch against former state Rep. Yvette Herrell , the Republican challenger .
Torres Small won over Herrell in 2018 by 3,700 votes , accounting for less than 2 % of the vote .
The seat is a prime target for Republicans , who argue that the race was taken from them in 2018 after absentee ballots counted after election night tipped the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
President Trump won the district by a 10-point margin in 2016 .
The rural 2nd Congressional District , which stretches across the southern half of the state from Arizona to Texas state borders , was held by Republican Steve Pearce for nearly two decades before he vacated the seat to run unsuccessfully for governor in 2018 .
The race has already attracted attention from national political groups using unusual tactics .
Liberal PACs Patriot Majority and EMILY ’ s List spent on ads during the Republican primary that attacked Herrell as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pundits thought was intended to boost her chances against failed primary candidate Claire Chase because national Republicans thought Herrell might be easier for Torres Small to beat .
Republicans are hoping to win the race against one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the House by energizing their base .
Herrell ’ s focuses largely on conservative values , touting positions like cutting regulations and being pro-life .
Torres Small , meanwhile , as a House member who “ stood up to my party and urged leadership to pass the United States Mexico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an area that experienced an oil boom in the last few years , she has resisted the left-wing of the party by opposing a fracking ban and a “ Green New Deal.
” Early showed that the race is tight , and election raters like the Cook Political Report rate the district a toss-up .

Freshman Democratic Rep. Xochitl Torres Small flipped the southernmost New Mexico congressional district in a close open election in 2018’s blue wave.
Now, the seat is back in play, and she faces a rematch against former state Rep. Yvette Herrell, the Republican challenger.
Torres Small won over Herrell in 2018 by 3,700 votes, accounting for less than 2% of the vote.
The seat is a prime target for Republicans, who argue that the race was taken from them in 2018 after absentee ballots counted after election night tipped the razor-thin election in favor of Torres Small.
President Trump won the district by a 10-point margin in 2016. The rural 2nd Congressional District, which stretches across the southern half of the state from Arizona to Texas state borders, was held by Republican Steve Pearce for nearly two decades before he vacated the seat to run unsuccessfully for governor in 2018.
The race has already attracted attention from national political groups using unusual tactics.
Liberal PACs Patriot Majority and EMILY’s List spent tens of thousands of dollars on ads during the Republican primary that attacked Herrell as a Trump loyalist — a sneaky move that pundits thought was intended to boost her chances against failed primary candidate Claire Chase because national Republicans thought Herrell might be easier for Torres Small to beat.
Republicans are hoping to win the race against one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the House by energizing their base. Herrell’s platform focuses largely on conservative values, touting positions like cutting regulations and being pro-life.
Torres Small, meanwhile, paints herself as a House member who “stood up to my party and urged leadership to pass the United States Mexico Canada Agreement.” As a representative of an area that experienced an oil boom in the last few years, she has resisted the left-wing of the party by opposing a fracking ban and a “Green New Deal.”


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-17--Trump fights to prove 2016 Michigan win not a fluke

President Trump turned Michigan red four years ago and is battling to prove that his victory over Hillary Clinton was more than a single-election setback for the Democratic Party .
Democratic nominee Joe Biden is giving Trump stiffer competition than Clinton and holds broader appeal than she did atop the party .
The former vice president is more likable and receives higher marks on the all-important “ honest and trustworthy ” and “ cares about people like me ” metrics that voters consider when deciding whom to vote for .
Those advantages , plus Trump 's approval ratings for his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ erosion of support in the suburbs , have combined to put Biden ahead by 4.2 percentage points in mid-September , according to the RealClearPolitics average .
In 2016 , Trump won Michigan by just 10,704 votes , becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to capture the Midwestern battleground since 1988 .
In midterm elections two years later , amid a booming economy , voters there rebuked the president over concerns about his rhetoric and temperament , delivering the governor ’ s mansion and two traditionally Republican House seats near Detroit to the Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year .
But Trump is facing certain obstacles that he was not hindered by in 2016 .
For starters , Biden is paying closer attention .
Four years ago , Clinton did not visit Michigan until the final weeks of the campaign , when polls showed the state breaking late for the Republican nominee .
She treated Michigan as though it were part of an unbreakable blue wall that would protect her path to an Electoral College victory and effectively ceded the state to Trump , who returned over and over for his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the recession it spawned , both of which hit Michigan hard , are taking a toll on Trump ’ s standing and providing Biden with an opportunity to cut into the president ’ s turf with key voting blocs : suburban voters , especially women , and blue collar voters that are part of his base .
But Trump also holds advantages , evident in recent polls showing a closer presidential contest and tightening race for the Senate between charismatic Republican challenger John James and Democratic incumbent Gary Peters , whose big lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers on the economy remain positive and are among the few important aspects of his job on which voters tend to rate him more favorably than Biden .
And Trump ’ s relationship with working-class white voters and Michiganders who live in the outer suburbs and rural communities is holding strong , bolstered by a consistent record on trade that appeals to rank-and-file union members .
The Trump campaign is fielding an aggressive voter turnout effort that has been entrenched in the state for more than a year , an operational advantage over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dividends down the road .
The former vice president had to fight through a contentious primary that did not end until the spring and then was forced to ramp up in the middle of a pandemic .
Biden is trying to make up for lingering disparities on the ground by outspending Trump on television and digital platforms in Michigan , which he is able to do because he outraised the president by more than $ 150 million in August .

President Trump turned Michigan red four years ago and is battling to prove that his victory over Hillary Clinton was more than a single-election setback for the Democratic Party.
Democratic nominee Joe Biden is giving Trump stiffer competition than Clinton and holds broader appeal than she did atop the party. The former vice president is more likable and receives higher marks on the all-important “honest and trustworthy” and “cares about people like me” metrics that voters consider when deciding whom to vote for.
Those advantages, plus Trump's approval ratings for his handling of the coronavirus and a preexisting erosion of support in the suburbs, have combined to put Biden ahead by 4.2 percentage points in mid-September, according to the RealClearPolitics average.
In 2016, Trump won Michigan by just 10,704 votes, becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to capture the Midwestern battleground since 1988. In midterm elections two years later, amid a booming economy, voters there rebuked the president over concerns about his rhetoric and temperament, delivering the governor’s mansion and two traditionally Republican House seats near Detroit to the Democrats.
Michigan is closely contested again this year. But Trump is facing certain obstacles that he was not hindered by in 2016.
For starters, Biden is paying closer attention. Four years ago, Clinton did not visit Michigan until the final weeks of the campaign, when polls showed the state breaking late for the Republican nominee. She treated Michigan as though it were part of an unbreakable blue wall that would protect her path to an Electoral College victory and effectively ceded the state to Trump, who returned over and over for his signature stadium-style rallies.
The pandemic and the recession it spawned, both of which hit Michigan hard, are taking a toll on Trump’s standing and providing Biden with an opportunity to cut into the president’s turf with key voting blocs: suburban voters, especially women, and blue collar voters that are part of his base.
But Trump also holds advantages, evident in recent polls showing a closer presidential contest and tightening race for the Senate between charismatic Republican challenger John James and Democratic incumbent Gary Peters, whose big lead has evaporated. Trump’s approval numbers on the economy remain positive and are among the few important aspects of his job on which voters tend to rate him more favorably than Biden.
And Trump’s relationship with working-class white voters and Michiganders who live in the outer suburbs and rural communities is holding strong, bolstered by a consistent record on trade that appeals to rank-and-file union members. The Trump campaign is fielding an aggressive voter turnout effort that has been entrenched in the state for more than a year, an operational advantage over Biden that Republicans are convinced will pay dividends down the road.
The former vice president had to fight through a contentious primary that did not end until the spring and then was forced to ramp up in the middle of a pandemic. Biden is trying to make up for lingering disparities on the ground by outspending Trump on television and digital platforms in Michigan, which he is able to do because he outraised the president by more than $150 million in August.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-17--Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker opposite Pence in debate preparation: Report

Former Wisconsin Gov .
Scott Walker is apparently assisting Vice President Mike Pence with preparations for his upcoming debate with @ @ @ @ @ told the Washington Post in a report Thursday that Walker , who ran a brief @ @ @ @ @ nomination in the 2016 contest , has been serving as Pence 's opponent in practice @ @ @ @ @ for Harris .
Walker declined to comment on the matter or confirm if he was @ @ @ @ @ the outlet .
The debate is scheduled to take place on Oct. 7 in Salt @ @ @ @ @ 's Susan Page will be the moderator .
Walker assisted Pence in his 2016 debate @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Tim Kaine , who was Hillary Clinton 's running mate .
Although Walker is @ @ @ @ @ , he has not retired from the public eye or conservative politics .
He is @ @ @ @ @ America 's Foundation .

Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is apparently assisting Vice President Mike Pence with preparations for his upcoming debate with Sen. Kamala Harris.
Sources told the Washington Post in a report Thursday that Walker, who ran a brief campaign for the GOP presidential nomination in the 2016 contest, has been serving as Pence's opponent in practice sessions, effectively standing in for Harris.
Walker declined to comment on the matter or confirm if he was helping Pence when contacted by the outlet.
The debate is scheduled to take place on Oct. 7 in Salt Lake City. USA Today's Susan Page will be the moderator.
Walker assisted Pence in his 2016 debate prep, standing in for Sen. Tim Kaine, who was Hillary Clinton's running mate.
Although Walker is no longer in public office, he has not retired from the public eye or conservative politics. He is the president-elect of the Young America's Foundation.


thewashingtonexaminer--2020-09-18--Senior Biden campaign cybersecurity expert participated in racist internet troll group

A senior cybersecurity adviser to Joe Biden ’ s presidential campaign spent years affiliating with a hacking organization and boasted on a personal blog about breaking into her neighbor 's computers .
Jackie Singh , who joined the Biden campaign in July as a senior cyber incident responder and threat analyst , was an affiliate of the hacking organization the Gay N -- -- - Association of America , once headed by white nationalist Andrew Auernheimer .
Logs obtained by the Washington Examiner from various Internet Relay Chat rooms , a messaging platform dating back to the 1980s which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a contributor to a toxic culture of overt racism .
In August , Singh wrote on Twitter that her role with the Biden campaign focused on `` working tirelessly to ensure the digital safety of this campaign . ''
From 2009 to 2016 , Singh , under the username `` jax , '' routinely spammed advertising for the GNAA , which relied upon shock messaging to attract members , in IRC channels .
Screenshots show that Singh used the same handle , `` jax.
, '' on Stickam , a defunct streaming platform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a picture of Singh 's background raises questions about the vetting process of the Biden campaign in its hiring process , seven weeks before the Democratic nominee faces President Trump for the keys to the White House .
“ People who are well respected , don ’ t come from trolling or hacking groups .
There ’ s been a culture shift there .
Companies don ’ t want to hire people with sketchy backgrounds , '' said Gene Spafford , a leading cybersecurity expert and Purdue University computer science professor .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There are insider threat problems . ''
The GNAA , described by the Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium as an `` extremist right wing terrorist group , '' has claimed responsibility for a variety of attacks on webpages and businesses , including on then-candidate Barack Obama 's 2008 presidential campaign page , and vandalizing the Wikipedia pages for Hillary and Bill Clinton in 2016 .
Most of the chat logs obtained by the Washington Examiner come from the # 2600 IRC channel , a popular hangout for hackers and those interested in cybersecurity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ described the channel as a `` highly active hacker community which quarterly publishes hacker magazines , organizes monthly hacker meetings , and regularly provides a forum for hacking knowledge dissemination , hacker events , computer underground organization , etc . ''
Throughout the logs seen by the Washington Examiner , Singh repeatedly uses racial slurs and off-color jokes in conversation with other members .
In one instance , she expresses frustration that the use of the N-word had been banned from the IRC channel .
Other times , Singh justifies the use of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recruiters .
Archived tweets from Singh 's personal account show her interacting with Auernheimer in 2015 .
Tweets from October 2015 show Singh referring to the two of them as `` friends . ''
Auernheimer , who reportedly lives in Eastern Europe , is an avowed white nationalist who sports a swastika tattoo on his chest .
In 2017 , he worked as the webmaster for the neo-Nazi website , the Daily Stormer .
Following the 2019 El Paso Walmart shooting by a white supremacist that left 22 dead , Auernheimer wrote that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the cause , because we need to convince Americans that violence against nonwhites is desirable or at least not something worth opposing . ''
In the # 2600 chat , Singh would often link to tweets from her personal account boasting about how she would troll politicians such as former Florida Gov .
and 2016 Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush .
Photos provided to the Washington Examiner show Singh in 2018 at a # telephreak party , a phone-based hacking collective affiliated with # 2600 .
Other photos showed Singh at events with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the IRC channel , Singh briefly maintained a personal LiveJournal blog under the pseudonym `` jax0m , '' where she discussed issues with her first marriage and frustrations in the workplace .
The blog has since been deleted , but an archive remains viewable on the WayBack Machine .
In a post dated Jan. 12 , 2005 , Singh boasts about hacking into the laptop of her neighbor , a purported Halliburton employee , and describing the victim with homophobic slurs .
The Washington Examiner asked the Biden campaign about Singh 's history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the contents of her blog and her public interactions with Auernheimer .
Despite repeated outreach for comment , the Biden campaign would not speak to the issue on the record but did provide a statement from Singh .
`` These accusations are categorically untrue and the words falsely attributed to me are anathema to the values I 've embraced and championed in my life , '' she said .
`` I 've never been a member of that group , and the chat logs have been faked and promoted by individuals as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Singh did not offer comment on her personal blog , which experts say would be nearly impossible to falsify , her public interactions with Auernheimer on Twitter , or multiple pictures over the years of her at social gatherings with # 2600 members in subsequent questions .
The Washington Examiner also asked Singh how she could be certain the IRC transcripts were falsified when their tone matched conversations she shared on her own blog ; its existence she never denied .
Singh also did not offer comment on whether she knew @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fact that he had written racist screeds on far-right websites a year prior to their last interaction on Twitter .
The Washington Examiner never accused Singh of being a member of the GNAA , only that she regularly interacted with and occupied chatrooms where the group congregated .
Five different # 2600 affiliates testified to the veracity of the IRC logs .
According to Singh ’ s LinkedIn page , earlier in her career , she was a VSAT and network engineer for the defense contracting firm M.C .
Dean , based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ governmental consulting roles were overseas , ranging from stints in Iraq to Djibouti .
Singh returned stateside in 2013 to work as an information assurance security engineer for the government contracting firm Science Applications International Corporation .
She followed that with roles with the Alexandria , Virginia-based cybersecurity firm Mandiant and then at Spyglass Security , an information security advisory firm she founded in 2018 .
As the CEO of Spyglass Security , Singh was often quoted in articles about cybersecurity by outlets , including the Wall Street Journal or NBC .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ herself as having `` 15 years of global technical experience '' and offers guidance on `` an organization 's ability to more quickly and effectively detect , respond , and contain targeted attacks . ''
Spafford , of Purdue University , said Singh ’ s racially charged posts should have made her untouchable for a presidential campaign .
`` Normally or traditionally hired into a sensitive area , they 're going to have to pass a background check .
They have to very possibly get a security clearance with a polygraph , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ background check , '' said Spafford .
`` Somebody who shows up with red flags would not be allowed to occupy a position of sensitivity . ''
`` To me , the first question is that if this person is working in a security role , they should have had a background check of sorts , '' she said .
`` I think the campaigns , generally speaking , are very relaxed .
It ’ s shocking to me , the campaigns have many lapses in security . ''

A senior cybersecurity adviser to Joe Biden’s presidential campaign spent years affiliating with a hacking organization and boasted on a personal blog about breaking into her neighbor's computers.
Jackie Singh, who joined the Biden campaign in July as a senior cyber incident responder and threat analyst, was an affiliate of the hacking organization the Gay N----- Association of America, once headed by white nationalist Andrew Auernheimer.
Logs obtained by the Washington Examiner from various Internet Relay Chat rooms, a messaging platform dating back to the 1980s that is popular with hackers, show Singh to be a contributor to a toxic culture of overt racism. In August, Singh wrote on Twitter that her role with the Biden campaign focused on "working tirelessly to ensure the digital safety of this campaign."
From 2009 to 2016, Singh, under the username "jax," routinely spammed advertising for the GNAA, which relied upon shock messaging to attract members, in IRC channels. Screenshots show that Singh used the same handle, "jax," on Stickam, a defunct streaming platform popular in the mid-2000s.
Evidence providing a picture of Singh's background raises questions about the vetting process of the Biden campaign in its hiring, seven weeks before the Democratic nominee faces President Trump for the keys to the White House.
“People who are well respected don’t come from trolling or hacking groups. There’s been a culture shift there. Companies don’t want to hire people with sketchy backgrounds," said Gene Spafford, a leading cybersecurity expert and Purdue University computer science professor. "They want people who are trustworthy. There are insider threat problems."
The GNAA, described by the Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium as an "extremist right wing terrorist group," has claimed responsibility for a variety of attacks on webpages and businesses, including on then-candidate Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign page, and vandalizing the Wikipedia pages for Hillary and Bill Clinton in 2016.
Most of the chat logs obtained by the Washington Examiner come from the #2600 IRC channel, a popular hangout for hackers and those interested in cybersecurity. A 2017 University of Arizona study described the channel as a "highly active hacker community which quarterly publishes hacker magazines, organizes monthly hacker meetings, and regularly provides a forum for hacking knowledge dissemination, hacker events, computer underground organization, etc."
Throughout the logs seen by the Washington Examiner, Singh repeatedly uses racial slurs and off-color jokes in conversation with other members. In one instance, she expresses frustration that the use of the N-word had been banned from the IRC channel. Other times, Singh justifies the use of the word, recounting frustrations with job recruiters.
Archived tweets from Singh's personal account show her interacting with Auernheimer in 2015. Tweets from October 2015 show Singh referring to the two of them as "friends."
Auernheimer, who reportedly lives in Eastern Europe, is an avowed white nationalist who sports a swastika tattoo on his chest. In 2017, he worked as the webmaster for the neo-Nazi website the Daily Stormer. Following the 2019 El Paso Walmart shooting by a white supremacist that left 22 dead, Auernheimer wrote that “random violence is not detrimental to the cause, because we need to convince Americans that violence against nonwhites is desirable or at least not something worth opposing."
In the #2600 chat, Singh would often link to tweets from her personal account boasting about how she would troll politicians such as former Florida Gov. and 2016 Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush. Photos provided to the Washington Examiner show Singh in 2018 at a #telephreak party, a phone-based hacking collective affiliated with #2600. Other photos showed Singh at events with other #2600 members.
Outside of the IRC channel, Singh briefly maintained a personal LiveJournal blog under the pseudonym "jax0m," in which she discussed issues with her first marriage and frustrations in the workplace. The blog has since been deleted, but an archive remains viewable on the WayBack Machine. In a post dated Jan. 12, 2005, Singh boasts about hacking into the laptop of her neighbor, a purported Halliburton employee, and describing the victim with homophobic slurs.
The Washington Examiner asked the Biden campaign about Singh's history in the IRC chat, as well as the contents of her blog and her public interactions with Auernheimer. Despite repeated outreach for comment, the Biden campaign would not speak to the issue on the record but did provide a statement from Singh.
"These accusations are categorically untrue and the words falsely attributed to me are anathema to the values I've embraced and championed in my life," she said. "I've never been a member of that group, and the chat logs have been faked and promoted by individuals as part of an ongoing online harassment campaign."
Singh did not offer comment on her personal blog, which experts say would be nearly impossible to falsify, her public interactions with Auernheimer on Twitter, or multiple pictures over the years of her at social gatherings with #2600 members in subsequent questions. The Washington Examiner also asked Singh how she could be certain the IRC transcripts were falsified when their tone matched conversations she shared on her own blog, its existence she never denied. Singh also did not offer comment on whether she knew Auernheimer was a white nationalist, despite the fact that he had written racist screeds on far-right websites a year prior to their last interaction on Twitter.
The Washington Examiner never accused Singh of being a member of the GNAA, only that she regularly interacted with and occupied chatrooms in which the group congregated. Five different #2600 affiliates testified to the veracity of the IRC logs.
According to Singh’s LinkedIn page, earlier in her career, she was a VSAT and network engineer for the defense contracting firm M.C. Dean, based out of Balad, Iraq. Most governmental consulting roles were overseas, ranging from stints in Iraq to Djibouti.
Singh returned stateside in 2013 to work as an information assurance security engineer for the government contracting firm Science Applications International Corporation. She followed that with roles with the Alexandria, Virginia-based cybersecurity firm Mandiant and then at Spyglass Security, an information security advisory firm she founded in 2018.
As the CEO of Spyglass Security, Singh was often quoted in articles about cybersecurity by outlets including the Wall Street Journal and NBC. On the firm's website, Singh bills herself as having "15 years of global technical experience" and offers guidance on "an organization's ability to more quickly and effectively detect, respond, and contain targeted attacks."
Spafford, of Purdue University, said Singh’s racially charged posts should have made her untouchable for a presidential campaign.
"Normally or traditionally hired into a sensitive area, they're going to have to pass a background check. They have to very possibly get a security clearance with a polygraph. The FBI is going to do an extensive background check," said Spafford. "Somebody who shows up with red flags would not be allowed to occupy a position of sensitivity."
Cybersecurity expert Harri Hursti agreed.
"To me, the first question is that if this person is working in a security role, they should have had a background check of sorts," she said. "I think the campaigns, generally speaking, are very relaxed. It’s shocking to me, the campaigns have many lapses in security."