cnbc--2020-08-19--Barack Obama will slam the president at the DNC: 'Donald Trump hasn't grown into the job because he

Barack Obama will slam the president at the DNC: 'Donald Trump hasn't grown into the job because he can't'

Former U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during a campaign rally for Richard Cordray , Democratic nominee for governor of Ohio , in Cleveland , Ohio , U.S. , on Thursday , Sept. 13 , 2018 .
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will deliver a searing critique of his successor , President Donald Trump , during his keynote address Wednesday night at the virtual Democratic National Convention .
Obama will be speaking live from Philadelphia , where he will also describe why his former vice president , Joe Biden , is the right man for the White House .
The Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ request for comment on Obama 's remarks from CNBC .
Below are excerpts of Obama 's speech , which were released on Wednesday afternoon : '' I have sat in the Oval Office with both of the men who are running for president .
I never expected that my successor would embrace my vision or continue my policies .
I did hope , for the sake of our country , that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously ; that he might come to feel the weight of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ democracy that had been placed in his care .
`` But he never did .
He 's shown no interest in putting in the work ; no interest in finding common ground ; no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends ; no interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves .
`` Donald Trump has n't grown into the job because he ca n't .
And the consequences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans dead .
Millions of jobs gone .
Our worst impulses unleashed , our proud reputation around the world badly diminished , and our democratic institutions threatened like never before .
`` I 'm well aware that in times as polarized as these , most of you have already made up your mind .
But maybe you 're still not sure which candidate you 'll vote for – or whether you 'll vote at all .
Maybe you 're tired of the direction we 're headed , but you ca n't yet see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do n't know enough about the person who wants to lead us there .
`` So let me tell you about my friend Joe Biden .
`` Twelve years ago , when I began my search for a vice president , I did n't know I 'd end up finding a brother .
Joe and I came from different places and different generations .
But what I quickly came to admire about him is his resilience , born of too much struggle ; his empathy , born of too much grief .
Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to treat every person he meets with respect and dignity , living by the words his parents taught him : 'No one 's better than you , but you 're better than nobody . '
'' `` Over eight years , Joe was the last one in the room whenever I faced a big decision .
He made me a better president .
He 's got the character and the experience to make us a better country . ''
`` Tonight , I am asking you to believe in Joe and Kamala 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dark times and build it back better .
But here 's the thing : no single American can fix this country alone .
Democracy was never meant to be transactional – you give me your vote ; I make everything better .
So I am also asking you to believe in your own ability – to embrace your own responsibility as citizens – to make sure that the basic tenets of our democracy endure .
Because that 's what at stake right now .
Our democracy . ''

WASHINGTON — Former President Barack Obama delivered a searing critique of his successor, President Donald Trump, during his keynote address Wednesday night at the virtual Democratic National Convention.
Obama spoke live from Philadelphia, where he described why he thinks his former vice president, Joe Biden, is the right man for the White House.
Asked to respond to excerpts of Obama's criticism Wednesday, Trump told reporters, "President Obama did not do a good job. ... The reason I'm here is because of President Obama and Joe Biden. Because if they did a good job, I wouldn't be here."
Below are Obama's full remarks:
"Good evening, everybody. As you've seen by now, this isn't a normal convention. It's not a normal time. So tonight, I want to talk as plainly as I can about the stakes in this election. Because what we do these next 76 days will echo through generations to come.
"I'm in Philadelphia, where our Constitution was drafted and signed. It wasn't a perfect document. It allowed for the inhumanity of slavery and failed to guarantee women – and even men who didn't own property – the right to participate in the political process. But embedded in this document was a North Star that would guide future generations; a system of representative government – a democracy – through which we could better realize our highest ideals. Through civil war and bitter struggles, we improved this Constitution to include the voices of those who'd once been left out. And gradually, we made this country more just, more equal, and more free.
"The one Constitutional office elected by all of the people is the presidency. So at minimum, we should expect a president to feel a sense of responsibility for the safety and welfare of all 330 million of us – regardless of what we look like, how we worship, who we love, how much money we have – or who we voted for.
"But we should also expect a president to be the custodian of this democracy. We should expect that regardless of ego, ambition, or political beliefs, the president will preserve, protect, and defend the freedoms and ideals that so many Americans marched for and went to jail for; fought for and died for.
"I have sat in the Oval Office with both of the men who are running for president. I never expected that my successor would embrace my vision or continue my policies. I did hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously; that he might come to feel the weight of the office and discover some reverence for the democracy that had been placed in his care.
"But he never did. For close to four years now, he's shown no interest in putting in the work; no interest in finding common ground; no interest in using the awesome power of his office to help anyone but himself and his friends; no interest in treating the presidency as anything but one more reality show that he can use to get the attention he craves.
"Donald Trump hasn't grown into the job because he can't. And the consequences of that failure are severe. 170,000 Americans dead. Millions of jobs gone while those at the top take in more than ever. Our worst impulses unleashed, our proud reputation around the world badly diminished, and our democratic institutions threatened like never before.
"Now, I know that in times as polarized as these, most of you have already made up your mind. But maybe you're still not sure which candidate you'll vote for – or whether you'll vote at all. Maybe you're tired of the direction we're headed, but you can't see a better path yet, or you just don't know enough about the person who wants to lead us there.
"So let me tell you about my friend Joe Biden.
"Twelve years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I didn't know I'd end up finding a brother. Joe and I came from different places and different generations. But what I quickly came to admire about him is his resilience, born of too much struggle; his empathy, born of too much grief. Joe's a man who learned – early on – to treat every person he meets with respect and dignity, living by the words his parents taught him: "No one's better than you, Joe, but you're better than nobody."
"That empathy, that decency, the belief that everybody counts – that's who Joe is.
"When he talks with someone who's lost her job, Joe remembers the night his father sat him down to say that he'd lost his. When Joe listens to a parent who's trying to hold it all together right now, he does it as the single dad who took the train back to Wilmington each and every night so he could tuck his kids into bed. When he meets with military families who've lost their hero, he does it as a kindred spirit; the parent of an American soldier; somebody whose faith has endured the hardest loss there is.
"For eight years, Joe was the last one in the room whenever I faced a big decision. He made me a better president – and he's got the character and the experience to make us a better country.
"And in my friend Kamala Harris, he's chosen an ideal partner who's more than prepared for the job; someone who knows what it's like to overcome barriers and who's made a career fighting to help others live out their own American dream.
"Along with the experience needed to get things done, Joe and Kamala have concrete policies that will turn their vision of a better, fairer, stronger country into reality.
"They'll get this pandemic under control, like Joe did when he helped me manage H1N1 and prevent an Ebola outbreak from reaching our shores. They'll expand health care to more Americans, like Joe and I did 10 years ago when he helped craft the Affordable Care Act and nail down the votes to make it the law. They'll rescue the economy, like Joe helped me do after the Great Recession. I asked him to manage the Recovery Act, which jump-started the longest stretch of job growth in history.
"And he sees this moment now not as a chance to get back to where we were, but to make long-overdue changes so that our economy actually makes life a little easier for everybody – whether it's the waitress trying to raise a kid on her own, or the shift worker always on the edge of getting laid off, or the student figuring out how to pay for next semester's classes.
"Joe and Kamala will restore our standing in the world – and as we've learned from this pandemic, that matters. Joe knows the world, and the world knows him. He knows that our true strength comes from setting an example the world wants to follow. A nation that stands with democracy, not dictators. A nation that can inspire and mobilize others to overcome threats like climate change, terrorism, poverty, and disease.
"But more than anything, what I know about Joe and Kamala is that they actually care about every American. And they care deeply about this democracy.
"They believe that in a democracy, the right to vote is sacred, and we should be making it easier for people to cast their ballot, not harder. They believe that no one – including the president – is above the law, and that no public official – including the president – should use their office to enrich themselves or their supporters.
"They understand that in this democracy, the commander-in-chief doesn't use the men and women of our military, who are willing to risk everything to protect our nation, as political props to deploy against peaceful protesters on our own soil. They understand that political opponents aren't "un-American" just because they disagree with you; that a free press isn't the 'enemy' but the way we hold officials accountable; that our ability to work together to solve big problems like a pandemic depends on a fidelity to facts and science and logic and not just making stuff up.
"None of this should be controversial. These shouldn't be Republican principles or Democratic principles. They are American principles. But at this moment, this president and those who enable him, have shown they don't believe in these things.
"Tonight, I am asking you to believe in Joe and Kamala's ability to lead this country out of these dark times and build it back better. But here's the thing: No single American can fix this country alone. Not even a president. Democracy was never meant to be transactional – you give me your vote; I make everything better. It requires an active and informed citizenry. So I am also asking you to believe in your own ability – to embrace your own responsibility as citizens – to make sure that the basic tenets of our democracy endure.
"Because that's what at stake right now. Our democracy.
"Look, I understand why a lot of Americans are down on government. The way the rules have been set up and abused in Congress make it easier for special interests to stop progress than to make progress. Believe me, I know. I understand why a White factory worker who's seen his wages cut or his job shipped overseas might feel like the government no longer looks out for him, and why a Black mom might feel like it never looked out for her at all. I understand why a new immigrant might look around this country and wonder whether there's still a place for him here; why a young person might look at politics right now, the circus of it all, the meanness and the lies and conspiracy theories and think, what's the point?
"Well, here's the point: this president and those in power – those who benefit from keeping things the way they are – they are counting on your cynicism. They know they can't win you over with their policies. So they're hoping to make it as hard as possible for you to vote, and to convince you that your vote doesn't matter. That's how they win. That's how they get to keep making decisions that affect your life, and the lives of the people you love. That's how the economy will keep getting skewed to the wealthy and well-connected, how our health systems will let more people fall through the cracks. That's how a democracy withers, until it's no democracy at all.
"And we cannot let that happen. Do not let them take away your power. Do not let them take away your democracy. Make a plan right now for how you're going to get involved and vote. Do it as early as you can and tell your family and friends how they can vote too. Do what Americans have done for over two centuries when faced with even tougher times than this – all those quiet heroes who found the courage to keep marching, keep pushing in the face of hardship and injustice.
"Last month, we lost a giant of American democracy in John Lewis. Some years ago, I sat down with John and the few remaining leaders of the early civil rights movement. One of them told me he never imagined he'd walk into the White House and see a president who looked like his grandson. Then he told me that he'd looked it up, and it turned out that on the very day that I was born, he was marching into a jail cell, trying to end Jim Crow segregation in the South.
"What we do echoes through the generations.
"Whatever our backgrounds, we're all the children of Americans who fought the good fight. Great grandparents working in firetraps and sweatshops without rights or representation. Farmers losing their dreams to dust. Irish and Italians and Asians and Latinos told to go back where you came from. Jews and Catholics, Muslims and Sikhs, made to feel suspect for the way they worshipped. Black Americans chained and whipped and hanged. Spit on for trying to sit at lunch counters. Beaten for trying to vote.
"If anyone had a right to believe that this democracy did not work, and could not work, it was those Americans. Our ancestors. They were on the receiving end of a democracy that had fallen short all their lives. They knew how far the daily reality of America strayed from the myth. And yet, instead of giving up, they joined together and said somehow, some way, we are going to make this work. We are going to bring those words, in our founding documents, to life.
"I've seen that same spirit rising these past few years. Folks of every age and background who packed city centers and airports and rural roads so that families wouldn't be separated. So that another classroom wouldn't get shot up. So that our kids won't grow up on an uninhabitable planet. Americans of all races joining together to declare, in the face of injustice and brutality at the hands of the state, that Black lives matter, no more, but no less, so that no child in this country feels the continuing sting of racism.
"To the young people who led us this summer, telling us we need to be better – in so many ways, you are this country's dreams fulfilled. Earlier generations had to be persuaded that everyone has equal worth. For you, it's a given – a conviction. And what I want you to know is that for all its messiness and frustrations, your system of self-government can be harnessed to help you realize those convictions.
"You can give our democracy new meaning. You can take it to a better place. You're the missing ingredient – the ones who will decide whether or not America becomes the country that fully lives up to its creed.
"That work will continue long after this election. But any chance of success depends entirely on the outcome of this election. This administration has shown it will tear our democracy down if that's what it takes for them to win. So we have to get busy building it up – by pouring all our efforts into these 76 days, and by voting like never before – for Joe and Kamala, and candidates up and down the ticket, so that we leave no doubt about what this country we love stands for – today and for all our days to come.
"Stay safe. God bless."


cnbc--2020-08-20--Here's what Kamala Harris will say at the Democratic National Convention

U.S .
Senator Kamala Harris holds her first organizing event in Los Angeles as she campaigns in the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination race in Los Angeles , California , May 19 , 2019 .
WASHINGTON – Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris will use her highly anticipated speech Wednesday night to describe the vision of America that she was raised with , and to contrast it with the state of the country today under President Donald Trump .
The California senator is the daughter of two immigrants , her mother is from India and her father is from Jamaica @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virtual Democratic National Convention , one that is traditionally headlined by the vice presidential nominee .
As the running mate of former Vice President Joe Biden , Harris will also fulfill the traditional role of Democratic vice presidential picks on the campaign trail , and attack the Republicans on Wednesday .
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNBC on Harris ' remarks .
Below are excerpts of what Harris will say on Wednesday night : '' [ I am ] committed to the values she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the word that teaches me to walk by faith , and not by sight , and to a vision passed on through generations of Americans—one that Joe Biden shares .
A vision of our nation as a beloved community–where all are welcome , no matter what we look like , where we come from , or who we love .
`` A country where we may not agree on every detail , but we are united by the fundamental belief that every human being is of infinite worth , deserving of compassion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where we look out for one another , where we rise and fall as one , where we face our challenges , and celebrate our triumphs .
Together .
`` Today , that country feels distant .
Donald Trump 's failure of leadership has cost lives and livelihoods . ''
`` We 're at an inflection point .
The constant chaos leaves us adrift .
The incompetence makes us feel afraid .
The callousness makes us feel alone .
It 's a lot .
And here 's the thing : We can do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We must elect a president who will bring something different , something better , and do the important work .
A president who will bring all of us together—Black , White , Latino , Asian , Indigenous—to achieve the future we collectively want .
We must elect Joe Biden . ''
`` Right now , we have a president who turns our tragedies into political weapons .
Joe will be a president who turns our challenges into purpose . ''

WASHINGTON – Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris used her highly anticipated speech Wednesday night to describe the vision of America that she was raised with, and to contrast it with the state of the country today under President Donald Trump.
The California senator is the daughter of two immigrants, her mother is from India and her father is from Jamaica. Wednesday is the third day of the virtual Democratic National Convention, one that is traditionally headlined by the vice presidential nominee.
As the running mate of former Vice President Joe Biden, Harris also fulfilled the traditional role of Democratic vice presidential picks on the campaign trail, and attacked the Republicans on Wednesday.
The Trump campaign released a statement Wednesday before Harris started speaking, calling her "a total phony."
Below are Harris' full remarks.
"Greetings America. It is truly an honor to be speaking with you. That I am here tonight is a testament to the dedication of generations before me. Women and men who believed so fiercely in the promise of equality, liberty, and justice for all.
"This week marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment. And we celebrate the women who fought for that right. Yet so many of the Black women who helped secure that victory were still prohibited from voting, long after its ratification.
"But they were undeterred. Without fanfare or recognition, they organized, testified, rallied, marched, and fought—not just for their vote, but for a seat at the table. These women and the generations that followed worked to make democracy and opportunity real in the lives of all of us who followed.
"They paved the way for the trailblazing leadership of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. And these women inspired us to pick up the torch, and fight on. Women like Mary Church Terrell and Mary McCleod Bethune. Fannie Lou Hamer and Diane Nash. Constance Baker Motley and Shirley Chisholm. We're not often taught their stories. But as Americans, we all stand on their shoulders.
"There's another woman, whose name isn't known, whose story isn't shared. Another woman whose shoulders I stand on. And that's my mother—Shyamala Gopalan Harris. She came here from India at age 19 to pursue her dream of curing cancer. At the University of California Berkeley, she met my father, Donald Harris—who had come from Jamaica to study economics. They fell in love in that most American way—while marching together for justice in the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
"In the streets of Oakland and Berkeley, I got a stroller's-eye view of people getting into what the great John Lewis called "good trouble." When I was 5, my parents split and my mother raised us mostly on her own. Like so many mothers, she worked around the clock to make it work—packing lunches before we woke up—and paying bills after we went to bed. Helping us with homework at the kitchen table—and shuttling us to church for choir practice.
"She made it look easy, though I know it never was. My mother instilled in my sister, Maya, and me the values that would chart the course of our lives. She raised us to be proud, strong Black women. And she raised us to know and be proud of our Indian heritage. She taught us to put family first—the family you're born into and the family you choose.
"Family, is my husband Doug, who I met on a blind date set up by my best friend. Family is our beautiful children, Cole and Ella, who as you just heard, call me Momala. Family is my sister. Family is my best friend, my nieces and my godchildren. Family is my uncles, my aunts—my chitthis. Family is Mrs. Shelton—my second mother who lived two doors down and helped raise me. Family is my beloved Alpha Kappa Alpha...our Divine 9…and my HBCU brothers and sisters. Family is the friends I turned to when my mother—the most important person in my life—passed away from cancer.
"And even as she taught us to keep our family at the center of our world, she also pushed us to see a world beyond ourselves. She taught us to be conscious and compassionate about the struggles of all people. To believe public service is a noble cause and the fight for justice is a shared responsibility.
"That led me to become a lawyer, a District Attorney, Attorney General, and a United States Senator. And at every step of the way, I've been guided by the words I spoke from the first time I stood in a courtroom: Kamala Harris, For the People.
"I've fought for children, and survivors of sexual assault. I've fought against transnational gangs. I took on the biggest banks, and helped take down one of the biggest for-profit colleges. I know a predator when I see one.
"My mother taught me that service to others gives life purpose and meaning. And oh, how I wish she were here tonight but I know she's looking down on me from above. I keep thinking about that 25-year-old Indian woman—all of five feet tall—who gave birth to me at Kaiser Hospital in Oakland, California. On that day, she probably could have never imagined that I would be standing before you now speaking these words: I accept your nomination for Vice President of the United States of America.
"I do so, committed to the values she taught me. To the Word that teaches me to walk by faith, and not by sight. And to a vision passed on through generations of Americans—one that Joe Biden shares. A vision of our nation as a Beloved Community—where all are welcome, no matter what we look like, where we come from, or who we love.
"A country where we may not agree on every detail, but we are united by the fundamental belief that every human being is of infinite worth, deserving of compassion, dignity and respect. A country where we look out for one another, where we rise and fall as one, where we face our challenges, and celebrate our triumphs—together. Today... that country feels distant.
"Donald Trump's failure of leadership has cost lives and livelihoods. If you're a parent struggling with your child's remote learning, or you're a teacher struggling on the other side of that screen, you know that what we're doing right now isn't working.
"And we are a nation that's grieving. Grieving the loss of life, the loss of jobs, the loss of opportunities, the loss of normalcy. And yes, the loss of certainty. And while this virus touches us all, let's be honest, it is not an equal opportunity offender. Black, Latino and Indigenous people are suffering and dying disproportionately.
"This is not a coincidence. It is the effect of structural racism. Of inequities in education and technology, health care and housing, job security and transportation. The injustice in reproductive and maternal health care. In the excessive use of force by police. And in our broader criminal justice system.
"This virus has no eyes, and yet it knows exactly how we see each other—and how we treat each other. And let's be clear—there is no vaccine for racism. We've gotta do the work. For George Floyd. For Breonna Taylor. For the lives of too many others to name. For our children. For all of us. We've gotta do the work to fulfill that promise of equal justice under law. Because, none of us are free...until all of us are free...
"We're at an inflection point. The constant chaos leaves us adrift. The incompetence makes us feel afraid. The callousness makes us feel alone. It's a lot. And here's the thing: We can do better and deserve so much more.
"We must elect a president who will bring something different, something better, and do the important work. A president who will bring all of us together—Black, White, Latino, Asian, Indigenous—to achieve the future we collectively want. We must elect Joe Biden.
"I knew Joe as Vice President. I knew Joe on the campaign trail. But I first got to know Joe as the father of my friend. Joe's son, Beau, and I served as Attorneys General of our states, Delaware and California. During the Great Recession, we spoke on the phone nearly every day, working together to win back billions of dollars for homeowners from the big banks that foreclosed on people's homes.
"And Beau and I would talk about his family. How, as a single father, Joe would spend 4 hours every day riding the train back and forth from Wilmington to Washington. Beau and Hunter got to have breakfast every morning with their dad. They went to sleep every night with the sound of his voice reading bedtime stories. And while they endured an unspeakable loss, these two little boys Always knew that they were deeply, unconditionally loved.
"And what also moved me about Joe is the work he did, as he went back and forth. This is the leader who wrote the Violence Against Women Act—and enacted the Assault Weapons Ban. Who, as Vice President, implemented The Recovery Act, which brought our country back from The Great Recession. He championed The Affordable Care Act, protecting millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions. Who spent decades promoting American values and interests around the world, standing up with our allies and standing up to our adversaries.
"Right now, we have a president who turns our tragedies into political weapons. Joe will be a president who turns our challenges into purpose. Joe will bring us together to build an economy that doesn't leave anyone behind. Where a good-paying job is the floor, not the ceiling. Joe will bring us together to end this pandemic and make sure that we are prepared for the next one. Joe will bring us together to squarely face and dismantle racial injustice, furthering the work of generations. Joe and I believe that we can build that Beloved Community, one that is strong and decent, just and kind. One in which we all can see ourselves.
"That's the vision that our parents and grandparents fought for. The vision that made my own life possible. The vision that makes the American promise—for all its complexities and imperfections—a promise worth fighting for.
"Make no mistake, the road ahead will not be not easy. We will stumble. We may fall short. But I pledge to you that we will act boldly and deal with our challenges honestly. We will speak truths. And we will act with the same faith in you that we ask you to place in us.
"We believe that our country—all of us, will stand together for a better future. We already are. We see it in the doctors, the nurses, the home health care workers and the frontline workers who are risking their lives to save people they've never met. We see it in the teachers and truck drivers, the factory workers and farmers, the postal workers and the Poll workers, all putting their own safety on the line to help us get through this pandemic. And we see it in so many of you who are working, not just to get us through our current crises, but to somewhere better.
"There's something happening, all across the country. It's not about Joe or me. It's about you. It's about us. People of all ages and colors and creeds who are, yes, taking to the streets, and also persuading our family members, rallying our friends, organizing our neighbors, and getting out the vote. And we've shown that, when we vote, we expand access to health care, expand access to the ballot box, and ensure that more working families can make a decent living.
"I'm inspired by a new generation of leadership. You are pushing us to realize the ideals of our nation, pushing us to live the values we share: decency and fairness, justice and love. You are the patriots who remind us that to love our country is to fight for the ideals of our country. In this election, we have a chance to change the course of history. We're all in this fight. You, me, and Joe—together. What an awesome responsibility. What an awesome privilege.
"So, let's fight with conviction. Let's fight with hope. Let's fight with confidence in ourselves, and a commitment to each other. To the America we know is possible. The America, we love. Years from now, this moment will have passed. And our children and our grandchildren will look in our eyes and ask us: Where were you when the stakes were so high? They will ask us, what was it like?
"And we will tell them. We will tell them, not just how we felt. We will tell them what we did.
"Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America."


cnbc--2020-08-20--Trump says he appreciates support from followers of unfounded QAnon conspiracy

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he knows little about the controversial conspiracy theory known as QAnon – but added that he is nevertheless grateful for the support of its followers .
`` I do n't know much about the movement , other than I understand they like me very much , which I appreciate , '' Trump said at a White House press briefing .
Trump had been asked for his thoughts about QAnon a week after he celebrated the victory of Marjorie Taylor Greene , a Republican congressional candidate who has reportedly promoted the baseless conspiracy , following @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Marjorie is strong on everything and never gives up - a real WINNER ! ''
Trump tweeted after Greene 's victory .
QAnon began as a fringe internet conspiracy alleging , among other things , that Trump is secretly fighting against `` deep state '' factions of powerful Satanic pedophiles who are plotting against him and his supporters .
While the theory has been widely debunked , its followers have been spotted at Trump 's campaign-style rallies throughout his first term and are reportedly gaining in number amid the coronavirus pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ attempted to portray QAnon believers as people who , like him , are troubled by crime in large U.S. cities .
`` These are people that do n't like seeing what 's going on in places like Portland and places like Chicago and New York , other cities and states .
And I 've heard these are people that love our country and they just do n't like seeing it , '' Trump said .
`` So I do n't know really anything about it other than they do supposedly like me and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in these areas – like , especially the areas that we 're talking about – go away . ''
A reporter then informed Trump that QAnon actually involves `` this belief that you are secretly saving the world from this Satanic cult of pedophiles and cannibals . ''
Trump replied , `` Well , I have n't heard that , '' before spinning that definition of the conspiracy into a positive view of his administration .
`` But is that supposed to be a bad thing or a good thing ?
If I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I 'm willing to do it .
I 'm willing to put myself out there , '' Trump said .
`` And we are , actually .
We 're saving the world from a radical Left philosophy that will destroy this country .
And when this country is gone , the rest of the world would follow . ''

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he knows little about the controversial conspiracy theory known as QAnon – but added that he is nevertheless grateful for the support of its followers.
"I don't know much about the movement, other than I understand they like me very much, which I appreciate," Trump said at a White House press briefing.
Trump had been asked for his thoughts about QAnon a week after he celebrated the victory of Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican congressional candidate who has reportedly promoted the baseless conspiracy, following her primary election win in Georgia.
"Marjorie is strong on everything and never gives up - a real WINNER!" Trump tweeted after Greene's victory.
QAnon began as a fringe internet conspiracy alleging, among other things, that Trump is secretly fighting against "deep state" factions of powerful Satanic pedophiles who are plotting against him and his supporters.
While the theory has been widely debunked, its followers have been spotted at Trump's campaign-style rallies throughout his first term and are reportedly gaining in number amid the coronavirus pandemic.
At the Wednesday evening presser, Trump attempted to portray QAnon believers as people who, like him, are troubled by crime in large U.S. cities.
"These are people that don't like seeing what's going on in places like Portland and places like Chicago and New York, other cities and states. And I've heard these are people that love our country and they just don't like seeing it," Trump said.
"So I don't know really anything about it other than they do supposedly like me and they also would like to see problems in these areas – like, especially the areas that we're talking about – go away."
A reporter then informed Trump that QAnon actually involves "this belief that you are secretly saving the world from this Satanic cult of pedophiles and cannibals."
Trump replied, "Well, I haven't heard that," before spinning that definition of the conspiracy into a positive view of his administration.
"But is that supposed to be a bad thing or a good thing? If I can help save the world from problems, I'm willing to do it. I'm willing to put myself out there," Trump said.
"And we are, actually. We're saving the world from a radical Left philosophy that will destroy this country. And when this country is gone, the rest of the world would follow."
The campaign of Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, slammed Trump over the remarks.
"After calling neo-Nazis and white supremacists in Charlottesville 'fine people' and tear gassing peaceful protesters following the murder of George Floyd, Donald Trump just sought to legitimize a conspiracy theory that the FBI has identified as a domestic terrorism threat," the campaign said in a statement Wednesday evening.


cnbc--2020-08-19--More than 100 House Democrats urge Pelosi to pass smaller bill to expand unemployment benefits

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks during her weekly press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington , D.C. , the United States , on Aug. 13 , 2020 .
More than 100 House Democrats are pushing Speaker Nancy Pelosi to vote on a bill to extend extra unemployment benefits when the chamber convenes this weekend .
In a letter dated Tuesday , the 114 lawmakers urged the California Democrat and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer to take up legislation that would reinstate the lapsed $ 600 per week jobless benefit until the coronavirus public health emergency ends , then phase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It would also tie available benefit weeks to the unemployment rate .
The House , which left Washington for its August recess before Congress could pass a pandemic aid package , will return on Saturday to vote on a bill that would fund the U.S .
Postal Service and reverse changes Democrats worry will make it harder for Americans to vote by mail in November .
`` We owe it to people waiting to get back to work across the country not only to extend unemployment benefits to help them pay their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to economic conditions so workers are not held hostage by another cliff like this one , '' the representatives wrote , referencing the expiration of enhanced unemployment insurance at the end of July .
The letter , signed by roughly half of the House Democratic caucus , was led by Democratic Reps. Scott Peters of California , Don Beyer of Virginia and Derek Kilmer of Washington .
The request to Pelosi underscores the pressure Congress faces to pass more legislation to try to curb an economic crisis as Washington stands at a stalemate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the jobless benefits , a federal moratorium on evictions and the application window for Paycheck Protection Program small business loans have all expired .
Democratic leaders and the Trump administration have not restarted relief talks since they collapsed earlier this month .
Pelosi has put forward a more than $ 3 trillion rescue package , but Republicans have proposed a roughly $ 1 trillion plan .
The sides have failed to find common ground .
`` We have to try to come to that agreement now , '' Pelosi told Politico on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing to cut our bill in half to meet the needs right now . ''
Her spokesman Drew Hammill clarified to CNBC that she was reiterating her previous stance .
She has said she would start discussions again if Republicans doubled their roughly $ 1 trillion relief offer .
NBC News reported Tuesday that the House is considering voting on a reined in version of the more than $ 3 trillion legislation it passed in May .

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks during her weekly press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., the United States, on Aug. 13, 2020.
More than 100 House Democrats are pushing Speaker Nancy Pelosi to vote on a bill to extend extra unemployment benefits when the chamber convenes this weekend.
In a letter dated Tuesday, the 114 lawmakers urged the California Democrat and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer to take up legislation that would reinstate the lapsed $600 per week jobless benefit until the coronavirus public health emergency ends, then phase it out as state unemployment rates fall. It would also tie available benefit weeks to the unemployment rate.
The House, which left Washington for its August recess before Congress could pass a pandemic aid package, will return on Saturday to vote on a bill that would fund the U.S. Postal Service and reverse changes Democrats worry will make it harder for Americans to vote by mail in November.
"We owe it to people waiting to get back to work across the country not only to extend unemployment benefits to help them pay their bills, but to tie these benefits to economic conditions so workers are not held hostage by another cliff like this one," the representatives wrote, referencing the expiration of enhanced unemployment insurance at the end of July. The letter, signed by roughly half of the House Democratic caucus, was led by Democratic Reps. Scott Peters of California, Don Beyer of Virginia and Derek Kilmer of Washington.
The request to Pelosi underscores the pressure Congress faces to pass more legislation to try to curb an economic crisis as Washington stands at a stalemate on an aid deal. Lifelines such as the jobless benefits, a federal moratorium on evictions and the application window for Paycheck Protection Program small business loans have all expired.
Democratic leaders and the Trump administration have not restarted relief talks since they collapsed earlier this month. Pelosi has put forward a more than $3 trillion rescue package, but Republicans have proposed a roughly $1 trillion plan.
The sides have failed to find common ground.
"We have to try to come to that agreement now," Pelosi told Politico on Tuesday. She said Democrats are "willing to cut our bill in half to meet the needs right now."
Her spokesman Drew Hammill clarified to CNBC that she was reiterating her previous stance. She has said she would start discussions again if Republicans doubled their roughly $1 trillion relief offer.
NBC News reported Tuesday that the House is considering voting on a reined in version of the more than $3 trillion legislation it passed in May.


cnbc--2020-08-19--Here are the speakers at the Democratic National Convention tonight

Former President Barack Obama and Sen. Kamala Harris to speak on Day 3 of the 2020 Democratic National Convention .
@ @ @ @ @ the Democratic Party 's vice presidential nomination , and former President Barack Obama will make @ @ @ @ @ ex-running mate during the third night of the Democratic National Convention .
Joe Biden became @ @ @ @ @ nominee on Tuesday night .
Harris , a California Democrat , is expected to vouch @ @ @ @ @ for office and criticize President Donald Trump 's handling of the coronavirus pandemic .
Obama @ @ @ @ @ the third former president to advocate for Biden during the convention .
( See the @ @ @ @ @ second nights ) .
Speakers will start at 9 p.m .
ET on Wednesday .
@ @ @ @ @ virtually from around the country after the coronavirus pandemic forced the party to scrap its @ @ @ @

Former President Barack Obama and Sen. Kamala Harris to speak on Day 3 of the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
Sen. Kamala Harris will accept the Democratic Party's vice presidential nomination, and former President Barack Obama will make the case for his own ex-running mate during the third night of the Democratic National Convention.
Joe Biden became the party's official presidential nominee on Tuesday night. Harris, a California Democrat, is expected to vouch for the ticket's readiness for office and criticize President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Obama, meanwhile, will be the third former president to advocate for Biden during the convention.
(See the highlights from the first and second nights).
Speakers will start at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday. They will address the convention virtually from around the country after the coronavirus pandemic forced the party to scrap its event in Milwaukee.


cnbc--2020-08-19--Supreme Court to hear challenge to Obamacare on Nov. 10, a week after Election Day

Affordable Care Act supporters hold up signs outside the Supreme Court as they wait for the court 's decision on Obamacare on Thursday , June 25 , 2015 .
The Supreme Court announced on Wednesday that it will hear arguments in a case challenging the constitutionality of the landmark health care legislation known as Obamacare on Nov. 10 , one week after Election Day .
A decision in the case , which could disrupt the health care coverage of tens of millions of Americans , is expected by June of 2021 .
The announcement comes in the middle of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ criticism of the president 's muddled health care promises , and could provide a boost to liberal efforts to target Trump on the issue .
But the move to hear the case after Election Day also pulls the notoriously opaque Supreme Court out of the electoral spotlight somewhat , ensuring that the arguments themselves will not influence November 's contest .
Joe Biden , who played a role in the Affordable Care Act 's passage as vice president , was officially named the Democratic nominee for president on Tuesday .
The case was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Texas who allege that the legislation 's individual mandate provision was made unconstitutional when its penalty was set to $ 0 under President Donald Trump 's 2017 tax overhaul .
The argument relies on the Supreme Court 's reasoning in the 2012 case that upheld the Affordable Care Act , which found at the time that the law was an appropriate use of Congress 's power to tax .
The Republicans argue that if the court strikes down the individual mandate provision , the entirety of the sprawling legislation must also be scrapped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Justice , has sided with the GOP states in urging the justices to wipe out the law .
Democratic states led by California are asking the top court to uphold it .
A federal appeals court ruled late last year that the individual mandate provision was unconstitutional , but did not issue a decision on whether the whole law would be required to fall as a result .
Conservatives have long sought to repeal the legislation , which is formally known as Obamacare , but have not been successful .
Trump has frequently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Affordable Care Act but has never produced such a bill .
Earlier this month , he said he was working on an executive order related to preexisting conditions .
Obamacare prevented insurance companies from denying coverage to those with such conditions .
The top court released its schedule for November arguments on Wednesday .
It had previously released its schedule for October , but it was not then known whether it would hear the Obamacare case before Election Day , which is Nov. 3 .
The court is hearing arguments in separate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Supreme Court currently has a 5-4 conservative majority .
Chief Justice John Roberts , a George W. Bush appointee who has served as the swing vote in recent pivotal cases , authored the court 's 2012 opinion upholding Obamacare .
The case is Texas v. California , No .
19-1019 .

Affordable Care Act supporters hold up signs outside the Supreme Court as they wait for the court's decision on Obamacare on Thursday, June 25, 2015.
The Supreme Court announced on Wednesday that it will hear arguments in a case challenging the constitutionality of the landmark health care legislation known as Obamacare on Nov. 10, one week after Election Day.
A decision in the case, which could disrupt the health care coverage of tens of millions of Americans, is expected by June of 2021.
The announcement comes in the middle of the Democratic National Convention, which has featured criticism of the president's muddled health care promises, and could provide a boost to liberal efforts to target Trump on the issue.
But the move to hear the case after Election Day also pulls the notoriously opaque Supreme Court out of the electoral spotlight somewhat, ensuring that the arguments themselves will not influence November's contest.
Joe Biden, who played a role in the Affordable Care Act's passage as vice president, was officially named the Democratic nominee for president on Tuesday.
The case was brought by Republican attorneys general led by Texas who allege that the legislation's individual mandate provision was made unconstitutional when its penalty was set to $0 under President Donald Trump's 2017 tax overhaul.
The argument relies on the Supreme Court's reasoning in the 2012 case that upheld the Affordable Care Act, which found at the time that the law was an appropriate use of Congress's power to tax.
The Republicans argue that if the court strikes down the individual mandate provision, the entirety of the sprawling legislation must also be scrapped.
Trump, via his Department of Justice, has sided with the GOP states in urging the justices to wipe out the law. Democratic states led by California are asking the top court to uphold it.
A federal appeals court ruled late last year that the individual mandate provision was unconstitutional, but did not issue a decision on whether the whole law would be required to fall as a result.
Conservatives have long sought to repeal the legislation, which is formally known as Obamacare, but have not been successful.
Trump has frequently promised to present a plan to replace the Affordable Care Act but has never produced such a bill. Earlier this month, he said he was working on an executive order related to preexisting conditions. Obamacare prevented insurance companies from denying coverage to those with such conditions.
The top court released its schedule for November arguments on Wednesday. It had previously released its schedule for October, but it was not then known whether it would hear the Obamacare case before Election Day, which is Nov. 3. The court is hearing arguments in separate cases on Nov. 2 and Nov. 3.
The Supreme Court currently has a 5-4 conservative majority. Chief Justice John Roberts, a George W. Bush appointee who has served as the swing vote in recent pivotal cases, authored the court's 2012 opinion upholding Obamacare.
The case is Texas v. California, No. 19-1019.


cnbc--2020-08-19--U.S. imposes sanctions on two UAE-based companies for aiding Iran's biggest airline

An airplane of Mahan Air sits at the tarmac after landing at Sanaa International Airport in the Yemeni capital on March 1 , 2015 .
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration slapped fresh sanctions on two United Arab Emirates-based companies for providing material support to Iran 's largest airline , the Treasury Department said Wednesday .
Parthia Cargo and Delta Parts Supply FZC provided parts and logistics services for Iran 's Mahan Air , which is currently blacklisted by the U.S. , Treasury said in a statement announcing the designations .
Treasury also imposed sanctions on Amin Mahdavi , an Iranian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , for owning or controlling Parthia Cargo .
Treasury said the services provided by Parthia Cargo and Delta Parts Supply FZC , both Dubai-based firms , helped Mahan Air to carry out activities in support of Tehran 's maligned agenda , including transporting `` terrorists and lethal cargo to Syria '' in support of President Bashar al-Assad 's regime .
`` Today , the United States continued its maximum pressure campaign against Iran by designating two companies and one individual for procuring parts for Mahan Air , '' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the announcement .
`` Mahan Air has a long record of ferrying weapons and terrorists around the world for Iran , '' the nation 's top diplomat added .
Wednesday 's action bars Americans from dealing with those blacklisted groups and also freezes U.S. assets associated with the sanctioned entities .
`` The Iranian regime uses Mahan Air as a tool to spread its destabilizing agenda around the world , including to the corrupt regimes in Syria and Venezuela , '' Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against those supporting this airline , '' he added .
The latest revelation comes at a critical time for U.S. diplomatic relations with Iran , which the Trump administration considers a rogue state .
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have soared after Trump 's withdrawal from the landmark Iran nuclear deal brokered by the Obama administration .
Pompeo plans to lobby on behalf of the Trump administration for a return of all U.N. sanctions on Iran after the U.N. Security Council rejected Washington 's bid to extend an arms embargo on Tehran .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Council voted to not extend and international arms embargo on Iran .
The arms embargo on Iran is currently set to end on Oct. 18 under Tehran 's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers .
The 2015 nuclear agreement lifted sanctions on Iran that crippled its economy and cut its oil exports roughly in half .
In exchange for sanctions relief , Iran accepted limits on its nuclear program and allowed international inspectors into its facilities .
Tehran has said it will not negotiate with Washington while sanctions are in place .

An airplane of Mahan Air sits at the tarmac after landing at Sanaa International Airport in the Yemeni capital on March 1, 2015.
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration slapped fresh sanctions on two United Arab Emirates-based companies for providing material support to Iran's largest airline, the Treasury Department said Wednesday.
Parthia Cargo and Delta Parts Supply FZC provided parts and logistics services for Iran's Mahan Air, which is currently blacklisted by the U.S., the Treasury said in a statement announcing the designations.
The department also imposed sanctions on Amin Mahdavi, an Iranian national based in the UAE, for owning or controlling Parthia Cargo.
The Treasury said the services provided by Parthia Cargo and Delta Parts Supply FZC, both Dubai-based firms, helped Mahan Air to carry out activities in support of Tehran's maligned agenda, including transporting "terrorists and lethal cargo to Syria" in support of President Bashar Assad's regime.
"Today, the United States continued its maximum pressure campaign against Iran by designating two companies and one individual for procuring parts for Mahan Air," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on the heels of the announcement. "Mahan Air has a long record of ferrying weapons and terrorists around the world for Iran," the nation's top diplomat added.
Wednesday's action bars Americans from dealing with those blacklisted groups and also freezes U.S. assets associated with the sanctioned entities.
"The Iranian regime uses Mahan Air as a tool to spread its destabilizing agenda around the world, including to the corrupt regimes in Syria and Venezuela," Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. "The United States will continue to take action against those supporting this airline," he added.
The latest revelation comes at a critical time for U.S. diplomatic relations with Iran, which the Trump administration considers a rogue state. Tensions between Washington and Tehran have soared after Trump's withdrawal from the landmark Iran nuclear deal brokered by the Obama administration.
Pompeo plans to lobby on behalf of the Trump administration for a return of all United Nations sanctions on Iran after the U.N. Security Council rejected Washington's bid to extend an arms embargo on Tehran.
Last week, the U.N. Security Council voted to not extend an international arms embargo on Iran. The arms embargo on Iran is currently set to end on Oct. 18 under Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.
The 2015 nuclear agreement lifted sanctions on Iran that crippled its economy and cut its oil exports roughly in half. In exchange for sanctions relief, Iran accepted limits on its nuclear program and allowed international inspectors into its facilities. Tehran has said it will not negotiate with Washington while sanctions are in place.


cnbc--2020-08-19--Schumer accuses White House of 'concealing' its role in USPS chief DeJoy's selection

U.S .
Senator Chuck Schumer updates media on his actions to stop destruction of USPS outside his office in Manhattan .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused the Trump administration Wednesday of `` concealing '' the White House 's role in the selection of Louis DeJoy , the embattled new chief of the U.S .
Postal Service .
The New York Democrat 's accusation came in a letter to USPS Board of Governors Chairman Robert Duncan demanding transparency about the decision to select DeJoy , a major Republican donor and ally of President Donald Trump , as postmaster general .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ tone two days before DeJoy is scheduled to testify before a Senate committee about his overhaul of the agency , which has come under intense scrutiny amid the coronavirus pandemic and the 2020 election .
DeJoy , 63 , has faced a mounting pressure campaign to reverse a series of significant cost-cutting measures that have led to reports of widespread mail delays .
His changes , which reportedly include cutting overtime and halting late-day delivery trips , have fueled fears from Democrats about the integrity of the 2020 presidential election , in which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Those fears were exacerbated by Trump 's repeated claims that mail-in voting will lead to massive voter fraud that will compromise the election .
Experts say those claims are unfounded .
In mid-June , Schumer had asked the board for a series of documents and information related to its search process .
The secretary of the board , Michael Elston , responded in early July that `` with respect to the specific information you requested , much of it is confidential . ''
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be postmaster general .
He began work in the role in June .
Schumer 's letter said his staff had attempted to set up a briefing with a leader from the Russell Reynolds executive search firm that had been involved in DeJoy 's selection process .
But counsel for Russell Reynolds replied that the USPS board was unwilling to waive a nondisclosure agreement , blocking the firm from fully participating in the congressional oversight efforts , according to Schumer 's letter .
Schumer also wrote that officials in the White House and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mnuchin , had played roles in the selection .
`` As part of my inquiry , my office learned of the role [ Mnuchin ] had with Postal Board of Governors , including through meetings with individual Governors as well as phone calls with groups of Governors , which has not been previously disclosed by the Board , '' the letter said .

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer updates media on his actions to stop destruction of USPS outside his office in Manhattan.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused the Trump administration Wednesday of "concealing" the White House's role in the selection of Louis DeJoy, the embattled new chief of the U.S. Postal Service.
The New York Democrat's accusation came in a letter to USPS Board of Governors Chairman Robert Duncan demanding transparency about the decision to select DeJoy, a major Republican donor and ally of President Donald Trump, as postmaster general.
Schumer's sharp criticism sets a combative tone two days before DeJoy is scheduled to testify before a Senate committee about his overhaul of the agency, which has come under intense scrutiny amid the coronavirus pandemic and the 2020 election.
DeJoy, 63, has faced a mounting pressure campaign to reverse a series of significant cost-cutting measures that have led to reports of widespread mail delays. His changes, which reportedly include cutting overtime and halting late-day delivery trips, have fueled fears from Democrats about the integrity of the 2020 presidential election, in which more Americans than ever are expected to vote by mail because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Those fears were exacerbated by Trump's repeated claims that mail-in voting will lead to massive voter fraud that will compromise the election. Experts say those claims are unfounded.
In mid-June, Schumer had asked the board for a series of documents and information related to its search process. The secretary of the board, Michael Elston, responded in early July that "with respect to the specific information you requested, much of it is confidential."
The USPS board selected DeJoy in May to be postmaster general. He began work in the role in June.
Schumer's letter said his staff had attempted to set up a briefing with a leader from the Russell Reynolds executive search firm that had been involved in DeJoy's selection process. But counsel for Russell Reynolds replied that the USPS board was unwilling to waive a nondisclosure agreement, blocking the firm from fully participating in the congressional oversight efforts, according to Schumer's letter.
Schumer also wrote that officials in the White House and the Treasury Department, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, had played roles in the selection. "As part of my inquiry, my office learned of the role [Mnuchin] had with Postal Board of Governors, including through meetings with individual Governors as well as phone calls with groups of Governors, which has not been previously disclosed by the Board," the letter said.


cnbc--2020-08-19--Billionaire Tom Steyer's youth turnout group shifts focus to mail-in voting amid post office controv

Billionaire Tom Steyer's youth turnout group shifts focus to mail-in voting amid post office controversy

A group founded by billionaire Tom Steyer is shifting its focus toward educating young voters in key states on how to use mail-in ballots as more states expand that option in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic .
The goal for the Steyer-funded group , NextGen America , is partly to help voters overcome potential hurdles to voting by mail that could arise from significant changes recently enacted at United States Postal Service .
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy , who has been under fire from Democratic lawmakers over those changes , promised to suspend any further actions , including reduced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ machines , to `` avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail , '' he said Tuesday .
The new phase of the campaign is part of a $ 45 million commitment by NextGen to help Democratic nominee Joe Biden defeat President Donald Trump in November .
The organization 's overall effort targets voters in at least 11 states , including Arizona , Florida , Michigan , North Carolina , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin .
Steyer , a billionaire with an estimated net worth of $ 1.4 billion , spent more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ended after the South Carolina primary .
He has since endorsed Biden .
Polls taken by NexGen suggest that , while many young voters do want to participate in 2020 via mail-in ballots , some do n't fully understand how to do so .
The progressive nonprofit organization is pushing ahead with a number of new initiatives to rectify that .
Ben Wessel , NextGen 's executive director , says the group plans to send 600,000 postage-paid voter registration forms to young voters in the next two weeks .
It 's creating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in targeted states , in order for them to `` reach out to their friends via text to request vote by mail ballots , '' he said .
It also released a new show on YouTube titled `` Convince Me , '' that he says will touch on how voters can successfully vote by mail .
Steyer told CNBC in a recent interview that he believes the focus on mail-in balloting should be about educating voters on how to go about using the mail system as a way to vote .
He pointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone text messages with information on how to best receive a mail ballot .
`` I think a lot of this is about voter education about how to vote by mail , '' Steyer said .
`` A couple of weeks ago , NextGen America did a day of action and contacted directly , with the help of 6,000 volunteers and organizing other organizations to help us , 3.7 million people in one day .
NextGen America only contacted 11 million in all of 2016 .
We did a third of that in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the work being done by Give Green , a joint fundraising effort between NextGen , LCV Victory Fund and NRDC Action Fund PAC .
The groups support more than a dozen candidates , including Biden himself , who they believe has polices that can successfully take on climate change .
Steyer told CNBC that Give Green has raised at least $ 30 million in direct contributions for their candidates .
In July , NextGen tapped pollsters at Global Strategy Group to survey just over 1,000 registered voters between the ages of 18 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Ohio , Pennsylvania , Georgia , Nevada and Texas .
Among the findings : 38 % of participants said they are likely to vote by mail in 2020 while 36 % said they would likely vote in person .
Still , the poll suggests that many voters are n't familiar with the ways to secure a ballot and vote by mail .
Only 42 % said they are `` familiar with the mail and absentee ballot deadlines '' in their states while 47 % of those polled said they `` understand what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail ballot in order to vote by mail or absentee . ''

A group founded by billionaire Tom Steyer is shifting its focus toward educating young voters in key states on how to use mail-in ballots as more states expand that option in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The goal for the Steyer-funded group, NextGen America, is partly to help voters overcome potential hurdles to voting by mail that could arise from significant changes recently enacted at United States Postal Service.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who has been under fire from Democratic lawmakers over those changes, promised to suspend any further actions, including reduced overtime and the removal of high-speed sorting machines, to "avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail," he said Tuesday.
The new phase of the campaign is part of a $45 million commitment by NextGen to help Democratic nominee Joe Biden defeat President Donald Trump in November. The organization's overall effort targets voters in at least 11 states, including Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Steyer, a billionaire with an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion, spent more than $200 million on a presidential campaign that ended after the South Carolina primary. He has since endorsed Biden.
Polls taken by NexGen suggest that, while many young voters do want to participate in 2020 via mail-in ballots, some don't fully understand how to do so. The progressive nonprofit organization is pushing ahead with a number of new initiatives to rectify that.
Ben Wessel, NextGen's executive director, says the group plans to send 600,000 postage-paid voter registration forms to young voters in the next two weeks. It's creating virtual field offices on Slack for volunteers in targeted states, in order for them to "reach out to their friends via text to request vote by mail ballots," he said. It also released a new show on YouTube titled "Convince Me," that he says will touch on how voters can successfully vote by mail.
Steyer told CNBC in a recent interview that he believes the focus on mail-in balloting should be about educating voters on how to go about using the mail system as a way to vote. He pointed to NextGen's recent voter outreach through phone text messages with information on how to best receive a mail ballot.
"I think a lot of this is about voter education about how to vote by mail," Steyer said. "A couple of weeks ago, NextGen America did a day of action and contacted directly, with the help of 6,000 volunteers and organizing other organizations to help us, 3.7 million people in one day. NextGen America only contacted 11 million in all of 2016. We did a third of that in one day."
Steyer also discussed the work being done by Give Green, a joint fundraising effort between NextGen, LCV Victory Fund and NRDC Action Fund PAC. The groups support more than a dozen candidates, including Biden himself, who they believe has polices that can successfully take on climate change. Steyer told CNBC that Give Green has raised at least $30 million in direct contributions for their candidates.
In July, NextGen tapped pollsters at Global Strategy Group to survey just over 1,000 registered voters between the ages of 18 and 34 in critical states such as Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada and Texas. Among the findings: 38% of participants said they are likely to vote by mail in 2020 while 36% said they would likely vote in person.
Still, the poll suggests that many voters aren't familiar with the ways to secure a ballot and vote by mail.
Only 42% said they are "familiar with the mail and absentee ballot deadlines" in their states while 47% of those polled said they "understand what I need to do to get a mail ballot in order to vote by mail or absentee."


cnbc--2020-08-19--EU to impose sanctions on Belarusian officials for election fraud, calls for a new vote

European Council President Charles Michel wears a protective facemask as he arrives at EU headquarters in Brussels , on August 19 , 2020 , for the start the EU emergency video summit on the crisis in Belarus .
The European Union announced plans to impose sanctions on Belarusian officials on Wednesday , with leaders of the 27 heads of state in agreement a new vote would be required following the contested re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko .
European Council President Charles Michel said in a video briefing that the bloc would soon impose sanctions on a `` substantial number '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and election fraud .
The bloc had previously described the vote as `` neither free nor fair . ''
`` We stand firmly behind the right of the Belarusian people to determine their own fate , '' Michel said , shortly after the conclusion of an emergency summit with EU leaders .
`` I would like to address the people of Belarus directly , we stand by your side in your desire to exercise your fundamental democratic rights and in your desire for a peaceful , democratic and prosperous future , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said EU leaders had also formed a consensus that new elections in Belarus would be needed , Reuters reported .

European Council President Charles Michel wears a protective facemask as he arrives at EU headquarters in Brussels, on August 19, 2020, for the start the EU emergency video summit on the crisis in Belarus. OLIVIER HOSLET | POOL | AFP via Getty Images
The European Union announced plans to impose sanctions on Belarusian officials on Wednesday, with leaders of the 27 heads of state in agreement a new vote would be required following the contested re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko. European Council President Charles Michel said in a video briefing that the bloc would soon impose sanctions on a "substantial number" of individuals responsible for violence, repression, and election fraud. The bloc had previously described the vote as "neither free nor fair." "We stand firmly behind the right of the Belarusian people to determine their own fate," Michel said, shortly after the conclusion of an emergency summit with EU leaders. "I would like to address the people of Belarus directly, we stand by your side in your desire to exercise your fundamental democratic rights and in your desire for a peaceful, democratic and prosperous future," he added. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said EU leaders had also formed a consensus that new elections in Belarus would be needed, Reuters reported.
Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, claimed a landslide victory in the August 9 presidential election after official results gave him his sixth term in office with 80% of the vote. The authoritarian leader has denied allegations of electoral fraud. Opposition protesters have taken to the streets as anger grows over reports of police violence and allegations of vote-rigging. Authorities have sought to stamp out the ongoing mass protests by using clubs, rubber bullets and stun grenades. Thousands of arrests have been made and at least two demonstrators have been killed. Human Rights Watch, which noted most of the protests had been peaceful, described the police round-ups as "systemically brutal." Large state-owned factories, a traditional support base for Lukashenko, have gone on strike in solidarity with the demonstrators, and Belarusian authorities have reportedly acknowledged that some police officials have since quit their posts. Lukashenko ordered the police to stop unrest in the country's capital city of Minsk on Wednesday, according to the official Belta news agency, following more than a week-and-a-half of demonstrations against his leadership. "People are tired. People demand peace and quiet," Lukashenko was quoted as saying, insisting there should "no longer be any disorder in Minsk of any kind."
Russia tensions
Regional experts have drawn comparisons between the current situation in Belarus with the political uprising in Ukraine six years ago. The latter resulted in Russian military intervention and a global geopolitical confrontation. It is for this reason that external observers are closely monitoring Russia's response to the crisis. A traditional ally of Belarus, Moscow has said it would be prepared to offer Lukashenko military support if necessary.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko gestures as he delivers a speech during a rally of his supporters near the Government House in Independence Square in Minsk, Belarus August 16, 2020. Reuters
Andrei Illarionov, senior fellow at the Cato Institute's Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, told CNBC via email that he does not believe Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to intervene, but added that this was a "very cautious" expectation. Putin "would like to replace Lukashenko with somebody else who would be much easier prey, who would be a much easier partner to fulfill his plan for unification," Illarionov said. "Putin definitely is very much interested in keeping Belarus in the Russian sphere of influence, but he's not very interested in keeping exactly Lukashenko in power," he added.
'Respect the sovereignty of Belarus'


cnbc--2020-08-19--GOP and Trump ties run deep on the U.S. Postal Service's board of governors

Most members of the U.S .
Postal Service 's board of governors , who were responsible for selecting Louis DeJoy as postmaster general , have numerous ties to the Republican Party as well as to President Donald Trump 's associates and administration .
According to a CNBC review of public documents and disclosures , five of the six members of the board , including Chairman Robert Duncan , are linked to GOP and Trump circles through various campaign , legal and financial connections .
The White House and the USPS did not return a request for comment after CNBC laid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Postal Service 's leadership is under increasing scrutiny with just under three months until the general election between Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden .
Mail-in ballots could be crucial for some voters to participate in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic .
Trump himself suggested last week that he was hesitant to agree to another coronavirus relief bill because of an increase in funding for the USPS .
He said it could help Democrats in the November elections with mail-in ballots .
DeJoy and Duncan are slated to head @ @ @ @ @ @ @ DeJoy will face the Republican-led Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Friday .
On Monday , he and Duncan will testify before the Democratic-led House Oversight Committee about the cost cutting measures that may impact the election .
Sens .
Elizabeth Warren , D-Mass.
, Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. , and other leading lawmakers on the Democratic side have called on the board to push back on DeJoy 's proposals and remove him if necessary .
DeJoy himself was a prolific fundraiser for Trump and the Republican Party before he landed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The board members were all appointed by Trump .
Duncan , who is often called Mike , is listed as a director of American Crossroads , a super PAC that 's backing Trump in the 2020 election .
His position is posted on the PAC 's most recent annual report , which was filed in March .
The committee has spent $ 1.9 million backing Trump this cycle , according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics .
The PAC 's top donor in 2020 is Steve Wynn , the former Republican National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wynn Resorts .
He resigned from both leadership posts in the wake of being accused of sexual harassment , something he has vehemently denied ever since .
Duncan , who was confirmed for his second term to the USPS board in December , is also labeled as a director of the Senate Leadership Fund , a super PAC helping Republicans defend their majority in the U.S. Senate .
The director filings for the committee have yet to be updated since August 2019 .
Both are run by Steven Law , the former chief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McConnell , who called Duncan a `` friend , '' after his latest confirmation .
Duncan and representatives for both committees did not return a request for comment .
Then there 's John Barger , a managing director at NorthernCross Partners , a Los Angeles-based private investment firm .
Barger also lists himself as a director on his LinkedIn page of NanoLumens , a company that develops LED displays and headquartered in Georgia .
The company received a $ 1 million to $ 2 million loan from the Paycheck Protection Program , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Administration .
The billions of dollars in loans administered under PPP were distributed as a stopgap for companies in need of assistance due to financial strain from the coronavirus pandemic .
Barger started as a director of NanoLumens in 2018 , his page says .
He was confirmed to the USPS board last year .
He also lists himself as a director at WineDirect , which helps wineries send their products to customers .
Barger did not respond to a request for comment , including a request seeking a list of companies NorthernCross @ @ @ @ @ @ @ representative at NanoLumens also did not return a request for comment .
William Zollars was confirmed by the Senate in June .
He has extensive experience in the business community , including his two-decade tenure as an executive for trucking company YRC Worldwide .
In May , Sen. Jerry Moran , R-Kan. , asked Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin at a virtual hearing to help YRC , which the lawmaker said was struggling at the time , according to The New York Times .
In July , the Treasury announced that it planned to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ YRC and that it reached an agreement with the company .
In exchange for the financial assistance , the Treasury would `` receive a 29.6 % equity stake in the company . ''
Zollars has also been on the board of Main Street Data , a company that assists those in the agricultural business .
That company received a PPP loan of $ 150,000 to $ 350,000 , according to the public loan list .
Zollars is listed as a director of the company on a Securities and Exchange Commission filing from December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment .
Donald Moak was confirmed to become a member of the USPS board in June .
He is co-founder of the Moak Group , a public affairs and business consulting firm .
A few years before Moak joined the USPS board , his firm turned to a legal advisor who would join the Trump White House : Stefan Passantino .
Passantino , a deputy White House counsel who focused on policing ethics violations by Trump officials , started at the White House in January 201 and departed the administration in 2018 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's described on his White House disclosure report as `` legal services . ''
Moak Group is under a list of almost 70 clients that have paid Passantino over $ 5,000 in legal fees .
Moak initially did not return a request for comment , including how Passantino assisted the company .
Passantino declined to comment .
After publication , Moak and his company 's chief operating officer , Michael Robbins , told CNBC he was appointed to the board by Trump after a recommendation by Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ member of the USPS board .

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy (2nd R) arrives for a meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows at the US Capitol in Washington, DC on August 5, 2020. Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images
Most members of the U.S. Postal Service's board of governors, who were responsible for selecting Louis DeJoy as postmaster general, have numerous ties to the Republican Party as well as to President Donald Trump's associates and administration. According to a CNBC review of public documents and disclosures, five of the six members of the board, including Chairman Robert Duncan, are linked to GOP and Trump circles through various campaign, legal and financial connections. The White House and the USPS did not return a request for comment after CNBC laid out the details reported in this story.
watch now
The Postal Service's leadership is under increasing scrutiny with just under three months until the general election between Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden. Mail-in ballots could be crucial for some voters to participate in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Trump himself suggested last week that he was hesitant to agree to another coronavirus relief bill because of an increase in funding for the USPS. He said it could help Democrats in the November elections with mail-in ballots. DeJoy and Duncan are slated to head to Capitol Hill to face lawmakers. DeJoy will face the Republican-led Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Friday. On Monday, he and Duncan will testify before the Democratic-led House Oversight Committee about the cost cutting measures that may impact the election. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and other leading lawmakers on the Democratic side have called on the board to push back on DeJoy's proposals and remove him if necessary. DeJoy himself was a prolific fundraiser for Trump and the Republican Party before he landed the top USPS job in June. The board members were all appointed by Trump.
Robert Duncan
Duncan, who is often called Mike, is listed as a director of American Crossroads, a super PAC that's backing Trump in the 2020 election. His position is posted on the PAC's most recent annual report, which was filed in March. The committee has spent $1.9 million backing Trump this cycle, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. The PAC's top donor in 2020 is Steve Wynn, the former Republican National Committee finance chair and previous CEO of Wynn Resorts. He resigned from both leadership posts in the wake of being accused of sexual harassment, something he has vehemently denied ever since. Duncan, who was confirmed for his second term to the USPS board in December, is also labeled as a director of the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC helping Republicans defend their majority in the U.S. Senate. The director filings for the committee have yet to be updated since August 2019. Both are run by Steven Law, the former chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who called Duncan a "friend," after his latest confirmation. Duncan and representatives for both committees did not return a request for comment.
John Barger
Then there's John Barger, a managing director at NorthernCross Partners, a Los Angeles-based private investment firm. Barger also lists himself as a director on his LinkedIn page of NanoLumens, a company that develops LED displays and headquartered in Georgia. The company received a $1 million to $2 million loan from the Paycheck Protection Program, which was implemented by Trump's Small Business Administration. The billions of dollars in loans administered under PPP were distributed as a stopgap for companies in need of assistance due to financial strain from the coronavirus pandemic. Barger started as a director of NanoLumens in 2018, his page says. He was confirmed to the USPS board last year. He also lists himself as a director at WineDirect, which helps wineries send their products to customers. Barger did not respond to a request for comment, including a request seeking a list of companies NorthernCross in which has invested. A marketing representative at NanoLumens also did not return a request for comment.
William Zollars
William Zollars was confirmed by the Senate in June. He has extensive experience in the business community, including his two-decade tenure as an executive for trucking company YRC Worldwide. In May, Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., asked Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin at a virtual hearing to help YRC, which the lawmaker said was struggling at the time, according to The New York Times. In July, the Treasury announced that it planned to make a $700 million loan to YRC and that it reached an agreement with the company. In exchange for the financial assistance, the Treasury would "receive a 29.6% equity stake in the company." Zollars has also been on the board of Main Street Data, a company that assists those in the agricultural business. That company received a PPP loan of $150,000 to $350,000, according to the public loan list. Zollars is listed as a director of the company on a Securities and Exchange Commission filing from December. Zollars could not be reached for comment.
Donald Moak
Donald Moak was confirmed to become a member of the USPS board in June. He is co-founder of the Moak Group, a public affairs and business consulting firm. A few years before Moak joined the USPS board, his firm turned to a legal advisor who would join the Trump White House: Stefan Passantino. Passantino, a deputy White House counsel who focused on policing ethics violations by Trump officials, started at the White House in January 201 and departed the administration in 2018. The Moak Group paid Passantino for what's described on his White House disclosure report as "legal services." Moak Group is under a list of almost 70 clients that have paid Passantino over $5,000 in legal fees. Moak initially did not return a request for comment, including how Passantino assisted the company. Passantino declined to comment. After publication, Moak and his company's chief operating officer, Michael Robbins, told CNBC he was appointed to the board by Trump after a recommendation by Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Robbins said Moak is a Democratic member of the USPS board.
Roman Martinez
Roman Martinez was confirmed to the USPS board last year. Beyond his prior work on boards of various nonprofits, Martinez had a more under-reported role two years ago, as a representative for a Florida estate owned by Damon Mezzacappa, a wealthy investment banker. Prior to his death, Mezzacappa, a former vice chairman of Lazard, contributed to both political parties, but his biggest checks, for $15,000, went to the Republican National Committee in the late 1990s, according to data from CRP. The estate is just about a five-minute drive from the president's exclusive club, Mar-a-Lago. After Mezzacappa died, the home was reportedly sold for $41 million to Thompson Dean, a managing partner at investment firm Avista Capital Partners. Since 2008, Dean has given over $330,000 to Republican causes, including over $66,000 to the RNC in 2015 before Trump captured the Republican nomination. Martinez did not return a request for comment.


cnbc--2020-08-20--Kamala Harris and Barack Obama, on historic night, urge dissatisfied Americans to vote

WASHINGTON — In back to back speeches Wednesday at the virtual Democratic National Convention , former President Barack Obama and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris reached out to Americans who feel left behind and alienated by the Trump administration , including voters who might not bother to cast a ballot and victims of structural racism .
The speeches were part of an evening that highlighted people who have suffered from social ills that Democrats argue the Trump White House has not addressed , such as undocumented immigrants and victims of gun violence .
The two hours of programming also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics , capped off by the nomination of Harris , the first woman of color on major presidential ticket .
It also featured remarks from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton .
The evening was bookended by poignant words about the importance of voting , first from former Rep. Gabby Giffords , who was shot in the head a decade ago during a mass shooting and was left with disabling brain damage .
`` America needs all of us to speak out , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ find the words , '' said Giffords , who has struggled mightily to regain the power of speech .
`` We are at a crossroads .
We can let the shooting continue or we can act .
We can protect our families , our future .
We can vote .
We can be on the right side of history .
We must elect Joe Biden .
He was there for me ; he 'll be there for you , too .
Join us in this fight .
Vote , vote , vote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Obama made a more universal appeal to voters .
In between moments of searing criticism for President Donald Trump , the former president spoke about voter suppression and addressed those who feel `` down on government . ''
`` Here 's the point : This president and those in power – those who benefit from keeping things the way they are – they are counting on your cynicism , '' he said .
`` They know they ca n't win you over with their policies .
So they 're hoping to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to vote , and to convince you that your vote does n't matter .
`` That 's how they win .
... That 's how a democracy withers , until it 's no democracy at all .
And we can not let that happen .
Do not let them take away your power .
Do not let them take away your democracy , '' Obama said .
Harris spoke directly to people of color , describing how the coronavirus that is responsible for the death of 170,000 Americans this year is not `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Black , Latino and Indigenous people are suffering and dying disproportionately .
This is not a coincidence .
It is the effect of structural racism , '' she said .
`` Of inequities in education and technology , health care and housing , job security and transportation .
...
This virus has no eyes , and yet it knows exactly how we see each other — and how we treat each other .
`` And let 's be clear — there is no vaccine for racism .
We 've got to do the @ @ @ @ @ @

WASHINGTON — In back to back speeches Wednesday at the virtual Democratic National Convention, former President Barack Obama and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris reached out to Americans who feel left behind and alienated by the Trump administration, including voters who might not bother to cast a ballot and victims of structural racism.
The speeches were part of an evening that highlighted people who have suffered from social ills that Democrats argue the Trump White House has not addressed, such as undocumented immigrants and victims of gun violence. The two hours of programming also celebrated the strides made by women in politics, capped off by the nomination of Harris, the first woman of color on major presidential ticket. It also featured remarks from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
The evening was bookended by poignant words about the importance of voting, first from former Rep. Gabby Giffords, who was shot in the head a decade ago during a mass shooting and was left with disabling brain damage.
"America needs all of us to speak out, even when you have to fight to find the words," said Giffords, who has struggled mightily to regain the power of speech. "We are at a crossroads. We can let the shooting continue or we can act. We can protect our families, our future. We can vote. We can be on the right side of history. We must elect Joe Biden. He was there for me; he'll be there for you, too. Join us in this fight. Vote, vote, vote."
Near the end of the night, Obama made a more universal appeal to voters. In between moments of searing criticism for President Donald Trump, the former president spoke about voter suppression and addressed those who feel "down on government."
"Here's the point: This president and those in power – those who benefit from keeping things the way they are – they are counting on your cynicism," he said. "They know they can't win you over with their policies. So they're hoping to make it as hard as possible for you to vote, and to convince you that your vote doesn't matter.
"That's how they win. ... That's how a democracy withers, until it's no democracy at all. And we cannot let that happen. Do not let them take away your power. Do not let them take away your democracy," Obama said.
Harris spoke directly to people of color, describing how the coronavirus that is responsible for the death of 170,000 Americans this year is not "an equal opportunity offender."