usatoday--2020-08-18--Trump will accept party's nomination for a second term at the White House during Republican conventi

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will formally accept his party 's nomination in a speech delivered at the White House , ending weeks of speculation about what will be one of the most closely watched events of the presidential election .
Trump , speaking in Yuma , Arizona , said he would deliver the remarks from the South Lawn .
“ I ’ m doing it live , unlike Michelle Obama , I ’ m doing it live , '' Trump said , referring to a speech Monday from the former first lady during the first night @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And it ’ ll be Thursday night – it ’ ll be at the White House on the South Lawn . ''
A president 's acceptance speech is usually a made-for-television event and the highlight of a party 's convention , and in this case it will give Trump an opportunity to lay out a vision for his second term .
But the coronavirus pandemic forced both Trump and his Democratic opponent – Joe Biden – to dramatically upend their convention plans .
It wo n't be the first time a sitting president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party 's nomination .
In 1940 , President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his acceptance speech from the White House via radio to the Democratic convention that nominated him for an unprecedented third term .
Democrats , who are holding a mostly virtual convention this week , have attacked Trump over his handling of COVID-19 , and the spread of the virus has created political problems for his campaign in the past .
Republicans initially chose Charlotte , North Carolina , for their covention but shifted to Jacksonville , Florida , for the event @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic governor , Roy Cooper , imposed tough coronavirus restrictions that would limit attendance at all large gatherings , including the Republican convention .
The White House ?
Gettysburg ?
: Trump team looks at options for nomination speech Trump abruptly canceled the events scheduled in Jacksonville , Florida , as coronavirus cases spiked in that state and local officials – including some Republicans – warned they might not be be able to host the convention safely .
Trump appeared to indicate he would accept the nod in North Carolina , but later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said July 29 that he might accept the nomination in remarks delivered from the White House , a venue not used by a president since FDR .
Trump also said previously he had considered Gettysburg , site of the bloodiest battle and a turning point of the Civil War .
More : Trump suggests he 'll be in North Carolina to accept GOP nomination Trump 's back and forthunderscored the uncertainty GOP officials have faced as they tried to organize some form of in-person convention while responding to state and local coronavirus restrictions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the state 's lockdown rules but struggled to find another state eager to hold a large event .
Trump won North Carolina in 2016 , though polls show Biden with a single-digit lead there .
Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have already visited the state several times this year .
Throughout the changes , some portions of the convention were always expected to take place in Charlotte , North Carolina , including Trump 's formal nomination .
The acceptance speech by a nominee is considered a marquee event of a convention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tulsa , Okla. , on June 20 , and took criticism for staging a mass event at a time when COVID was on the rise in that city .
Six members of the president 's advance team contracted COVID before that Tulsa rally .
The campaign has yet to schedule another rally .

John Fritze, Michael Collins and David Jackson, USA TODAY

Trump will accept party's nomination for a second term at the White House during Republican convention
Show Caption Hide Caption Trump announces surge of federal law enforcement to communities President Donald Trump announces a surge of federal law enforcement into communities "plagued by violent crime." USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will formally accept his party's nomination in a speech delivered at the White House, ending weeks of speculation about what will be one of the most closely watched events of the presidential election.
Trump, speaking in Yuma, Arizona, said he would deliver the remarks from the South Lawn.
“I’m doing it live, unlike Michelle Obama, I’m doing it live," Trump said, referring to a speech Monday from the former first lady during the first night of the Democratic National Convention. "And it’ll be Thursday night – it’ll be at the White House on the South Lawn."
A president's acceptance speech is usually a made-for-television event and the highlight of a party's convention, and in this case it will give Trump an opportunity to lay out a vision for his second term. But the coronavirus pandemic forced both Trump and his Democratic opponent – Joe Biden – to dramatically upend their convention plans.
It won't be the first time a sitting president uses the White House to accept a party's nomination. In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his acceptance speech from the White House via radio to the Democratic convention that nominated him for an unprecedented third term.
Democrats, who are holding a mostly virtual convention this week, have attacked Trump over his handling of COVID-19, and the spread of the virus has created political problems for his campaign in the past.
Republicans initially chose Charlotte, North Carolina, for their covention but shifted to Jacksonville, Florida, for the event's highest-profile speeches after North Carolina's Democratic governor, Roy Cooper, imposed tough coronavirus restrictions that would limit attendance at all large gatherings, including the Republican convention.
The White House? Gettysburg?: Trump team looks at options for nomination speech
Trump abruptly canceled the events scheduled in Jacksonville, Florida, as coronavirus cases spiked in that state and local officials – including some Republicans – warned they might not be be able to host the convention safely. Trump appeared to indicate he would accept the nod in North Carolina, but later then appeared to back away.
Trump said July 29 that he might accept the nomination in remarks delivered from the White House, a venue not used by a president since FDR.
Trump also said previously he had considered Gettysburg, site of the bloodiest battle and a turning point of the Civil War.
More: Trump suggests he'll be in North Carolina to accept GOP nomination
More: Republicans fear coronavirus will force scaling back Trump's Florida convention
Trump's back and forth underscored the uncertainty GOP officials have faced as they tried to organize some form of in-person convention while responding to state and local coronavirus restrictions limiting large gatherings. Trump pilloried Cooper for the state's lockdown rules but struggled to find another state eager to hold a large event.
Trump won North Carolina in 2016, though polls show Biden with a single-digit lead there. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have already visited the state several times this year.
Throughout the changes, some portions of the convention were always expected to take place in Charlotte, North Carolina, including Trump's formal nomination. The acceptance speech by a nominee is considered a marquee event of a convention.
Trump held a political rally in Tulsa, Okla., on June 20, and took criticism for staging a mass event at a time when COVID was on the rise in that city.
Six members of the president's advance team contracted COVID before that Tulsa rally. The campaign has yet to schedule another rally.
Contributing: Courtney Subramanian


usatoday--2020-08-18--5 tips to stay safe at college during COVID-19

Here are 5 tips to stay safe at college during the pandemic .

COVID-19: Tips to stay safe at college
Here are 5 tips to stay safe at college during the pandemic.
ProblemSolved, USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-08-18--'They just threw a bomb': Portland police investigate reported explosive over weekend

Portland has been the scene of nightly , often violent , demonstrations against racism and police brutality since the killing @ @ @ @

Police investigate reported weekend 'bomb' amid Portland protests
Portland has been the scene of nightly, often violent, demonstrations against racism and police brutality since the killing of George Floyd.
USA TODAY, Storyful


usatoday--2020-08-19--DNC: Security guard who blurted 'I love you' to Biden last year nominates him for president

WASHINGTON – A security guard at the New York Times who went viral last year for her interaction with former Vice President Joe Biden was the first person to nominate the former vice president at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday night .
Jacquelyn Brittany was filmed last year as she expressed her admiration for Biden , blurting out `` I love you , '' as she escorted him to a meeting with the paper ’ s editorial board .
She told Biden then he was her favorite and took a selfie with the him in the elevator .
Live coverage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become the Democratic presidential nominee The guard is identified on Twitter as Jacquelyn and by The Washington Post , the first to report her role in the convention , as Jacquelyn Brittany .
Standing in front of an elevator , Brittany gave her pitch to the DNC , saying `` I take powerful people up on my elevator all the time .
When they get off , they go to their important meetings .
Me ?
I just head back to the lobby .
But in the short time I spent with Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saw me , that he actually cared , that my life meant something to him . ''
`` And I knew , that even when he went into his important meeting , he 'd take my story in there with him , '' Brittany continued .
`` We 've been through a lot , and we have tough days ahead , but nominating someone like that to be in the White House is a good place to start . ''
`` That 's why I nominate my friend as the next president of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
More : Cindy McCain talks about John McCain 's friendship with Joe Biden in Democratic National Convention video While Biden lost the paper ’ s endorsement – the Times endorsed both Sens .
Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren – his team has elevated that clip of the interaction with Brittany as evidence that Biden appeals to average working Americans rather than elites .
Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield tweeted that Brittany 's was “ the most powerful endorsement of the 2020 cycle.
” Brittany was one of three people putting Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night .
She was joined virtually by Sen. Chris Coons and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester , both from Delaware .
Biden formally secured enough Democratic delegates to become the party 's nominee to challenge President Donald Trump Tuesday , winning one of the highest prizes in U.S. politics more than three decades after he first campaigned for it .

DNC: Security guard who blurted ‘I love you’ to Biden last year nominates him for president
Show Caption Hide Caption Former senior Trump administration official endorses Joe Biden Miles Taylor is one of the highest-ranking former officials from the Trump administration to back the presumptive Democratic nominee. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – A security guard at the New York Times who went viral last year for her interaction with former Vice President Joe Biden was the first person to nominate the former vice president at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday night.
Jacquelyn Brittany was filmed last year as she expressed her admiration for Biden, blurting out "I love you," as she escorted him to a meeting with the paper’s editorial board. She told Biden then he was her favorite and took a selfie with the him in the elevator.
Live coverage: Joe Biden secures enough delegates to become the Democratic presidential nominee
The guard is identified on Twitter as Jacquelyn and by The Washington Post, the first to report her role in the convention, as Jacquelyn Brittany.
Standing in front of an elevator, Brittany gave her pitch to the DNC, saying "I take powerful people up on my elevator all the time. When they get off, they go to their important meetings. Me? I just head back to the lobby. But in the short time I spent with Joe Biden, I could tell he really saw me, that he actually cared, that my life meant something to him."
"And I knew, that even when he went into his important meeting, he'd take my story in there with him," Brittany continued. "We've been through a lot, and we have tough days ahead, but nominating someone like that to be in the White House is a good place to start."
"That's why I nominate my friend as the next president of the United States," she concluded.
More: Cindy McCain talks about John McCain's friendship with Joe Biden in Democratic National Convention video
Jacquelyn Brittany nominates "my friend" Joe Biden for president of the United States.
She is a security guard who last year told Biden "I love you" as she escorted him in an elevator. pic.twitter.com/lW1Ji4In9o — PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) August 19, 2020
While Biden lost the paper’s endorsement – the Times endorsed both Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren – his team has elevated that clip of the interaction with Brittany as evidence that Biden appeals to average working Americans rather than elites.
Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield tweeted that Brittany's was “the most powerful endorsement of the 2020 cycle.”
Brittany was one of three people putting Biden’s name into nomination on Tuesday night. She was joined virtually by Sen. Chris Coons and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, both from Delaware.
More: Former senior Trump administration official endorses Joe Biden
Biden formally secured enough Democratic delegates to become the party's nominee to challenge President Donald Trump Tuesday, winning one of the highest prizes in U.S. politics more than three decades after he first campaigned for it.
Contributing: Associated Press


usatoday--2020-08-18--Cindy McCain talks about John McCain's friendship with Joe Biden in Democratic National Convention v

PHOENIX – In a pre-recorded video , Cindy McCain highlights the late Sen. John McCain 's close friendship with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in another high-profile instance of a Republican lending her voice to the Democratic National Convention .
In the video , first reported on by the Associated Press , McCain narrates key moments of the Biden-McCain friendship , with photos and video clips of the two men .
A snippet of the video on YouTube does not contain an explicit endorsement of Biden over Republican President Donald Trump .
In the video , Cindy McCain talks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as her husband and Biden worked together and traveled thousands of miles together .
In the teaser on YouTube , McCain says the two men grew close when Biden , a senator from Delaware at the time , met John McCain when McCain was assigned as a Navy aide for him on an overseas trip .
`` It was a friendship that should n't have worked , '' Cindy said in the video .
`` John , a former Navy pilot just released from a North Vietnamese prison .
Joe , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 1970s , Joe was assigned a military aide for a trip overseas . ''
The late senator 's voice breaks in : `` I was a Navy Senate liaison and used to carry your bags on overseas trips . ''
Biden says , `` The son-of-a-gun never carried my bags !
He was supposed to carry my bags , dammit , but he never carried my bags . ''
Over the years , as their families grew close , Cindy said , “ They would just sit and joke .
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to watch the two of them . ''
McCain 's virtual presence on the second night of the convention , where Democrats and Republicans are seeking to make the case for Biden 's bid , comes after prominent Republicans on Monday expressed their dissatisfaction with Trump 's first term , including former Ohio Gov .
John Kasich and former Rep. Susan Molinari .
McCain , along with her daughter , TV commentator Meghan McCain , have been at times outspoken critics against Trump , whose feud with the late senator dates to 2015 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The McCain women occasionally speak out against Trump , but these days , they tend to only speak out when he re-airs his grievances .
McCain 's support of Biden through the video should come as no surprise , given the families ' longstanding friendship .
But it 's a reminder of the type of politics the late senator practiced .
McCain , a retired Navy captain and Vietnam prisoner of war , had become a fixture in American and global politics before his death on Aug. 25 , 2018 , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with cancer .
Cindy McCain was asked in 2019 if she expected to get involved in politics during the 2020 presidential election .
`` I think I ’ m going to sit back and kind of see what happens , '' she said .
`` We ’ re still trying to put our family back together . ''

Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, Arizona Republic

Cindy McCain talks about John McCain's friendship with Joe Biden in Democratic National Convention video
PHOENIX – In a pre-recorded video, Cindy McCain highlights the late Sen. John McCain's close friendship with presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in another high-profile instance of a Republican lending her voice to the Democratic National Convention.
In the video, first reported on by the Associated Press, McCain narrates key moments of the Biden-McCain friendship, with photos and video clips of the two men. A snippet of the video on YouTube does not contain an explicit endorsement of Biden over Republican President Donald Trump.
In the video, Cindy McCain talks about the two families that grew close, as her husband and Biden worked together and traveled thousands of miles together.
In the teaser on YouTube, McCain says the two men grew close when Biden, a senator from Delaware at the time, met John McCain when McCain was assigned as a Navy aide for him on an overseas trip.
"It was a friendship that shouldn't have worked," Cindy said in the video. "John, a former Navy pilot just released from a North Vietnamese prison. Joe, a young senator from Delaware. But in the 1970s, Joe was assigned a military aide for a trip overseas."
The late senator's voice breaks in: "I was a Navy Senate liaison and used to carry your bags on overseas trips."
Biden says, "The son-of-a-gun never carried my bags! He was supposed to carry my bags, dammit, but he never carried my bags."
Over the years, as their families grew close, Cindy said, “They would just sit and joke. It was like a comedy show, sometimes, to watch the two of them."
'Terrifying': Former senior Trump administration official endorses Biden
McCain's virtual presence on the second night of the convention, where Democrats and Republicans are seeking to make the case for Biden's bid, comes after prominent Republicans on Monday expressed their dissatisfaction with Trump's first term, including former Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former Rep. Susan Molinari.
McCain, along with her daughter, TV commentator Meghan McCain, have been at times outspoken critics against Trump, whose feud with the late senator dates to 2015, when Trump launched his first bid. The McCain women occasionally speak out against Trump, but these days, they tend to only speak out when he re-airs his grievances.
My husband and Vice President Biden enjoyed a 30+ year friendship dating back to before their years serving together in the Senate, so I was honored to accept the invitation from the Biden campaign to participate in a video celebrating their relationship.https://t.co/Y6XOnBC1IW — Cindy McCain (@cindymccain) August 18, 2020
McCain's support of Biden through the video should come as no surprise, given the families' longstanding friendship. But it's a reminder of the type of politics the late senator practiced.
McCain, a retired Navy captain and Vietnam prisoner of war, had become a fixture in American and global politics before his death on Aug. 25, 2018, at the age of 81 after a battle with cancer.
Cindy McCain was asked in 2019 if she expected to get involved in politics during the 2020 presidential election.
"I think I’m going to sit back and kind of see what happens," she said. "We’re still trying to put our family back together."


usatoday--2020-08-18--DNC draws fewer TV viewers, but gets an online boost with virtual program

Television viewership for opening night of the virtual Democratic National Convention was down from 2016 , but online participation was up dramatically enough to offset the decline , according to network and campaign officials Tuesday .
CNN , MSNBC , NBC , ABC , Fox News and CBS combined for 18.8 million viewers in the 10 p.m. EDT hour , according to Nielsen .
Broadcast networks didn ’ t cover the hour from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. , but cable competitors CNN , MSNBC and Fox News combined across both hours for 12 million viewers , according to Nielsen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 26 million people watched the 10 p.m. hour of the first night of the convention live from Philadelphia in 2016 on ABC , CBS , NBC , CNN , Fox Business Network , Fox News or MSNBC , according to Nielsen .
But digital viewing was up dramatically .
T.J. Ducklo , a national spokesman for presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden 's campaign , tweeted that 28.9 million Americans tuned in the convention either by television or digitally Monday and `` shattered '' the previous record for digitally streaming video with 10.2 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ digital convention , and people are watching , '' Ducklo said .
Trump criticized the ratings during a campaign stop in Arizona and said his live speech would be more exciting than Democratic keynote speaker Michelle Obama , whose speech was recorded .
`` Their ratings were very bad , '' Trump said .
`` Live by the way is always much more exciting . ''
Politicians , activists and campaign experts were eager to gauge the response to the first convention held remotely , with live and videotaped speeches and songs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Milwaukee .
Television reviewers called the program “ disjointed and unsettlingly weird , ” and compared it to a Zoom meeting or a telethon .
But Columbia University professor Todd Gitlin , who has written extensively about culture and mass communication , said the shift to a virtual format was “ extremely successful ” and offered a welcome change from the “ extremely ritualized ” and “ very formulaic ” traditional political convention .
“ This was a case of lemons turned to a rather invigorating lemonade , ” Gitlin told USA TODAY @ @ @ @ @ @ @ itself has been pretty much a snooze for as far back as I can remember.
” Both parties are experimenting with how to conduct a convention during a pandemic .
Recommendations for social distancing prevented the customary gathering of thousands of cheering supporters – in Milwaukee this week for Democrats or in Charlotte next week for Republicans .
But most viewers see the program through television or online anyway .
Despite the limitations , musical performances moved outdoors – from a rooftop for Leon Bridges or a beach for Maggie Rogers – and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech rather than deliver it live .
CNN Digital reported nearly 31 million unique visitors and more than 9 million video starts on its desktop , mobile or other streaming device .
Digital visitors were up 19 % compared to the first day of the 2016 convention and digital streaming was up 28 % , according to CNN Digital .
Gitlin watched the convention on his computer .
While that smaller screen ’ s power to diminish isn ’ t ideal for watching visual spectacles like the film “ Avatar , ” it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intimacy , ” he said .
The Zoom format personalized the presentations by focusing on the speaker 's face , Gitlin said .
Not having to address a large audience allowed the speakers to play into that sense of intimacy and “ generate a sense of human personal connection , '' he said .
“ This sort of format cultivates a sense that a viewer is being addressed individually , Gitlin said .
“ And therefore something is taking place which is , in some way , equivalent - not identical , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called ‘ retail politics ’ ” where politicians create an “ up close and personal ” experience ” by engaging in “ selfies and hugs ” with supporters in the receiving lines .
John Pavlik , a Rutgers University professor of journalism and media studies , said the party missed an opportunity by not having a gauge to represent how many viewers were watching or applauding a speaker .
Viewers tend to have a greater connection to events with an audience – even an artificial one like a laugh track , he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And so if we are reminded we are not alone , I think we respond to that , ” Pavlik said .
Audience reaction offers a cue for when “ something significant was said , ” he said .
“ Whereas when there 's an audience , at least some people are going to recognize it , ” Pavlik said .
“ There will be some reaction and that would be a clue , or cue , to everybody else that he or she just said something really important , I should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ author of “ Journalism in the Age of Virtual Reality , ” said the organizers “ utilized the medium in an effective way ” and did a good job of handling “ the convergence of a video conference with a television broadcast of a live event.
” And the lack of technical glitches “ made it a relatively seamless event , ” he said .
In the New York Times , reviewer James Poniewozik noted that program featured none of the regular interviews with delegates , shots of waving placards or funny hats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hooting crowds .
“ At its shakiest , it was , like much pandemic-era TV , uncanny , disjointed and unsettlingly weird , ” he wrote .
“ At its most engaging , it dispensed with some relics of televised conventions and found faster-paced and more intimate alternatives.
” The testimonial from Kristin Urquiza , whose father voted for Trump and died of COVID-19 , was among the most memorable moments , he wrote .
In the Los Angeles Times , reviewer Lorraine Ali compared the show to a telethon during a crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peppered with unpredictable aspects of video conferencing , including pixelating interviews running back-to-back with dead air between segments or a stage hand walking in front of the camera .
But she said the message of praise for Biden was clear from Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer and Rep. James Clyburn , D-S.C .
In Variety , reviewer Daniel D ’ Addario called the format not unlike Zoom with what seemed like a random arrangement of speeches .
The closing speeches by Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. , and Michelle Obama offered full-throated arguments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote .
Both had also spoken on the first night of the 2016 convention .
But because Obama taped her speech before Biden ’ s running mate was chosen , she didn ’ t mention Sen. Kamala Harris , D-Calif. , at all .
Gitlin said Obama was `` masterful '' and Urquiza was `` powerful '' in exploiting the new format .
But he found the musical numbers `` distracting '' and the interludes made it feel like the Academy Award show .
Nielsen Social reported in 2016 that 3.3 million tweets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mentioning “ Democratic National Convention . ''
The activity spiked at 10:21 p.m. , when 30,400 tweets were sent in one minute following Obama ’ s speech .

Bart Jansen and William Cummings, USA TODAY

DNC draws fewer TV viewers, but gets an online boost with virtual program
Show Caption Hide Caption Michelle Obama, Bernie Sanders headline first night of DNC The first night of the Democratic National Convention focused on persons of different backgrounds and political parties uniting behind Joe Biden. USA TODAY
Television viewership for opening night of the virtual Democratic National Convention was down from 2016, but online participation was up dramatically enough to offset the decline, according to network and campaign officials Tuesday.
CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, Fox News and CBS combined for 18.8 million viewers in the 10 p.m. EDT hour, according to Nielsen. Broadcast networks didn’t cover the hour from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., but cable competitors CNN, MSNBC and Fox News combined across both hours for 12 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Resea
For comparison, an estimated 26 million people watched the 10 p.m. hour of the first night of the convention live from Philadelphia in 2016 on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox Business Network, Fox News or MSNBC, according to Nielsen.
But digital viewing was up dramatically. T.J. Ducklo, a national spokesman for presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden's campaign, tweeted that 28.9 million Americans tuned in the convention either by television or digitally Monday and "shattered" the previous record for digitally streaming video with 10.2 million viewers.
"We are producing a digital convention, and people are watching," Ducklo said.
Trump criticized the ratings during a campaign stop in Arizona and said his live speech would be more exciting than Democratic keynote speaker Michelle Obama, whose speech was recorded.
"Their ratings were very bad," Trump said. "Live by the way is always much more exciting."
Politicians, activists and campaign experts were eager to gauge the response to the first convention held remotely, with live and videotaped speeches and songs, rather than in a large gathering in Milwaukee. Television reviewers called the program “disjointed and unsettlingly weird,” and compared it to a Zoom meeting or a telethon.
But Columbia University professor Todd Gitlin, who has written extensively about culture and mass communication, said the shift to a virtual format was “extremely successful” and offered a welcome change from the “extremely ritualized” and “very formulaic” traditional political convention.
“This was a case of lemons turned to a rather invigorating lemonade,” Gitlin told USA TODAY. “I would say the convention itself has been pretty much a snooze for as far back as I can remember.”
Both parties are experimenting with how to conduct a convention during a pandemic. Recommendations for social distancing prevented the customary gathering of thousands of cheering supporters – in Milwaukee this week for Democrats or in Charlotte next week for Republicans.
But most viewers see the program through television or online anyway. Despite the limitations, musical performances moved outdoors – from a rooftop for Leon Bridges or a beach for Maggie Rogers – and allowed Obama to record her opening night speech rather than deliver it live.
CNN Digital reported nearly 31 million unique visitors and more than 9 million video starts on its desktop, mobile or other streaming device. Digital visitors were up 19% compared to the first day of the 2016 convention and digital streaming was up 28%, according to CNN Digital.
Gitlin watched the convention on his computer. While that smaller screen’s power to diminish isn’t ideal for watching visual spectacles like the film “Avatar,” it is effective at creating a “pseudo intimacy,” he said.
The Zoom format personalized the presentations by focusing on the speaker's face, Gitlin said. Not having to address a large audience allowed the speakers to play into that sense of intimacy and “generate a sense of human personal connection," he said.
“This sort of format cultivates a sense that a viewer is being addressed individually, Gitlin said. “And therefore something is taking place which is, in some way, equivalent - not identical, but equivalent - to the experience of so called ‘retail politics’” where politicians create an “up close and personal” experience” by engaging in “selfies and hugs” with supporters in the receiving lines.
DNC speaker: Kristin Urquiza, who lost her father to COVID-19 Kristin Urquiza delivers a message to the Democratic Convention on losing her father to coronavirus after he believed what President Donald Trump said. USA TODAY
John Pavlik, a Rutgers University professor of journalism and media studies, said the party missed an opportunity by not having a gauge to represent how many viewers were watching or applauding a speaker. Viewers tend to have a greater connection to events with an audience – even an artificial one like a laugh track, he said.
“We’re social creatures. And so if we are reminded we are not alone, I think we respond to that,” Pavlik said. Audience reaction offers a cue for when “something significant was said,” he said.
“Whereas when there's an audience, at least some people are going to recognize it,” Pavlik said. “There will be some reaction and that would be a clue, or cue, to everybody else that he or she just said something really important, I should get more excited.”
Pavlik, the author of “Journalism in the Age of Virtual Reality,” said the organizers “utilized the medium in an effective way” and did a good job of handling “the convergence of a video conference with a television broadcast of a live event.” And the lack of technical glitches “made it a relatively seamless event,” he said.
In the New York Times, reviewer James Poniewozik noted that program featured none of the regular interviews with delegates, shots of waving placards or funny hats. In fact, no cheering or hooting crowds.
“At its shakiest, it was, like much pandemic-era TV, uncanny, disjointed and unsettlingly weird,” he wrote. “At its most engaging, it dispensed with some relics of televised conventions and found faster-paced and more intimate alternatives.”
The testimonial from Kristin Urquiza, whose father voted for Trump and died of COVID-19, was among the most memorable moments, he wrote.
In the Los Angeles Times, reviewer Lorraine Ali compared the show to a telethon during a crisis.
She wrote that the convention was peppered with unpredictable aspects of video conferencing, including pixelating interviews running back-to-back with dead air between segments or a stage hand walking in front of the camera. But she said the message of praise for Biden was clear from Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C.
In Variety, reviewer Daniel D’Addario called the format not unlike Zoom with what seemed like a random arrangement of speeches. The closing speeches by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Michelle Obama offered full-throated arguments to support Biden and vote, he wrote. Both had also spoken on the first night of the 2016 convention.
But because Obama taped her speech before Biden’s running mate was chosen, she didn’t mention Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., at all.
Gitlin said Obama was "masterful" and Urquiza was "powerful" in exploiting the new format. But he found the musical numbers "distracting" and the interludes made it feel like the Academy Award show.
Nielsen Social reported in 2016 that 3.3 million tweets sent by 693,000 people in the U.S. mentioning “Democratic National Convention." The activity spiked at 10:21 p.m., when 30,400 tweets were sent in one minute following Obama’s speech.
Contributing: Bill Keveney


usatoday--2020-08-18--In test for November, Florida primary going smoothly, state officials say

TALLAHASSEE – With an unprecedented 2.7 million Floridians already having cast ballots either early or by mail , the state ’ s top elections officials said Tuesday that primary voting was moving ahead with no major glitches .
Secretary of State Laurel Lee said that her office had contacted Florida ’ s 67 election supervisors who reported no serious problems with in-person voting at polling places , which are set to remain open until 8 p.m. EDT .
“ Polling locations are open , prepared and equipped for voters , ” Lee said .
Amid the pandemic , personal protective @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the voting locations was a priority for the state and county supervisors , she said .
More : Postmaster General DeJoy says he will stop USPS changes until after November election While a record number of mail-in ballots have been submitted by voters this year – 2.2 million so far – it was difficult to gauge whether Tuesday ’ s primary vote would top the 24 % turnout reached in 2016 , the last presidential election year .
Still , the 2.2 million mail-in votes already received are 1 million more than cast @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With the November election turnout likely to at least reach the 75 % turnout of 2016 – and mail-in voting certain to be used more than in previous years -- Lee said that Tuesday ’ s primary contests were a good test for supervisors and her department .
“ Today is an excellent opportunity for us as a state and local level to put into place all the plans we ’ ve been developing these last couple of months to ensure that we ’ re abiding by all health and safety protocols necessary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
While President Donald Trump and his allies have been ridiculing mail-in voting as a fraud risk , without any evidence , Gov .
Ron DeSantis separated himself , somewhat , from the White House in June by signing an executive order giving supervisors more time to count mail-in ballots in advance of election day .
With counting already underway , Lee said , “ that process is going very smoothly , and going very well .
”

In test for November, Florida primary going smoothly, state officials say
Show Caption Hide Caption Mail-in votes, USPS caught in COVID-19 relief negotiations President Donald Trump has offered conflicting statements about supplementary funding for the U.S. Postal Service. USA TODAY
TALLAHASSEE – With an unprecedented 2.7 million Floridians already having cast ballots either early or by mail, the state’s top elections officials said Tuesday that primary voting was moving ahead with no major glitches.
Secretary of State Laurel Lee said that her office had contacted Florida’s 67 election supervisors who reported no serious problems with in-person voting at polling places, which are set to remain open until 8 p.m. EDT.
“Polling locations are open, prepared and equipped for voters,” Lee said.
Amid the pandemic, personal protective equipment, hand-sanitizer and regular cleaning of the voting locations was a priority for the state and county supervisors, she said.
More: Postmaster General DeJoy says he will stop USPS changes until after November election
While a record number of mail-in ballots have been submitted by voters this year – 2.2 million so far – it was difficult to gauge whether Tuesday’s primary vote would top the 24% turnout reached in 2016, the last presidential election year.
Still, the 2.2 million mail-in votes already received are 1 million more than cast by that method four years ago.
With the November election turnout likely to at least reach the 75% turnout of 2016 – and mail-in voting certain to be used more than in previous years -- Lee said that Tuesday’s primary contests were a good test for supervisors and her department.
“Today is an excellent opportunity for us as a state and local level to put into place all the plans we’ve been developing these last couple of months to ensure that we’re abiding by all health and safety protocols necessary at polling locations,” Lee said.
More: President Trump’s vote-by-mail ballot received by elections office in Florida
While President Donald Trump and his allies have been ridiculing mail-in voting as a fraud risk, without any evidence, Gov. Ron DeSantis separated himself, somewhat, from the White House in June by signing an executive order giving supervisors more time to count mail-in ballots in advance of election day.
With counting already underway, Lee said, “that process is going very smoothly, and going very well.”


usatoday--2020-08-18--St. Louis couple who pointed guns at protesters to speak at Republican National Convention

RNC : St. Louis couple who pointed guns at protesters to speak A St. Louis couple who pointed their guns @ @ @ @ @ community will speak at the Republican National Convention .

RNC: St. Louis couple who pointed guns at protesters to speak
A St. Louis couple who pointed their guns at protesters marching through their community will speak at the Republican National Convention.
USA TODAY, Storyful


usatoday--2020-08-18--President Trump's vote-by-mail ballot received by elections office in Florida

WEST PALM BEACH , Fla. – The vote-by-mail ballots requested by President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were received by the Palm Beach County elections office on Monday .
The ballots were dropped off in person , not sent back to Palm Beach County by mail , elections chief Wendy Sartory Link said .
The ballots would be counted Tuesday , Link said .
The Trumps made their requests for mail ballots on Wednesday and authorized an associate to pick up the ballots the same day .
They did the same for the March presidential primary .
Vote-by-mail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail voting .
But few states are planning that in November That means the ballot moved from West Palm Beach to Washington and back again in five days to beat the 7 p.m. Tuesday deadline for submitting vote-by-mail ballots .
Trump did not make the deadline for having the ballot mailed to him by requesting it 10 days before the election .
He took advantage of a rule allowing the ballots to be picked up in person or by a designated representative , in this case Alejandro Garcia .
Florida voters were required @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their absence during an election to get what was then called an “ absentee ” ballot .
The Florida Legislature changed the wording from “ absentee ” to “ vote-by-mail ” in 2016 to avoid confusing voters .
Trump has railed against universal mail-in voting , claiming without evidence during a Fox Business Network interview that mail-in ballots “ will be the greatest fraud in history.
” In the interview , Trump said that by not providing money to the U.S .
Postal Service , “ they can ’ t have universal mail-in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have it.
” “ The honorable thing to do is drop the Mail-In Scam before it is too late !
Absentee Ballots , like they have in Florida , are good !
” Trump tweeted on Aug. 15 .
Florida does not have universal mail-in-voting .
'He 's scaring our own voters ' : :Republicans run into a Donald Trump problem as they push mail voting To remain safe during the coronavirus pandemic , voters are turning to mail-in voting .
As of noon Tuesday , 174,144 Palm Beach County voters , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , had cast their ballot by mail .
That ’ s about 20,000 more mail-in ballots cast than in either the 2018 or 2016 general elections .
The Trumps became Palm Beach County voters in October after changing residency to Palm Beach .
They voted by mail in the March presidential primary as well .

President Trump’s vote-by-mail ballot received by elections office in Florida
Show Caption Hide Caption Mail-in votes, USPS caught in COVID-19 relief negotiations President Donald Trump has offered conflicting statements about supplementary funding for the U.S. Postal Service. USA TODAY
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The vote-by-mail ballots requested by President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were received by the Palm Beach County elections office on Monday.
The ballots were dropped off in person, not sent back to Palm Beach County by mail, elections chief Wendy Sartory Link said.
The ballots would be counted Tuesday, Link said.
The Trumps made their requests for mail ballots on Wednesday and authorized an associate to pick up the ballots the same day. They did the same for the March presidential primary.
Vote-by-mail: Donald Trump keeps blasting 'universal' mail voting. But few states are planning that in November
That means the ballot moved from West Palm Beach to Washington and back again in five days to beat the 7 p.m. Tuesday deadline for submitting vote-by-mail ballots.
Trump did not make the deadline for having the ballot mailed to him by requesting it 10 days before the election. He took advantage of a rule allowing the ballots to be picked up in person or by a designated representative, in this case Alejandro Garcia.
Florida voters were required until 2002 to provide an excuse of their absence during an election to get what was then called an “absentee” ballot. The Florida Legislature changed the wording from “absentee” to “vote-by-mail” in 2016 to avoid confusing voters.
Trump has railed against universal mail-in voting, claiming without evidence during a Fox Business Network interview that mail-in ballots “will be the greatest fraud in history.”
In the interview, Trump said that by not providing money to the U.S. Postal Service, “they can’t have universal mail-in voting; they just can’t have it.”
“The honorable thing to do is drop the Mail-In Scam before it is too late! Absentee Ballots, like they have in Florida, are good!” Trump tweeted on Aug. 15.
Florida does not have universal mail-in-voting.
Elections 2020: Mail-in voting could decide next president Many states are planning on drastically different elections this year and mail-in ballots could be a big game changer. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
'He's scaring our own voters':: Republicans run into a Donald Trump problem as they push mail voting
To remain safe during the coronavirus pandemic, voters are turning to mail-in voting.
As of noon Tuesday, 174,144 Palm Beach County voters, or 83% of those who had voted, had cast their ballot by mail. That’s about 20,000 more mail-in ballots cast than in either the 2018 or 2016 general elections.
The Trumps became Palm Beach County voters in October after changing residency to Palm Beach. They voted by mail in the March presidential primary as well.
Follow Hannah Morse on Twitter: @mannahhorse


usatoday--2020-08-18--Former Trump administration official calls Trump 'terrifying,' endorses Joe Biden

Miles Taylor is one of the highest-ranking former officials from the Trump administration to back the presumptive Democratic nominee .

Former senior Trump administration official endorses Joe Biden
Miles Taylor is one of the highest-ranking former officials from the Trump administration to back the presumptive Democratic nominee.
USA TODAY


usatoday--2020-08-18--Michelle Obama, John Kasich, coronavirus: How Republicans reacted to night 1 of the DNC convention

As Democratic leaders , and a few Republicans , took the virtual stage for the first night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday , President Donald Trump , his campaign and GOP leaders offered their critiques of the first virtual convention .
Hogan Gidley , the Trump campaign 's national press secretary , denounced the entire event for offering what he considered to be an incomplete picture of Biden 's platform , which he argued was far left of mainstream America .
`` Democrats can try to conceal the dangerous truth with a Hollywood-produced infomercial , but they can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radical socialist leftist takeover of Joe Biden is complete , '' Gidley said .
Trump sent out a flurry of attacks on Twitter Tuesday morning .
Here is a look at some of the Republican reaction to the opening night of the Democrats ' convention : Blasting Trump 's handling of the coronavirus pandemic was a running theme of the first night 's events and speeches .
Sen. Bernie Sanders , for example , said Trump `` has put our lives and health in jeopardy '' by attacking `` doctors and scientists trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fiddled while Rome burned ; Trump golfs , '' said Sanders , who opposed Biden in the Democratic primary but has since backed the former vice president .
Kristin Urquiza , who gained national attention with an obituary for her father in The Arizona Republic after he died from COVID-19 , said her dad 's `` only pre-existing condition was trusting Donald Trump – and for that he paid with his life . ''
Gidley said the speakers failed to explain that Biden opposed the partial travel ban Trump imposed on China and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which saved countless American lives . ''
`` With history as our guide , if Joe Biden had been president , the coronavirus crisis would be dramatically worse , '' Gidley said .
On Tuesday , Trump pointed to the Obama administration 's handling of the 2009 swine flu pandemic , which killed 12,469 people in the U.S. over the course of one year , according to the Centers for Disease Control ad Prevention , to argue that Biden would have bungled COVID-19 .
The coronavrius has left more than 170,000 people dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history , the response by the ObamaBiden team to the H1N1 Swine Flu was considered a weak and pathetic one , '' Trump posted on Twitter .
`` Check out the polling , it ’ s really bad .
The big difference is that they got a free pass from the Corrupt Fake News Media ! ''
The final address of the night featured a taped speech by former first lady Michelle Obama .
She delivered a blistering review of Trump 's first term in office , saying instead of stable leadership , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and a total and utter lack of empathy . ''
The portion of her speech that drew wide attention ended with a reference to Trump 's response in an Axios interview to the COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. '' Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country .
He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job , but he is clearly in over his head .
He can not meet this moment .
He simply can not be who we need him to be for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' she said .
After her remarks aired , Trump retweeted reactions from Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , who said his memory `` of what life was like after the Obama presidency is much different '' than Michelle Obama 's .
'It is what it is ' : Trump says of rising coronavirus death toll as he insists outbreak is 'under control' '' I remember a slow-growth economy , a weakened military , ISIS raging , Iran emboldened , China eating our lunch , businesses struggling , and out-of-control illegal immigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are not the good old days to go back to . ''
On Tuesday , Trump offered his own take .
`` Somebody please explain to @ MichelleObama that Donald J. Trump would not be here , in the beautiful White House , if it weren ’ t for the job done by your husband , Barack Obama , '' Trump said .
`` My Administration and I built the greatest economy in history , of any country , turned it off , saved millions of lives , and now am building an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Jobs are flowing , NASDAQ is already at a record high , the rest to follow .
Sit back & watch ! ''
he said in another tweet .
The GOP critics were particularly tough on the current and former members of their own party who threw their support to Biden in featured speeches on Monday night .
Former Ohio Gov .
John Kasich drew particularly fierce ire .
.
`` John Kasich did a bad job in Ohio , ran for President and was easy to beat , and now went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Trump tweeted of Kasich , who , along with Sen. Ted Cruz , was one of the last two candidates to drop out of the 2016 Republican primary against Trump .
`` Good Job by Chris C in exposing yet another loser ! ''
Trump added , referring to former New Jersey Gov .
Chris Christie , a Republican , who tore into Kasich on ABC News .
Christie said it was telling that none of Kasich 's fellow Republican governors endorsed him in his 2016 primary bid against Trump .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ t endorse him is because he ’ s a backstabber , and he ’ s an untruthful guy .
And so , tonight , Republicans are going to look at that and go , 'You can have him .
Please , believe me , give us a break , get him out of our party , you take him for a little while , ' because on top of that , I ’ ve worked with John a lot .
He ’ s exhausting . ''

Jeanine Santucci, Savannah Behrmann and William Cummings, USA TODAY

Michelle Obama, John Kasich, coronavirus: How Republicans reacted to night 1 of the DNC convention
Show Caption Hide Caption Trump calls Michelle Obama's speech 'divisive' President Donald Trump says former First Lady Michelle Obama's speech during the first night of the virtual Democratic Convention was 'divisive.' (Aug. 18) AP
As Democratic leaders, and a few Republicans, took the virtual stage for the first night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday, President Donald Trump, his campaign and GOP leaders offered their critiques of the first virtual convention.
Hogan Gidley, the Trump campaign's national press secretary, denounced the entire event for offering what he considered to be an incomplete picture of Biden's platform, which he argued was far left of mainstream America.
"Democrats can try to conceal the dangerous truth with a Hollywood-produced infomercial, but they can’t hide the fact that the radical socialist leftist takeover of Joe Biden is complete," Gidley said.
Trump sent out a flurry of attacks on Twitter Tuesday morning.
Here is a look at some of the Republican reaction to the opening night of the Democrats' convention:
Coronavirus
Blasting Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic was a running theme of the first night's events and speeches.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, for example, said Trump "has put our lives and health in jeopardy" by attacking "doctors and scientists trying to protect us."
"Nero fiddled while Rome burned; Trump golfs," said Sanders, who opposed Biden in the Democratic primary but has since backed the former vice president.
Kristin Urquiza, who gained national attention with an obituary for her father in The Arizona Republic after he died from COVID-19, said her dad's "only pre-existing condition was trusting Donald Trump – and for that he paid with his life."
Gidley said the speakers failed to explain that Biden opposed the partial travel ban Trump imposed on China and Europe after the outbreak began, "which saved countless American lives."
"With history as our guide, if Joe Biden had been president, the coronavirus crisis would be dramatically worse," Gidley said.
On Tuesday, Trump pointed to the Obama administration's handling of the 2009 swine flu pandemic, which killed 12,469 people in the U.S. over the course of one year, according to the Centers for Disease Control ad Prevention, to argue that Biden would have bungled COVID-19. The coronavrius has left more than 170,000 people dead in the U.S.
"Looking back into history, the response by the ObamaBiden team to the H1N1 Swine Flu was considered a weak and pathetic one," Trump posted on Twitter. "Check out the polling, it’s really bad. The big difference is that they got a free pass from the Corrupt Fake News Media!"
Looking back into history, the response by the ObamaBiden team to the H1N1 Swine Flu was considered a weak and pathetic one. Check out the polling, it’s really bad. The big difference is that they got a free pass from the Corrupt Fake News Media! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 18, 2020
Michelle Obama
The final address of the night featured a taped speech by former first lady Michelle Obama.
She delivered a blistering review of Trump's first term in office, saying instead of stable leadership, Trump offered "chaos, division, and a total and utter lack of empathy."
The portion of her speech that drew wide attention ended with a reference to Trump's response in an Axios interview to the COVID-19 deaths in the U.S.
"Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is," she said.
After her remarks aired, Trump retweeted reactions from Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who said his memory "of what life was like after the Obama presidency is much different" than Michelle Obama's.
'It is what it is': Trump says of rising coronavirus death toll as he insists outbreak is 'under control'
"I remember a slow-growth economy, a weakened military, ISIS raging, Iran emboldened, China eating our lunch, businesses struggling, and out-of-control illegal immigration," Graham said. "Those are not the good old days to go back to."
On Tuesday, Trump offered his own take.
"Somebody please explain to @MichelleObama that Donald J. Trump would not be here, in the beautiful White House, if it weren’t for the job done by your husband, Barack Obama," Trump said.
"My Administration and I built the greatest economy in history, of any country, turned it off, saved millions of lives, and now am building an even greater economy than it was before. Jobs are flowing, NASDAQ is already at a record high, the rest to follow. Sit back & watch!" he said in another tweet.
Somebody please explain to @MichelleObama that Donald J. Trump would not be here, in the beautiful White House, if it weren’t for the job done by your husband, Barack Obama. Biden was merely an afterthought, a good reason for that very late & unenthusiastic endorsement..... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 18, 2020
John Kasich
The GOP critics were particularly tough on the current and former members of their own party who threw their support to Biden in featured speeches on Monday night. Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich drew particularly fierce ire. .
"John Kasich did a bad job in Ohio, ran for President and was easy to beat, and now went to the other side desperate for relevance," Trump tweeted of Kasich, who, along with Sen. Ted Cruz, was one of the last two candidates to drop out of the 2016 Republican primary against Trump.
GOP governors call Biden 'better way forward' Two Republican former governors threw their support behind Joe Biden on the first night of the Democratic National Convention. (Aug. 17) AP
"Good Job by Chris C in exposing yet another loser!" Trump added, referring to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, who tore into Kasich on ABC News.
Christie said it was telling that none of Kasich's fellow Republican governors endorsed him in his 2016 primary bid against Trump.
"And the reason they didn’t endorse him is because he’s a backstabber, and he’s an untruthful guy. And so, tonight, Republicans are going to look at that and go, 'You can have him. Please, believe me, give us a break, get him out of our party, you take him for a little while,' because on top of that, I’ve worked with John a lot. He’s exhausting."
Contributing: Michael Collins and John Fritze


usatoday--2020-08-18--'Ask the family of Herman Cain,' DNC chair Perez says when asked opinion of live Trump campaign even

Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez delivered a sharp reaction Tuesday when asked what he thought of President Donald Trump holding in-person campaign events during the Democratic National Convention , which is being conducted in a virtual format .
`` Ask the family of Herman Cain , '' Perez told Politico in response to a question about the wisdom of holding live events amid the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 170,000 people in the U.S. Cain died last month at age 74 after contracting COVID-19 .
A Black Voices for Trump co-chair , Cain attended Trump 's June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where he was seen without a mask in close proximity to others .
It is unknown if he contracted the virus at the event .
When asked by reporters a day after Cain 's death if he thought the former 2012 Republican presidential candidate might have become infected at the Tulsa rally , Trump said , `` No , I don ’ t think he did .
No . ''
But critics have often blamed the indoor rally for Cain 's death , despite the lack of clear evidence on how he became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to illustrate why he did not think holding political rallies offered `` a good model for how people should conduct themselves '' during the pandemic .
'Enough is enough ' : Grieving daughter blasts Trump 's coronavirus response in DNC speech Trump held rallies on Minnesota and Wisconsin on Monday night as part of a series of stops intended to blunt the message of the Democratic National Convention , where former Joe Biden will be officially nominated as the party 's presidential nominee .
Hundreds of supporters attended Trump 's rally in Wisconsin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where experts say the chance of coronavirus transmission is greatly reduced .
But the attendees were in close contact and many were not wearing masks , despite guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that recommend face coverings and physical distancing .
Trump has more rallies planned this week in Yuma , Arizona , and Biden 's home town of Scranton , Pennsylvania .
Cain Gang : Herman Cain died two weeks ago , but his social media accounts are still bashing Democrats

'Ask the family of Herman Cain,' DNC chair Perez says when asked opinion of live Trump campaign events
Show Caption Hide Caption Biden, Harris ticket faces attack from Herman Cain’s Twitter account, despite death Despite Herman Cain’s recent death from coronavirus, the Republican’s twitter account shared a new attack on Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Buzz60
Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez delivered a sharp reaction Tuesday when asked what he thought of President Donald Trump holding in-person campaign events during the Democratic National Convention, which is being conducted in a virtual format.
"Ask the family of Herman Cain," Perez told Politico in response to a question about the wisdom of holding live events amid the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 170,000 people in the U.S.
Cain died last month at age 74 after contracting COVID-19. A Black Voices for Trump co-chair, Cain attended Trump's June 20 rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he was seen without a mask in close proximity to others. It is unknown if he contracted the virus at the event.
When asked by reporters a day after Cain's death if he thought the former 2012 Republican presidential candidate might have become infected at the Tulsa rally, Trump said, "No, I don’t think he did. No." But critics have often blamed the indoor rally for Cain's death, despite the lack of clear evidence on how he became sick.
Perez invoked Cain's death to illustrate why he did not think holding political rallies offered "a good model for how people should conduct themselves" during the pandemic.
'Enough is enough': Grieving daughter blasts Trump's coronavirus response in DNC speech
Trump held rallies on Minnesota and Wisconsin on Monday night as part of a series of stops intended to blunt the message of the Democratic National Convention, where former Joe Biden will be officially nominated as the party's presidential nominee.
Hundreds of supporters attended Trump's rally in Wisconsin on Monday. The event was outside, where experts say the chance of coronavirus transmission is greatly reduced. But the attendees were in close contact and many were not wearing masks, despite guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that recommend face coverings and physical distancing.
Trump has more rallies planned this week in Yuma, Arizona, and Biden's home town of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Contributing: Molly Beck, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Cain Gang: Herman Cain died two weeks ago, but his social media accounts are still bashing Democrats


usatoday--2020-08-18--'Over her head': Trump slams Michelle Obama's DNC speech as 'divisive' and unworthy of 'fawning revi

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump punched back Tuesday at former first lady Michelle Obama , calling her speech to the Democratic National Convention “ extremely divisive ” and unworthy of praise .
`` She was over her head , ” Trump said , repeating a slightly mangled version of a line Obama used to describe him .
“ She gets these fawning reviews , ” Trump said during a White House ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment , which gave women the right to vote .
“ If you gave a real review , it wouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s critique came just hours after the wife of former President Barack Obama delivered a blistering attack on him during the opening night of the Democratic National Convention .
In taped remarks , the former first lady called Trump “ the wrong president for our country.
” “ He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job , but he is clearly in over his head , ” she said .
“ He can not meet this moment .
He simply can not be who we need @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is what it is.
” Obama was using Trump 's own words against him .
In a recent interview , Trump said `` it is what it is '' when asked about the number of coronavirus deaths in the U.S .
The full speech : Read Michelle Obama 's full keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention In urging Americans to vote for presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden , Michelle Obama said Trump botched the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and lacks the capacity to lead the country through the crisis .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through this job , ” she said .
She also criticized the administration 's treatment of migrant families at the border and the president 's response to the Black Lives Matter protests .
“ They watch in horror as children are torn from their families and thrown into cages , and pepper spray and rubber bullets are used on peaceful protesters for a photo-op , ” she said .
`` That 's not just disappointing , but downright infuriating . ''
In his retort on Tuesday , Trump focused more on style than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her speech instead of delivering it live , noting that she never mentioned Biden 's running mate , California Sen. Kamala Harris .
Obama 's speech was taped before Biden chosen Harris to be on the Democratic ticket .
“ I thought it was a very divisive , ” Trump said of the former first lady 's remarks .
What 's next at DNC : Here is what you can expect for Day 2 of the Democratic Convention Trump said he was elected because of Barack Obama and Biden , who served as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be in the White House except for Barack Obama , '' he said .
`` Because they did a bad job – Biden and Obama .
If they did a good job , I wouldn ’ t be here .
I ’ d be building buildings someplace and having a good time.
” Aides to Barack Obama said Trump resents the former president 's many accomplishments and suggested that race may be a factor in his enmity .
Former foreign policy aide Ben Rhodes said the current president has an `` Obama inferiority @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never been any failures of Barack and Michelle Obama which drove Trump crazy – it ’ s been their successes , '' Rhodes tweeted .
`` Wonder why . ''
Trump also attacked another Democratic convention speaker , Republican-turned-Biden endorser John Kasich .
The former Ohio governor `` did a bad job , '' and ran a poor campaign for the Republican nomination in 2016 , the president tweeted on Tuesday .
Not sure if you ’ re registered to vote ?
: Check your status .

Michael Collins and David Jackson, USA TODAY

'Over her head': Trump slams Michelle Obama's DNC speech as 'divisive' and unworthy of 'fawning reviews'
Show Caption Hide Caption Michelle Obama, wearing 'VOTE' necklace, calls Trump 'wrong president' Michelle Obama called President Donald Trump the "wrong president for our country" during her speech at the Democratic National Convention. Associated Press, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump punched back Tuesday at former first lady Michelle Obama, calling her speech to the Democratic National Convention “extremely divisive” and unworthy of praise.
"She was over her head,” Trump said, repeating a slightly mangled version of a line Obama used to describe him.
“She gets these fawning reviews,” Trump said during a White House ceremony commemorating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. “If you gave a real review, it wouldn’t be so fawning.”
Trump’s critique came just hours after the wife of former President Barack Obama delivered a blistering attack on him during the opening night of the Democratic National Convention.
In taped remarks, the former first lady called Trump “the wrong president for our country.”
“He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head,” she said. “He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is.”
Obama was using Trump's own words against him. In a recent interview, Trump said "it is what it is" when asked about the number of coronavirus deaths in the U.S.
The full speech: Read Michelle Obama's full keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention
In urging Americans to vote for presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, Michelle Obama said Trump botched the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and lacks the capacity to lead the country through the crisis. “You simply cannot fake your way through this job,” she said.
She also criticized the administration's treatment of migrant families at the border and the president's response to the Black Lives Matter protests.
“They watch in horror as children are torn from their families and thrown into cages, and pepper spray and rubber bullets are used on peaceful protesters for a photo-op,” she said. "That's not just disappointing, but downright infuriating."
Michelle Obama: Trump wrong president for U.S. 'It is what it is' Former first lady Michelle Obama headlines the first night of the Democratic National Convention and offers a rebuke of President Donald Trump. USA TODAY
In his retort on Tuesday, Trump focused more on style than substance. He criticized Obama for taping her speech instead of delivering it live, noting that she never mentioned Biden's running mate, California Sen. Kamala Harris. Obama's speech was taped before Biden chosen Harris to be on the Democratic ticket.
“I thought it was a very divisive,” Trump said of the former first lady's remarks.
What's next at DNC: Here is what you can expect for Day 2 of the Democratic Convention
Trump said he was elected because of Barack Obama and Biden, who served as vice president.
"I wouldn't be in the White House except for Barack Obama," he said. "Because they did a bad job – Biden and Obama. If they did a good job, I wouldn’t be here. I’d be building buildings someplace and having a good time.”
Aides to Barack Obama said Trump resents the former president's many accomplishments and suggested that race may be a factor in his enmity. Former foreign policy aide Ben Rhodes said the current president has an "Obama inferiority complex."
"It’s never been any failures of Barack and Michelle Obama which drove Trump crazy – it’s been their successes," Rhodes tweeted. "Wonder why."
Trump also attacked another Democratic convention speaker, Republican-turned-Biden endorser John Kasich. The former Ohio governor "did a bad job," and ran a poor campaign for the Republican nomination in 2016, the president tweeted on Tuesday.
Not sure if you’re registered to vote?: Check your status.


usatoday--2020-08-18--Michelle Obama's speech took down Trump, elevated the DNC's weird Zoom call energy

The Democratic National Convention kicked off Monday night looking , thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic , like a lot of things — except , you know , a convention .
“ Let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can , ” she said in her pre-tapedspeech at the end of the night .
“ Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country .
He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job but he is clearly in over his head .
He can not meet this moment .
...
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ old-fashioned politicking at its best , no matter what platform it went out on , no matter how you received it .
No balloons dropped when she was done , no applause interrupted her several applause-worthy lines .
But this was about as good as this kind of thing gets , and it suffered little for her delivering it in what looked like somebody ’ s spare bedroom .
To be fair , there was applause at the end of some speeches from what looked like Zoom viewers , which only added to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like a telethon , other times a Zoom call Democrats told delegates and speakers not to come to Milwaukee , where the convention was scheduled to be held .
Instead all four nights will be virtual gatherings , and there is truly only one word to describe the way that looks on TV : Sometimes , as many on social media noted , Monday night looked like a telethon .
Sometimes it looked like a Zoom meeting with people you didn ’ t know and maybe wished you could mute .
Sometimes it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your politics .
Oh who are we kidding ?
Everything is all about politics and this was no different .
But it was a different kind of take on the traditional convention .
Call me shallow but I kind of missed the crowd noise and the stupid hats .
Eva Longoria Baston , the actress , hosted Monday night .
Why ?
Maybe Joe Biden , the presumptive Democratic nominee , is a “ Desperate Housewives ” fan ?
( Actually she ’ s a longtime Democratic activist . )
She explained that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tone early : “ Every four years we come together to reform our democracy .
This year we come to save it.
” This would be the point where typically cameras panned across the floor of a convention hall packed with delegates screaming and hollering and looking like they were well into their second or third happy hour of the day .
Only people do n't pack places anymore ( or should n't ) .
Instead Baston took a decidedly more muted approach , and a long-distance one at that .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who said they have suffered under President Donald Trump ’ s term .
There were occasional musical performances that seemed oddly out of place .
Children from around the country said the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the National Anthem .
More than anything , it was like a Biden commercial More than anything else it seemed like a commercial for Joe Biden .
But is n't that what a traditional convention is in its own way ?
This one just looked a lot different .
The Democratic candidates Biden defeated in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some Republicans offered their support , or at least their disparagement of Trump .
This led to one of the more curious statements of the night : “ I ’ m Gov .
Christine Todd Whitman .
What am I doing here ?
” Sen. Bernie Sanders gave a full-on speech and , despite his differences with Biden , offered his support .
And he scorched Trump .
“ Nero fiddled while Rome burned , ” Sanders said of Trump ’ s lack of response to the pandemic .
“ Trump golfs.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were many , the most emotional words came from Kristin Urquiza , whose father died of COVID-19 .
She lives in San Francisco but her father lived — and died — in Arizona .
“ My dad was a healthy 65-year-old , ” she said .
“ His only preexisting condition was trusting Donald Trump , and for that , he paid with his life.
” Then , Michelle Obama took things to the next level As striking as Urquiza 's speech was , everything was a build-up to Obama , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she hated politics and she well might , having spent eight years as first lady .
But she ’ s awfully good at it .
She famously said , during the 2016 convention , when they go low , we go high .
Keep this in context — no one realized then how low “ they ” would go .
She revisited that Monday night , with a different spin .
“ Going high is the only thing that works , ” she said , “ because when we go low , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dehumanizing others , we just become part of the ugly noise that ’ s drowning out everything else .
We degrade ourselves .
We degrade the very causes for which we fight.
” What 'going high ' means now That could have been from 2016 .
But not the next bit : '' But let ’ s be clear .
Going high does not mean saying nice things when confronted by viciousness and cruelty .
Going high means taking the harder path .
It means scraping and clawing our way to that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fierce against hatred while remembering that we are one nation under God , and if we want to survive , we ’ ve got to find a way to live together and work together across our differences.
” Of course conventions are one-sided affairs , with no rebuttal , no defense .
If you don ’ t think Trump and his supporters will go low next week you ’ ve slept through the last four years .
I don ’ t know if going high or going low is good politics and frankly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do know things are profoundly different now , and Monday night was another sign of it .
Conventions may never be the same .
Maybe that 's a good thing .
But as long as there are speakers with the skills of Michelle Obama , some things will never change .

Michelle Obama's speech took down Trump, elevated the DNC's weird Zoom call energy
Show Caption Hide Caption Michelle Obama, wearing 'VOTE' necklace, calls Trump 'wrong president' Michelle Obama called President Donald Trump the "wrong president for our country" during her speech at the Democratic National Convention. Associated Press, USA TODAY
The Democratic National Convention kicked off Monday night looking, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, like a lot of things — except, you know, a convention.
And then Michelle Obama spoke.
“Let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can,” she said in her pre-taped speech at the end of the night. “Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. ... It is what it is.”
That was old-fashioned politicking at its best, no matter what platform it went out on, no matter how you received it. No balloons dropped when she was done, no applause interrupted her several applause-worthy lines. But this was about as good as this kind of thing gets, and it suffered little for her delivering it in what looked like somebody’s spare bedroom.
To be fair, there was applause at the end of some speeches from what looked like Zoom viewers, which only added to the oddness.
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Sometimes the DNC looked like a telethon, other times a Zoom call
Democrats told delegates and speakers not to come to Milwaukee, where the convention was scheduled to be held. Instead all four nights will be virtual gatherings, and there is truly only one word to describe the way that looks on TV:
Weird.
Sometimes, as many on social media noted, Monday night looked like a telethon. Sometimes it looked like a Zoom meeting with people you didn’t know and maybe wished you could mute.
Sometimes it was genuinely inspiring, no matter what your politics.
Oh who are we kidding? Everything is all about politics and this was no different. But it was a different kind of take on the traditional convention. Call me shallow but I kind of missed the crowd noise and the stupid hats.
Why Eva Longoria Baston hosted
Eva Longoria Baston, the actress, hosted Monday night. Why? Maybe Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, is a “Desperate Housewives” fan? (Actually she’s a longtime Democratic activist.) She explained that things would be different, and set the tone early: “Every four years we come together to reform our democracy. This year we come to save it.”
This would be the point where typically cameras panned across the floor of a convention hall packed with delegates screaming and hollering and looking like they were well into their second or third happy hour of the day. Only people don't pack places anymore (or shouldn't).
Instead Baston took a decidedly more muted approach, and a long-distance one at that. She bounced around with some footage from people who said they have suffered under President Donald Trump’s term. There were occasional musical performances that seemed oddly out of place. Children from around the country said the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the National Anthem.
More than anything, it was like a Biden commercial
More than anything else it seemed like a commercial for Joe Biden. But isn't that what a traditional convention is in its own way? This one just looked a lot different.
The Democratic candidates Biden defeated in the primaries gave votes of confidence. Even some Republicans offered their support, or at least their disparagement of Trump. This led to one of the more curious statements of the night: “I’m Gov. Christine Todd Whitman. What am I doing here?”
What indeed?
Sen. Bernie Sanders gave a full-on speech and, despite his differences with Biden, offered his support. And he scorched Trump.
“Nero fiddled while Rome burned,” Sanders said of Trump’s lack of response to the pandemic. “Trump golfs.”
For all the sick burns, and there were many, the most emotional words came from Kristin Urquiza, whose father died of COVID-19. She lives in San Francisco but her father lived — and died — in Arizona.
“My dad was a healthy 65-year-old,” she said. “His only preexisting condition was trusting Donald Trump, and for that, he paid with his life.”
Then, Michelle Obama took things to the next level
As striking as Urquiza's speech was, everything was a build-up to Obama, and she did not disappoint. She said she hated politics and she well might, having spent eight years as first lady.
But she’s awfully good at it.
She famously said, during the 2016 convention, when they go low, we go high. Keep this in context — no one realized then how low “they” would go. She revisited that Monday night, with a different spin.
“Going high is the only thing that works,” she said, “because when we go low, when we use those same tactics of degrading and dehumanizing others, we just become part of the ugly noise that’s drowning out everything else. We degrade ourselves. We degrade the very causes for which we fight.”
What 'going high' means now
That could have been from 2016. But not the next bit:
"But let’s be clear. Going high does not mean saying nice things when confronted by viciousness and cruelty. Going high means taking the harder path. It means scraping and clawing our way to that mountain top. Going high means standing fierce against hatred while remembering that we are one nation under God, and if we want to survive, we’ve got to find a way to live together and work together across our differences.”
Of course conventions are one-sided affairs, with no rebuttal, no defense. If you don’t think Trump and his supporters will go low next week you’ve slept through the last four years. I don’t know if going high or going low is good politics and frankly I don’t care.
I do know things are profoundly different now, and Monday night was another sign of it. Conventions may never be the same. Maybe that's a good thing. But as long as there are speakers with the skills of Michelle Obama, some things will never change.
Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Twitter: @goodyk.


usatoday--2020-08-18--St. Louis couple, Covington Catholic student to speak at Republican National Convention

WASHINGTON – Speakers at the Republican National Convention next week include a St. Louis couple who brandished guns as protesters of police brutality marched through their gated community ; a high school student maligned for his interaction with a Native American man ; the father of a student killed in the Parkland , Florida , shooting of 2018 ; and at least one prominent anti-abortion activist .
The lineup underscores the issues behind President Donald Trump 's attacks on former Vice President Joe Biden and the Democrats , who are holding their convention this week .
Democrats want to `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' as well as `` protect the criminals '' and `` force taxpayers to fund extreme late-term abortion , '' Trump said Monday in Oshkosh , Wisconsin .
`` We are in a fight for the survival of our nation and civilization itself , '' Trump said .
Democrats said Trump and his allies are fear-mongering because they have no issues to run on .
Strategist Jesse Ferguson said his party 's convention this week is `` about improving people 's lives , '' while the Republican gathering `` is about improving Donald @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are talking about combating coronavirus and healing the country while Republicans are just holding an airing of grievances , '' Ferguson said .
More : Prosecutor launches investigation after white couple seen pointing guns at St. Louis protesters More : CNN confirms a settlement has been reached with Covington Catholic student Nick Sandmann Because of COVID-19 , Trump and the Republican Party will hold a weeklong virtual convention in two cities : Charlotte , North Carolina , and Washington .
There will be four days of Republican meetings in Charlotte – including one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days of speeches and other events intended to energize Trump 's core supporters in and around Washington .
It will all be capped by Trump 's acceptance speech Aug. 27 , probably from the White House , a venue choice that has drawn criticism from lawmakers who said he should n't use an iconic government building for a political campaign speech .
The Republicans plan to use several historic sites in and near Washington for the convention , which has the theme `` Honoring the Great American Story . ''
Vice President Mike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speech at Fort McHenry in Baltimore , site of a battle between the Americans and British in the War of 1812 that inspired Francis Scott Key to write `` The Star Spangled Banner . ''
As part of the hoopla , the Republican National Committee requested a permit for a fireworks display at the Washington Monument after Trump 's acceptance speech .
The list of speakers , according to Trump aides who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the schedule has not been announced , includes Mark and Patricia McCloskey .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unlawful use of weapons after displaying them at a Black Lives Matter march in their neighborhood .
Prosecutors dropped those charges .
Not sure if you ’ re registered to vote ?
Check your status Another scheduled speaker is Nick Sandmann , the high school student who was criticized for a video showing a confrontation between him and Native American elder Nathan Phillips during a demonstration in 2019 .
Sandmann , who said he was simply greeting Phillips , sued news organizations for defamation and received settlements .
Andrew Pollack , a gun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed at the Parkland shooting , is also on the Republican speakers ' list .
So is anti-abortion activist Abby Johnson , a former director at Planned Parenthood .
The president is busy during the Democrats ' virtual convention this week .
Trump is visiting at least five battleground states – Wisconsin , Minnesota , Arizona , Pennsylvania and Iowa – as the Democrats convene via video to nominate Joe Biden .
The Republicans will begin convention activities Friday in Charlotte , North Carolina , the city once tapped for a more traditional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lift restrictions on large gatherings .
They said holding a traditional political convention , which would draw thousands of people flying to Charlotte from across the country , might spread COVID-19 .
The White House ?
Gettysburg ?
Florida ?
Trump team looks at options for nomination speech The Republicans improvised , scheduling party business meetings of small numbers of delegates in Charlotte .
Monday 's meeting is the biggest of them : the session to formally nominate Trump for a second term .
The president is to fly to Charlotte that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not deliver a formal acceptance speech , aides said , but will express thanks to the delegates for their work under challenging circumstances .
That same Monday , the Republicans will start their online convention featuring speakers and other special events in Washington .
That will lead into Trump 's acceptance speech on Thursday .
When the Republicans canceled their traditional convention , they moved Trump 's prime-time acceptance Aug. 27 to a venue in Jacksonville , Florida .
They had to cancel those plans , too , as cases of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ explored the idea of having the president accept the nomination at some `` historic site . ''
They narrowed the choices down to Gettysburg , Pennsylvania , site of a pivotal Civil War battle and an iconic Abraham Lincoln speech , and the White House .
Trump said he will probably choose the White House , despite protests that it violates laws prohibiting political campaign activity on taxpayer-funded government property .
More : Donald Trump to campaign in 4 states – including in Joe Biden 's hometown – during week of Democratic National @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Republican convention planned for August because of COVID-19

St. Louis couple, Covington Catholic student to speak at Republican National Convention
Show Caption Hide Caption RNC: St. Louis couple who pointed guns at protesters to speak A St. Louis couple who pointed their guns at protesters marching through their community will speak at the Republican National Convention. USA TODAY, Storyful
WASHINGTON – Speakers at the Republican National Convention next week include a St. Louis couple who brandished guns as protesters of police brutality marched through their gated community; a high school student maligned for his interaction with a Native American man; the father of a student killed in the Parkland, Florida, shooting of 2018; and at least one prominent anti-abortion activist.
The lineup underscores the issues behind President Donald Trump's attacks on former Vice President Joe Biden and the Democrats, who are holding their convention this week.
Democrats want to "confiscate the guns of law-abiding Americans," as well as "protect the criminals" and "force taxpayers to fund extreme late-term abortion," Trump said Monday in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
"We are in a fight for the survival of our nation and civilization itself," Trump said.
Democrats said Trump and his allies are fear-mongering because they have no issues to run on. Strategist Jesse Ferguson said his party's convention this week is "about improving people's lives," while the Republican gathering "is about improving Donald Trump's mood."
"Democrats are talking about combating coronavirus and healing the country while Republicans are just holding an airing of grievances," Ferguson said.
More: Prosecutor launches investigation after white couple seen pointing guns at St. Louis protesters
More: CNN confirms a settlement has been reached with Covington Catholic student Nick Sandmann
Because of COVID-19, Trump and the Republican Party will hold a weeklong virtual convention in two cities: Charlotte, North Carolina, and Washington.
There will be four days of Republican meetings in Charlotte – including one to formally renominate Trump – and four days of speeches and other events intended to energize Trump's core supporters in and around Washington.
It will all be capped by Trump's acceptance speech Aug. 27, probably from the White House, a venue choice that has drawn criticism from lawmakers who said he shouldn't use an iconic government building for a political campaign speech.
The Republicans plan to use several historic sites in and near Washington for the convention, which has the theme "Honoring the Great American Story."
Vice President Mike Pence is likely to give his acceptance speech at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, site of a battle between the Americans and British in the War of 1812 that inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star Spangled Banner."
As part of the hoopla, the Republican National Committee requested a permit for a fireworks display at the Washington Monument after Trump's acceptance speech.
The list of speakers, according to Trump aides who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the schedule has not been announced, includes Mark and Patricia McCloskey. The St. Louis couple faced felony charges of unlawful use of weapons after displaying them at a Black Lives Matter march in their neighborhood. Prosecutors dropped those charges.
Not sure if you’re registered to vote? Check your status
Another scheduled speaker is Nick Sandmann, the high school student who was criticized for a video showing a confrontation between him and Native American elder Nathan Phillips during a demonstration in 2019. Sandmann, who said he was simply greeting Phillips, sued news organizations for defamation and received settlements.
Andrew Pollack, a gun rights advocate and father of a student killed at the Parkland shooting, is also on the Republican speakers' list. So is anti-abortion activist Abby Johnson, a former director at Planned Parenthood.
The president is busy during the Democrats' virtual convention this week. Trump is visiting at least five battleground states – Wisconsin, Minnesota, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Iowa – as the Democrats convene via video to nominate Joe Biden.
The Republicans will begin convention activities Friday in Charlotte, North Carolina, the city once tapped for a more traditional convention.
State officials declined Republican requests to lift restrictions on large gatherings. They said holding a traditional political convention, which would draw thousands of people flying to Charlotte from across the country, might spread COVID-19.
More: Republicans fear coronavirus will force scaling back Trump's Florida convention
The White House? Gettysburg? Florida? Trump team looks at options for nomination speech
The Republicans improvised, scheduling party business meetings of small numbers of delegates in Charlotte.
Monday's meeting is the biggest of them: the session to formally nominate Trump for a second term.
The president is to fly to Charlotte that day to claim his nomination. He will not deliver a formal acceptance speech, aides said, but will express thanks to the delegates for their work under challenging circumstances.
That same Monday, the Republicans will start their online convention featuring speakers and other special events in Washington. That will lead into Trump's acceptance speech on Thursday.
When the Republicans canceled their traditional convention, they moved Trump's prime-time acceptance Aug. 27 to a venue in Jacksonville, Florida. They had to cancel those plans, too, as cases of COVID-19 spiked in the area.
Trump aides explored the idea of having the president accept the nomination at some "historic site." They narrowed the choices down to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, site of a pivotal Civil War battle and an iconic Abraham Lincoln speech, and the White House.
Trump said he will probably choose the White House, despite protests that it violates laws prohibiting political campaign activity on taxpayer-funded government property.
More: Donald Trump to campaign in 4 states – including in Joe Biden's hometown – during week of Democratic National Convention
More: Trump cancels Jacksonville portion of Republican convention planned for August because of COVID-19