usatoday--2020-10-22--Election 2020 live updates: Trump says debate mute button is 'unfair,' but 'that's my life'

Former President Barack Obama met Wednesday in Philadelphia with local officials and Black community leaders to discuss the importance of voting as a way to improve their lives .
Trump , who rallied in Erie on Tuesday and narrowly won the Keystone State in 2016 , finds himself trailing there just 13 days before Election Day .
A new USA TODAY/Suffolk poll released Wednesday found the former vice president leading Trump by 7 points .
Trump and Biden will meet for the final time before the election on Thursday during a debate in Nashville .
• Congress and the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal on more COVID-19 relief .
What that means for you .
• 19 women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct .
Here 's what their stories have in common .
• There may be continuing delays with U.S. mail two weeks before an election where mail-in ballots are being used at unprecedented levels .
Of 64 letters and packages sent short distances within battleground states since mid-September , 14 took longer than the U.S .
Postal Service ’ s own three-day service standard for first-class local mail , a USA TODAY and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 📊 What the polls are saying : Democrat Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump among likely voters in Iowa , which Trump won in 2016 .
📆 13 days until Election Day , one day until the final presidential debate , 91 days until Inauguration Day , 73 days left in 2020 .
🗳 Voting : See USA TODAY 's Voter Guide for information on registering to vote , when your state begins voting and what the candidates think about the issues .
We will update this article throughout the day .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics reporters on Twitter or subscribe to our daily On Politics newsletter .
Donald Trump : I 'm not 'begging ' suburban women to vote for me President Donald Trump used a pre-debate rally Wednesday to detail one of his complaints with this week 's `` 60 Minutes '' interview , saying correspondent Lesley Stahl claimed he is `` begging '' for the votes of suburban women .
Maybe not begging – but definitely asking .
Speaking to supporters in Gastonia , N.C. , near Charlotte , Trump talked about how he solicits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say , 'women of the suburbs , please , please love me !
I 've done so good ! '
'' According to Trump , Stahl said the request for `` love '' amounts to `` begging ; '' the president said he explained he was being `` sarcastic , '' and mocked the premise of the question .
Said Trump : `` From now on , when I say , 'women of the suburbs .
please love me , ' I 've got to say , ' I 'm only kidding !
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump spoke a day after abruptly ending the `` 60 Minutes '' interview , claiming it was biased and unfair .
Trump has not released a video , as he said on Tuesday he might do , but teased the interview on Wednesday by tweeting images of Stahl interviewing him .
The CBS program does n't plan to air the interview until Sunday as part of a special program devoted to the presidential election .
In the meantime , Trump engages in his second and final debate with Democratic opponent Joe Biden in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ button and other debate details are 'unfair , ' but 'that 's my life' President Donald Trump prepared Wednesday for the final debate of the election season by complaining about it .
`` I think the mute is very unfair , '' Trump told reporters as he left the White House for a pre-debate campaign rally in Gastonia , N.C. , which is near Charlotte .
Trump also complained , again , about moderator Kristen Welker and the fact that the topic of Thursday 's debate in Nashville was changed from foreign affairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues .
`` But , '' he added philosophically , `` that ’ s my life .
In the meantime , that ’ s the White House standing behind me , right ?
” After Trump constantly interrupted opponent Joe Biden during their Sept. 29 showdown , the Commission on Presidential Debates said it will mute each candidate 's microphone for two minutes as their rival answers questions .
While the mute option appears directed at him , Trump said he still plans to show up in Nashville on Thursday and hopes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the day .
Obama : ‘ If you don ’ t vote , you ’ re not at the table ’ Former President Barack Obama encouraged people to learn what interests their residents have and then to describe how those might be affected by the president , or state legislature or city officials .
Obama acknowledged that young people face many distractions , but he suggested they will vote if they see others voting .
“ The government is us : of , by and for the people , ” Obama said at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 election .
“ It wasn ’ t always for all of us .
But the way it ’ s designed , it works based on who is at the table .
If you do not vote , you ’ re not at the table.
” Obama was also scheduled to give a speech supporting his vice president , Joe Biden , against President Donald Trump .
The Biden campaign launched “ Shop Talk ” sessions for its surrogates to encourage voting after the Aug. 23 police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peaceful protests and violent rioting in the city , as part of a summer of racial justice protests about policing .
Policing has been a flashpoint between the two campaigns .
Trump campaigns as the law-and-order president vowing to end urban violence .
He noted that unemployment was low for Black and Hispanic communities before the pandemic shuttered the economy .
Biden has proposed greater police training , to reduce tensions during confrontations between officers and residents , and economic changes to spur Black homeownership and businesses .
Other Biden surrogates who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one of his campaign ’ s co-chairmen , Rep. Cedric Richmond of Louisiana , Wisconsin Lt. Gov .
Mandela Barnes and former basketball star Earvin “ Magic ” Johnson .
Obama ’ s event was at the Hank Gathers Youth Access Center in North Philadelphia , a community suffering from discriminatory lending dating to the 1930s and from high rates of poverty , unemployment and gun violence .
Biden ’ s economic proposals aim to reduce discriminatory lending , offer $ 15,000 to first-time home buyers and reduce the costs of college .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of his proposals , while Republicans have criticized Biden ’ s plan to overturn Trump ’ s tax cuts on businesses and on individuals earning more than $ 400,000 per year .
Tamir Harper , co-founder of UrbEd Inc. , a non-profit that advocates for public schools , asked Obama how to design a curriculum to get young people involved in politics and voting .
Obama said demonstrating the power of voting – even if just on what flavor pizza to order or which book to read from a class syllabus – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voting .
“ People are more likely to vote if they ’ ve participated in something like that when they were younger , ” Obama said .
“ Giving kids a sense that they have a voice , that piques their interest.
” Isaiah Thomas , a Philadelphia City Council member , asked how to inspire voters who see problems magnified during the pandemic without any signs of change .
“ All of our problems will not go away with one election , ” Thomas said .
“ But at the same time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a step in a direction of progress and change.
” Obama said listening to voters is a way to learn their priorities .
Then , he said incremental change is possible – if people vote .
He noted African American voter turnout set a record with his election in 2008 at 60 % , but that the country hasn ’ t seen what would happen at 80 % .
“ What I say to young people is : give it a shot , ” Obama said .
“ We can make things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holds massive cash advantage over Trump for final two weeks Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden holds a massive cash-on-hand advantage over President Donald Trump for the final stretch before the Nov. 3 election .
The Biden campaign reported having more than $ 177 million on hand to spend , nearly three times the $ 63 million the Trump campaign reported , according to filings submitted to the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday .
Figures , which do not include joint fundraising committees , were as of the end of September .
It comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump in fundraising the past two months , erasing a one-time fundraising advantage Trump enjoyed earlier in the campaign .
Biden last week announced raising 383 million in campaign funds in September , breaking the one-month record for a presidential candidate that he set the month before .
The Trump campaign raised $ 247.8 million in September .
In August , Biden raised $ 364.5 million , beating the $ 210 million raised by the Trump campaign .
These figures include joint fundraising committees .
Biden has a significantly larger war chest despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Biden campaign spent nearly $ 285 million in September , giving them a major edge in television advertising , compared to $ 139 million spent by the Trump campaign last month .
Trump said in August he would drop his own money into the race if he felt it was needed , but he has not done so .
Mike Pence delivers speech to crowd in Portsmouth , New Hampshire Vice President Mike Pence spoke to a crowd in Portsmouth , New Hampshire on Wednesday as polls show the president and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Granite State .
While more traditional in tone than the blockbuster rallies of President Trump , Pence revisited familiar territory , touting the administration ’ s record on energy , trade , manufacturing , immigration , law enforcement and conservative appointments to the judiciary .
“ I ’ ve got news for the Democrats : The dogma lives loudly in the Constitution of the United States of America , ” Pence declared while criticizing opposition to the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett .
The vice president also frequently criticized Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and vice president , knocking the former vice president and Senator Kamala Harris ’ policy agenda .
Pence also criticized Biden ’ s healthcare and economic policies .
“ We ’ re going to pass the best healthcare in the world and we will never be a socialist country , ” Pence promised to a crowd cheering “ USA !
” Pence , the chair of the White House Coronavirus Task Force , defended the administration ’ s handling of the coronavirus pandemic , stating “ While Joe Biden is talking about shutting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opening up again.
” Pence listed a number of priorities for the administration ’ s potential second term , including turning the country into the “ manufacturing superpower of the world ” while banning “ sanctuary cities and increasing support for the military and law enforcement .
“ Some say the choice is not whether America becomes more Democrat or Republican , more liberal of conservative…New Hampshire , the choice in this election is whether America remains America , ” he warned to chants of “ Four more years ! ''
Sen. Mitt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s harshest critics among Republicans in Congress , has already cast his ballot in the November election but did not vote for the leader of his party : President Donald Trump .
The Utah Republican told reporters at the Capitol on Wednesday he did not vote for Trump but wouldn ’ t elaborate on whether he ’ d voted for former Vice President Joe Biden or written in someone else .
A group of former Romney staffers backed Biden earlier this year .
“ I did not vote for President Trump , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party ’ s nominee for president in 2012 , also did not vote for Trump in the 2016 cycle , choosing to instead write in the name of his wife , Ann Romney .
He has had a contentious relationship with the president , calling Trump a “ phony ” and a “ fraud ” ahead of the 2016 election and continuing to rail against the president ’ s rhetoric and actions on a host of issues while serving in the U.S. Senate , including on foreign policy , mail-in voting , race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the COVID-19 pandemic .
Romney was the sole Republican to vote to convict Trump on one article of impeachment earlier this year .
The criticisms have drawn Trump ’ s ire , calling Romney a host of names on Twitter , including a “ loser ” and a “ grandstander.
” Most recently , Romney was critical of both the president and Democrats for the “ hate-filled ” rhetoric during this election cycle .
“ I have stayed quiet with the approach of the election , '' Romney said in a statement .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics , as it has moved away from spirited debate to a vile , vituperative , hate-filled morass that is unbecoming of any free nation – let alone the birthplace of modern democracy . ''
The Senate on Wednesday failed to pass a $ 500 billion COVID-19 stimulus package as relief negotiations drag on less than two weeks before Election Day .
The bill would have given a federal boost to weekly unemployment benefits , sent $ 100 billion to schools , and allocated funding for testing and vaccine development .
It failed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reach the 60 votes required to allow the legislation to move forward as nearly all Democrats opposed it over concerns that more money was needed to combat the virus and help Americans .
COVID stimulus update : Senate to take up $ 500 billion plan The Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday will take up a $ 500 billion COVID-19 stimulus package , a bill unlikely to make it out of the Senate as relief negotiations drag on less than two weeks before Election Day .
The bill would give a federal boost to weekly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion to schools , and allocate funding for testing and vaccine development .
Democrats are expected to block the legislation , arguing more money is needed to combat the virus and help Americans .
The bill 's $ 500 billion price tag is far less than the roughly $ 1.8 trillion package the White House has offered and the $ 2.2 trillion package Democrats have backed .
The two parties have spent months attempting to find a bipartisan agreement for one last batch of coronavirus stimulus relief before the election .
Stimulus update @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion COVID-19 stimulus package as relief talks continue President Donald Trump cut short an interview with `` 60 Minutes '' on Tuesday , and threatened to protest by posting a tape of the session before the program 's scheduled broadcast on Sunday .
`` This will be done so that everybody can get a glimpse of what a FAKE and BIASED interview is all about , '' Trump said in a series of tweets that also attacked `` 60 Minutes '' correspondent Lesley Stahl .
Trump , who has often criticized coverage of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide any examples of bias .
Trump abruptly ended the session – he did n't do the traditional `` walk-and-talk '' with Stahl , and said the `` 60 Minutes '' crew had been given enough time – nor did he return for a joint interview with Vice President Mike Pence , said two people familiar with the incident .
Trump 's `` 60 Minutes '' interview : Trump leaves contentious '60 Minutes ' interview with Lesley Stahl , goes on Twitter attack Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , in a closed-door lunch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the White House not to strike a deal with Democrats on a COVID-19 relief package , according to a Senate source who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door discussions .
The Kentucky Republican , who has blasted Democrats in negotiations , voiced concerns there would not be enough GOP votes to back a package and worries that voting on such legislation could negatively affect the timing on Judge Amy Coney Barrett 's confirmation vote to the Supreme Court , the source said .
Republicans disagree about the size and details @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rejected Democratic offers they said are too costly and will add to the federal deficit , though President Donald Trump has pushed for Republicans to offer even more than Democrats .
Stimulus talks : McConnell urges White House against large stimulus deal as Pelosi and Mnuchin continue talks

Sean Rossman, Christal Hayes, Nicholas Wu and David Jackson, USA TODAY

Election 2020 live updates: Trump says debate mute button is 'unfair,' but 'that's my life'
Show Caption Hide Caption How a contentious election affects a peaceful transition of power What history has shown us about contested elections and peaceful transitions of power. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Former President Barack Obama met Wednesday in Philadelphia with local officials and Black community leaders to discuss the importance of voting as a way to improve their lives.
Trump, who rallied in Erie on Tuesday and narrowly won the Keystone State in 2016, finds himself trailing there just 13 days before Election Day. A new USA TODAY/Suffolk poll released Wednesday found the former vice president leading Trump by 7 points.
Trump and Biden will meet for the final time before the election on Thursday during a debate in Nashville.
☕ The latest:
Congress and the White House have still not come to a deal on more COVID-19 relief. What that means for you.
19 women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct. Here's what their stories have in common.
There may be continuing delays with U.S. mail two weeks before an election where mail-in ballots are being used at unprecedented levels. Of 64 letters and packages sent short distances within battleground states since mid-September, 14 took longer than the U.S. Postal Service’s own three-day service standard for first-class local mail, a USA TODAY and University of Maryland tracking effort found.
📊 What the polls are saying: Democrat Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump among likely voters in Iowa, which Trump won in 2016.
📆 13 days until Election Day, one day until the final presidential debate, 91 days until Inauguration Day, 73 days left in 2020.
🗳 Voting: See USA TODAY's Voter Guide for information on registering to vote, when your state begins voting and what the candidates think about the issues.
We will update this article throughout the day. You can follow all of USA TODAY's politics reporters on Twitter or subscribe to our daily On Politics newsletter.
Donald Trump: I'm not 'begging' suburban women to vote for me
President Donald Trump used a pre-debate rally Wednesday to detail one of his complaints with this week's "60 Minutes" interview, saying correspondent Lesley Stahl claimed he is "begging" for the votes of suburban women.
Maybe not begging – but definitely asking.
Speaking to supporters in Gastonia, N.C., near Charlotte, Trump talked about how he solicits votes: "I joke and I say, 'women of the suburbs, please, please love me! I've done so good!'"
According to Trump, Stahl said the request for "love" amounts to "begging;" the president said he explained he was being "sarcastic," and mocked the premise of the question.
Said Trump: "From now on, when I say, 'women of the suburbs. please love me,' I've got to say, 'I'm only kidding! I'm only kidding!'"
Trump spoke a day after abruptly ending the "60 Minutes" interview, claiming it was biased and unfair.
Trump has not released a video, as he said on Tuesday he might do, but teased the interview on Wednesday by tweeting images of Stahl interviewing him.
The CBS program doesn't plan to air the interview until Sunday as part of a special program devoted to the presidential election.
In the meantime, Trump engages in his second and final debate with Democratic opponent Joe Biden in Nashville on Thursday.
— David Jackson and Courtney Subramanian
Trump: Mute button and other debate details are 'unfair,' but 'that's my life'
President Donald Trump prepared Wednesday for the final debate of the election season by complaining about it.
"I think the mute is very unfair," Trump told reporters as he left the White House for a pre-debate campaign rally in Gastonia, N.C., which is near Charlotte.
Trump also complained, again, about moderator Kristen Welker and the fact that the topic of Thursday's debate in Nashville was changed from foreign affairs to a more general discussion of the issues.
"But," he added philosophically, "that’s my life. In the meantime, that’s the White House standing behind me, right?”
After Trump constantly interrupted opponent Joe Biden during their Sept. 29 showdown, the Commission on Presidential Debates said it will mute each candidate's microphone for two minutes as their rival answers questions.
While the mute option appears directed at him, Trump said he still plans to show up in Nashville on Thursday and hopes to get in more preparation time earlier in the day.
– David Jackson
Obama: ‘If you don’t vote, you’re not at the table’
Former President Barack Obama encouraged people to learn what interests their residents have and then to describe how those might be affected by the president, or state legislature or city officials. Obama acknowledged that young people face many distractions, but he suggested they will vote if they see others voting.
“The government is us: of, by and for the people,” Obama said at his first in-person campaign event of the 2020 election. “It wasn’t always for all of us. But the way it’s designed, it works based on who is at the table. If you do not vote, you’re not at the table.”
Obama was also scheduled to give a speech supporting his vice president, Joe Biden, against President Donald Trump.
The Biden campaign launched “Shop Talk” sessions for its surrogates to encourage voting after the Aug. 23 police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The shooting led to peaceful protests and violent rioting in the city, as part of a summer of racial justice protests about policing.
Policing has been a flashpoint between the two campaigns. Trump campaigns as the law-and-order president vowing to end urban violence. He noted that unemployment was low for Black and Hispanic communities before the pandemic shuttered the economy. Biden has proposed greater police training, to reduce tensions during confrontations between officers and residents, and economic changes to spur Black homeownership and businesses.
Other Biden surrogates who have held “Shop Talk” programs include one of his campaign’s co-chairmen, Rep. Cedric Richmond of Louisiana, Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes and former basketball star Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
Obama’s event was at the Hank Gathers Youth Access Center in North Philadelphia, a community suffering from discriminatory lending dating to the 1930s and from high rates of poverty, unemployment and gun violence.
Biden’s economic proposals aim to reduce discriminatory lending, offer $15,000 to first-time home buyers and reduce the costs of college. But he would need congressional legislation for many of his proposals, while Republicans have criticized Biden’s plan to overturn Trump’s tax cuts on businesses and on individuals earning more than $400,000 per year.
Tamir Harper, co-founder of UrbEd Inc., a non-profit that advocates for public schools, asked Obama how to design a curriculum to get young people involved in politics and voting.
Obama said demonstrating the power of voting – even if just on what flavor pizza to order or which book to read from a class syllabus – is a way to demonstrate results from voting.
“People are more likely to vote if they’ve participated in something like that when they were younger,” Obama said. “Giving kids a sense that they have a voice, that piques their interest.”
Isaiah Thomas, a Philadelphia City Council member, asked how to inspire voters who see problems magnified during the pandemic without any signs of change.
“All of our problems will not go away with one election,” Thomas said. “But at the same time, we have to recognize that this is a step in a direction of progress and change.”
Obama said listening to voters is a way to learn their priorities. Then, he said incremental change is possible – if people vote. He noted African American voter turnout set a record with his election in 2008 at 60%, but that the country hasn’t seen what would happen at 80%.
“What I say to young people is: give it a shot,” Obama said. “We can make things better. Better is good.”
— Bart Jansen
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden holds a massive cash-on-hand advantage over President Donald Trump for the final stretch before the Nov. 3 election.
The Biden campaign reported having more than $177 million on hand to spend, nearly three times the $63 million the Trump campaign reported, according to filings submitted to the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday. Figures, which do not include joint fundraising committees, were as of the end of September.
It comes as the former vice president has dominated Trump in fundraising the past two months, erasing a one-time fundraising advantage Trump enjoyed earlier in the campaign.
Biden last week announced raising 383 million in campaign funds in September, breaking the one-month record for a presidential candidate that he set the month before. The Trump campaign raised $247.8 million in September. In August, Biden raised $364.5 million, beating the $210 million raised by the Trump campaign. These figures include joint fundraising committees.
Biden has a significantly larger war chest despite outspending the Trump campaign significantly last month. The Biden campaign spent nearly $285 million in September, giving them a major edge in television advertising, compared to $139 million spent by the Trump campaign last month.
Trump said in August he would drop his own money into the race if he felt it was needed, but he has not done so.
— Joey Garrison
Vice President Mike Pence spoke to a crowd in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on Wednesday as polls show the president and Republican candidates for Congress polling behind Democrats in the Granite State.
While more traditional in tone than the blockbuster rallies of President Trump, Pence revisited familiar territory, touting the administration’s record on energy, trade, manufacturing, immigration, law enforcement and conservative appointments to the judiciary.
“I’ve got news for the Democrats: The dogma lives loudly in the Constitution of the United States of America,” Pence declared while criticizing opposition to the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett.
The vice president also frequently criticized Joe Biden’s time as a senator and vice president, knocking the former vice president and Senator Kamala Harris’ policy agenda.
Pence also criticized Biden’s healthcare and economic policies. “We’re going to pass the best healthcare in the world and we will never be a socialist country,” Pence promised to a crowd cheering “USA!”
Pence, the chair of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, defended the administration’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, stating “While Joe Biden is talking about shutting down the economy, we’re opening up again.”
Pence listed a number of priorities for the administration’s potential second term, including turning the country into the “manufacturing superpower of the world” while banning “sanctuary cities and increasing support for the military and law enforcement.
“Some say the choice is not whether America becomes more Democrat or Republican, more liberal of conservative…New Hampshire, the choice in this election is whether America remains America,” he warned to chants of “Four more years!"
— Matt Brown
Sen. Mitt Romney, one of the president’s harshest critics among Republicans in Congress, has already cast his ballot in the November election but did not vote for the leader of his party: President Donald Trump.
The Utah Republican told reporters at the Capitol on Wednesday he did not vote for Trump but wouldn’t elaborate on whether he’d voted for former Vice President Joe Biden or written in someone else. A group of former Romney staffers backed Biden earlier this year.
“I did not vote for President Trump,” Romney said.
Romney, the Republican party’s nominee for president in 2012, also did not vote for Trump in the 2016 cycle, choosing to instead write in the name of his wife, Ann Romney. He has had a contentious relationship with the president, calling Trump a “phony” and a “fraud” ahead of the 2016 election and continuing to rail against the president’s rhetoric and actions on a host of issues while serving in the U.S. Senate, including on foreign policy, mail-in voting, race and the administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Romney was the sole Republican to vote to convict Trump on one article of impeachment earlier this year. The criticisms have drawn Trump’s ire, calling Romney a host of names on Twitter, including a “loser” and a “grandstander.”
Most recently, Romney was critical of both the president and Democrats for the “hate-filled” rhetoric during this election cycle.
“I have stayed quiet with the approach of the election," Romney said in a statement. "But I'm troubled by our politics, as it has moved away from spirited debate to a vile, vituperative, hate-filled morass that is unbecoming of any free nation – let alone the birthplace of modern democracy."
—Christal Hayes
The Senate on Wednesday failed to pass a $500 billion COVID-19 stimulus package as relief negotiations drag on less than two weeks before Election Day.
The bill would have given a federal boost to weekly unemployment benefits, sent $100 billion to schools, and allocated funding for testing and vaccine development. It failed in a 51-44 vote, unable to reach the 60 votes required to allow the legislation to move forward as nearly all Democrats opposed it over concerns that more money was needed to combat the virus and help Americans.
– Christal Hayes
The Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday will take up a $500 billion COVID-19 stimulus package, a bill unlikely to make it out of the Senate as relief negotiations drag on less than two weeks before Election Day.
The bill would give a federal boost to weekly unemployment benefits, send over $100 billion to schools, and allocate funding for testing and vaccine development. Democrats are expected to block the legislation, arguing more money is needed to combat the virus and help Americans.
The bill's $500 billion price tag is far less than the roughly $1.8 trillion package the White House has offered and the $2.2 trillion package Democrats have backed. The two parties have spent months attempting to find a bipartisan agreement for one last batch of coronavirus stimulus relief before the election.
– Christal Hayes and Nicholas Wu
Stimulus update: Senate to take up $500 billion COVID-19 stimulus package as relief talks continue
President Donald Trump cut short an interview with "60 Minutes" on Tuesday, and threatened to protest by posting a tape of the session before the program's scheduled broadcast on Sunday.
"This will be done so that everybody can get a glimpse of what a FAKE and BIASED interview is all about," Trump said in a series of tweets that also attacked "60 Minutes" correspondent Lesley Stahl.
Trump, who has often criticized coverage of "60 Minutes," did not provide any examples of bias.
Trump abruptly ended the session – he didn't do the traditional "walk-and-talk" with Stahl, and said the "60 Minutes" crew had been given enough time – nor did he return for a joint interview with Vice President Mike Pence, said two people familiar with the incident.
– David Jackson
Trump's "60 Minutes" interview: Trump leaves contentious '60 Minutes' interview with Lesley Stahl, goes on Twitter attack
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, in a closed-door lunch Tuesday, told fellow Republicans he urged the White House not to strike a deal with Democrats on a COVID-19 relief package, according to a Senate source who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door discussions.
The Kentucky Republican, who has blasted Democrats in negotiations, voiced concerns there would not be enough GOP votes to back a package and worries that voting on such legislation could negatively affect the timing on Judge Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation vote to the Supreme Court, the source said.
Republicans disagree about the size and details of an aid bill. Some Republicans rejected Democratic offers they said are too costly and will add to the federal deficit, though President Donald Trump has pushed for Republicans to offer even more than Democrats.
– Nicholas Wu and Christal Hayes
Stimulus talks: McConnell urges White House against large stimulus deal as Pelosi and Mnuchin continue talks


usatoday--2020-10-21--Americans want their vote to count. Here's what voters need to know about their rights

The Carter Center has monitored elections in some of the world ’ s most dangerous and corrupt countries — Sudan , Kenya and Venezuela among 39 countries in all .
Now , the not-for-profit organization founded by former President Jimmy Carter is adding to that list of countries once seen as a model for fair and free elections .
Avery Davis-Roberts , associate director in the Democracy Program at the Carter Center , said in recently taped remarks , “ we typically prioritize work in places where democracy seems poised to take a step forward or where it 's in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are often struggling with polarization , a lack of public trust , ethnic or racial divisions and fears that election results won ’ t be credible or accepted .
“ U.S .
elections have never been perfect , but generally Americans trusted in the process and believed in the results .
But in the last five or 10 years , we ’ ve started to see many of the same discouraging trends we see in countries where we work.
’ ’ As the Nov. 3 election approaches , with President Donald Trump and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the fear and cynicism among American voters is undeniable .
More than half of 1,505 registered voters surveyed in a YouGov poll Oct. 1-2 said they expect to see `` an increase in violence as a result of the election.
” Another YouGov poll found that almost half of voters disagree with the idea that the election `` is likely to be fair and honest . ''
Amidst that uneasy climate , voter knowledge is key , said Stephanie Young , Chief Communications and Culture Officer at “ When We All Vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to increasing voter participation .
“ An informed voter is a voter whose vote is most likely not to be suppressed because they understand their rights , ’ ’ Young said .
Here are the rights voters have at the polls : The Right to Vote Free of Intimidation Federal law prohibits the intimidation of voters and can result in prison time .
Check it out : 18 U.S. Code Section 594 .
The law states : “ Whoever intimidates , threatens , coerces , or attempts to intimidate , threaten , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purpose of interfering with the right of such other person to vote or to vote as he may choose….shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year , or both.
’ ’ Yet the law hasn ’ t always stopped voter intimidation .
In 1981 , for example , the Republican National Committee ( RNC ) targeted a tight race for New Jersey governor .
The RNC created the “ National Ballot Security Task Force , ’ ’ comprised of off-duty police and sheriffs officers and deployed to deployed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Latinos .
The stated purpose of the so-called task force was to prevent voter fraud .
The outcome : discouraging Democrats from going to the polls on a day when the Republican and the gubernatorial candidate prevailed by 1,797 votes out of 2.3 million cast .
More : 'The country ’ s lost its mind ' : Polls warning of civil war , violence show deep partisan chasm over election But Julie Ebenstein , a senior staff attorney for the ACLU ’ s Voting Rights Project , said there ’ s no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intimidation , which would include being questioned about citizenship , criminal record or other qualifications .
“ Obviously people are concerned about this election and that ’ s understandable , ’ ’ Ebenstein said .
“ But at least over the last decade , I can ’ t think of effective or organized efforts that were carried out to keep people away from the polls .
It would be a shame for people to assume there was going to be something like that and stay away out of intimidation.
’ ’ Voters who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ call the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE ( 866-687-8683 ) , or the U.S. Department of Justice voting rights hotline at 1-800-253-3931 , or , if threatened by violence , 911 .
The right to vote by provisional ballot if your name is not on the list of registered voters If you show up to the polls and your name is not on the list of registered voters , you have the right to vote with a provisional ballot .
The ballot should be counted when officials confirm you are a registered voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote elsewhere .
“ Sometimes people show up and find their names are not on the rolls , ’ ’ said Kristen Clarke , president and executive director of the National Lawyers ' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law .
“ They may have been unlawfully purged .
Or removed from rolls .
Or there may have been an error on the part of officials who failed to include a voters ’ name on the rolls.
’ ’ It happens .
More than you might think .
During the 2016 presidential election , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were cast and 71 percent were counted either partially or in full , according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission .
So before heading to the polls , it never hurts to make sure you ’ re registered to vote and confirm your polling site .
The right to vote with accommodations “ People with intellectual or mental health disabilities have been prevented from voting because of prejudicial assumptions about their capabilities , ’ ’ U.S. Department of Justice has written .
“ People who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enter the polling place to cast their ballot because there was no ramp .
People who are blind or have low vision could not cast their vote because the ballot was completely inaccessible to them.
’ ’ Efforts to protect the voting rights of people with disabilities has led to accessible polling places that meet the American Disabilities Act ( ADA ) requirements and “ curbside voting.
’ ’ Any voter unable to reach the polling site because of physical limitations or architectural barriers may request a ballot “ curbside.
’ ’ A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a voting device to the voter and , if necessary , assists the voter .
But not everyone is in favor of this accommodation .
More:30 years after the ADA , access to voting for people with disabilities is still an issue The state of Alabama is challenging that right .
On Oct. 15 , state officials asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block a lower court order allowing curbside voting .
Voters with disabilities can report complaints and possible violations of the federal voting rights laws to Civil Rights Division ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 202-307-2767 .
Another protected accommodation : Voters who struggle with English can bring a family member or friend — but not an employer — to help them fill out and cast a ballot .
There also are toll-free numbers for assistance in Spanish ( 1-888-839-8682 ) , Arabic ( 1-844-925-5287 ) and Bengali , Catonese , Hindu , Urdu , Korean , Mandarin , Tagalog and Vietnamese at 888-274-8683 .
Ballots are available in a variety of languages and , according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commissioner , federal law requires more 260 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assistance The right to vote after the polls close If you ’ re in line when a polling place closes and you still want to vote , stay put .
“ It doesn ’ t matter if that line is stretching for hours or blocks , ’ ’ said Clarke of the Lawyers ’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law .
“ As long as you ’ re in line when the polls close , you have a right to vote.
’ ’ 6 .
The right to re-Vote If you make a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate or voting or more than one person for a single office , ask a pollster for help .
Replacement ballots are available .
While there is no mention of a Personal Protective Equipment ( PPE ) in voting rights law , Clara Long of the Human Rights Watch said she thinks PPE should be available at the polling places in light of the ongoing pandemic .
“ Authorities , local and federal , have the responsibility to protect people ’ s right to health as well as their right to vote , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that means providing PPE at the polls for people who don ’ t have it .
And people should be asking for that if they don ’ t have it .
“ Voters have the right to have their access to the vote facilitated .
Facilitating the vote is part of the obligation that the U.S. has under a human rights framework that it ’ s actually been a leader in developing globally in terms how elections should be held.
’ ’ More : Who 's undecided ?
Donald Trump 's toughest hurdle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minds are made up But this year , talk often circles back to the fear of voter intimidation .
Long applauded the recent decision by Michigan officials to prohibit people from openly carrying guns within of 100 feet of buildings with polling places on Election Day .
But she expressed uncertainty about what will transpire across the country on Election Day .
“ The question is what is enforcement going to look like ?
’ ’ she said .
“ Are states and local authorities going to scrupulously enforce voters rights ?
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter .

Know your voting rights: Here's what to do if you encounter intimidation at the polls on Election Day
Show Caption Hide Caption Why voter suppression in the US has increased since 2013 Civil rights experts point to long wait times to vote as a sign of growing voter suppression in the U.S. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Correction & clarification: A prior version of this story misstated the term for the Hindi language.
The Carter Center has monitored elections in some of the world’s most dangerous and corrupt countries – Sudan, Kenya and Venezuela among 39 countries in all. Now, the not-for-profit organization founded by former President Jimmy Carter is adding to that list of countries once seen as a model for fair and free elections.
The United States.
Avery Davis-Roberts, associate director in the Democracy Program at the Carter Center, said in recently taped remarks, “we typically prioritize work in places where democracy seems poised to take a step forward or where it's in danger of sliding backwards. These places are often struggling with polarization, a lack of public trust, ethnic or racial divisions and fears that election results won’t be credible or accepted.
“U.S. elections have never been perfect, but generally Americans trusted in the process and believed in the results. But in the last five or 10 years, we’ve started to see many of the same discouraging trends we see in countries where we work.’’
Read this: How election officials are preparing for voter intimidation tactics
As the Nov. 3 election approaches, with President Donald Trump and Joe Biden battling on the campaign trail, the fear and cynicism among American voters is undeniable.
More than half of 1,505 registered voters surveyed in a YouGov poll Oct. 1-2 said they expect to see "an increase in violence as a result of the election.” Another YouGov poll found that almost half of voters disagree with the idea that the election "is likely to be fair and honest."
Amidst that uneasy climate, voter knowledge is key, said Stephanie Young, Chief Communications and Culture Officer at “When We All Vote,’’ a nonpartisan organization dedicated to increasing voter participation.
“An informed voter is a voter whose vote is most likely not to be suppressed because they understand their rights,’’ Young said.
Here are the rights voters have at the polls:
The Right to Vote Free of Intimidation
Federal law prohibits the intimidation of voters and can result in prison time. Check it out: 18 U.S. Code Section 594.
The law states: “Whoever intimidates, threatens, coerces, or attempts to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of such other person to vote or to vote as he may choose ... shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.’’
Yet the law hasn’t always stopped voter intimidation.
In 1981, for example, the Republican National Committee targeted a tight race for New Jersey governor. The RNC created the “National Ballot Security Task Force,’’ composed of off-duty police and sheriffs officers and deployed to voting precincts heavily populated by Blacks and Latinos.
The stated purpose of the task force was to prevent voter fraud. The outcome: discouraging Democrats from going to the polls on a day when the Republican and the gubernatorial candidate prevailed by 1,797 votes out of 2.3 million cast.
But Julie Ebenstein, a senior staff attorney for the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, said there’s no recent history of widespread efforts of voter intimidation, which would include being questioned about citizenship, criminal record or other qualifications.
“Obviously people are concerned about this election and that’s understandable,’’ Ebenstein said. “But at least over the last decade, I can’t think of effective or organized efforts that were carried out to keep people away from the polls. It would be a shame for people to assume there was going to be something like that and stay away out of intimidation.’’
Voters who encounter or witness intimidation are encouraged to call the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683), or the U.S. Department of Justice voting rights hotline at 1-800-253-3931, or, if threatened by violence, 911.
More: Voter turnout in election could reach highest rate in more than a century
'The country's lost its mind': Polls warning of civil war, violence show deep partisan chasm over election
The right to vote by provisional ballot if your name is not on the list of registered voters
If you show up to the polls and your name is not on the list of registered voters, you have the right to vote with a provisional ballot. The ballot should be counted when officials confirm you are a registered voter in that county and you did not vote elsewhere.
“Sometimes people show up and find their names are not on the rolls,’’ said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the National Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “They may have been unlawfully purged. Or removed from rolls. Or there may have been an error on the part of officials who failed to include a voters’ name on the rolls.’’
It happens. More than you might think.
During the 2016 presidential election, for example, 2.4 million provisional ballots were cast and 71% were counted either partially or in full, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
So before heading to the polls, it never hurts to make sure you’re registered to vote and confirm your polling site.
The right to vote with accommodations
“People with intellectual or mental health disabilities have been prevented from voting because of prejudicial assumptions about their capabilities,’’ U.S. Department of Justice has written. “People who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids, such as walkers, have been unable to enter the polling place to cast their ballot because there was no ramp. People who are blind or have low vision could not cast their vote because the ballot was completely inaccessible to them.’’
Efforts to protect the voting rights of people with disabilities has led to accessible polling places that meet the American Disabilities Act requirements and “curbside voting.’’
Any voter unable to reach the polling site because of physical limitations or architectural barriers may request a ballot “curbside.’’ A polling site worker brings a ballot or a voting device to the voter and, if necessary, assists the voter. But not everyone is in favor of this accommodation.
More: 30 years after the ADA, access to voting for people with disabilities is still an issue
The state of Alabama is challenging that right. On Oct. 15, state officials asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block a lower court order allowing curbside voting.
Voters with disabilities can report complaints and possible violations of the federal voting rights laws to Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767.
Another protected accommodation: Voters who struggle with English can bring a family member or friend – but not an employer – to help them fill out and cast a ballot.
There also are toll-free numbers for assistance in Spanish (1-888-839-8682), Arabic (1-844-925-5287) and Bengali, Catonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog and Vietnamese at 888-274-8683.
Ballots are available in a variety of languages and, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commissioner, federal law requires more 260 jurisdictions to provide some type of language assistance.
The right to vote after the polls close
If you’re in line when a polling place closes and you still want to vote, stay put.
“It doesn’t matter if that line is stretching for hours or blocks,’’ said Clarke of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “As long as you’re in line when the polls close, you have a right to vote.’’
The right to revote
If you make a mistake, like voting for the unintended candidate or voting for more than one person for a single office, ask a pollster for help. Replacement ballots are available.
While there is no mention of a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in voting rights law, Clara Long of the Human Rights Watch said she thinks PPE should be available at the polling places in light of the ongoing pandemic.
“Authorities, local and federal, have the responsibility to protect people’s right to health as well as their right to vote,’’ Long said. “So that means providing PPE at the polls for people who don’t have it. And people should be asking for that if they don’t have it.
“Voters have the right to have their access to the vote facilitated. Facilitating the vote is part of the obligation that the U.S. has under a human rights framework that it’s actually been a leader in developing globally in terms how elections should be held.’’
But this year, talk often circles back to the fear of voter intimidation.
Long applauded the recent decision by Michigan officials to prohibit people from openly carrying guns within of 100 feet of buildings with polling places on Election Day. But she expressed uncertainty about what will transpire across the country on Election Day.
“The question is what is enforcement going to look like?’’ she said. “Are states and local authorities going to scrupulously enforce voters rights?’’
For more follow @JoshPeter11 on Twitter.
Who's undecided? Donald Trump's toughest hurdle to pull off a win: Most minds are made up
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usatoday--2020-10-22--Editorial Board: Our View

Editorial Board: Our View

Four years ago , the Editorial Board — an ideologically and demographically diverse group of journalists that is separate from the news staff and operates by consensus — broke with tradition and took sides in the presidential race for the first time since USA TODAY was founded in 1982 .
We urged readers not to vote for Donald Trump , calling the Republican nominee unfit for office because he lacked the “ temperament , knowledge , steadiness and honesty that America needs from its presidents.
” We stopped short , however , of an outright endorsement of Hillary Clinton , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Editorial Board unanimously supports the election of Joe Biden , who offers a shaken nation a harbor of calm and competence .
Recent polls show that more than 90 % of voters have decided between Biden and Trump , and nothing at this point will change their minds .
This editorial is for those of you who are still uncertain about which candidate to vote for , or whether to vote at all .
It ’ s also for those who settled on Trump but might be having last-minute doubts .
Maybe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because you hoped he ’ d shake things up in Washington or bring back blue-collar jobs .
Maybe you liked his populist , anti-elitist message .
Maybe you couldn ’ t stomach the idea of supporting a Democrat as polarizing as Clinton .
Maybe you cast a ballot for a minor party candidate , or just stayed home .
Now , two weeks until Election Day , we suggest you consider a variation of the question Republican Ronald Reagan asked voters when he ran for president in 1980 : Is America better off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Beset by disease , economic suffering , a racial reckoning and natural disasters fueled by a changing climate , the nation is dangerously off course .
We spoke to dozens of people in Michigan , Ohio and Wisconsin , battleground states that helped propel Trump into the White House in 2016 .
Many declined to comment , citing a general disgust with the election or fear of speaking out publicly .
While some said they were personally better off , most of those willing to talk on camera expressed anguish and dismay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Lucinda , it is too much .
Yes , Mecca , it is time for a change .
When Trump was elected as the nation ’ s first president without previous experience in government or the military , we hoped that he would become , as he promised during the 2016 campaign , “ more disciplined ” and “ so presidential that you people will be so bored.
” After all , when you are a passenger on an airplane , you root for the pilot , even one who has never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you are a pilot or the president , the most important part of your job is crisis management .
But when confronted with an emergency — COVID-19 , the biggest public health threat in more than a century — Trump didn ’ t land the plane safely on the Hudson River .
His shambolic response to the coronavirus pandemic has inflated a national death toll that is equivalent to the crashes of more than 1,000 Boeing-737 jetliners .
The United States , with 4 % of the world ’ s population , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If America is at war against COVID-19 and `` I ’ m a wartime president , '' as Trump declared in March , the invisible enemy is winning and now has even penetrated the White House grounds .
There is little doubt that Biden would have handled the crisis more capably .
He surely would not have become a superspreader of coronavirus misinformation .
Back in January , in a column for USA TODAY , the former vice president warned that the novel virus emerging in China “ will get worse before @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump is “ the worst possible person to lead our country through a global health challenge.
” During the campaign , Biden has modeled mask wearing and other public health recommendations that Trump has flouted while downplaying the threat .
A Biden administration would follow the science and build trust in emerging vaccines .
It 's no secret that the Editorial Board disagrees with Trump not just on his approach to the coronavirus but also on fundamental issues , from health care and climate change to immigration and trade .
Policy differences , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our first-ever presidential endorsement .
Diverse views , even ones we think are wrongheaded , are a staple of American politics and something to celebrate .
If this were a choice between two capable major party nominees who happened to have opposing ideas , we wouldn ’ t choose sides .
Different voters have different concerns .
But this is not a normal election , and these are not normal times .
This year , character , competence and credibility are on the ballot .
Given Trump ’ s refusal to guarantee a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so , too , is the future of America 's democracy .
For nearly four decades , the Editorial Board has stood for certain core values : truth , accountability , civility in public discourse , opposition to racism , common-ground solutions to the nation ’ s problems , and steadfast support for First Amendment rights .
These aren ’ t partisan issues , or at least they shouldn ’ t be .
Donald Trump has trampled each of these principles , making more than 20,000 false or misleading statements , ducking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of invective at his critics , trafficking in racial fearmongering , governing more as the leader of the red states than of the United States , and relentlessly attacking the free press .
Everything about Biden ’ s nearly half-century political career suggests he would do a far better job of respecting these values .
“ We need to revive the spirit of bipartisanship in this country , the spirit of being able to work with one another , ” the Democratic nominee said in a recent speech in Gettysburg , Pennsylvania .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s unbounded narcissism and chronic chaos .
Having surmounted heartbreaking personal loss — his first wife and year-old daughter died in a car crash , and his son Beau died of brain cancer — Biden exudes decency and empathy .
Ask yourself : Can you imagine Joe Biden denigrating servicemembers as losers ?
Cozying up to autocrats abroad ?
Shaking down a foreign leader for dirt on a political opponent ?
All politicians , of course , have flaws , and Biden is no exception .
He turns 78 next month and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ England , is somewhat past peak .
For someone billed as a foreign policy expert , he managed to be wrong about both the Persian Gulf War ( he opposed the 1991 effort to expel Saddam Hussein ’ s forces from Kuwait ) and the Iraq War ( he supported the 2003 U.S. invasion , which turned into a debacle ) .
His handling of Anita Hill ’ s sexual harassment claim against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas in 1991 , when Biden was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee , has not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cringeworthy gaffes , and his sentences can wander off into uncharted territory .
Nevertheless , Biden is an experienced hand with working-class roots who understands the American dream .
He knows the levers of power and how to wield them .
He has a history of working across the aisle on such issues as health care , racial justice and the environment .
He has the knowledge and the personality to begin repairing America ’ s tattered reputation around the world .
Maybe you ’ ve heard Republican operatives and commentators trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ radicals .
But if he was able to resist such unaffordable progressive ideas as `` Medicare for All '' and the `` Green New Deal '' during the heat of the Democratic primaries , it is hard to envision him embracing them once he is in the White House .
Biden is well positioned to repair the wreckage Trump has made of the federal government , from the foreign service to the science agencies Trump has tried to politicize .
As vice president in the Obama administration , Biden played a central role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ equipped to handle another one .
Even before the pandemic struck , Trump did no better than the Obama-Biden administration on job creation , the stock market and economic growth .
( Remember his promise to pay off the national debt in eight years ?
It 's now $ 27 trillion , up more than $ 7 trillion from four years ago . )
Biden knows that the recovery process will require , first and foremost , a comprehensive national response to the COVID-19 crisis that has upended Americans ’ lives and left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This extraordinary moment in the history of our nation requires an extraordinary response .
With his plans , his personnel picks , his experience and his humanity , Joe Biden can help lead the United States out of this morass and into the future .
Your vote can help make that happen .
Will this endorsement have any effect on what you read about the presidential campaign in USA TODAY ’ s news reports ?
No .
Will it cause the Editorial Board to pull its punches if Biden were to become president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorse a presidential nominee again .
In fact , we hope we 'll never have to .

Four years ago, the Editorial Board — an ideologically and demographically diverse group of journalists that is separate from the news staff and operates by consensus — broke with tradition and took sides in the presidential race for the first time since USA TODAY was founded in 1982. We urged readers not to vote for Donald Trump, calling the Republican nominee unfit for office because he lacked the “temperament, knowledge, steadiness and honesty that America needs from its presidents.” We stopped short, however, of an outright endorsement of Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee. This year, the Editorial Board unanimously supports the election of Joe Biden, who offers a shaken nation a harbor of calm and competence.
Recent polls show that more than 90% of voters have decided between Biden and Trump, and nothing at this point will change their minds. This editorial is for those of you who are still uncertain about which candidate to vote for, or whether to vote at all. It’s also for those who settled on Trump but might be having last-minute doubts.
Tweet Facebook Email Email this story Share Share this story The case for Joe Biden. The case against Donald Trump. Share Our View.
Maybe you backed Trump the last time around because you hoped he’d shake things up in Washington or bring back blue-collar jobs. Maybe you liked his populist, anti-elitist message. Maybe you couldn’t stomach the idea of supporting a Democrat as polarizing as Clinton. Maybe you cast a ballot for a minor party candidate, or just stayed home.
Opposing View by Vice President Pence: Reelect President Trump to renew America’s promise Read
Now, two weeks until Election Day, we suggest you consider a variation of the question Republican Ronald Reagan asked voters when he ran for president in 1980: Is America better off now than it was four years ago?
Beset by disease, economic suffering, a racial reckoning and natural disasters fueled by a changing climate, the nation is dangerously off course. We spoke to dozens of people in Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin, battleground states that helped propel Trump into the White House in 2016. Many declined to comment, citing a general disgust with the election or fear of speaking out publicly. While some said they were personally better off, most of those willing to talk on camera expressed anguish and dismay about the nation's direction:
Anita Giltner of Holland, Michigan I am definitely not better off today than I was four years ago. I think America in general is much worse off today now that Donald Trump has unhooked us from so many of our traditions and our safeguards. … He is trying to tear down the Affordable Care Act, which is criminal. Quote icon
Daniel Viar, of Rochester Hills, Michigan, who didn’t vote in 2016 The way (Trump) has handled (COVID-19) so far has just been gross mismanagement. … Trump has repealed a bunch of environmental restrictions, which is really important to me because my age group and my demographic are the ones that are going to inherit the Earth. Quote icon
Lucinda Young of Toledo, Ohio It's getting worse. … There’s not a lot of food around, there’s not a lot of money around, people are getting evicted. … I just wish the United States could pull together. … Why do we got to fight against each other? It’s too much. Quote icon
Mecca Vaughn of Milwaukee You have a president who is … mocking people, attacking people on Twitter. … We’re dealing with diversity and racism right now in our country, and we need a new leader who stands up and faces these challenges, like Joe Biden. ... I think it’s time for a change. Quote icon
Yes, Lucinda, it is too much. Yes, Mecca, it is time for a change.
Crisis management
When Trump was elected as the nation’s first president without previous experience in government or the military, we hoped that he would become, as he promised during the 2016 campaign, “more disciplined” and “so presidential that you people will be so bored.” After all, when you are a passenger on an airplane, you root for the pilot, even one who has never been in a cockpit before.
Whether you are a pilot or the president, the most important part of your job is crisis management. But when confronted with an emergency — COVID-19, the biggest public health threat in more than a century — Trump didn’t land the plane safely on the Hudson River. His shambolic response to the coronavirus pandemic has inflated a national death toll that is equivalent to the crashes of more than 1,000 Boeing-737 jetliners.
The United States, with 4% of the world’s population, has 20% of its reported coronavirus deaths. If America is at war against COVID-19 and "I’m a wartime president," as Trump declared in March, the invisible enemy is winning and now has even penetrated the White House grounds.
COVID-19 pandemic in President Trump's words Since the coronavirus pandemic started, the United States has recorded more than 8.2 million cases of COVID-19 and over 220,000 deaths. Mike Thompson, USA TODAY
There is little doubt that Biden would have handled the crisis more capably. He surely would not have become a superspreader of coronavirus misinformation. Back in January, in a column for USA TODAY, the former vice president warned that the novel virus emerging in China “will get worse before it gets better,” and that Trump is “the worst possible person to lead our country through a global health challenge.” During the campaign, Biden has modeled mask wearing and other public health recommendations that Trump has flouted while downplaying the threat. A Biden administration would follow the science and build trust in emerging vaccines.
Character and core values
It's no secret that the Editorial Board disagrees with Trump not just on his approach to the coronavirus but also on fundamental issues, from health care and climate change to immigration and trade. Policy differences, however, are not the reason behind our first-ever presidential endorsement. Diverse views, even ones we think are wrongheaded, are a staple of American politics and something to celebrate.
If this were a choice between two capable major party nominees who happened to have opposing ideas, we wouldn’t choose sides. Different voters have different concerns. But this is not a normal election, and these are not normal times. This year, character, competence and credibility are on the ballot. Given Trump’s refusal to guarantee a peaceful transfer of power if he loses, so, too, is the future of America's democracy.
For nearly four decades, the Editorial Board has stood for certain core values: truth, accountability, civility in public discourse, opposition to racism, common-ground solutions to the nation’s problems, and steadfast support for First Amendment rights. These aren’t partisan issues, or at least they shouldn’t be.
Donald Trump has trampled each of these principles, making more than 20,000 false or misleading statements, ducking responsibility for his actions, spewing streams of invective at his critics, trafficking in racial fearmongering, governing more as the leader of the red states than of the United States, and relentlessly attacking the free press.
Everything about Biden’s nearly half-century political career suggests he would do a far better job of respecting these values. “We need to revive the spirit of bipartisanship in this country, the spirit of being able to work with one another,” the Democratic nominee said in a recent speech in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Working-class roots
Biden is a worthy antidote to Trump’s unbounded narcissism and chronic chaos. Having surmounted heartbreaking personal loss — his first wife and year-old daughter died in a car crash, and his son Beau died of brain cancer — Biden exudes decency and empathy. Ask yourself: Can you imagine Joe Biden denigrating servicemembers as losers? Cozying up to autocrats abroad? Shaking down a foreign leader for dirt on a political opponent?
All politicians, of course, have flaws, and Biden is no exception. He turns 78 next month and, like the November foliage in New England, is somewhat past peak.
For someone billed as a foreign policy expert, he managed to be wrong about both the Persian Gulf War (he opposed the 1991 effort to expel Saddam Hussein’s forces from Kuwait) and the Iraq War (he supported the 2003 U.S. invasion, which turned into a debacle). His handling of Anita Hill’s sexual harassment claim against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas in 1991, when Biden was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has not aged well. He is capable of cringeworthy gaffes, and his sentences can wander off into uncharted territory.
Nevertheless, Biden is an experienced hand with working-class roots who understands the American dream. He knows the levers of power and how to wield them. He has a history of working across the aisle on such issues as health care, racial justice and the environment. He has the knowledge and the personality to begin repairing America’s tattered reputation around the world.
An extraordinary moment
Maybe you’ve heard Republican operatives and commentators trying to paint Biden as a puppet of far-left radicals. But if he was able to resist such unaffordable progressive ideas as "Medicare for All" and the "Green New Deal" during the heat of the Democratic primaries, it is hard to envision him embracing them once he is in the White House.
Biden is well positioned to repair the wreckage Trump has made of the federal government, from the foreign service to the science agencies Trump has tried to politicize. As vice president in the Obama administration, Biden played a central role in the last economic recovery and is equipped to handle another one.
Even before the pandemic struck, Trump did no better than the Obama-Biden administration on job creation, the stock market and economic growth. (Remember his promise to pay off the national debt in eight years? It's now $27 trillion, up more than $7 trillion from four years ago.) Biden knows that the recovery process will require, first and foremost, a comprehensive national response to the COVID-19 crisis that has upended Americans’ lives and left large sectors of the economy reeling.
This extraordinary moment in the history of our nation requires an extraordinary response. With his plans, his personnel picks, his experience and his humanity, Joe Biden can help lead the United States out of this morass and into the future. Your vote can help make that happen.
Will this endorsement have any effect on what you read about the presidential campaign in USA TODAY’s news reports? No. Will it cause the Editorial Board to pull its punches if Biden were to become president? Also no.
We may never endorse a presidential nominee again. In fact, we hope we'll never have to.
USA TODAY Editorial Board on Biden endorsement: 'Trump has trampled on ... values' For the first time in USA TODAY's history, the Editorial Board is endorsing a presidential candidate. Several board members explain why. USA TODAY
× The case for Joe Biden. The case against Donald Trump. Share Our View.
USA TODAY editorials