usatoday--2020-08-17--'It's not a good picture': The DNC and RNC may further complicate coronavirus stimulus talks

WASHINGTON – Bitter negotiations for a new coronavirus stimulus deal dissolved into an ugly blame game by the time lawmakers left Washington late last week with no deal , no progress to report and no plans to return until September .
By the end , the two sides refused to even meet .
The disaster of those failed discussions hangs over both parties as they shift their attention to two weeks of national political conventions , which likely push a deal until sometime well after Labor Day .
That means that , while political leaders party , unemployed Americans will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have allowed them to make ends meet ; cash-strapped state and local governments will be left in the lurch ; and uncertainty will continue to linger over a series of executive orders made by President Donald Trump that aimed to offer some relief .
The optics are a big concern for endangered lawmakers seeking reelection , who now have to answer to voters back home about why their leaders and the White House have been unable to strike a deal as a deadly contagion continues to take its toll across the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I do think that there was a hope , probably almost an expectation , by people that Congress would come together and get it done , ” said Rep. Susan Wild , a Pennsylvania Democrat who flipped a red seat in 2018 .
“ And so when there was n't , I think there was ... sort of a state of disbelief .
Said Ross Baker , professor of political science at Rutgers University-New Brunswick , `` It ’ s not a good picture for members of Congress facing reelection to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With no balloon drops , what 's a convention for ?
Three things Joe Biden needs to do at his Giving a political victory to the other side ?
Both Democratic leaders are set to attend the Democratic National Convention , which starts Monday , meaning in-person discussions on a coronavirus package are unlikely to happen .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , will speak on Wednesday night , and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , will be attending the convention virtually .
The offices of Senate Majority Leader Mitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Leader Kevin McCarthy , R-Calif. , declined to say if they would be attending the Republican National Convention next week , though they have attended the events in the past .
Political conventions traditionally have been pep rallies for activists and party officials in a raucous convention hall while supporters watch on television .
The parties adopt a platform to showcase their priorities and highlight the vast differences with the other side .
But this year the events will be drained of much of their hoopla and inspiration , Baker said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brass bands and balloon drops , the conventions will be more like online corporate conferences dressed up with fake back-drops , ” he said .
Furloughs : US immigration services set to furlough two-thirds of its workers after coronavirus stimulus talks fail Even so , “ the prospect of Congress ’ failure to pass an additional package of relief measures and not getting the appropriations done is very grim , ” Baker said .
Political conventions are largely about projecting a message going into the fall 's elections .
`` Neither party wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spun as a political victory during their convention week , '' said Kent Syler , a political scientist at Middle Tennessee State University and a former Democratic congressional aide .
Schumer , Pelosi , Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trump 's chief of staff Mark Meadows negotiated for weeks trying to reconcile the Democrats ' roughly $ 3.4 trillion plan with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell 's $ 1.1 trillion package .
Both proposals included $ 1,200 direct payments for struggling Americans , billions for schools trying to reopen and money for businesses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prompted Trump to sign four executive orders to continue some aspects of earlier stimulus bills , but did not address all the relief sought in talks .
After he signed the orders , the two sides continued issuing missives blaming the other side for the impasse .
Americans have become somewhat numb to these kinds of “ political mud fights , ” Syler said , but there are risks for both parties .
“ Incumbents running for reelection have the most to lose if voters decide that Washington is broken , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost on those participating in this political drama .
It may ultimately be this fear of voter rebellion in November that gets us a deal.
” 'There is no playbook ' : How Trump and Biden are trying to run virtual campaigns during coronavirus Wild 's office has been consumed by calls from those who thought more financial relief was on the way .
Wild , a freshmen , said she worries about the message the stalemate was sending to Americans , who are being lobbied by each party to vote for their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to grow pessimistic . ''
`` I 've been hoping for weeks now that the imminent election would make people more more apt ... to get something done , '' she said , adding that her worry was that by Election Day , `` the mood of the American people could be , you know , they should all be thrown out , and you know , government is useless to us . ''
She acknowledged it was hard to fathom a bipartisan compromise occurring over the next two weeks as both parties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ differences between them , but said she was holding out hope .
“ If anything , I think it motivates both parties a little bit more to keep talking , ” she said of the conventions .
Wild is one of many endangered lawmakers facing intense pressure back home over the stalled relie .
She expressed a sense of `` frustration '' with both Republicans and Democrats leading the negotiations , something echoed by fellow swing-state Democrats , and has called for Congress to take up smaller bills instead of a bigger package @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools ?
: Breaking down what Republicans and Democrats want in the coronavirus stimulus plan Sen. Doug Jones , D-Ala. , said the blame for the stalled stimulus talks falls on Republicans .
“ It 's totally ridiculous , ” he said about McConnell criticizing Democrats as being uncompromising .
He noted most Republicans rejected House Democrats ’ plan when it was passed in May .
Jones , who represents a state Trump won by nearly 30 percentage points in 2016 , had been optimistic , but now said he felt “ complete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before Labor Day .
Asked about the optics of his planned speech at the DNC amid the congressional gridlock , Jones said he was “ comfortable ” with the message he would be delivering .
“ I 'm not going to agree with all the messages that are going to be delivered , ” he said .
“ But I think overall , the message is going to be one to unify this country . ''
Rep. Andy Kim , D-N.J. , who represents a suburban Philadelphia district he flipped in 2018 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” about a deal being reached , but was still “ frustrated ” about the lack of a compromise .
He said he 's been getting calls every day from constituents wondering when aid would arrive .
“ We know the American people do not have the luxury of pushing off their problems for a month or two , ” he said .
Kim laid the blame on Republicans and the Trump administration for the impasse in negotiations and for waiting so long to introduce a GOP proposal .
“ That lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he said .
`` Both parties come together , and look , at the end , nobody 's gon na get 100 % of what they want.
” Who 's speaking ?
DNC lineup of speakers headlined by the Obamas and Jill Biden as keynotes The stalled talks and Pelosi 's lead role in the dilemma could be helpful for some Republicans , including Rep. Jeff Van Drew , who blamed the Democratic speaker over the stalled aid .
The first-term New Jersey Republican is facing a tough reelection in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closely watched nationally because of the congressman 's move to quit the Democratic Party and join Republicans during Trump 's impeachment late last year .
Van Drew said in an interview he could n't understand Pelosi 's refusal to meet last week with Mnuchin over remaining differences on the overall price tag for the bill .
`` Why would you refuse to meet with him ? ''
he said .
`` Sit down , meet with him , keep going over and over and over and over it again .
He gives a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you work it out . ''
Van Drew acknowledged the timing of the conventions and close proximity of the election were not helpful in the talks , but said the pandemic should rise above the typical bickering .
`` You know , sometimes an issue comes along that is so powerful and so problematic , that you really have to focus on that alone , and you have to forget about the politics and you have to forget about elections , and you just have to get that done , '' he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certain times to be bipartisan . ''
Who 's performing ?
Jennifer Hudson , Billie Eilish , John Legend and others will perform at DNC

Michael Collins, Christal Hayes and Nicholas Wu, USA TODAY

'It's not a good picture': Party conventions may further complicate coronavirus stimulus talks
Show Caption Hide Caption COVID-19 stimulus: Trump signs new executive orders despite stalemate President Trump signed four executive orders for COVID-19 relief but American's may not see benefits without congressional approval. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – Bitter negotiations for a new coronavirus stimulus deal dissolved into an ugly blame game by the time lawmakers left Washington late last week with no deal, no progress to report and no plans to return until September.
By the end, the two sides refused to even meet.
The disaster of those failed discussions hangs over both parties as they shift their attention to two weeks of national political conventions, which likely would push a deal until sometime well after Labor Day.
That means that while political leaders party, unemployed Americans will have to do without the bolstered benefits that have allowed them to make ends meet; cash-strapped state and local governments will be left in the lurch; and uncertainty will continue to linger over a series of executive orders made by President Donald Trump that aimed to offer some relief.
The optics are a big concern for endangered lawmakers seeking reelection, who now have to answer to voters back home about why their leaders and the White House have been unable to strike a deal as a deadly contagion continues to take its toll across the country.
"When the relief ran out, I do think that there was a hope, probably almost an expectation, by people that Congress would come together and get it done,” said Rep. Susan Wild, a Pennsylvania Democrat who flipped a red seat in 2018. “And so when there wasn't, I think there was ... sort of a state of disbelief."
Said Ross Baker, professor of political science at Rutgers University-New Brunswick: "It’s not a good picture for members of Congress facing reelection to take into November."
DNC 2020: With no balloon drops, what's a convention for? Three things Joe Biden needs to do at his
Giving a political victory to the other side?
Both Democratic leaders are set to attend the Democratic National Convention, which starts Monday, meaning in-person discussions on a coronavirus package are unlikely to happen. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will speak Wednesday night, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., will be attending the convention virtually.
The offices of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., declined to say if they would be attending the Republican National Convention next week, though they have attended the events in the past.
Political conventions traditionally have been pep rallies for activists and party officials in a raucous convention hall while supporters watch on television. The parties adopt a platform to showcase their priorities and highlight the vast differences with the other side.
But this year the events will be drained of much of their hoopla and inspiration, Baker said.
“Instead of a teeming convention hall with brass bands and balloon drops, the conventions will be more like online corporate conferences dressed up with fake back-drops,” he said.
Furloughs: US immigration services set to furlough two-thirds of its workers after coronavirus stimulus talks fail
Even so, “the prospect of Congress’ failure to pass an additional package of relief measures and not getting the appropriations done is very grim,” Baker said.
Political conventions are largely about projecting a message going into the fall's elections.
"Neither party wants to give the other what would be spun as a political victory during their convention week," said Kent Syler, a political scientist at Middle Tennessee State University and a former Democratic congressional aide.
Schumer, Pelosi, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows negotiated for weeks trying to reconcile the Democrats' roughly $3.4 trillion plan with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's $1.1 trillion package. Both proposals included $1,200 direct payments for struggling Americans, billions for schools trying to reopen and money for businesses trying to stay afloat.
The inaction prompted Trump to sign four executive orders to continue some aspects of earlier stimulus bills, but they did not address all the relief sought in talks. After he signed the orders, the two sides continued to blame the other side for the impasse.
Americans have become somewhat numb to these kinds of “political mud fights,” Syler said, but there are risks for both parties.
“Incumbents running for reelection have the most to lose if voters decide that Washington is broken,” he said. “This fact is not lost on those participating in this political drama. It may ultimately be this fear of voter rebellion in November that gets us a deal.”
'There is no playbook': How Trump and Biden are trying to run virtual campaigns during coronavirus
A tough position for endangered lawmakers
Wild's office has been consumed by calls from those who thought more financial relief was on the way.
Wild, a freshman, said she worries about the message the stalemate was sending to Americans, who are being lobbied by each party to vote for their candidates, noting she was "starting to grow pessimistic."
"I've been hoping for weeks now that the imminent election would make people more more apt ... to get something done," she said, adding that her worry was that by Election Day, "the mood of the American people could be, you know, they should all be thrown out, and you know, government is useless to us."
She acknowledged it was hard to fathom a bipartisan compromise occurring over the next two weeks as both parties attend events that stress the plethora of differences between them, but she said she was holding out hope.
“If anything, I think it motivates both parties a little bit more to keep talking,” she said.
Wild is one of many endangered lawmakers facing intense pressure back home over the stalled relie. She expressed a sense of "frustration" with both Republicans and Democrats leading the negotiations, something echoed by fellow swing-state Democrats, and has called for Congress to take up smaller bills instead of a bigger package.
$1,200 checks? Money for schools? Breaking down what Republicans and Democrats want in the coronavirus stimulus plan
Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., said the blame for the stalled stimulus talks falls on Republicans.
“It's totally ridiculous,” he said, referring to McConnell criticizing Democrats as being uncompromising. He noted most Republicans rejected House Democrats’ plan when it was passed in May.
Jones, who represents a state Trump won by nearly 30 percentage points in 2016, had been optimistic but now said he felt “complete pessimism” about a deal being reached before Labor Day.
Trump's executive orders: Trump signs executive orders enacting $400 unemployment benefit, payroll tax cut after coronavirus stimulus talks stall
Asked about the optics of his planned speech at the Democratic National Convention amid the congressional gridlock, Jones said he was “comfortable” with the message he would be delivering.
“I'm not going to agree with all the messages that are going to be delivered,” he said. “But I think overall, the message is going to be one to unify this country."
Rep. Andy Kim, D-N.J., who represents a suburban Philadelphia district he flipped in 2018, was also trying to be “hopeful” about a deal being reached but was still frustrated about the lack of a compromise.
He said he has been getting calls every day from constituents wondering when aid would arrive.
“We know the American people do not have the luxury of pushing off their problems for a month or two,” he said.
Kim laid the blame on Republicans and the Trump administration for the impasse in negotiations and for waiting so long to introduce a GOP proposal.
“That lack of willingness to negotiate and compromise is frustrating," he said. "Both parties come together, and look, at the end, nobody's gonna get 100% of what they want.”
Who's speaking? DNC lineup of speakers headlined by the Obamas and Jill Biden as keynotes
The stalled talks and Pelosi's lead role in the impasse could be helpful for some Republicans, including Rep. Jeff Van Drew, who blamed the Democratic speaker over the stalled aid.
The first-term New Jersey Republican is facing a tough reelection in his district, a race that has been closely watched nationally because of the congressman's move to quit the Democratic Party and join Republicans during Trump's impeachment late last year.
Van Drew said in an interview that he couldn't understand Pelosi's refusal to meet last week with Mnuchin over remaining differences on the overall price tag for the bill.
"Why would you refuse to meet with him?" he said. "Sit down, meet with him, keep going over and over and over and over it again. He gives a little, you give a little and you work it out."
Van Drew acknowledged that the timing of the conventions and the approaching election were not helpful in the talks but said the pandemic should rise above the typical bickering.
"You know, sometimes an issue comes along that is so powerful and so problematic, that you really have to focus on that alone, and you have to forget about the politics and you have to forget about elections, and you just have to get that done," he said. "People expect their leaders at certain times to be bipartisan."
Who's performing?Jennifer Hudson, Billie Eilish, John Legend and others will perform at DNC


usatoday--2020-08-17--Monday at the DNC: Sanders, Kasich to speak as Democrats look to unite both sides of the aisle

WASHINGTON – Democrats will descend virtually Monday evening for the first night of the Democratic National Convention , putting forward a unified face by highlighting speakers from both sides of the aisle who support presumptive nominee Joe Biden .
Democrats are using Monday to show support from opposite ends of the political spectrum , with speeches from Sen. Bernie Sanders , I-Vt. , who was Biden 's final primary opponent , and former Ohio Gov .
John Kasich , a 2016 Republican candidate for president who has been critical of President Donald Trump .
More : DNC lineup of speakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as keynotes Monday will be an appeal to progressives who backed Sanders and moderate Republican voters like Kasich who are dissatisfied with Trump .
They and several other speakers will be followed by Monday 's keynote speaker : former first lady Michelle Obama .
The evening 's theme , `` We the People , '' will focus on `` Americans rising up to take our country back , '' Democrats said , by singling out what the campaign calls the nation 's three crises : the pandemic , the struggling economy and racial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign in 4 states — including in Joe Biden 's hometown — during week of Democratic National Convention Also speaking Monday will be Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , who was on Biden 's short list forrunning mate before Biden selected California Sen. Kamala Harris , and House Majority Whip Rep. Jim Clyburn , D-S.C. , whose endorsement of Biden ahead of the South Carolina primary sparked Biden 's comeback Under the banner `` Uniting America , '' the convention – which had been set for Milwaukee but moved to a virtual format @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tell the stories of Americans who are struggling during the global pandemic and economic downturn .
A 57-member youth choir assembled by the Commonwealth Youthchoirs – one singer from each state and U.S. territory – is scheduled to perform the national anthem on Monday night .
DNC speeches are set to be broadcast from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday .
The event will be broadcast on major television networks .
Viewers also can tune in using Amazon Prime and Amazon Fire devices , including listening via Alexa , as well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TV .
The campaign announced Friday that virtual watch parties will take place in all 50 states throughout the week 's convention .
They will be hosted by celebrities such as Alyssa Milano and Democratic Party leading figures such as Pete Buttigieg .
Biden will not accept the Democratic presidential nomination in Milwaukee , which was the original site of the convention .
Instead , Biden and Harris will deliver their convention speeches at the Chase Center in Wilmington , Delaware , the Biden campaign said last week .
Harris and Biden will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respectively .
More : Jennifer Hudson , Billie Eilish , John Legend and others will perform at DNC

Monday at the DNC: Sanders, Kasich to speak as Democrats look to unite both sides of the aisle
Show Caption Hide Caption How the DNC changed its rules since Sanders, Clinton in 2016 The primaries are here! How does one get elected in the first place and what is in store for the Democratic National Convention in 2020? We explain. Just the FAQs
WASHINGTON – Democrats will descend virtually Monday evening for the first night of the Democratic National Convention, putting forward a unified face by highlighting speakers from both sides of the aisle who support presumptive nominee Joe Biden.
Democrats are using Monday to show support from opposite ends of the political spectrum, with speeches from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who was Biden's final primary opponent, and former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a 2016 Republican candidate for president who has been critical of President Donald Trump.
More: DNC lineup of speakers headlined by the Obamas and Jill Biden as keynotes
Monday will be an appeal to progressives who backed Sanders and moderate Republican voters like Kasich who are dissatisfied with Trump.
They and several other speakers will be followed by Monday's keynote speaker: former first lady Michelle Obama. The evening's theme, "We the People," will focus on "Americans rising up to take our country back," Democrats said, by singling out what the campaign calls the nation's three crises: the pandemic, the struggling economy and racial injustice.
More: Donald Trump to campaign in 4 states — including in Joe Biden's hometown — during week of Democratic National Convention
Also speaking Monday will be Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who was on Biden's short list for running mate before Biden selected California Sen. Kamala Harris, and House Majority Whip Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., whose endorsement of Biden ahead of the South Carolina primary sparked Biden's comeback
Under the banner "Uniting America," the convention – which had been set for Milwaukee but moved to a virtual format amid the coronavirus pandemic – also will tell the stories of Americans who are struggling during the global pandemic and economic downturn.
A 57-member youth choir assembled by the Commonwealth Youthchoirs – one singer from each state and U.S. territory – is scheduled to perform the national anthem on Monday night.
DNC speeches are set to be broadcast from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
The event will be broadcast on major television networks. Viewers also can tune in using Amazon Prime and Amazon Fire devices, including listening via Alexa, as well as watching on Apple TV and Roku TV.
More: Democratic National Convention 2020: How to watch + full DNC speaker lineup
The campaign announced Friday that virtual watch parties will take place in all 50 states throughout the week's convention. They will be hosted by celebrities such as Alyssa Milano and Democratic Party leading figures such as Pete Buttigieg.
Biden will not accept the Democratic presidential nomination in Milwaukee, which was the original site of the convention. Instead, Biden and Harris will deliver their convention speeches at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware, the Biden campaign said last week. Harris and Biden will deliver their speeches Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.
More: Jennifer Hudson, Billie Eilish, John Legend and others will perform at DNC
Contributing: Sarah Elbeshbishi, Joey Garrison and Jason Lalljee, USA TODAY; Nate Chute, York Daily Record


usatoday--2020-08-17--Joe Biden leading President Trump nationally ahead of DNC, RNC, poll finds

WASHINGTON — Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden continues to lead President Donald Trump in national polling , besting the president by 9 points in a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll .
The survey released Sunday found that 50 % of those polled would vote for Biden if the election were held today versus the 41 % of those who would vote for Trump .
The findings come a day before the Democratic National Convention and a week before the Republican National Convention , where both Biden and Trump are expected to accept their parties ' presidential nomination .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 60 % disapprove of Trump 's handling of the coronavirus and 53 % of those surveyed say he did n't take the threat seriously at the beginning and continues to not handle it well .
Back in July , before the poll was conducted , Trump told Axios that Americans `` are dying , that 's true .
And it is what it is , '' after Swan questioned him about the average number of daily deaths climbing back to 1,000 per day .
The United States has reached more than 5.3 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deaths , making the U.S. the global leader in both cases and deaths , according the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center .
The poll surveyed 900 registered voters and has a margin of error of three percentage points .
While nationally leading Trump , the poll found Biden behind Trump on issues of the economy and crime , with more than 40 % believing Trump would better handle those issues over Biden .
Despite polling behind Trump in those two issues , Biden outdid Trump in nearly every other issue , including foreign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race relations .
Forty-nine percent of those polled also said Biden has the ability to bring the country together as opposed to the 26 % of people who say Trump does .
Thirty-nine percent of registered voters said they had positive feelings about Biden and his running mate , Sen. Kamala Harris , who also had the lowest percentage of people with negative feelings about them ( 35 % ) out of anyone on the Democrat and Republican presidential tickets .
Forty-five percent said they had negative feelings about Biden .
The survey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump while 52 % said they had negative feelings about him .
Thirty-nine percent of the respondents had positive feelings about Vice President Mike Pence while 44 % had negative feelings .
More : Kamala Harris pick gives Joe Biden a chance to fix missteps in outreach to Black voters , Black leaders say Biden formally announced Harris as his running mate on Aug. 11 in the midst of the polling done for this survey .
Harris ' pick makes her the first Black woman and Asian American person on a major party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Democratic presidential candidate before dropping out and endorsing Biden in March .
Of Biden voters , 58 % said that their vote for Biden is more against Trump , an increase from 2016 when only 46 % of voters said their vote for former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton was more against Trump .
Only 20 % of Trump voters say their vote is more against Biden .
According to the poll , 47 % favored a Democratic-controlled Congress as opposed to the 42 % that prefer a Republican-controlled Congress .
Half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House and Senate would be a bad thing , while 44 % said a Democratic-controlled House and Senate would be bad .
More : 'Starve the Postal Service ' : Obama criticizes Trump for sweeping changes at the USPS Currently , Democrats control the House of Representatives and Republicans control the Senate .
The two chambers and the White House are struggling to agree on another coronavirus relief package .

Joe Biden leading President Trump nationally ahead of DNC, RNC, poll finds
Show Caption Hide Caption Pres. Trump ponders citizenship query of Sen. Kamala Harris President Donald Trump has been criticized over a baseless Harris citizenship conspiracy, and it's not the first time. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden continues to lead President Donald Trump in national polling, besting the president by 9 points in a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll.
The survey released Sunday found that 50% of those polled would vote for Biden if the election were held today versus the 41% of those who would vote for Trump.
The findings come a day before the Democratic National Convention and a week before the Republican National Convention, where both Biden and Trump are expected to accept their parties' presidential nomination.
The Aug. 9-12 poll also found that nearly 60% disapprove of Trump's handling of the coronavirus and 53% of those surveyed say he didn't take the threat seriously at the beginning and continues to not handle it well.
Back in July, before the poll was conducted, Trump told Axios that Americans "are dying, that's true. And it is what it is," after Swan questioned him about the average number of daily deaths climbing back to 1,000 per day.
More: Testing slowdown: Fewer coronavirus tests casts doubt on falling case counts
How polls work: The science behind gathering voter opinions The news cycle is jampacked with polls. But have you ever wondered how polls actually work and what they mean? Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The United States has reached more than 5.3 million confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 169,000 deaths, making the U.S. the global leader in both cases and deaths, according the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
The poll surveyed 900 registered voters and has a margin of error of three percentage points.
While nationally leading Trump, the poll found Biden behind Trump on issues of the economy and crime, with more than 40% believing Trump would better handle those issues over Biden.
Despite polling behind Trump in those two issues, Biden outdid Trump in nearly every other issue, including foreign policy, immigration, health care and race relations. Forty-nine percent of those polled also said Biden has the ability to bring the country together as opposed to the 26% of people who say Trump does.
Thirty-nine percent of registered voters said they had positive feelings about Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, who also had the lowest percentage of people with negative feelings about them (35%) out of anyone on the Democrat and Republican presidential tickets. Forty-five percent said they had negative feelings about Biden.
The survey found 40% had positive feelings about Trump while 52% said they had negative feelings about him. Thirty-nine percent of the respondents had positive feelings about Vice President Mike Pence while 44% had negative feelings.
More: Kamala Harris pick gives Joe Biden a chance to fix missteps in outreach to Black voters, Black leaders say
Biden formally announced Harris as his running mate on Aug. 11 in the midst of the polling done for this survey. Harris' pick makes her the first Black woman and Asian American person on a major party's presidential ticket. Harris previously was a Democratic presidential candidate before dropping out and endorsing Biden in March.
Of Biden voters, 58% said that their vote for Biden is more against Trump, an increase from 2016 when only 46% of voters said their vote for former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton was more against Trump. Only 20% of Trump voters say their vote is more against Biden.
According to the poll, 47% favored a Democratic-controlled Congress as opposed to the 42% that prefer a Republican-controlled Congress. Half of those polled also said a Republican-controlled House and Senate would be a bad thing, while 44% said a Democratic-controlled House and Senate would be bad.
More: 'Starve the Postal Service': Obama criticizes Trump for sweeping changes at the USPS
Currently, Democrats control the House of Representatives and Republicans control the Senate. The two chambers and the White House are struggling to agree on another coronavirus relief package.


usatoday--2020-08-18--Live coverage: Woman whose father died from COVID-19 says he 'paid with his life' for trusting Trump

This item will be updated throughout the first night of the Democratic National Convention .
Refresh regularly for updates .
WASHINGTON – Democrats are aiming for a show of unity during the first night of their party 's virtual nominating convention – and a show of star power .
Former first lady Michelle Obama , who will headline the first night , is set to speak in the 10 p.m .
ET hour .
Former Vice President Joe Biden ’ s rivals in the contentious primaries gathered virtually Monday to support the presumptive Democratic nominee .
“ Unity isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Amy Klobuchar , D-Minn. “ We need a president for all of America.
” Former presidential candidates talked about why they ran , what they were fighting for and why they believe Biden will bring the nation together .
Sen. Kamala Harris , D-Calif. ; Sen. Cory Booker , D-N.J. ; Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand , D-N.Y. ; Washington Gov .
Jay Inslee ; Klobuchar , Rep. Seth Moulton , D-Mass .
; former Rep. Beto O ’ Rourke of Texas ; Tom Steyer and Andrew Yang .
“ You have the most destructive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history of this country who is literally tearing apart the fabric of the United States of America , ” Booker said .
Gillibrand said as she watched Trump divide the country , she asked herself what she was willing to do to stop him .
“ Donald Trump does not understand who we are as Americans , ” said Harris , whose speech accepting the nomination as Biden ’ s running mate is scheduled Wednesday .
Democrats have been ramping up their criticism of President Donald Trump ’ s remarks on mail-in voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as postmaster general for weeks .
And so it was little surprise the issue came up front and center during the first night of the party ’ s virtual convention .
The first spokesperson on the issue was Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto , who represents Nevada – a state the Trump campaign sued this year in an effort to block the widespread use of mail-in ballots .
“ He ’ s challenged us in court with a meritless lawsuit , ” Cortez Masto said .
“ And now he ’ s putting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at risk.
” “ Nevada is not intimated by you , ” she added .
Top U.S .
Postal Service officials will testify before Congress next week amid increasing scrutiny of changes at the agency Democrats worry may hinder the elections in November .
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and Chairman of the U.S .
Postal Service Board of Governors Robert Duncan agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Aug. 24 , Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney , D-N.Y. , announced Monday .
House Democrats are set to return to Washington to approve a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump has criticized Democrats ’ desire to include $ 25 billion for the Postal Service in their latest coronavirus stimulus package , arguing that broader use of vote by mail will increase the likelihood of fraud .
On the one hand , Trump and other Republicans have claimed they are mostly about states that will automatically mail ballots to every registered voter .
But there is a relatively small number of states planning to take that action in November .
Meanwhile , Trump has criticized states like Virginia , that have a similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which he has praised .
Running against President Donald Trump in the Republican primaries wasn ’ t enough for former Ohio Gov .
John Kasich .
He joined three Republicans in blasting Trump from the virtual stage of the Democratic National Convention .
“ In normal times , something like this would probably never happen , but these are not normal times , ” Kasich said of prioritizing his country ahead of his party .
“ Yes , there are areas where Joe and I absolutely disagree .
But that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Because whatever our differences , we respect one another as human beings , each of us searching for justice and for purpose.
” Trump derided Kasich while flying back to Washington from campaign events in Minnesota and Wisconsin .
“ He was a loser as a Republican and he ’ ll be a loser as a Democrat .
Major loser as a Republican , ” Trump said .
“ People don ’ t like him , people don ’ t trust him , his healthcare in Ohio was a disaster .
He hasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He ’ s been easy pickings.
” One of the Biden campaign ’ s co-chairmen , Rep. Cedric Richmond , D-La.
, said Republicans were invited to speak to demonstrate the variety of support for the former vice president .
“ I call them the silent voters , which are those Republicans that feel bullied , those Republicans that feel that they will be isolated if they support Biden , and that they will be picked on , ” Richmond said .
Other Republicans who spoke at the convention were former New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former Rep. Susan Molinari , R-N.Y. ; and Quibi CEO Meg Whitman , who ran for governor of California as a Republican .
Todd Whitman , a lifelong Republican whose parents were introduced at a convention , said Biden is decent enough , stable enough and strong enough to get the economy on track .
She said the country needs a person who can work with members of both parties to unite the country .
“ Donald Trump isn ’ t that person , ” she said .
“ Joe Biden is.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t impressed with Trump ’ s resume .
“ Let me tell you , Donald Trump has no clue about how to run a business , let alone an economy , ” she said .
“ For me , the choice is simple .
I ’ m with Joe.
” Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , one of the finalists to be Biden ’ s running mate , used her time to remind Michiganders of Biden ’ s role in helping the auto industry .
Speaking from a union hall , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s help for automakers after the 2008 recession .
She said Obama and Biden saved the livelihoods of autoworkers who now are doing their part to save American lives by making protective equipment .
“ With a lot of help from auto workers and too little help from the White House , we executed our plan , ” she said of Trump , who has referred to her as “ that woman from Michigan.
” “ We saved thousands of lives.
” She said Biden will use “ science , not politics or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Narrow wins by Trump in Michigan , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin gave him the votes he needed in the electoral college to overcome Hillary Clinton ’ s lead in the popular vote .
Biden is leading Trump by more than six percentage points , according to an average of recent polls by Real Clear Politics .
Clyburn explains endorsement that turned around Biden ’ s campaign Rep. James Clyburn , the South Carolina Democrat who revived Biden ’ s campaign , spoke from Charleston where he said the endorsement that powered Biden ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with his feet “ firmly planted in this community.
” Clyburn referenced the community ’ s history of slavery and the 2015 mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church .
He added , however , that the city has also removed a statue honoring an early advocate for slavery and is building an African American museum .
“ The ground beneath our feet is seeded with pain that is both old and new , but from that soil , we always find a way to grow together , ” he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the shadows of our past and beginning to lay the groundwork for a more just future.
” Clyburn said the nation needs a president “ who understands both profound loss and what it takes to bounce back.
” “ But more important than his firsthand experience with loss , and hardship is his ability to translate that perspective into policy and solutions , ” Clyburn said .
“ That 's why I stand with Joe , and why he will always be an adopted son of South Carolina.
” Gwen Carr , an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a chokehold by a New York police officer , urged former Vice President Joe Biden to change national policy to fight police brutality .
Carr said there was a major uprising after her son Eric Garner died in July 2014 , but interest subsided .
She urged action against “ an age-old problem.
” “ I know when my son was murdered , there was a big uprising , ” Carr said .
“ We have to hold their feet to the fire.
” Biden held a conversation with Carr and others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ justice .
The exchange illustrated how Biden will pop up occasionally during the week for appearances during the convention .
Biden noted that most police officers are good , but that the bad ones must be punished .
“ Most cops are good , but the fact is that the bad ones have to be identified and prosecuted and out – period , ” Biden said .
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said police officers were shocked at the death of George Floyd .
Acevedo said police want a change in national policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chokeholds , rather than separate policies among 18,000 police departments .
“ Police officers were shocked .
Police officers have spoken out .
We 're hopeful that we 'll have some national standards , '' Acevedo said .
`` This is a watershed moment and we can ’ t lose this moment . ''
Jamira Burley , an activist for racial justice , said people need access to education , and they need to know their differences will be celebrated and protected under law .
“ We have a responsibility to ensuring that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot told Biden that economic empowerment is key to tackling systemic racism .
“ If people are lifted out of poverty and given a stake in their own future , that goes a long way , ” she said .
NAACP President Derrick Johnson public discourse around voting as a civic duty rather than a partisan exercise .
He urged the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act .
“ It should be seen as a democratic thing to do , the most patriotic thing we can do and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
A woman whose father voted for President Donald Trump , but who also died from COVID-19 , offered blistering criticism of the president ’ s management of the health crisis .
Mark Anthony Urquiza died June 30 after three weeks of battling the respiratory illness .
In his obituary in the Arizona Republic , his daughter Kristin Urquiza wrote that his death was due to the carelessness of politicians unwilling or unable to give clear and decisive direction .
“ My dad was a healthy 65-year-old .
His only preexisting condition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that , he paid with his life , ” Urquiza told the convention .
“ The coronavirus has made it clear that there are two Americas : the America that Donald Trump lives in and the America that my father died in.
” Biden has accused Trump of mismanagement during the crisis .
Biden called for a nationwide testing program , proposed to hire 100,000 workers to trace the contacts of people who become infected .
Trump said he ’ s done “ really well ” combating the virus by supporting the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the manufacture of thousands of ventilators to help the sick .
“ We 're very close to the vaccine and therapeutics , ” Trump told a crowd Monday in Mankato , Minn. We 've done ventilators to a level that we 're helping the rest of the world with the ventilators .
And we 've done really well.
” New York Gov .
Andre Cuomo led off a segment on the coronavirus by arguing that the pandemic showed Americans why picking the right leader is important .
“ We have seen in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and leadership matters , ” Cuomo said .
“ And it determines whether we thrive and grow , or whether we live or die.
” He accused the administration of having been fixated on China while the European version of the virus was invading the Northeast .
“ Today we trail the world in defeating COVID , ” he said .
Vice President Mike Pence , who has been the leadership ’ s liaison with governors on the coronavirus , made an unusual – for him – public attack on Cuomo ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Our hearts grieve for the fact that one in five of all the American lives that have been lost in the coronavirus pandemic were lost in the State of New York and some of that was because of poor decisions by the state and by Governor Cuomo , ” Pence tweeted .
The tweet followed Cuomo ’ s comments that the nation needed a reset to end the confusion and chaos , and the reset should start with Trump .
In his convention remarks , Cuomo said only a strong body @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America ’ s body politic has been weakened by division “ Donald Trump didn ’ t create the initial division , ” Cuomo said .
“ The division created Trump ; he only made it worse.
” First night of the virtual convention ?
Lots of videos Democrats are test driving a virtual nominating convention for the first time in history because of the coronavirus pandemic .
So what does that look like ?
The first moments of the convention on Monday have provided a sense of what voters will see as they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Highly produced videos featuring voters , Zoom-meeting like speeches from politicians and a moderator moving quickly from segment to segment .
The first minutes of the Democratic National Convention , which largely abandoned its physical events in Milwaukee , included a national anthem sung by children from several states , the family of George Floyd , a conversation with small business owners , a performance by Leon Bridges and a discussion Biden moderated with racial justice activists .
Traditional conventions often included similar videos and musical performances between keynote speakers , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time to offer commentary on the upcoming speakers .
So far , cable networks covering the DNC have run it in its entirety – giving the party an uninterrupted platform to show not just high-profile remarks but also the ad-like videos accompanying them .
Washington , D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser kicked off a segment on “ demanding racial justice ” by criticizing Donald Trump ’ s handling of the protests against excessive law enforcement .
“ While we were peacefully protesting , Donald Trump was plotting , ” Bowser said .
She said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House as a photo op , sent troops in camouflage into the streets and tear gas into the air .
“ I knew if he did this to D.C. , ” Bowser said , “ he would do it to your city or your town.
” In June , Trump called Bowser “ incompetent ” after she challenged his attempt to use active-duty military troops against protesters .
During the protests , Bowser had city workers paint “ Black Lives Matter ” in huge yellow letters on the street leading up to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we could come together to say , ` enough.
’ Activists added the words “ Defund the Police.
” At the convention , Bowser said every American has to do something – “ each and every one of us ” – to “ turn this reckoning into a reimaging of a nation where ` We The People , ’ means all the people.
” She introduced family members of George Floyd , who was killed this year when a Minneapolis police officer held a knee to his neck for at least eight minutes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Philonise Floyd , Floyd 's brother .
“ It ’ s up to us to carry on the fight for justice.
” Signaling the emphasis Democrats expect to place on the nation ’ s latest reckoning with racism , Democrats called for a moment of silence at the beginning of their nominating convention to honor George Floyd .
Floyd was killed this year when a Minneapolis police officer held a knee to his neck for at least eight minutes .
The moment of silence was proceeded by a video showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country and remarks from Floyd 's family .
`` It 's up to use to carry on the fight for justice , '' said Philonise Floyd , Floyd 's brother .
The incident sparked weeks of protests and violence in some cities , an outpouring of peaceful demonstrations and also unrest that prompted calls for police reform and fundamentally changed the presidential election .
President Donald Trump criticized the officers involved in the incident , but he ’ s also conflated peaceful protests – including those outside the White House – with looting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parts of the country .
Trump ’ s march across Lafayette Square near the White House in June became a central image underscoring the tension .
The park was cleared of peaceful protesters ahead the city ’ s curfew just minutes before Trump stood in front of a historic church and held a Bible aloft for news photographers .
In response , presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden accused Trump of “ preening and sweeping away all the guardrails that have long protected our democracy.
” First a star , then 'real people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the star power of actress Eva Longoria to open the first night of their virtual national convention before turning the spotlight over to “ everyday Americans.
” Longoria , best known for her roles in the television show “ Desperate Housewives ” and the soap opera “ The Young and the Restless , ” said the past four years “ have left us as a nation diminished and divided.
” “ And yet , in the middle of the fear and sorrow and the uncertainty , people have come together , ” she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are better than this.
” Democrats ’ theme for the first of the four nights of speeches , videos and musical performances is “ We the People.
” After Longoria spoke , Americans from around the country – activists , lawmakers , veterans , a woman identified as “ Rosie the Riveter ” as well as Biden himself – took turns reading parts of the preamble to the Constitution before Rep. Bennie Thompson , the chair of the convention officially gaveled open the event .
“ We the people call … the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Longoria , who spoke at the last two Democratic conventions and was the emcee for Monday night , said in an interview after the 2016 election that she stayed in bed for almost two days after because she was so upset about Trump ’ s election .
She has said her political involvement began when she volunteered for Bill Clinton ’ s 1992 campaign as a senior in high school .
Several progressive leaders voted no against the Democratic National Committee 's platform because it did not support Medicare for All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and Cori Bush , the Democratic nominee for Missouri 's 1st congressional district who delivered a stunning upset against incumbent Rep. William Lacy Clay , were among those who voted against the platform .
`` I am very enthusiastic about supporting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to defeat Donald Trump , but I can not vote for this platform that does not have universal healthcare as a right , '' Khanna told Democracy Now !
on Monday .
Bush also told Democracy Now that she stands with other aspects of the platform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and supporting the voting rights act .
However , she said that more needs to be done in terms of health care .
`` We have to do better for our people , '' she said .
`` We can not allow people to die . ''
Medicare for All , which calls for a single-payer health care system , has become a top issue for progressive candidates , such as Sen. Bernie Sanders .
Michelle Obama will describe presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden as a “ profoundly decent man '' during her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s national convention .
`` I know Joe .
He is a profoundly decent man guided by faith .
He was a terrific vice president , '' the former first lady will say of the former vice president , according to excerpts of her remarks released by the party Monday .
`` He knows what it takes to rescue an economy , beat back a pandemic and lead our country . ''
Michelle Obama will also praise Biden as someone who `` listens.
” Former President Barack Obama will address the virtual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of remarks from Sen. Bernie Sanders , the Vermont independent who was Biden ’ s last-standing primary challenger , New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo , Washington , D.C. , Mayor Muriel Bowser , and Ohio Gov .
John Kasich , a Republican .
`` The future of our democracy is at stake , ” Sanders will say , according to excerpts of his remarks .
“ We must come together , defeat Donald Trump and elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as our next president and vice president .
My friends , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ great to imagine . ''
A Democratic super PAC launched Monday an ad featuring Kristin Urquiza , a woman who lost her father to COVID-19 and who is also telling that story on the first night of the convention .
Urquiza says in the ad by American Bridge 21st Century that her father was a Trump supporter who took his cues from an administration that downplayed the virus .
“ He basically told me he felt betrayed , ” she says in the ad .
“ We ’ re told to follow leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s what my father did , and it cost him his life.
” American Bridge said the ad is the first to draw “ a direct line between Trump ’ s misinformation and downplaying of the coronavirus with the death of a Trump supporter.
” The group said it ’ s running the ad on digital platforms and during the Republican National Convention .
Late night programming may never be the same : Donald Trump 's campaign is producing an online program every night this week to critique events at the Democratic convention @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Entitled `` The Real Joe Biden , '' the program that airs at 11 p.m .
ET is part of a counter-convention project that includes web ads , television hits , guest appearances , and the president 's own national tour of battleground states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania .
As part of a multi-million dollar digital ad buy , the Trump campaign plans to take over the YouTube masthead from Tuesday through Friday .
Pro-Trump and anti-Biden ads will find their way to news site web pages , including the Wall Street @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump strategic adviser Boris Epshteyn described this year 's DNC as a `` socialist meetup '' and said the Trump campaign would `` expose '' the candidates for the `` radical , leftist politicians that they are . ''
Biden spokesman Andrew Bates said Trump and his allies are trying to cover up their own `` appalling failed leadership '' that includes more than 167,000 COVID deaths and `` one of the worst recessions on record . ''
Trump campaigning in four battleground states – Wisconsin , Minnesota , Arizona and Pennsylvania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and running mate Sen. Kamala Harris during the Democratic National Convention .
Biden cued up standards from his stump speech , including the need for infrastructure spending and investment in clean energy .
Pelosi said that , ultimately , “ everything needs to be about jobs.
” But Biden assured King she was on his playlist .
King thanked him for offering an optimistic message during troubled times .
“ A lot of people are feeling anxious and depressed in this time of , you know , unprecedented cruelty and chaos and willful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If we all persist with love , hope and belief in the power of all of us , we will bring about better times and it 's Joe says build back better .
We will get through this .
And we will win.
” King played piano and sang : “ I Feel the Earth Move ” and “ You ’ ve Got a Friend.
” The event with nearly 900 attendees raised more than $ 4 million , according to co-host Alex Mehran , chairman of Sunset Development Co. Will 2020 be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Committee Chair Tom Perez told the Associated Press on Monday that 2020 should be the last year of presidential caucuses for Democrats .
Perez , whose term will end before the next presidential cycle , said he would use his stature in the party to push for change , planning to `` use the bully pulpit as a former chair to make sure we continue the progress , '' he told the AP .
The call , while new for Perez , is n't exactly a surprise .
Iowa ’ s first-in-the-nation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of the practice , with some calling for changes on what state should get the first chance to make their presidential selections , though Perez did not specifically point the finger at the state .
Former Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg was dubbed the winner in Iowa officially several days after the contest , with Sen. Bernie Sanders in a close second .
Biden placed fourth in the state , which is predominately white .
But the final results were n't available for weeks due to inconsistencies in data from some precincts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to make the process smoother but instead created a headache .
The contest is often looked to as taking temperature for how the rest of the primary cycle might go .
It can help bolster candidates ahead of contests in a slew of states .
Four GOPers to speak at the DNC Former Ohio Gov .
John Kasich is n't the only Republican who will speak during the Democratic National Convention .
The outspoken critic of President Donald Trump will be joined by another former governor and a former GOP lawmaker from New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the first day of their virtual convention .
In addition to Kasich , who had previously been announced , former Rep. Susan Molinari , R-N.Y. , former New Jersey Gov .
Christine Todd Whitman and former Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman are also scheduled to address the convention .
The four Republicans will give remarks during a segment billed as `` We The People Putting Country Over Party . ''
They have all been openly critical of Trump .
Meg Whitman gave $ 500,000 to the Biden Victory Fund this year , @ @ @ @

Maureen Groppe, John Fritze and Bart Jansen, USA TODAY

Michelle Obama says Trump is the 'wrong president for our country'
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
Former first lady Michelle Obama delivered a powerful rebuke of President Donald Trump in a 19-minute speech that declared him unfit for the job and encouraged people to vote as if their lives depended on it.
She capped the first day of speeches, songs and videos spanned 50 states and seven territories for a virtual Democratic National Convention by saying the presidential election would reveal who we are as a country.
“Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country,” Obama said. “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 voters must support Biden with overwhelming support, to prevent a corruption of the results.
“We’ve got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it,” added Obama, whose necklace spelled out “vote.”
Not sure if you’re registered to vote?: Check your status
Obama noted that more than 150,000 Americans have died in the pandemic, that economy is in shambles that left millions jobless and she said Trump downplayed the crisis for too long. But she said Trump isn’t qualified for the job because it is hard and requires clear-headed judgment, a devotion to facts and history, a moral compass, with an ability to listen.
“You simply cannot fake your way through this job,” Obama said.
Racial justice protests erupted nationwide after the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis on Memorial Day. Obama noted that his death and the message that Black lives matter was met with derision, while children watch in horror.
“That’s not just disappointing, but downright infuriating,” Obama said. “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 protestors for a photo-op.”
When she urges supporters to go high rather than low, Obama said that means avoiding dehumanizing and degrading tactics, but doesn’t “mean putting on a smile and 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,” Obama said. “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.”
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
She encouraged voters to support Biden as a profoundly decent man who is guided by faith and is empathetic with the people he represents.
“He will tell the truth and trust science,” Obama said. “His life is a testament to getting back up, and he is going to channel that same grit and passion to pick us all up, to help us heal and guide us forward.”
— Bart Jansen
To listen to an audio version of the story, click 'play' below.
Sanders encourages supporters to back Biden
Sen. Bernie Sanders delivered an impassioned plea Monday for his supporters to back Joe Biden for the president in November, a key address Democrats hope will help unite a party that has been divided in the past between liberals and centrists.
“Our campaign ended several months ago but our movement continues and is getting stronger every day,” Sanders said, standing in front of a backdrop of chopped firewood. “If Donald Trump is reelected, all the progress that we have made will be in jeopardy.”
Sanders noted that Biden supports raising the minimum wage, unionizing workers and transitioning the nation to clean power over the next five decades.
Sanders’ remarks were among the most important at the first night of the Democratic National Convention, intended to signal a bridge between the left and centrist wings of the party. Some Sanders voters were miffed at Hillary Clinton’s nomination in 2016 and Biden and Sanders have sought to avoid a similar split this year.
Doing so will be critical for Biden’s success in November: In an election that will hang on turnout, the former vice president needs to energize all corners of the party to ensure they turn out to the polls or vote by mail.
Sanders was the last standing primary opponent to Biden, holding out until April following a spirited campaign that drew particular energy from young voters. Throughout the primary, Sanders was one of several candidates who frequently criticized the Obama-Biden administration for not being progressive enough in its policies.
Nowhere was the divide as stark as on health care, where Sanders became a standard-bearer for a Medicare-for-All health care system that Biden regularly countered would be too expensive and not as effective as the 2009 Obamacare law.
Sanders flicked at that divide in his remarks.
“While Joe and I disagree on the best path to get universal coverage, he has a plan that will greatly expand health care” and lower drug prices, Sanders asserted.
Since Sanders dropped out, the two former Senate colleagues have worked together to craft a platform for the party that President Donald Trump has criticized as too far left for the nation – regularly painting the ideas as the “Biden-Sanders” agenda.
“The future of our democracy is at stake,” Sanders said. “The price of failure is just too great to imagine.”
— John Fritze
Former rivals support Biden
Former Vice President Joe Biden’s rivals in the contentious primaries gathered virtually Monday to support the presumptive Democratic nominee.
“Unity isn’t about settling,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. “We need a president for all of America.”
Former presidential candidates talked about why they ran, what they were fighting for and why they believe Biden will bring the nation together.
Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif.; Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.; Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.; Washington Gov. Jay Inslee; Klobuchar, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass.; former Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas; Tom Steyer and Andrew Yang.
“You have the most destructive, hateful, racist president in the history of this country who is literally tearing apart the fabric of the United States of America,” Booker said.
Gillibrand said as she watched Trump divide the country, she asked herself what she was willing to do to stop him.
“Donald Trump does not understand who we are as Americans,” said Harris, whose speech accepting the nomination as Biden’s running mate is scheduled Wednesday.
— Bart Jansen
Post office woes raised at convention
Democrats have been ramping up their criticism of President Donald Trump’s remarks on mail-in voting and his decision to appoint an ally as postmaster general for weeks.
And so it was little surprise the issue came up front and center during the first night of the party’s virtual convention.
The first spokesperson on the issue was Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, who represents Nevada – a state the Trump campaign sued this year in an effort to block the widespread use of mail-in ballots.
“He’s challenged us in court with a meritless lawsuit,” Cortez Masto said. “And now he’s putting the lives of Nevada’s seniors at risk.”
“Nevada is not intimated by you,” she added.
Top U.S. Postal Service officials will testify before Congress next week amid increasing scrutiny of changes at the agency Democrats worry may hinder the elections in November.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and Chairman of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors Robert Duncan agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Aug. 24, Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., announced Monday. House Democrats are set to return to Washington to approve a bill providing additional funding for the U.S.
Trump has criticized Democrats’ desire to include $25 billion for the Postal Service in their latest coronavirus stimulus package, arguing that broader use of vote by mail will increase the likelihood of fraud.
On the one hand, Trump and other Republicans have claimed they are mostly about states that will automatically mail ballots to every registered voter. But there is a relatively small number of states planning to take that action in November. Meanwhile, Trump has criticized states like Virginia, that have a similar ballot system to states such as Florida, which he has praised.
— John Fritze, Nicholas Wu
GOP at the DNC
Running against President Donald Trump in the Republican primaries wasn’t enough for former Ohio Gov. John Kasich. He joined three Republicans in blasting Trump from the virtual stage of the Democratic National Convention.
“In normal times, something like this would probably never happen, but these are not normal times,” Kasich said of prioritizing his country ahead of his party. “Yes, there are areas where Joe and I absolutely disagree. But that’s OK because that’s America. Because whatever our differences, we respect one another as human beings, each of us searching for justice and for purpose.”
Trump derided Kasich while flying back to Washington from campaign events in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
“He was a loser as a Republican and he’ll be a loser as a Democrat. Major loser as a Republican,” Trump said. “People don’t like him, people don’t trust him, his healthcare in Ohio was a disaster. He hasn’t done too well with Trump. He’s been easy pickings.”
One of the Biden campaign’s co-chairmen, Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., said Republicans were invited to speak to demonstrate the variety of support for the former vice president.
“I call them the silent voters, which are those Republicans that feel bullied, those Republicans that feel that they will be isolated if they support Biden, and that they will be picked on,” Richmond said.
Other Republicans who spoke at the convention were former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman; former Rep. Susan Molinari, R-N.Y.; and Quibi CEO Meg Whitman, who ran for governor of California as a Republican.
Todd Whitman, a lifelong Republican whose parents were introduced at a convention, said Biden is decent enough, stable enough and strong enough to get the economy on track. She said the country needs a person who can work with members of both parties to unite the country.
“Donald Trump isn’t that person,” she said. “Joe Biden is.”
Meg Whitman said as a CEO she wasn’t impressed with Trump’s resume.
“Let me tell you, Donald Trump has no clue about how to run a business, let alone an economy,” she said. “For me, the choice is simple. I’m with Joe.”
— Bart Jansen
Whitmer brings up auto workers
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, one of the finalists to be Biden’s running mate, used her time to remind Michiganders of Biden’s role in helping the auto industry.
Speaking from a union hall, Whitmer referred to the Obama administration’s help for automakers after the 2008 recession. She said Obama and Biden saved the livelihoods of autoworkers who now are doing their part to save American lives by making protective equipment.
“With a lot of help from auto workers and too little help from the White House, we executed our plan,” she said of Trump, who has referred to her as “that woman from Michigan.” “We saved thousands of lives.”
She said Biden will use “science, not politics or ego” to drive his decisions.
Narrow wins by Trump in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin gave him the votes he needed in the electoral college to overcome Hillary Clinton’s lead in the popular vote.
Biden is leading Trump by more than six percentage points, according to an average of recent polls by Real Clear Politics.
— Maureen Groppe
Clyburn explains endorsement that turned around Biden’s campaign
Rep. James Clyburn, the South Carolina Democrat who revived Biden’s campaign, spoke from Charleston where he said the endorsement that powered Biden’s South Carolina victory was a decision made with his feet “firmly planted in this community.”
Clyburn referenced the community’s history of slavery and the 2015 mass shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
He added, however, that the city has also removed a statue honoring an early advocate for slavery and is building an African American museum.
“The ground beneath our feet is seeded with pain that is both old and new, but from that soil, we always find a way to grow together,” he said. “We are stepping out from the shadows of our past and beginning to lay the groundwork for a more just future.”
Clyburn said the nation needs a president “who understands both profound loss and what it takes to bounce back.”
“But more important than his firsthand experience with loss, and hardship is his ability to translate that perspective into policy and solutions,” Clyburn said. “That's why I stand with Joe, and why he will always be an adopted son of South Carolina.”
— Maureen Groppe
Officials, activists discuss racial justice
Gwen Carr, an author whose son died while being held in a chokehold by a New York police officer, urged former Vice President Joe Biden to change national policy to fight police brutality.
Carr said there was a major uprising after her son Eric Garner died in July 2014, but interest subsided. She urged action against “an age-old problem.”
“I know when my son was murdered, there was a big uprising,” Carr said. “We have to hold their feet to the fire.”
Biden held a conversation with Carr and others to chat about the priorities for racial justice. The exchange illustrated how Biden will pop up occasionally during the week for appearances during the convention. Biden noted that most police officers are good, but that the bad ones must be punished.
“Most cops are good, but the fact is that the bad ones have to be identified and prosecuted and out – period,” Biden said.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said police officers were shocked at the death of George Floyd. Acevedo said police want a change in national policy about the use of force and against chokeholds, rather than separate policies among 18,000 police departments.
“Police officers were shocked. Police officers have spoken out. We're hopeful that we'll have some national standards," Acevedo said. "This is a watershed moment and we can’t lose this moment."
Jamira Burley, an activist for racial justice, said people need access to education, and they need to know their differences will be celebrated and protected under law.
“We have a responsibility to ensuring that they’re safe,” she said.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot told Biden that economic empowerment is key to tackling systemic racism.
“If people are lifted out of poverty and given a stake in their own future, that goes a long way,” she said.
NAACP President Derrick Johnson public discourse around voting as a civic duty rather than a partisan exercise. He urged the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act.
“It should be seen as a democratic thing to do, the most patriotic thing we can do and not a partisan exercise,” Johnson said.
— Bart Jansen
Devastated by COVID-19
A woman whose father voted for President Donald Trump, but who also died from COVID-19, offered blistering criticism of the president’s management of the health crisis.
Mark Anthony Urquiza died June 30 after three weeks of battling the respiratory illness. In his obituary in the Arizona Republic, his daughter Kristin Urquiza wrote that his death was due to the carelessness of politicians unwilling or unable to give clear and decisive direction.
“My dad was a healthy 65-year-old. His only preexisting condition was trusting Donald Trump, and for that, he paid with his life,” Urquiza told the convention. “The coronavirus has made it clear that there are two Americas: the America that Donald Trump lives in and the America that my father died in.”
Biden has accused Trump of mismanagement during the crisis. Biden called for a nationwide testing program, proposed to hire 100,000 workers to trace the contacts of people who become infected.
Trump said he’s done “really well” combating the virus by supporting the most testing in the world and by spurring the manufacture of thousands of ventilators to help the sick.
“We're very close to the vaccine and therapeutics,” Trump told a crowd Monday in Mankato, Minn. We've done ventilators to a level that we're helping the rest of the world with the ventilators. And we've done really well.”
— Bart Jansen
Cuomo: COVID-19 shows why leadership matters
New York Gov. Andre Cuomo led off a segment on the coronavirus by arguing that the pandemic showed Americans why picking the right leader is important.
“We have seen in this crisis the truth: that government matters and leadership matters,” Cuomo said. “And it determines whether we thrive and grow, or whether we live or die.”
He accused the administration of having been fixated on China while the European version of the virus was invading the Northeast.
“Today we trail the world in defeating COVID,” he said.
Vice President Mike Pence, who has been the leadership’s liaison with governors on the coronavirus, made an unusual – for him – public attack on Cuomo’s handling of the virus earlier this month.
“Our hearts grieve for the fact that one in five of all the American lives that have been lost in the coronavirus pandemic were lost in the State of New York and some of that was because of poor decisions by the state and by Governor Cuomo,” Pence tweeted.
The tweet followed Cuomo’s comments that the nation needed a reset to end the confusion and chaos, and the reset should start with Trump.
In his convention remarks, Cuomo said only a strong body can fight off the virus, and America’s body politic has been weakened by division
“Donald Trump didn’t create the initial division,” Cuomo said. “The division created Trump; he only made it worse.”
— Maureen Groppe
First night of the virtual convention? Lots of videos
Democrats are test driving a virtual nominating convention for the first time in history because of the coronavirus pandemic.
So what does that look like? The first moments of the convention on Monday have provided a sense of what voters will see as they tune in over the next two weeks: Highly produced videos featuring voters, Zoom-meeting like speeches from politicians and a moderator moving quickly from segment to segment.
The first minutes of the Democratic National Convention, which largely abandoned its physical events in Milwaukee, included a national anthem sung by children from several states, the family of George Floyd, a conversation with small business owners, a performance by Leon Bridges and a discussion Biden moderated with racial justice activists.
Traditional conventions often included similar videos and musical performances between keynote speakers, but cable and broadcast networks often used that time to offer commentary on the upcoming speakers. So far, cable networks covering the DNC have run it in its entirety – giving the party an uninterrupted platform to show not just high-profile remarks but also the ad-like videos accompanying them.
— John Fritze
D.C. Mayor hits Trump over Lafayette Square protests
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser kicked off a segment on “demanding racial justice” by criticizing Donald Trump’s handling of the protests against excessive law enforcement.
“While we were peacefully protesting, Donald Trump was plotting,” Bowser said. She said he used a church by the White House as a photo op, sent troops in camouflage into the streets and tear gas into the air.
“I knew if he did this to D.C.,” Bowser said, “he would do it to your city or your town.”
In June, Trump called Bowser “incompetent” after she challenged his attempt to use active-duty military troops against protesters.
During the protests, Bowser had city workers paint “Black Lives Matter” in huge yellow letters on the street leading up to the White House “as a place where we could come together to say, `enough.’ Activists added the words “Defund the Police.”
At the convention, Bowser said every American has to do something – “each and every one of us” – to “turn this reckoning into a reimaging of a nation where `We The People,’ means all the people.”
She introduced family members of George Floyd, who was killed this year when a Minneapolis police officer held a knee to his neck for at least eight minutes.
“George should be alive today,” said Philonise Floyd, Floyd's brother. “It’s up to us to carry on the fight for justice.”
— Maureen Groppe
Convention holds moment of silence for Floyd
Signaling the emphasis Democrats expect to place on the nation’s latest reckoning with racism, Democrats called for a moment of silence at the beginning of their nominating convention to honor George Floyd.
Floyd was killed this year when a Minneapolis police officer held a knee to his neck for at least eight minutes.
The moment of silence was proceeded by a video showing Black Live Matters protests from across the country and remarks from Floyd's family.
"It's up to use to carry on the fight for justice," said Philonise Floyd, Floyd's brother.
The incident sparked weeks of protests and violence in some cities, an outpouring of peaceful demonstrations and also unrest that prompted calls for police reform and fundamentally changed the presidential election.
President Donald Trump criticized the officers involved in the incident, but he’s also conflated peaceful protests – including those outside the White House – with looting and violence that took place in some parts of the country.
Trump’s march across Lafayette Square near the White House in June became a central image underscoring the tension. The park was cleared of peaceful protesters ahead the city’s curfew just minutes before Trump stood in front of a historic church and held a Bible aloft for news photographers.
In response, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden accused Trump of “preening and sweeping away all the guardrails that have long protected our democracy.”
— John Fritze
First a star, then 'real people' – plus Biden
Democrats’ tapped the star power of actress Eva Longoria to open the first night of their virtual national convention before turning the spotlight over to “everyday Americans.”
Longoria, best known for her roles in the television show “Desperate Housewives” and the soap opera “The Young and the Restless,” said the past four years “have left us as a nation diminished and divided.”
“And yet, in the middle of the fear and sorrow and the uncertainty, people have come together,” she said, “because they know we are better than this.”
Democrats’ theme for the first of the four nights of speeches, videos and musical performances is “We the People.”
After Longoria spoke, Americans from around the country – activists, lawmakers, veterans, a woman identified as “Rosie the Riveter” as well as Biden himself – took turns reading parts of the preamble to the Constitution before Rep. Bennie Thompson, the chair of the convention officially gaveled open the event.
“We the people call … the Democratic National Convention to order,” he said.
Longoria, who spoke at the last two Democratic conventions and was the emcee for Monday night, said in an interview after the 2016 election that she stayed in bed for almost two days after because she was so upset about Trump’s election.
She has said her political involvement began when she volunteered for Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign as a senior in high school.
— Maureen Groppe
Progressives voted against DNC platform
Several progressive leaders voted no against the Democratic National Committee's platform because it did not support Medicare for All.
Both Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Cori Bush, the Democratic nominee for Missouri's 1st congressional district who delivered a stunning upset against incumbent Rep. William Lacy Clay, were among those who voted against the platform.
"I am very enthusiastic about supporting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to defeat Donald Trump, but I cannot vote for this platform that does not have universal healthcare as a right," Khanna told Democracy Now! on Monday.
Bush also told Democracy Now that she stands with other aspects of the platform, such as the climate change platforms and supporting the voting rights act. However, she said that more needs to be done in terms of health care.
"We have to do better for our people," she said. "We cannot allow people to die."
Medicare for All, which calls for a single-payer health care system, has become a top issue for progressive candidates, such as Sen. Bernie Sanders.
— Rebecca Morin
Michelle Obama: Biden is 'profoundly decent'
Michelle Obama will describe presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden as a “profoundly decent man" during her keynote address Monday night at the party’s national convention.
"I know Joe. He is a profoundly decent man guided by faith. He was a terrific vice president," the former first lady will say of the former vice president, according to excerpts of her remarks released by the party Monday. "He knows what it takes to rescue an economy, beat back a pandemic and lead our country."
Michelle Obama will also praise Biden as someone who "listens.” Former President Barack Obama will address the virtual convention on Wednesday.
Democrats released excerpts of remarks from Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who was Biden’s last-standing primary challenger, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican.
"The future of our democracy is at stake,” Sanders will say, according to excerpts of his remarks. “We must come together, defeat Donald Trump and elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as our next president and vice president. My friends, the price of failure is just too great to imagine."
— Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, USA TODAY
New ad features daughter of COVID-19 victim
A Democratic super PAC launched Monday an ad featuring Kristin Urquiza, a woman who lost her father to COVID-19 and who is also telling that story on the first night of the convention.
Urquiza says in the ad by American Bridge 21st Century that her father was a Trump supporter who took his cues from an administration that downplayed the virus.
“He basically told me he felt betrayed,” she says in the ad. “We’re told to follow leaders in times of crisis. That’s what my father did, and it cost him his life.”
American Bridge said the ad is the first to draw “a direct line between Trump’s misinformation and downplaying of the coronavirus with the death of a Trump supporter.”
The group said it’s running the ad on digital platforms and during the Republican National Convention.
— Maureen Groppe
Trump offers counter-message
Late night programming may never be the same: Donald Trump's campaign is producing an online program every night this week to critique events at the Democratic convention.
It will be a less-than-neutral analysis.
Entitled "The Real Joe Biden," the program that airs at 11 p.m. ET is part of a counter-convention project that includes web ads, television hits, guest appearances, and the president's own national tour of battleground states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.
As part of a multi-million dollar digital ad buy, the Trump campaign plans to take over the YouTube masthead from Tuesday through Friday. Pro-Trump and anti-Biden ads will find their way to news site web pages, including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and Fox News.
Trump strategic adviser Boris Epshteyn described this year's DNC as a "socialist meetup" and said the Trump campaign would "expose" the candidates for the "radical, leftist politicians that they are."
Biden spokesman Andrew Bates said Trump and his allies are trying to cover up their own "appalling failed leadership" that includes more than 167,000 COVID deaths and "one of the worst recessions on record."
Trump campaigning in four battleground states – Wisconsin, Minnesota, Arizona and Pennsylvania – as Democratic delegates formally nominate Biden and running mate Sen. Kamala Harris during the Democratic National Convention.
– David Jackson
‘I Feel the Earth Move’
Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden hosted a virtual fundraiser Monday afternoon with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and singer-songwriter Carole King.
Biden cued up standards from his stump speech, including the need for infrastructure spending and investment in clean energy. Pelosi said that, ultimately, “everything needs to be about jobs.”
But Biden assured King she was on his playlist. King thanked him for offering an optimistic message during troubled times.
“A lot of people are feeling anxious and depressed in this time of, you know, unprecedented cruelty and chaos and willful incompetence,” King said. “If we all persist with love, hope and belief in the power of all of us, we will bring about better times and it's Joe says build back better. We will get through this. And we will win.”
King played piano and sang: “I Feel the Earth Move” and “You’ve Got a Friend.”
The event with nearly 900 attendees raised more than $4 million, according to co-host Alex Mehran, chairman of Sunset Development Co.
— Bart Jansen
Will 2020 be the last of the caucuses?
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez told the Associated Press on Monday that 2020 should be the last year of presidential caucuses for Democrats.
Perez, whose term will end before the next presidential cycle, said he would use his stature in the party to push for change, planning to "use the bully pulpit as a former chair to make sure we continue the progress," he told the AP.
The call, while new for Perez, isn't exactly a surprise. Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses in February spurred widespread calls for the end of the practice, with some calling for changes on what state should get the first chance to make their presidential selections, though Perez did not specifically point the finger at the state.
Former Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg was dubbed the winner in Iowa officially several days after the contest, with Sen. Bernie Sanders in a close second. Biden placed fourth in the state, which is predominately white. But the final results weren't available for weeks due to inconsistencies in data from some precincts and a new app that was supposed to make the process smoother but instead created a headache.
The contest is often looked to as taking temperature for how the rest of the primary cycle might go. It can help bolster candidates ahead of contests in a slew of states.
— Christal Hayes
Four GOPers to speak at the DNC
Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich isn't the only Republican who will speak during the Democratic National Convention. The outspoken critic of President Donald Trump will be joined by another former governor and a former GOP lawmaker from New York.
Democrats announced the GOP lineup on the first day of their virtual convention. In addition to Kasich, who had previously been announced, former Rep. Susan Molinari, R-N.Y., former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman and former Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman are also scheduled to address the convention.
More: Three Republicans join Kasich to speak at Democratic National Convention
The four Republicans will give remarks during a segment billed as "We The People Putting Country Over Party." They have all been openly critical of Trump. Meg Whitman gave $500,000 to the Biden Victory Fund this year, campaign records show.
– Nicholas Wu


usatoday--2020-08-18--Watch LIVE: DNC Night 1

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usatoday--2020-08-17--'Terrifying': Former senior Trump administration official endorses Biden

WASHINGTON – Former senior Trump administration official Miles Taylor endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for president on Monday .
In doing so , he became one of the highest-ranking former officials from the Trump administration to back the presumptive Democratic nominee .
Taylor , who served as chief of staff to former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and a political appointee at the Department of Homeland Security from 2017 until he left in 2019 , was featured in a video produced by the Republican Voters Against Trump , saying what he saw from President Donald Trump `` was terrifying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when DHS staffers attempted to discuss issues of national security like a `` cyberattack '' or `` terrorism threat '' with the president , Trump `` wasn ’ t interested in those things .
… To him , they weren ’ t priorities.
” He also stated Trump would give what Taylor called illegal orders to the DHS and “ didn ’ t want us to tell him it was illegal anymore because he knew that … he had ‘ magical authorities . '
” The video followed an op-ed he wrote that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Taylor called Trump `` dangerous '' for America , without mentioning whom he was voting for .
More : The Democratic National Convention is here .
Here 's how to watch and what you can expect More : Trump to campaign in battleground states as Democrats embrace Joe Biden , Kamala Harris at convention In the video , Taylor stated , `` Given what I have experienced in the administration , I have to support Joe Biden for president .
And even though I am not a Democrat , even though I disagree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Joe Biden will protect the country and I 'm confident that he wo n't make the same mistakes as this President . ''
Taylor 's video endorsement and op-ed come on the first night of the Democratic National Convention , where several Republicans are set to speak in a show of bipartisan support for former Biden and his running mate , Sen. Kamala Harris .
Four Republicans will speak for a segment called “ We The People Putting Country Over Party.
” 'It 's not a good picture ' : Party conventions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a local issue ' : Democrats look to ride anti-Trump wave to capture state legislatures in 2020 Biden ’ s other Republican backers include several former administrations cabinet secretaries , former members of Congress and former GOP state party chairs .
One-time Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina , and Anthony Scaramucci , a prior Trump ally who briefly served as his White House communications director , have also endorsed Biden .
White House spokesperson Judd Deere responded to Taylor 's allegations in a statement to USA TODAY , saying Taylor `` never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agenda or why the American people elected him and clearly just wants to cash-in . ''
Some other former senior Trump administration officials , including most recently former national security adviser John Bolton , have also been critical of Trump , but few have publicly endorsed Biden .
In the ad , Taylor asserts the president sought to “ exploit the Department of Homeland Security for his own political purposes and to fuel his own agenda.
” More : Trump 's Postmaster General DeJoy will testify before Congress about USPS changes Taylor claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” than the zero tolerance immigration policy at the southern border that led to family separations , and wanted “ a deliberate policy of ripping children away from their parents to show those parents that they shouldn ’ t come to the border in the first place.
” Nielsen implemented the Trump administration 's controversial family separation policy after being appointed DHS secretary in December 2017 that led to the separation of thousands of families .
She resigned in April 2019 .
More : Three more Republicans join Kasich to speak at Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Monday at the DNC : Sanders , Kasich to speak as Democrats look to unite both sides of the aisle In the op-ed , Taylor also slammed Trump 's response to the coronavirus pandemic as `` bungled '' , writing that `` Trump failed to make effective use of the federal crisis response system painstakingly built after 9/11 .
Years of DHS planning for a pandemic threat have been largely wasted . ''
According to CNN , Taylor has taken a leave of absence from working at Google 's public policy arm until @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 presidential campaign .

Former senior Trump administration official endorses Joe Biden
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 – Former senior Trump administration official Miles Taylor endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for president on Monday. In doing so, he became one of the highest-ranking former officials from the Trump administration to back the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Taylor, who served as chief of staff to former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and a political appointee at the Department of Homeland Security from 2017 until he left in 2019, was featured in a video produced by the Republican Voters Against Trump, saying what he saw from President Donald Trump "was terrifying."
Taylor continued to claim that when DHS staffers attempted to discuss issues of national security like a "cyberattack" or "terrorism threat" with the president, Trump "wasn’t interested in those things. … To him, they weren’t priorities.”
He also stated Trump would give what Taylor called illegal orders to the DHS and “didn’t want us to tell him it was illegal anymore because he knew that … he had ‘magical authorities.'”
The video followed an op-ed he wrote that was published in The Washington Post where Taylor called Trump "dangerous" for America, without mentioning whom he was voting for.
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More: Trump to campaign in battleground states as Democrats embrace Joe Biden, Kamala Harris at convention
In the video, Taylor stated, "Given what I have experienced in the administration, I have to support Joe Biden for president. And even though I am not a Democrat, even though I disagree on key issues, I'm confident that Joe Biden will protect the country and I'm confident that he won't make the same mistakes as this President."
NEW: Testimonial ad from Trump's Former DHS Chief of Staff @MilesTaylorUSA, declaring his support for Joe Biden and describing Trump's presidency as "terrifying" and "actively doing damage to our security."
WATCH & go to https://t.co/Nz2NiSCquN for more. pic.twitter.com/iChqOdIIew — Republican Voters Against Trump (@RVAT2020) August 17, 2020
Taylor's video endorsement and op-ed come on the first night of the Democratic National Convention, where several Republicans are set to speak in a show of bipartisan support for former Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris.
Four Republicans will speak for a segment called “We The People Putting Country Over Party.”
'It's not a good picture': Party conventions may further complicate coronavirus stimulus talks
'Coronavirus is a local issue': Democrats look to ride anti-Trump wave to capture state legislatures in 2020
Biden’s other Republican backers include several former administrations cabinet secretaries, former members of Congress and former GOP state party chairs. One-time Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina, and Anthony Scaramucci, a prior Trump ally who briefly served as his White House communications director, have also endorsed Biden.
White House spokesperson Judd Deere responded to Taylor's allegations in a statement to USA TODAY, saying Taylor "never understood the importance of the President's agenda or why the American people elected him and clearly just wants to cash-in."
Some other former senior Trump administration officials, including most recently former national security adviser John Bolton, have also been critical of Trump, but few have publicly endorsed Biden.
In the ad, Taylor asserts the president sought to “exploit the Department of Homeland Security for his own political purposes and to fuel his own agenda.”
More: Trump's Postmaster General DeJoy will testify before Congress about USPS changes
Taylor claimed the president sought to “go further” than the zero tolerance immigration policy at the southern border that led to family separations, and wanted “a deliberate policy of ripping children away from their parents to show those parents that they shouldn’t come to the border in the first place.”
Nielsen implemented the Trump administration's controversial family separation policy after being appointed DHS secretary in December 2017 that led to the separation of thousands of families. She resigned in April 2019.
Pres. Trump ponders citizenship query of Sen. Kamala Harris President Donald Trump has been criticized over a baseless Harris citizenship conspiracy, and it's not the first time. USA TODAY
More: Three more Republicans join Kasich to speak at Democratic National Convention in support of Joe Biden
Monday at the DNC: Sanders, Kasich to speak as Democrats look to unite both sides of the aisle
In the op-ed, Taylor also slammed Trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic as "bungled", writing that "Trump failed to make effective use of the federal crisis response system painstakingly built after 9/11. Years of DHS planning for a pandemic threat have been largely wasted."
According to CNN, Taylor has taken a leave of absence from working at Google's public policy arm until Election Day to engage more in the 2020 presidential campaign.