usatoday--2020-09-17--'Vast majority' of funding promised by Trump for Kenosha can't be used for recovery, Baldwin, Evers

MADISON , Wisconsin - Tens of millions in new federal funding promised by President Donald Trump for Kenosha , Wisconsin , ca n't be used to rebuild the city , Gov .
Tony Evers and Sen. Tammy Baldwin wrote Thursday in a letter to the president .
Wisconsin 's top Democratic officials are asking Trump to dedicate funding specifically to rebuild the city torn apart in late August after a Kenosha police officer shot Jacob Blake in the back multiple times .
The incident triggered violent protests , resulting in burned down buildings and two protesters of racial discrimination dead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but are dismayed that the funding you announced in Kenosha will not be sufficient to rebuild and heal the Kenosha community , '' Evers and Baldwin wrote to Trump the same day the president is returning to Wisconsin to campaign for reelection .
`` The vast majority of the funding you have already announced can not be used to rebuild Kenosha following the unrest , '' Baldwin and Evers wrote .
In fact , just $ 1 million of the more than $ 40 million promised for Kenosha is new and none can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the officials .
A spokesman for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Thursday .
A spokesman for Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson also did not immediately respond to questions about whether Johnson agreed with the letter .
Trump visited Kenosha on Sept. 1 , meeting with law enforcement and owners of buildings affected by the violence .
During a roundtable meeting with Attorney General Bill Barr and Homeland Security Director Chad Wolf , Trump announced his administration was dedicating more than $ 40 million to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including $ 4 million for Kenosha businesses that experienced damage and more money to prosecute crimes .
But Baldwin and Evers say the $ 4 million for small businesses was already earmarked by the federal relief bill known as the CARES Act for coronavirus pandemic-related losses , and ca n't be used for other purposes .
`` It can not be used for damages tied to the unrest , '' Baldwin and Evers wrote .
Of the $ 41 million announced by Trump and Barr on Sept. 1 for law enforcement , nearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to the state before the Kenosha unrest , according to the Democratic officials .
`` In fact , it seems the only new funding you announced in Kenosha is $ 1 million for Kenosha law enforcement , '' Baldwin and Evers wrote .
`` Kenosha and Wisconsin will need a more robust federal response than you have already announced . ''
The U.S. Department of Justice did not characterize the $ 41 million as being just for Kenosha , but made the announcement in its wake .
`` Awards will support community-based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the hiring and training of law enforcement officers and prosecutors , '' the department 's Sept. 1 release on the grant funding said .
A spokeswoman for Democratic Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul did not immediately return a request for comment on the letter 's characterization of the funding for law enforcement .
`` Today ’ s grant money will help to bolster community-based crime-fighting initiatives and provide much needed support to victims affected by the recent violence , '' Barr said in a statement included in the release .
Kenosha @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and businesses in the wake of Blake 's shooting could top $ 50 million .
Kenosha County Supervisor Terry Rose said at a recent meeting that 100 businesses were damaged and 40 may be out of business permanently as a result of the unrest .
Contact Molly Beck at molly.beck @ jrn.com .
Follow her on Twitter at @ MollyBeck .

'Vast majority' of funding promised by Trump for Kenosha can't be used for recovery, Baldwin, Evers say
Show Caption Hide Caption Trump wades into racial tensions in Kenosha President Donald Trump dove into the latest eruption in the nation’s reckoning over racial injustice on Tuesday, visiting the “destruction” left by rioters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and declaring it was enabled by Democratic leaders. (Sept. 1) AP
MADISON, Wisconsin - Tens of millions in new federal funding promised by President Donald Trump for Kenosha, Wisconsin, can't be used to rebuild the city, Gov. Tony Evers and Sen. Tammy Baldwin wrote Thursday in a letter to the president.
Wisconsin's top Democratic officials are asking Trump to dedicate funding specifically to rebuild the city torn apart in late August after a Kenosha police officer shot Jacob Blake in the back multiple times.
The incident triggered violent protests, resulting in burned down buildings and two protesters of racial discrimination dead.
"We welcome your commitments, but are dismayed that the funding you announced in Kenosha will not be sufficient to rebuild and heal the Kenosha community," Evers and Baldwin wrote to Trump the same day the president is returning to Wisconsin to campaign for reelection.
"The vast majority of the funding you have already announced cannot be used to rebuild Kenosha following the unrest," Baldwin and Evers wrote.
In fact, just $1 million of the more than $40 million promised for Kenosha is new and none can be used for rebuilding buildings or businesses, according to the officials.
A spokesman for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Thursday. A spokesman for Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson also did not immediately respond to questions about whether Johnson agreed with the letter.
Trump visited Kenosha on Sept. 1, meeting with law enforcement and owners of buildings affected by the violence.
During a roundtable meeting with Attorney General Bill Barr and Homeland Security Director Chad Wolf, Trump announced his administration was dedicating more than $40 million to Wisconsin to rebuild from the unrest, including $4 million for Kenosha businesses that experienced damage and more money to prosecute crimes.
But Baldwin and Evers say the $4 million for small businesses was already earmarked by the federal relief bill known as the CARES Act for coronavirus pandemic-related losses, and can't be used for other purposes.
"It cannot be used for damages tied to the unrest," Baldwin and Evers wrote.
Of the $41 million announced by Trump and Barr on Sept. 1 for law enforcement, nearly all of it was already on its way to the state before the Kenosha unrest, according to the Democratic officials.
"In fact, it seems the only new funding you announced in Kenosha is $1 million for Kenosha law enforcement," Baldwin and Evers wrote. "Kenosha and Wisconsin will need a more robust federal response than you have already announced."
The U.S. Department of Justice did not characterize the $41 million as being just for Kenosha, but made the announcement in its wake.
"Awards will support community-based crime-fighting initiatives, local victim service programs, and the hiring and training of law enforcement officers and prosecutors," the department's Sept. 1 release on the grant funding said.
A spokeswoman for Democratic Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul did not immediately return a request for comment on the letter's characterization of the funding for law enforcement.
"Today’s grant money will help to bolster community-based crime-fighting initiatives and provide much needed support to victims affected by the recent violence," Barr said in a statement included in the release.
Kenosha County officials estimate the destruction to buildings and businesses in the wake of Blake's shooting could top $50 million.
Kenosha County Supervisor Terry Rose said at a recent meeting that 100 businesses were damaged and 40 may be out of business permanently as a result of the unrest.
Contact Molly Beck at molly.beck@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MollyBeck.


usatoday--2020-09-17--Wisconsin likely won't have presidential results on election night

MADISON , Wis. – Wisconsin likely wo n't have results in the presidential race on election night and municipal clerks say that 's largely because state lawmakers wo n't let them get a head start on counting an expected flood of absentee ballots .
Clerks from both parties for years have pushed for a change in state law that would allow them to start counting at least some absentee ballots before Election Day .
They see the issue especially pressing now that voters are turning to absentee voting in unprecedented numbers because of the coronavirus pandemic .
`` We ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absentee ballots .
However , we still only have 13 hours to process them , '' Brookfield Clerk Kelly Michaels said Wednesday at a forum hosted by Marquette University .
`` And I think that ’ s where we 're going to fall down a little bit and we ’ re going to learn some lessons because other states have more time to process all of those absentee ballots . ''
Related : Milwaukee gears up for historic election in which up to 70 % of voters may not cast a ballot at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counting absentee ballots starting at 7 a.m. on Nov. 3 , when polls open for in-person voting .
Polls close at 8 p.m. , but Milwaukee and some other cities likely wo n't be finished counting absentee ballots by then .
`` We are not anticipating that we will be done and have results right at 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. but I ’ m hopeful that by the time the sun comes up on Nov. 4th we will be finished and have election results , '' Claire Woodall-Vogg , the executive director @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the forum .
Without Milwaukee 's full results , it likely wo n't be known whether Republican President Donald Trump or Democrat Joe Biden won the state .
Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 by less than a percentage point .
Voting rights : Trump appointees torpedo report on threats to minority voting rights during the pandemic '' Time is something that the Legislature doesn ’ t ever seem to want to give us , at least not this year , so it will definitely be a struggle , '' Woodall-Vogg said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ best to communicate to voters why there ’ s a delay and that a delay does not mean any cause for concern or invalidate the entirety of the election results whatsoever on election night . ''
No changes in state law Clerks will mail more than a million absentee ballots by Thursday to voters who have requested them — far more than typical elections .
Requests for absentee ballots are expected to continue to rise over the coming weeks .
Wisconsin lawmakers have debated the issue but have n't adopted changes to state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bill that would allow some in-person votes that were cast early to be counted sooner , which would cut down on the overall number of ballots that have to be counted on Election Day .
That bill died when the Senate failed to act on it .
A Senate committee took testimony in January on a bill that would allow local governments to count absentee ballots before Election Day if they wanted .
Obama announces first presidential memoir : ' A Promised Land ' is coming in November Election officials and academics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country could take days or weeks to compute this fall , especially if the election is close .
They have raised concerns that voters may question the results after growing used to getting them relatively quickly in past elections .
The situation is especially perilous because of suspicions about voting processes from both parties .
Trump has made baseless allegations about rigged elections and recently encouraged supporters in North Carolina to vote twice , which would be a crime , to test election security systems .
Democrats have said they fear a slowdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from being cast .
With partisan feelings high , the state is training clerks on how to de-escalate situations , said Meagan Wolfe , the director of the state Elections Commission .
`` We need to think about things like de-escalation training for voters , for observers and just for some of the situations that might arise , '' Wolfe said at Wednesday 's forum .
Live coverage of Sally : Far from finished , storm leaves 600,000 without power across Deep South as flooding , rains roll north Unemployment : Another 790,021 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from COVID-19 lingers

Patrick Marley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Wisconsin likely won't have presidential results on election night
Show Caption Hide Caption Expanded voting methods stir up 2020 US election American voters are skeptical about efforts to expand, and in some cases prevent the expansion, of early voting and vote-by-mail methods ahead of the 2020 US presidential election. (Sept. 14) AP
MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin likely won't have results in the presidential race on election night and municipal clerks say that's largely because state lawmakers won't let them get a head start on counting an expected flood of absentee ballots.
Clerks from both parties for years have pushed for a change in state law that would allow them to start counting at least some absentee ballots before Election Day. They see the issue especially pressing now that voters are turning to absentee voting in unprecedented numbers because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"We’re going to get all of these absentee ballots. However, we still only have 13 hours to process them," Brookfield Clerk Kelly Michaels said Wednesday at a forum hosted by Marquette University. "And I think that’s where we're going to fall down a little bit and we’re going to learn some lessons because other states have more time to process all of those absentee ballots."
Related: Milwaukee gears up for historic election in which up to 70% of voters may not cast a ballot at polls on Nov. 3
Clerks can begin counting absentee ballots starting at 7 a.m. on Nov. 3, when polls open for in-person voting. Polls close at 8 p.m., but Milwaukee and some other cities likely won't be finished counting absentee ballots by then.
"We are not anticipating that we will be done and have results right at 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. but I’m hopeful that by the time the sun comes up on Nov. 4th we will be finished and have election results," Claire Woodall-Vogg, the executive director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, said during the forum.
Without Milwaukee's full results, it likely won't be known whether Republican President Donald Trump or Democrat Joe Biden won the state. Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 by less than a percentage point.
Voting rights: Trump appointees torpedo report on threats to minority voting rights during the pandemic
"Time is something that the Legislature doesn’t ever seem to want to give us, at least not this year, so it will definitely be a struggle," Woodall-Vogg said.
"We’ll be doing our best to communicate to voters why there’s a delay and that a delay does not mean any cause for concern or invalidate the entirety of the election results whatsoever on election night."
No changes in state law
Clerks will mail more than a million absentee ballots by Thursday to voters who have requested them — far more than typical elections. Requests for absentee ballots are expected to continue to rise over the coming weeks.
Wisconsin lawmakers have debated the issue but haven't adopted changes to state law. The Assembly in 2019 approved a bill that would allow some in-person votes that were cast early to be counted sooner, which would cut down on the overall number of ballots that have to be counted on Election Day.
That bill died when the Senate failed to act on it. A Senate committee took testimony in January on a bill that would allow local governments to count absentee ballots before Election Day if they wanted.
Obama announces first presidential memoir: 'A Promised Land' is coming in November
Election officials and academics have warned that results from around the country could take days or weeks to compute this fall, especially if the election is close. They have raised concerns that voters may question the results after growing used to getting them relatively quickly in past elections.
The situation is especially perilous because of suspicions about voting processes from both parties.
Trump has made baseless allegations about rigged elections and recently encouraged supporters in North Carolina to vote twice, which would be a crime, to test election security systems. Democrats have said they fear a slowdown of mail could prevent some absentee ballots from being cast.
With partisan feelings high, the state is training clerks on how to de-escalate situations, said Meagan Wolfe, the director of the state Elections Commission.
"We need to think about things like de-escalation training for voters, for observers and just for some of the situations that might arise," Wolfe said at Wednesday's forum.
Follow reporter Patrick Marley on Twitter at @patrickdmarley.
Live coverage of Sally: Far from finished, storm leaves 600,000 without power across Deep South as flooding, rains roll north
Unemployment: Another 790,021 Americans file for unemployment as the fallout from COVID-19 lingers


usatoday--2020-09-17--Arizona poll: Joe Biden leads Donald Trump, while Mark Kelly leads Martha McSally in senate race

PHOENIX — Democrats Joe Biden and Mark Kelly continue to lead in Arizona over President Donald Trump and Sen. Martha McSally in a new poll based on high voter turnout released Thursday .
The poll , conducted by Monmouth University in New Jersey , showed a range of outcomes in the state 's two most closely watched races under different turnout scenarios .
Among registered voters , Biden leads Trump 48 % to 44 % , while Kelly leads McSally 50 % to 44 % .
In a high-turnout model , Biden led by 2 points ( 48 % to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 points ( 50 % to 46 % ) .
Under a model assuming lower turnout than in 2016 , the presidential race is tied at 47 % and Kelly 's lead falls to 1 percentage point ( 49 % to 48 % ) .
The same poll also found Arizona 's voters largely favor raising income taxes on wealthy Arizonans to boost educational funding , and narrow support for legalizing recreational marijuana .
Trump won Arizona in 2016 by 3.5 percentage points , and every Republican except Bob Dole in 1996 has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election Monmouth found almost half of Arizonans — 48 % — are not at all likely to vote for Trump , a sentiment that is significantly worse than the 38 % who said they would n't vote for Biden .
`` Both candidates are solidifying their support in the most partisan areas of the state , but the big prize is still Maricopa County .
And we see a notable swing away from Trump there compared to four years ago , '' said Patrick Murray , director of the independent Monmouth University Polling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Phoenix this week to boost support from Latino voters , the poll found Biden has a 30-point lead within that group ( 61 % to 31 % ) , and 39 points among all voters of color in Arizona ( 67 % to 28 % ) , Monmouth found .
MORE : Trump 's outreach to Latinos also targets white suburban voters , analysts say '' The Latino vote will be crucial to Biden ’ s chances of flipping this state .
At this point , it seems more about turnout rather than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
`` Latinos make up a larger share of Arizona ’ s voter roll than four years ago , but the question is , how many will show up ? ''
The poll found veterans and current military households think both Trump and Biden respect troops and military service , but Biden does slightly better with that demographic , which applies to one-third of the state 's electorate .
Trump gets poor marks from Arizonans for his handling of the pandemic , with 55 % saying he 's done a poor job @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden could do any better moving forward .
Monmouth is one of only six pollsters nationally with an A+ rating from the website FiveThirtyEight .
The live-telephone interview poll of 420 registered voters has a margin of error of 4.8 percentage points .
The Monmouth poll is the latest in a string that show Biden leading in each of the six battleground states expected to settle the election and arrives in the midst of an unprecedented blitz by the Trump campaign to keep Arizona in its column .
Trump visited the state on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ivanka Trump , visited on Wednesday .
Karen Pence , the vice president 's wife , is visiting Thursday , while Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to arrive Friday .
The findings in the presidential race are in line with previous polls in Arizona .
Biden has led in more than two dozen Arizona-only polls taken by various polling firms since effectively securing his party 's nomination in March .
In that time , Trump has led in three with one tie , according to polls tracked by Real Clear Politics .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ March , just before Phoenix was scheduled to host a Democratic presidential debate , showed Biden leading Trump by 3 points .
That debate was moved to Washington , D.C. , because of the coronavirus pandemic .
Polling averages calculated by Real Clear Politics and FiveThirtyEight both show Biden leading in the six states expected to be most competitive , ranging from a near-tie in North Carolina to a commanding advantage in Wisconsin .
Earlier this week , Monmouth found Biden leading by 5 percentage points in Florida , arguably the one battleground @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Real Clear Politics has Biden leading by an average of 1.6 points in that state .
Monmouth also found Biden leading narrowly in Pennsylvania and North Carolina in polls taken at the end of August .
In Arizona 's Senate race , McSally has failed to dent Kelly 's consistent leads , the Monmouth poll found .
Kelly leads by 27 points among Arizona 's independent voters and is broadly popular with voters , with his favorable ratings 19 percentage points higher than his unfavorable ratings .
By contrast , McSally has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Kelly is simply well-liked by voters , and McSally already has a recent loss under her belt .
The advantage of her appointed incumbency seems to be providing limited benefit , '' Murray said .
Kelly has led in 24 of 25 publicly released polls this year , according to Real Clear Politics .
Before the Monmouth poll , he had a 7 percentage point advantage .
Kelly led McSally by 6 percentage points in its March poll of Arizonans .
The winner of that race will serve the remainder of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , R-Ariz. , won in 2016 .
In 2018 , McSally lost by 2 percentage points to now-Sen. Kyrsten Sinema , D-Ariz. , in her bid for the state 's other Senate seat .
Afterward , Gov .
Doug Ducey appointed McSally to the McCain seat , which had been held by former Sen. Jon Kyl for four months after McCain 's death .
Monmouth found that Sinema gets high marks from voters and Ducey does not .
Sinema 's favorable ratings were 17 points higher than her unfavorable ratings , with 41 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senator .
Midway through his second term , Ducey 's unfavorables were 13 points higher than his favorables , with 21 % having no opinion of him .
Proposition 207 , known as the Smart and Safe Arizona Act , would legalize recreational marijuana use in the state .
If turnout is higher than in 2016 , that measure has a 49 % to 43 % advantage with voters , the poll found .
In its low turnout model , support is even at 47 % .
The measure would allow people 21 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an ounce of marijuana , tax sales of it at 16 % above regular sales tax levels and direct the new revenues mostly toward community colleges and public safety .
The measure would ban smoking marijuana in public and allow previous marijuana convictions in Arizona to be expunged .
Prop .
208 , known as Invest in Ed , would impose higher state income tax bills on wealthy Arizonans .
The tax would apply to individuals with annual incomes topping $ 250,000 and to married couples earning $ 500,000 or more .
Monmouth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measure had at least 60 % support .
The state 's proposed extra tax revenue is supposed to go to public schools for hiring and retaining new teachers .
For those above the income lines , it would add a 3.5 % extra tax charge to the state 's existing 4.54 % top tax rate .
Under Prop 208 , an individual earning $ 50,000 in taxable income above the $ 250,000 threshold , would pay an extra $ 1,750 in state income tax .
Reach the reporter Ronald J. Hansen at ronald.hansen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Twitter @ ronaldjhansen .
Subscribe to our free political podcast , The Gaggle .

Arizona poll: Joe Biden leads Donald Trump, while Mark Kelly leads Martha McSally in senate race
Show Caption Hide Caption What Martha McSally must do to get back in the Senate race On paper, Sen. Martha McSally is a perfect fit for Arizona. So, why is she losing to newcomer Mark Kelly? Columnist Robert Robb explains. Arizona Republic
PHOENIX — Democrats Joe Biden and Mark Kelly continue to lead in Arizona over President Donald Trump and Sen. Martha McSally in a new poll based on high voter turnout released Thursday.
The poll, conducted by Monmouth University in New Jersey, showed a range of outcomes in the state's two most closely watched races under different turnout scenarios.
Among registered voters, Biden leads Trump 48% to 44%, while Kelly leads McSally 50% to 44%.
In a high-turnout model, Biden led by 2 points (48% to 46%) and Kelly led by 4 points (50% to 46%). Under a model assuming lower turnout than in 2016, the presidential race is tied at 47% and Kelly's lead falls to 1 percentage point (49% to 48%).
The same poll also found Arizona's voters largely favor raising income taxes on wealthy Arizonans to boost educational funding, and narrow support for legalizing recreational marijuana.
Trump won Arizona in 2016 by 3.5 percentage points, and every Republican except Bob Dole in 1996 has carried the state beginning with the 1952 election
Monmouth found almost half of Arizonans — 48% — are not at all likely to vote for Trump, a sentiment that is significantly worse than the 38% who said they wouldn't vote for Biden.
"Both candidates are solidifying their support in the most partisan areas of the state, but the big prize is still Maricopa County. And we see a notable swing away from Trump there compared to four years ago," said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute.
Despite Trump's efforts in Phoenix this week to boost support from Latino voters, the poll found Biden has a 30-point lead within that group (61% to 31%), and 39 points among all voters of color in Arizona (67% to 28%), Monmouth found.
MORE: Trump's outreach to Latinos also targets white suburban voters, analysts say
"The Latino vote will be crucial to Biden’s chances of flipping this state. At this point, it seems more about turnout rather than his margin of support," Murray said. "Latinos make up a larger share of Arizona’s voter roll than four years ago, but the question is, how many will show up?"
The poll found veterans and current military households think both Trump and Biden respect troops and military service, but Biden does slightly better with that demographic, which applies to one-third of the state's electorate.
Trump gets poor marks from Arizonans for his handling of the pandemic, with 55% saying he's done a poor job. But those polled were not convinced Biden could do any better moving forward.
Monmouth is one of only six pollsters nationally with an A+ rating from the website FiveThirtyEight. The live-telephone interview poll of 420 registered voters has a margin of error of 4.8 percentage points.
Pence talks faith, pandemic, police at Latter-day Saints for Trump event Vice President Mike Pence spoke Tuesday about issues like religious freedom, COVID-19 and the police at a Latter-day Saints for Trump event in Mesa. Sean Logan, The Republic | azcentral.com
Polls show Biden leading in Arizona, other swing states
The Monmouth poll is the latest in a string that show Biden leading in each of the six battleground states expected to settle the election and arrives in the midst of an unprecedented blitz by the Trump campaign to keep Arizona in its column.
Trump visited the state on Monday. His daughter and adviser, Ivanka Trump, visited on Wednesday. Karen Pence, the vice president's wife, is visiting Thursday, while Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to arrive Friday.
The findings in the presidential race are in line with previous polls in Arizona.
Biden has led in more than two dozen Arizona-only polls taken by various polling firms since effectively securing his party's nomination in March. In that time, Trump has led in three with one tie, according to polls tracked by Real Clear Politics.
A Monmouth poll in Arizona taken in March, just before Phoenix was scheduled to host a Democratic presidential debate, showed Biden leading Trump by 3 points. That debate was moved to Washington, D.C., because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Polling averages calculated by Real Clear Politics and FiveThirtyEight both show Biden leading in the six states expected to be most competitive, ranging from a near-tie in North Carolina to a commanding advantage in Wisconsin.
Earlier this week, Monmouth found Biden leading by 5 percentage points in Florida, arguably the one battleground Trump can't win without. Overall, Real Clear Politics has Biden leading by an average of 1.6 points in that state.
Monmouth also found Biden leading narrowly in Pennsylvania and North Carolina in polls taken at the end of August.
Kelly remains ahead of McSally
In Arizona's Senate race, McSally has failed to dent Kelly's consistent leads, the Monmouth poll found.
Kelly leads by 27 points among Arizona's independent voters and is broadly popular with voters, with his favorable ratings 19 percentage points higher than his unfavorable ratings.
By contrast, McSally has slightly higher disapproval marks than positive.
"Kelly is simply well-liked by voters, and McSally already has a recent loss under her belt. The advantage of her appointed incumbency seems to be providing limited benefit," Murray said.
Kelly has led in 24 of 25 publicly released polls this year, according to Real Clear Politics. Before the Monmouth poll, he had a 7 percentage point advantage.
Kelly led McSally by 6 percentage points in its March poll of Arizonans.
The winner of that race will serve the remainder of the six-year term the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., won in 2016.
In 2018, McSally lost by 2 percentage points to now-Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., in her bid for the state's other Senate seat.
Afterward, Gov. Doug Ducey appointed McSally to the McCain seat, which had been held by former Sen. Jon Kyl for four months after McCain's death.
Monmouth found that Sinema gets high marks from voters and Ducey does not.
Sinema's favorable ratings were 17 points higher than her unfavorable ratings, with 41% having no opinion of the freshman senator. Midway through his second term, Ducey's unfavorables were 13 points higher than his favorables, with 21% having no opinion of him.
Both props favored to pass
Proposition 207, known as the Smart and Safe Arizona Act, would legalize recreational marijuana use in the state.
If turnout is higher than in 2016, that measure has a 49% to 43% advantage with voters, the poll found. In its low turnout model, support is even at 47%.
The measure would allow people 21 and older to have as much as an ounce of marijuana, tax sales of it at 16% above regular sales tax levels and direct the new revenues mostly toward community colleges and public safety.
The measure would ban smoking marijuana in public and allow previous marijuana convictions in Arizona to be expunged.
Prop. 208, known as Invest in Ed, would impose higher state income tax bills on wealthy Arizonans. The tax would apply to individuals with annual incomes topping $250,000 and to married couples earning $500,000 or more.
Monmouth found that under all its scenarios that measure had at least 60% support.
The state's proposed extra tax revenue is supposed to go to public schools for hiring and retaining new teachers.
For those above the income lines, it would add a 3.5% extra tax charge to the state's existing 4.54% top tax rate.
Under Prop 208, an individual earning $50,000 in taxable income above the $250,000 threshold, would pay an extra $1,750 in state income tax.
Reach the reporter Ronald J. Hansen at ronald.hansen@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4493. Follow him on Twitter @ronaldjhansen.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.
Subscribe to our free political podcast, The Gaggle.


usatoday--2020-09-17--Poll: Biden leading Trump in crucial North Carolina; Democrats also leading in Senate, governor race

Democratic candidates are leading in the race for president , senate and governor in the key battleground state of North Carolina , a new Suffolk University/USA TODAY Network Poll shows .
The state , with its 15 electoral votes , is important for both President Donald Trump and former vice president Joe Biden as they court voters ahead of Election Day .
Voters in the state said the top three issues facing the next president are jobs ( 20.6 % ) , COVID-19 ( 20.20 % ) and racism ( 13.6 % ) , according to the survey of 500 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and landlines this past Friday through Monday .
These voters said they plan to vote in this election .
The margin of error is 4.4 % .
The survey also says more than 42 % of likely North Carolina voters would refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccine if one were mandated by the federal government .
Election 2020 : When early voting and mail voting for president begins in every state • Significant numbers plan to vote for minor-party candidates , suggesting that the Libertarian , Constitution and Green parties could influence the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are excited to vote this year , while a third are voting because they are alarmed .
Meanwhile , only about a third of Democrats are excited to vote , while half of them voting from a position of alarm .
• 20.2 % plan to vote by mail vs. 4.2 % in 2016 who voted by mail ) .
This comes as people seek to avoid the coronavirus .
Another 39.4 % plan to vote in person on Election Day ( vs. 33.4 % in 2016 ) , and 37.6 % plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ period ( vs. 61.8 % in 2016 ) .
The survey shows relatively strong support for minor party candidates that could decide who wins the races for U.S. Senate and president in this state , said David Paleologos , director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center .
These candidates take votes that otherwise might go to the Democratic and Republican candidates .
“ Libertarian is the key choice , that was the other takeaway from the poll , ” Paleologos said , noting that the Libertarian Party ’ s U.S. Senate candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the voters surveyed .
More than 5 % of those surveyed picked third-party candidates for president .
Libertarian and other minor-party candidates kept the winners below 50 % in North Carolina in 2014 ’ s U.S. Senate race and in the state ’ s elections for president and governor in 2016 .
For example , in 2014 Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis won his first Senate election with 48.82 % of the vote while Libertarian Sean Haugh was marked on 3.74 % of the ballots .
Minor party candidates received 4 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2016 .
More : NC is ‘ Ground zero ’ in 2020 election : Breaking down state 's top races The survey found mixed opinions about a vaccine for the coronavirus .
It says 71.6 % would take it — 20.6 % as soon as they could , and 51 % after other people took it first .
Meanwhile , 24 % said they would not get the vaccine , and 4.4 % were undecided .
The numbers change if the government would require people to take the drug .
In that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 42.2 % said they would not .
The rest were undecided or refused to say .
Most of the four-day survey was conducted prior to Democratic candidate Cal Cunningham ’ s comment on Monday evening that he would be hesitant to take the vaccine .
Cunningham said because he fears political corruption in Washington could affect whether the vaccine is approved before it ’ s proven to be safe and effective .
His opponent , Republican incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis , said he trusts the Food and Drug Administration ’ s ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take the vaccine after people who need it more than he does , such as medical care personnel and people with underlying health conditions , get it first .
More : As Trump crisscrosses North Carolina , where are the Democrats ?
The survey has Biden ahead in North Carolina , but his lead is within the poll 's 4.4 % margin of error , Paleologos said .
Another 4.2 % of the voters were undecided and 1.4 % wouldn ’ t say who they plan to vote for .
When asked about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 42.8 % of the voters said they approve , while 53.4 % disapproved .
The voters ’ assessment of Trump 's handling of the coronavirus pandemic was 37 % positive , 61.6 % negative .
Democrat Cunningham was ahead of Republican Tillis but 11 % of the voters remain undecided , Paleologos said .
The findings : 41.6 % picked Cunningham , 37.8 % picked Tillis , 5.8 % picked Libertarian Shannon Bray , 1.6 % picked Constitution Party candidate Kevin E. Hayes , and 1.8 % picked someone else .
Democratic Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Republican Lt. Gov .
Dan Forest in the governor ’ s race that he is most likely to win , Paleologos said .
Another 5.80 % said they were undecided , and 0.20 % picked someone else .
Thirty-eight percent of those surveyed said they are excited about voting this year , while 44.4 % said they are voting because they are alarmed .
The survey suggests that a person ’ s political party may correlate to how they feel about voting , with 35 % of Democrats saying they are excited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alarmed .
Meanwhile , 50 % of Republicans said they were excited , and 34 % said they were alarmed .
Among voters picking Trump for president , 49 % reported being excited , while 34 % were alarmed .
At the same time , 33 % of Biden supporters said they are excited , while 53 % said they are alarmed .
Biden has a challenge , Paleologos said , in getting voters energized to vote for him vs. voting because they don ’ t like the president .
Republicans prioritized jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over COVID-19 ( 7 % ) , while Democrats prioritized COVID-19 ( 32 % ) over the economy ( 10 % ) .
• 60.2 % , said the country is on the wrong track ; 27.6 % said it ’ s on the right track .
• 38.2 % said the North Carolina economy is in good to excellent condition , while 60.4 % said it ’ s in fair to poor shape .
• 52.8 % of the voters said they are better off than they were four years ago , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off and 17.4 % said they saw no difference .
Paul Woolverton can be reached at pwoolverton @ fayobserver.com or 910-261-4710 .

Poll: Biden leading Trump in crucial North Carolina; Democrats also leading in Senate, governor races Meanwhile, more than 20% of voters plan to vote by mail. Only 4.2% did in 2016.
Show Caption Hide Caption How a contentious election affects a peaceful transition of power What history has shown us about contested elections and peaceful transitions of power. Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Democratic candidates are leading in the race for president, senate and governor in the key battleground state of North Carolina, a new Suffolk University/USA TODAY Network Poll shows.
The state, with its 15 electoral votes, is important for both President Donald Trump and former vice president Joe Biden as they court voters ahead of Election Day.
Voters in the state said the top three issues facing the next president are jobs (20.6%), COVID-19 (20.20%) and racism (13.6%), according to the survey of 500 North Carolina registered voters on cell phones and landlines this past Friday through Monday. These voters said they plan to vote in this election. The margin of error is 4.4%.
The survey also says more than 42% of likely North Carolina voters would refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccine if one were mandated by the federal government.
Election 2020: When early voting and mail voting for president begins in every state
It also found:
Significant numbers plan to vote for minor-party candidates, suggesting that the Libertarian, Constitution and Green parties could influence the outcomes.
Half of Republican voters are excited to vote this year, while a third are voting because they are alarmed. Meanwhile, only about a third of Democrats are excited to vote, while half of them voting from a position of alarm.
20.2% plan to vote by mail vs. 4.2% in 2016 who voted by mail). This comes as people seek to avoid the coronavirus. Another 39.4% plan to vote in person on Election Day (vs. 33.4% in 2016), and 37.6% plan to vote in-person during the early voting period (vs. 61.8% in 2016).
The survey shows relatively strong support for minor party candidates that could decide who wins the races for U.S. Senate and president in this state, said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center. These candidates take votes that otherwise might go to the Democratic and Republican candidates.
“Libertarian is the key choice, that was the other takeaway from the poll,” Paleologos said, noting that the Libertarian Party’s U.S. Senate candidate was chosen by nearly 6% of the voters surveyed. More than 5% of those surveyed picked third-party candidates for president.
Libertarian and other minor-party candidates kept the winners below 50% in North Carolina in 2014’s U.S. Senate race and in the state’s elections for president and governor in 2016.
For example, in 2014 Republican U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis won his first Senate election with 48.82% of the vote while Libertarian Sean Haugh was marked on 3.74% of the ballots. Minor party candidates received 4% of North Carolina’s votes for president in 2016.
More: NC is ‘Ground zero’ in 2020 election: Breaking down state's top races
COVID vaccine
The survey found mixed opinions about a vaccine for the coronavirus.
It says 71.6% would take it — 20.6% as soon as they could, and 51% after other people took it first. Meanwhile, 24% said they would not get the vaccine, and 4.4% were undecided.
The numbers change if the government would require people to take the drug.
In that case, 48.8% said they would, 42.2% said they would not. The rest were undecided or refused to say.
Most of the four-day survey was conducted prior to Democratic candidate Cal Cunningham’s comment on Monday evening that he would be hesitant to take the vaccine. Cunningham said because he fears political corruption in Washington could affect whether the vaccine is approved before it’s proven to be safe and effective.
His opponent, Republican incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis, said he trusts the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) vetting process and he would take the vaccine after people who need it more than he does, such as medical care personnel and people with underlying health conditions, get it first.
More: As Trump crisscrosses North Carolina, where are the Democrats?
Presidential race
The survey has Biden ahead in North Carolina, but his lead is within the poll's 4.4% margin of error, Paleologos said.
Biden led Trump 46.2% to 42.80%. Libertarian Jo Jorgensen drew 4.8%. Other candidates attracted 0.6%.
Another 4.2% of the voters were undecided and 1.4% wouldn’t say who they plan to vote for.
When asked about Trump’s performance as president, 42.8% of the voters said they approve, while 53.4% disapproved. The voters’ assessment of Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic was 37% positive, 61.6% negative.
Biden’s favorability rating was 48% favorable, 45.8% unfavorable. Trump’s was 40.8% favorable, 54.2% unfavorable.
U.S. Senate race
Democrat Cunningham was ahead of Republican Tillis but 11% of the voters remain undecided, Paleologos said.
The findings: 41.6% picked Cunningham, 37.8% picked Tillis, 5.8% picked Libertarian Shannon Bray, 1.6% picked Constitution Party candidate Kevin E. Hayes, and 1.8% picked someone else.
Governor
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is so far ahead of Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Forest in the governor’s race that he is most likely to win, Paleologos said.
Cooper led Forest 50.40% to 38%. Libertarian Stephen DiFiore II drew 4.6% and Constitution Party candidate Al Pisano attracted 0.6%.
Another 5.80% said they were undecided, and 0.20% picked someone else.
Voter excitement
Thirty-eight percent of those surveyed said they are excited about voting this year, while 44.4% said they are voting because they are alarmed.
The survey suggests that a person’s political party may correlate to how they feel about voting, with 35% of Democrats saying they are excited about voting, while 53% feel alarmed. Meanwhile, 50% of Republicans said they were excited, and 34% said they were alarmed.
Among voters picking Trump for president, 49% reported being excited, while 34% were alarmed. At the same time, 33% of Biden supporters said they are excited, while 53% said they are alarmed.
Biden has a challenge, Paleologos said, in getting voters energized to vote for him vs. voting because they don’t like the president.
Key issues
Republicans prioritized jobs and the economy (33%) over COVID-19 (7%), while Democrats prioritized COVID-19 (32%) over the economy (10%).
Other findings:
60.2%, said the country is on the wrong track; 27.6% said it’s on the right track.
38.2% said the North Carolina economy is in good to excellent condition, while 60.4% said it’s in fair to poor shape.
52.8% of the voters said they are better off than they were four years ago, while 28.4% said they were worse off and 17.4% said they saw no difference.
Paul Woolverton can be reached at pwoolverton@fayobserver.com or 910-261-4710.


usatoday--2020-09-17--Trump reveled in COVID-19 denial during last weekend at Mar-a-Lago

PALM BEACH , Fla. — Orlando businessman Eric Holm remembers President Donald Trump signaling to business owners at a roundtable March 9 that the coronavirus epidemic meant tough times ahead .
“ We sat next to him for 40 minutes , ” said Holm , whose company , Metro Corral Partners , owns dozens of Golden Corral franchises in Florida and Atlanta .
“ He said it was going to be bad .
But nobody knew it was the worst kind of bad.
” Nobody except maybe Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward , who revealed in his book , Rage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February that the pandemic indeed would be the worst kind of bad .
Rather than being straight and honest with the American public , the book documents — on the record — how Trump 's decision to `` downplay '' the virus resulted in a “ monumental , catastrophic leadership failure , ” according to Woodward .
`` Historians are going to be writing about the lost month of February for tens of years , '' Woodward said in an interview this week .
If that is the case , then Trump ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , his last to Palm Beach , was the “ lost weekend.
” If there had been a last chance moment for the president to warn and mobilize America ahead of the virus , it was that weekend .
Trump 's visit to Florida came on the heels of a high-profile visit to the country ’ s top infectious disease center .
And it took place less than a week before COVID-19 was declared a once-in-a-century global pandemic .
Instead , the scene at Mar-a-Lago that weekend was nothing short of a celebration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impending health and economic `` Pearl Harbor . ''
The weekend was marked by political fundraisers and parties and bragging by Trump that he would continue filling stadiums for political rallies .
More : Mike Pence , cruise ships and the fallacy of an ‘ industry-led effort ’ And it was all punctuated by a damning March 9 tweet Trump fired off as he departed his treasured Palm Beach club for the business meeting with Holm and others in Central Florida : “ So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ per year .
Nothing is shut down , life & the economy go on .
At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus , with 22 deaths .
Think about that !
” Six months later , the pandemic has left millions jobless , and close to 200,000 Americans dead .
In Trump ’ s home county , where he owns Mar-a-Lago and two golf clubs , the toll is more than 1,200 souls lost and 44,000-plus infections .
As well as profound grief , trauma and resentment .
“ Earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership we could have responded to this much better than we did , ” said Dr. Dr. Kitonga P. Kiminyo , an infectious disease specialist in Boynton Beach .
“ It has been very difficult for all of us … to deal with this knowing we could have made a bigger difference sooner had we acted sooner , had we responded , had we at least admitted what we don ’ t know so we can go ahead and work on what we do know .
And , unfortunately , that didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ today.
” More : Trump in Palm Beach : President arrives , tweets out major move in administration The president arrived at Palm Beach International Airport on a Friday evening straight from Atlanta , where he had toured the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters .
There , the president led CDC and administration officials in a wide-ranging discussion on flu death rates , scientific research to decipher COVID-19 , travel restrictions on people coming from China and hand-shaking .
And he insisted — falsely — that “ anybody that wants a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president also boasted that he had impressed the doctors and scientists at the world-class lab .
“ Every one of these doctors said , 'How do you know so much about this ? '
Maybe I have a natural ability , '' Trump said .
Then , after reassuring the U.S. had “ the greatest people in the world addressing coronavirus , he offered this advice : “ Be calm.
” At Mar-a-Lago , stay calm quickly gave way to party on .
The president attended two fundraisers that weekend at the Southern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-socially distanced donors and generated a reported $ 14.1 million .
On Saturday , Vice President Mike Pence gathered cruise line industry and local officials at Port Everglades where he assured `` healthy '' Americans it was safe to board cruise ships and pass through turnstiles at theme parks .
`` Whether it be Disney World , whether it be other destinations , whether it be cruise ships ... Americans can confidently travel in this country , confidently enjoy all the benefits of this country , '' the vice president asserted without a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Saturday evening , Trump hosted a dinner for his Brazilian counterpart .
Later , standing next to President Jair Bolsonaro , Trump reiterated that , on coronavirus , there was nothing to see here .
“ We ’ re doing very well and we ’ ve done a fantastic job with respect to that subject , ” Trump said .
On Sunday , the Trumps celebrated the 51st birthday of the national chairwoman of the Trump Victory Finance Committee , Kimberly Guilfoyle , also Donald Trump Jr. 's girlfriend .
`` It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who attended the festivities .
`` There was nothing stopping us from four more years . ''
The optimism was echoed by MAGA nation sentinels manning the motorcade route along Southern Boulevard that weekend .
`` I 'm sure that they can come up with some kind of injection , '' said Trump supporter Anne Deluca , 75 , of West Palm Beach .
`` They can come up with something that will help us avoid this before it spreads to a crazy thing where everyone is just panicked . ''
The panic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 , world health officials determined COVID-19 was a pandemic and the repercussions were immediate .
Cruise ships were docked , theme parks closed and the United States went into a general business lockdown .
Paper products disappeared from store shelves and supermarkets began limiting sales of meat products .
Then coronavirus cases spiked by the millions , deaths by the tens of thousands soon followed within months .
The speed with which it all happened belied the president ’ s “ be calm ” message and the vice president 's apparent blind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who have castigated the Trump administration 's inept pandemic effort , offered scorching criticism after the release of the Woodward book ’ s findings .
They say all the evidence , including documents , the president ’ s own statements and Woodward ’ s audio recordings , point to a “ national tragedy ” and blame Trump ’ s deliberate concealment and negligence .
`` Trump told us in his own words that he did not tell us the truth , that he was fully aware of the catastrophic nature of COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it would damage old and young , '' said U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel , who represents the district that is home to Mar-a-Lago .
`` But he left our entire country exposed and unprepared . ''
`` The president should have warned the entire country , '' not just his newly adopted home county , County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay said .
For McKinlay , the pandemic turned personal this week when she revealed her 19-year-old daughter , a student at the University of Central Florida , tested positive for the virus and was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ texts me that she 's scared , I do n't want any other mother to ever have to get that text message and feel the way I feel right now , ” McKinlay said during a county commission meeting on Tuesday .
And she fired a broadside at “ underground media reports or anything from quack-denier doctors that this is a virus that should not be taken seriously.
” For Republicans , the revelations in the Woodward book amounted to more , as Gov .
Ron DeSantis put it , `` some say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , DeSantis defended the administration and blamed what he said were conflicting messages from public health authorities late last winter .
“ There was a lot of uncertainty in those early days , ” the governor said .
“ We had people in the second week of March saying it ’ s OK to go on cruises , just make sure you sneeze into your elbow.
” He added there was no deception .
“ No one ever told me we ’ re going to say this but this is really the case @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s been a lot of some say this , say that . ''
Holm , the entrepreneur who sat next to Trump at the roundtable , said the miscalculation on the spread of the virus came down to speed , not scope .
“ We saw it , ” Holm said .
“ The entire hospitality industry saw it .
But all of a sudden everything went off the cliff.
” Inger Harvey , a Pahokee resident , said she painfully knows the deep and tragic cost of months of COVID denials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ no different from the flu.
” She has lost five of family members to the pandemic this summer , including her grandmother , within a span of two months .
“ Dowplaying really impacted the way I myself started initially to approach this pandemic , ” Harvey said .
As those around her got ill , Harvey said she grew skeptical of what she was hearing from the president and the Trump administration .
She said she decided to do her own “ reading for myself ” on what medical professionals were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and find it and look for it , ” Harvey said this week during a virtual roundtable hosted by the Biden campaign .
“ It was almost as if it was being hidden from the American people to keep us from being informed about what we needed to be doing individually and as a country to protect our families.
” She said the biggest violation of trust , however , is the lack of confidence by the Trump White House in that American communities could be told the full truth and entrusted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like the one I grew up in can handle the tough situations , ” Harvey said .
“ They ’ ve proven it by working in the fields for many years .
But the lack of information and honest responses when there was time for us to be on the front end of this pandemic placed all of us , including my family , and many , many more , on the tail end of now having to bury family members.
” Kiminyo , the infectious disease doctor who also spoke at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the end of the day , six months later , the worst experience I must say during this whole pandemic… was knowing that people died , '' he said .
`` And people died alone , without family.
” The trauma of seeing unimaginable death and suffering led him to speak up in the political arena .
“ I ’ m just an infectious disease doctor , ” said Kiminyo , who has been a physician for 18 years and whose practice works with five hospital networks .
“ But after the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to speak up and be an advocate.
” He said he ’ s seen his share of COVID deaths in Palm Beach County .
And like other health professionals who have witnessed the worst intensive care unit scenes , he has been “ traumatized ” by it .
“ Until you see someone suffocate to death in a hospital bed you don ’ t get it , ” he said .
Reporting by Palm Beach Post reporters Hannah Morse and Wendy Rhodes was used in this story .

Trump reveled in COVID-19 denial during last weekend at Mar-a-Lago
Show Caption Hide Caption Woodward book spotlights Trump's response to virus In newly released interviews from journalist Bob Woodward's forthcoming book "Rage," US President Donald Trump privately acknowledged the severity of the pandemic even as he played it down in public. (Sept. 10) AP
PALM BEACH, Fla. — Orlando businessman Eric Holm remembers President Donald Trump signaling to business owners at a roundtable March 9 that the coronavirus epidemic meant tough times ahead.
“We sat next to him for 40 minutes,” said Holm, whose company, Metro Corral Partners, owns dozens of Golden Corral franchises in Florida and Atlanta. “He said it was going to be bad. But nobody knew it was the worst kind of bad.”
Nobody except maybe Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward, who revealed in his book, Rage, that Trump told him in early February that the pandemic indeed would be the worst kind of bad. Rather than being straight and honest with the American public, the book documents — on the record — how Trump's decision to "downplay" the virus resulted in a “monumental, catastrophic leadership failure,” according to Woodward.
More: Dems use Woodward tell-all book to blast Trump's COVID response
"Historians are going to be writing about the lost month of February for tens of years," Woodward said in an interview this week.
If that is the case, then Trump’s visit to Florida in early March, his last to Palm Beach, was the “lost weekend.” If there had been a last chance moment for the president to warn and mobilize America ahead of the virus, it was that weekend.
Trump's visit to Florida came on the heels of a high-profile visit to the country’s top infectious disease center. And it took place less than a week before COVID-19 was declared a once-in-a-century global pandemic.
Instead, the scene at Mar-a-Lago that weekend was nothing short of a celebration of denial in the face of the impending health and economic "Pearl Harbor." The weekend was marked by political fundraisers and parties and bragging by Trump that he would continue filling stadiums for political rallies.
More: Mike Pence, cruise ships and the fallacy of an ‘industry-led effort’
And it was all punctuated by a damning March 9 tweet Trump fired off as he departed his treasured Palm Beach club for the business meeting with Holm and others in Central Florida: “So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that!”
So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 9, 2020
Six months later, the pandemic has left millions jobless, and close to 200,000 Americans dead. In Trump’s home county, where he owns Mar-a-Lago and two golf clubs, the toll is more than 1,200 souls lost and 44,000-plus infections.
As well as profound grief, trauma and resentment.
“Earlier on, had we just had better leadership we could have responded to this much better than we did,” said Dr. Dr. Kitonga P. Kiminyo, an infectious disease specialist in Boynton Beach. “It has been very difficult for all of us … to deal with this knowing we could have made a bigger difference sooner had we acted sooner, had we responded, had we at least admitted what we don’t know so we can go ahead and work on what we do know. And, unfortunately, that didn’t happen. And here we are today.”
More: Trump in Palm Beach: President arrives, tweets out major move in administration
Weekend at Trump’s
The president arrived at Palm Beach International Airport on a Friday evening straight from Atlanta, where he had toured the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters.
There, the president led CDC and administration officials in a wide-ranging discussion on flu death rates, scientific research to decipher COVID-19, travel restrictions on people coming from China and hand-shaking. And he insisted — falsely — that “anybody that wants a test can get a test.”
More: Coronavirus Florida: Cruise ship docks at Port Everglades with infected passengers
The president also boasted that he had impressed the doctors and scientists at the world-class lab. “Every one of these doctors said, 'How do you know so much about this?' Maybe I have a natural ability," Trump said.
Then, after reassuring the U.S. had “the greatest people in the world addressing coronavirus, he offered this advice: “Be calm.”
At Mar-a-Lago, stay calm quickly gave way to party on.
The president attended two fundraisers that weekend at the Southern White House that drew an estimated 1,000 non-socially distanced donors and generated a reported $14.1 million. On Saturday, Vice President Mike Pence gathered cruise line industry and local officials at Port Everglades where he assured "healthy" Americans it was safe to board cruise ships and pass through turnstiles at theme parks.
"Whether it be Disney World, whether it be other destinations, whether it be cruise ships ... Americans can confidently travel in this country, confidently enjoy all the benefits of this country," the vice president asserted without a hint of doubt or second-guessing.
That Saturday evening, Trump hosted a dinner for his Brazilian counterpart. Later, standing next to President Jair Bolsonaro, Trump reiterated that, on coronavirus, there was nothing to see here.
“We’re doing very well and we’ve done a fantastic job with respect to that subject,” Trump said.
On Sunday, the Trumps celebrated the 51st birthday of the national chairwoman of the Trump Victory Finance Committee, Kimberly Guilfoyle, also Donald Trump Jr.'s girlfriend. "It was glorious," said a Mar-a-Lago member who attended the festivities. "There was nothing stopping us from four more years."
The optimism was echoed by MAGA nation sentinels manning the motorcade route along Southern Boulevard that weekend.
"I'm sure that they can come up with some kind of injection," said Trump supporter Anne Deluca, 75, of West Palm Beach. "They can come up with something that will help us avoid this before it spreads to a crazy thing where everyone is just panicked."
The panic would hit days later.
'Off the cliff'
On March 11, world health officials determined COVID-19 was a pandemic and the repercussions were immediate. Cruise ships were docked, theme parks closed and the United States went into a general business lockdown. Paper products disappeared from store shelves and supermarkets began limiting sales of meat products.
Then coronavirus cases spiked by the millions, deaths by the tens of thousands soon followed within months.
The speed with which it all happened belied the president’s “be calm” message and the vice president's apparent blind faith to travel “confidently.”
Democrats, who have castigated the Trump administration's inept pandemic effort, offered scorching criticism after the release of the Woodward book’s findings. They say all the evidence, including documents, the president’s own statements and Woodward’s audio recordings, point to a “national tragedy” and blame Trump’s deliberate concealment and negligence.
"Trump told us in his own words that he did not tell us the truth, that he was fully aware of the catastrophic nature of COVID, that it was airborne, that it would damage old and young," said U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, who represents the district that is home to Mar-a-Lago. "But he left our entire country exposed and unprepared."
"The president should have warned the entire country," not just his newly adopted home county, County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay said. For McKinlay, the pandemic turned personal this week when she revealed her 19-year-old daughter, a student at the University of Central Florida, tested positive for the virus and was in the hospital.
“When she texts me that she's scared, I don't want any other mother to ever have to get that text message and feel the way I feel right now,” McKinlay said during a county commission meeting on Tuesday.
And she fired a broadside at “underground media reports or anything from quack-denier doctors that this is a virus that should not be taken seriously.”
For Republicans, the revelations in the Woodward book amounted to more, as Gov. Ron DeSantis put it, "some say this, say that.”
Last week, DeSantis defended the administration and blamed what he said were conflicting messages from public health authorities late last winter.
“There was a lot of uncertainty in those early days,” the governor said. “We had people in the second week of March saying it’s OK to go on cruises, just make sure you sneeze into your elbow.”
He added there was no deception. “No one ever told me we’re going to say this but this is really the case,” DeSantis said. “There’s been a lot of some say this, say that."
Holm, the entrepreneur who sat next to Trump at the roundtable, said the miscalculation on the spread of the virus came down to speed, not scope.
“We saw it,” Holm said. “The entire hospitality industry saw it. But all of a sudden everything went off the cliff.”
'Hidden from the American people'
Inger Harvey, a Pahokee resident, said she painfully knows the deep and tragic cost of months of COVID denials and false assertions that the virus was “no different from the flu.”
She has lost five of family members to the pandemic this summer, including her grandmother, within a span of two months.
“Dowplaying really impacted the way I myself started initially to approach this pandemic,” Harvey said.
As those around her got ill, Harvey said she grew skeptical of what she was hearing from the president and the Trump administration. She said she decided to do her own “reading for myself” on what medical professionals were saying.
“I had to go and find it and look for it,” Harvey said this week during a virtual roundtable hosted by the Biden campaign. “It was almost as if it was being hidden from the American people to keep us from being informed about what we needed to be doing individually and as a country to protect our families.”
She said the biggest violation of trust, however, is the lack of confidence by the Trump White House in that American communities could be told the full truth and entrusted to act resolutely and courageously.
“Communities like the one I grew up in can handle the tough situations,” Harvey said. “They’ve proven it by working in the fields for many years. But the lack of information and honest responses when there was time for us to be on the front end of this pandemic placed all of us, including my family, and many, many more, on the tail end of now having to bury family members.”
Trump: CDC head 'confused' about vaccine timeline President Donald Trump says CDC Director Robert Redfield was "confused" when he told lawmakers Wednesday that a COVID vaccine would not be broadly available until spring or summer of 2021. Trump says a vaccine could be available next month. (Sept. 16) AP
Kiminyo, the infectious disease doctor who also spoke at the Zoom town hall, agreed.
“At the end of the day, six months later, the worst experience I must say during this whole pandemic… was knowing that people died," he said. "And people died alone, without family.”
The trauma of seeing unimaginable death and suffering led him to speak up in the political arena.
“I’m just an infectious disease doctor,” said Kiminyo, who has been a physician for 18 years and whose practice works with five hospital networks. “But after the last six months you realize that you need to speak up and be an advocate.”
He said he’s seen his share of COVID deaths in Palm Beach County. And like other health professionals who have witnessed the worst intensive care unit scenes, he has been “traumatized” by it.
“Until you see someone suffocate to death in a hospital bed you don’t get it,” he said.
Reporting by Palm Beach Post reporters Hannah Morse and Wendy Rhodes was used in this story.


usatoday--2020-09-17--Sen. Mitt Romney questions Sen. Ron Johnson's investigation of Joe Biden, says it has 'earmarks of a

As he prepares to complete his Senate investigation into Joe Biden and Ukraine , Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson is making no secret of how he wants his report to be seen by voters in the 2020 election .
“ What our investigations are uncovering , I think , will reveal that this is not somebody that we should be electing president of the United States , ” Johnson said of Biden , the Democrat who ’ s leading President Donald Trump in the polls .
“ I just don ’ t think Joe Biden ever should have run for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same interview with Janesville , Wisconsin , radio station WCLO Tuesday .
Johnson ’ s public comments about his investigation are drawing fire from Democrats who accuse him of using the Senate committee he chairs to pursue a partisan probe aimed at helping Trump ’ s reelection bid .
And a committee member in Johnson ’ s own party echoed that criticism when the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs panel met Wednesday , days before the expected release of Johnson 's report on Biden .
Sen. Mitt Romney , R-Utah , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the earmarks of a political exercise , and I ’ m fearful that comments made in the media recently have only confirmed that perspective.
” Romney appeared to be referring to Johnson ’ s own recent statements about the investigation .
In a radio interview last month , Johnson said that exposing “ corruption ” in the Obama administration “ would certainly help Donald Trump win reelection and certainly be pretty good , I would say , evidence about not voting for Vice President Biden.
” In a video conference with GOP supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report , “ Stay tuned .
In about a week we 're going to learn a whole lot more of Vice President Biden 's unfitness for office.
” And in the interview Tuesday with WCLO , Johnson said his investigation would show that Biden should not be elected president .
Committee Democrats and the Biden campaign have jumped on these statements , saying they demonstrate that Johnson ’ s investigations are not about congressional oversight but influencing the election , as Romney suggested .
`` Senator Johnson can not refute this because he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is correct , saying that his charade 'would certainly help Donald Trump win reelection ' and that it will speak to 'Vice President Biden 's unfitness for office , ' ” said Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates , who accused Johnson of prioritizing partisan politics over conducting oversight of “ the failed federal response to the pandemic.
” Asked to respond to Romney ’ s comments , Johnson spokesman Austin Altenburg issued this statement : “ This is Congress .
Everything here has implications for politics and elections .
The Committee is expressly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its investigation into Burisma and U.S.-Ukraine policy began well before the Democratic nominee for President had been decided .
The American people have the right to know what did and did not happen.
” Johnson ’ s investigation is centered on Biden ’ s son Hunter and his ties to a Ukrainian energy company , Burisma , while Biden was helping direct U.S. policy toward Ukraine .
The Wisconsin Republican has called that a `` glaring and obvious conflict of interest , '' while the Bidens denied any improper influence was exerted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Johnson ’ s interview with WCLO Tuesday , radio host Tim Bremel suggested to Johnson that “ these constant investigations of presidents and presidential candidates these days , in my opinion , Senator , damages our political system.
” “ You can say this is corrosive to our politics , these investigations , but what ’ s corrosive to our politics is when we have two totally different systems of justice where Hillary Clinton and Democrats – they just never face the music .
They never get indicted .
They don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican – we end up trying to impeach him over a phone call between two presidents that never should have even seen the light of day , ” he said of the Trump impeachment .
Johnson said , `` What ’ s corrosive is ... also the massive bias in the media that refuses to point out all the accomplishments of this administration and only focuses on tweets and false narratives.
” Johnson ’ s committee voted along party lines – with every Democrat voting no -- to issue subpoenas Wednesday in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential transition from Obama to Trump and the origins of the Mueller investigation .
Before the vote , top committee Democrat Gary Peters of Michigan told Johnson , “ This is a partisan fishing expedition … I ’ m asking you to stop the inappropriate use of our committee resources and recommit to our primary focus , which is safeguarding homeland security.
” Romney supported those subpoenas .
But the committee scrapped a vote on another subpoena involving the Biden-Burisma probe .
Romney told the committee he would have opposed that subpoena because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that investigation , saying it was “ not the legitimate role of government , for Congress or for taxpayer expense , to be used in an effort to damage political opponents.
” Romney , one of Trump 's few GOP critics in Congress , had previously voiced concerns about the Biden investigation , but these were his strongest comments to date .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , took to the Senate floor after the committee meeting to accuse Republicans of “ using the power of Senate in effect to conduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign ” while “ the rest of the country is busy fighting COVID.
” Schumer also repeated Democratic charges that Johnson is purveying Russian “ disinformation '' aimed at damaging Biden .

Craig Gilbert, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Sen. Mitt Romney questions Sen. Ron Johnson's investigation of Joe Biden, says it has 'earmarks of a political exercise'
Show Caption Hide Caption Mitt Romney chokes up explaining his impeachment vote to convict Trump Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, gives emotional explanation of his decision to vote to convict President Trump in impeachment trial USA TODAY, Associated Press
As he prepares to complete his Senate investigation into Joe Biden and Ukraine, Wisconsin Republican Sen. Ron Johnson is making no secret of how he wants his report to be seen by voters in the 2020 election.
“What our investigations are uncovering, I think, will reveal that this is not somebody that we should be electing president of the United States,” Johnson said of Biden, the Democrat who’s leading President Donald Trump in the polls.
“I just don’t think Joe Biden ever should have run for president,” Johnson said in the same interview with Janesville, Wisconsin, radio station WCLO Tuesday.
Johnson’s public comments about his investigation are drawing fire from Democrats who accuse him of using the Senate committee he chairs to pursue a partisan probe aimed at helping Trump’s reelection bid.
And a committee member in Johnson’s own party echoed that criticism when the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs panel met Wednesday, days before the expected release of Johnson's report on Biden.
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said the inquiry involving Biden has “had the earmarks of a political exercise, and I’m fearful that comments made in the media recently have only confirmed that perspective.”
Romney appeared to be referring to Johnson’s own recent statements about the investigation.
In a radio interview last month, Johnson said that exposing “corruption” in the Obama administration “would certainly help Donald Trump win reelection and certainly be pretty good, I would say, evidence about not voting for Vice President Biden.”
In a video conference with GOP supporters Monday, Johnson said of his forthcoming report, “Stay tuned. In about a week we're going to learn a whole lot more of Vice President Biden's unfitness for office.”
And in the interview Tuesday with WCLO, Johnson said his investigation would show that Biden should not be elected president.
Committee Democrats and the Biden campaign have jumped on these statements, saying they demonstrate that Johnson’s investigations are not about congressional oversight but influencing the election, as Romney suggested.
"Senator Johnson cannot refute this because he himself has explicitly admitted that Senator Romney is correct, saying that his charade 'would certainly help Donald Trump win reelection' and that it will speak to 'Vice President Biden's unfitness for office,'” said Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates, who accused Johnson of prioritizing partisan politics over conducting oversight of “the failed federal response to the pandemic.”
Asked to respond to Romney’s comments, Johnson spokesman Austin Altenburg issued this statement:
“This is Congress. Everything here has implications for politics and elections. The Committee is expressly authorized to investigate conflicts of interest, and its investigation into Burisma and U.S.-Ukraine policy began well before the Democratic nominee for President had been decided. The American people have the right to know what did and did not happen.”
Johnson’s investigation is centered on Biden’s son Hunter and his ties to a Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, while Biden was helping direct U.S. policy toward Ukraine. The Wisconsin Republican has called that a "glaring and obvious conflict of interest," while the Bidens denied any improper influence was exerted on Ukraine policy.
At one point in Johnson’s interview with WCLO Tuesday, radio host Tim Bremel suggested to Johnson that “these constant investigations of presidents and presidential candidates these days, in my opinion, Senator, damages our political system.”
Johnson rejected that.
“You can say this is corrosive to our politics, these investigations, but what’s corrosive to our politics is when we have two totally different systems of justice where Hillary Clinton and Democrats – they just never face the music. They never get indicted. They don’t get investigated well. But a Republican – we end up trying to impeach him over a phone call between two presidents that never should have even seen the light of day,” he said of the Trump impeachment.
Johnson said, "What’s corrosive is ... also the massive bias in the media that refuses to point out all the accomplishments of this administration and only focuses on tweets and false narratives.”
Johnson’s committee voted along party lines – with every Democrat voting no -- to issue subpoenas Wednesday in a separate investigation Johnson is conducting into the presidential transition from Obama to Trump and the origins of the Mueller investigation.
Before the vote, top committee Democrat Gary Peters of Michigan told Johnson, “This is a partisan fishing expedition … I’m asking you to stop the inappropriate use of our committee resources and recommit to our primary focus, which is safeguarding homeland security.”
Romney supported those subpoenas. But the committee scrapped a vote on another subpoena involving the Biden-Burisma probe. Romney told the committee he would have opposed that subpoena because of his concerns about the politics of that investigation, saying it was “not the legitimate role of government, for Congress or for taxpayer expense, to be used in an effort to damage political opponents.” Romney, one of Trump's few GOP critics in Congress, had previously voiced concerns about the Biden investigation, but these were his strongest comments to date.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., took to the Senate floor after the committee meeting to accuse Republicans of “using the power of Senate in effect to conduct opposition research for the president’s campaign” while “the rest of the country is busy fighting COVID.” Schumer also repeated Democratic charges that Johnson is purveying Russian “disinformation" aimed at damaging Biden.
Johnson called that charge a “smear."


usatoday--2020-09-17--Poll: Joe Biden up in Minnesota, Wisconsin in sign Donald Trump's law and order message might not be

President Donald Trump is trailing his Democratic challenger Joe Biden in Minnesota and Wisconsin , two states recently home to large protests against racial injustice , according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll released Wednesday .
The poll found Biden up 6 percentage points , 52 % -46 % , among likely voters in Wisconsin .
The state had not backed a Republican presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan before Trump won it by just under 23,000 votes in 2016 .
In Minnesota , which has n't broken for the GOP candidate since 1972 , the poll found Biden up a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 57 % -41 % .
Both states have been at the center of protests against police brutality and racial discrimination this year .
The first wave of protests began in Minnesota at the end of May , when George Floyd , an unarmed Black man , died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly 9 minutes .
Minneapolis and dozens of cities across the country saw days of demonstrations and protests , some peaceful and some that turned destructive .
A police precinct in Minneapolis was burned down , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As protests continued in some cities through the summer , another unarmed Black man , Jacob Blake , was shot in the back multiple times by a police officer in Kenosha , Wisconsin , in August , leaving Blake paralyzed .
In the protests that followed , two men were shot and killed .
A third was shot and injured .
The suspect , Kyle Rittenhouse , 17 , was reportedly in the area trying to protect private property from damage during the protests Trump responded to both incidents with calls for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden of tolerating violence .
Biden , who denounced violent demonstrators as early as May 30 , accused Trump of trying to divide Americans and stoking the flames .
The president 's demands for the restoration of law and order may have resonated more with registered Wisconsin voters , who were split 48 % -48 % over which candidate they trusted more to handle crime and safety , according to the poll .
Registered Minnesota voters trusted Biden more on the issue by a 24-point margin , 59 % -35 % .
Voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more to discourage violence at political protests , though the margin was much narrower in Wisconsin ( 49 % -45 % ) than in Minnesota ( 54 % -40 % ) .
The ABC/Post poll contrasts sharply with a Morning Consult poll of Minnesota released Sunday , which showed Biden with a 4-point lead in the state .
Overall , polls have been positive for Biden there , with polling site FiveThirtyEight showing him with an average lead of 8.9 points .
Both Trump and Biden are scheduled to visit Minnesota on Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats ' longest winning-streak is in Minnesota , the only state to back the Democrat in Reagan 's 1984 victory , but Trump came within about 1.5 percentage points of winning it in 2016 .
Trump and his supporters have expressed optimism he could flip it this year .
While most surveys have not found Trump performing as badly in Minnesota as the new ABC/Post poll , the results did not offer much to support the Trump campaign 's hopes .
Nearly 60 % of Minnesota voters said they did not approve of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , while 40 % said they approved .
In most national polls , one area Trump performs well is on the economy .
But Minnesota voters narrowly disapproved ( 49 % -47 % ) of his job managing it and trusted Biden more on the issue , 50 % -45 % .
They also said they trusted Biden more on handling coronavirus ( 58 % -36 % ) , racial equality ( 59 % -35 % ) and health care ( 56 % -39 % ) .
Minnesota voters said Biden was more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % -34 % .
When asked who they thought better understood their problems , 55 % said Biden and 37 % said Trump .
And 51 % thought Biden was the stronger leader , compared to 44 % who said Trump was .
One bright spot for Trump in Minnesota was voter enthusiasm .
While 67 % said they were `` very '' enthusiastic about voting for Trump , 44 % said the same for Biden .
The numbers were better for Trump in Wisconsin .
His job approval rating was 6 points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disapproval rating was 7 points lower ( 52 % ) .
And , unlike in Minnesota , more voters approved ( 53 % ) than disapproved ( 46 % ) of his handling of the economy .
Wisconsin voters said they trusted Trump more on the economy , 50 % -45 % , but they trusted Biden more on the coronavirus ( 49 % -42 % ) , racial equality ( 51 % -41 % ) and health care ( 50 % -43 % ) .
On the coronavirus , 44 % of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's handling of the outbreak and 54 % disapproved .
When asked who they considered more honest and trustworthy , 49 % said Biden and 38 % said Trump .
And when asked who they thought better understood their problems , 49 % said Biden and 44 % said Trump .
But more Wisconsin voters ( 49 % ) thought Trump a strong leader than Biden ( 46 % ) .

Poll: Joe Biden up in Minnesota, Wisconsin in sign Donald Trump's law and order message might not be resonating
Show Caption Hide Caption Biden slams Trump over remarks about veterans Joe Biden tore into President Donald Trump for his reported remarks referring to fallen soldiers as “suckers” during a Tuesday campaign visit to the key battleground state of Florida. (Sept. 15) AP
President Donald Trump is trailing his Democratic challenger Joe Biden in Minnesota and Wisconsin, two states recently home to large protests against racial injustice, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll released Wednesday.
The poll found Biden up 6 percentage points, 52%-46%, among likely voters in Wisconsin. The state had not backed a Republican presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan before Trump won it by just under 23,000 votes in 2016. In Minnesota, which hasn't broken for the GOP candidate since 1972, the poll found Biden up a whopping 16% with likely voters, 57%-41%.
Both states have been at the center of protests against police brutality and racial discrimination this year.
The first wave of protests began in Minnesota at the end of May, when George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly 9 minutes. Minneapolis and dozens of cities across the country saw days of demonstrations and protests, some peaceful and some that turned destructive. A police precinct in Minneapolis was burned down, and several businesses were looted and burned.
As protests continued in some cities through the summer, another unarmed Black man, Jacob Blake, was shot in the back multiple times by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August, leaving Blake paralyzed. In the protests that followed, two men were shot and killed. A third was shot and injured. The suspect, Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, was reportedly in the area trying to protect private property from damage during the protests
Trump responded to both incidents with calls for strong crackdowns on the demonstrators while accusing Biden of tolerating violence. Biden, who denounced violent demonstrators as early as May 30, accused Trump of trying to divide Americans and stoking the flames.
The president's demands for the restoration of law and order may have resonated more with registered Wisconsin voters, who were split 48%-48% over which candidate they trusted more to handle crime and safety, according to the poll. Registered Minnesota voters trusted Biden more on the issue by a 24-point margin, 59%-35%.
Voters in both states said they trusted Biden more to discourage violence at political protests, though the margin was much narrower in Wisconsin (49%-45%) than in Minnesota (54%-40%).
Minnesota
The ABC/Post poll contrasts sharply with a Morning Consult poll of Minnesota released Sunday, which showed Biden with a 4-point lead in the state. Overall, polls have been positive for Biden there, with polling site FiveThirtyEight showing him with an average lead of 8.9 points.
Both Trump and Biden are scheduled to visit Minnesota on Friday, when early voting begins there.
Democrats' longest winning-streak is in Minnesota, the only state to back the Democrat in Reagan's 1984 victory, but Trump came within about 1.5 percentage points of winning it in 2016.
Trump and his supporters have expressed optimism he could flip it this year. While most surveys have not found Trump performing as badly in Minnesota as the new ABC/Post poll, the results did not offer much to support the Trump campaign's hopes.
Nearly 60% of Minnesota voters said they did not approve of the job Trump has done in office, while 40% said they approved.
In most national polls, one area Trump performs well is on the economy. But Minnesota voters narrowly disapproved (49%-47%) of his job managing it and trusted Biden more on the issue, 50%-45%. They also said they trusted Biden more on handling coronavirus (58%-36%), racial equality (59%-35%) and health care (56%-39%).
Minnesota voters said Biden was more honest and trustworthy than Trump, 56%-34%. When asked who they thought better understood their problems, 55% said Biden and 37% said Trump. And 51% thought Biden was the stronger leader, compared to 44% who said Trump was.
One bright spot for Trump in Minnesota was voter enthusiasm. While 67% said they were "very" enthusiastic about voting for Trump, 44% said the same for Biden.
Wisconsin
The numbers were better for Trump in Wisconsin. His job approval rating was 6 points higher (46%) and his disapproval rating was 7 points lower (52%). And, unlike in Minnesota, more voters approved (53%) than disapproved (46%) of his handling of the economy.
Wisconsin voters said they trusted Trump more on the economy, 50%-45%, but they trusted Biden more on the coronavirus (49%-42%), racial equality (51%-41%) and health care (50%-43%).
On the coronavirus, 44% of Wisconsin voters said they approved of Trump's handling of the outbreak and 54% disapproved.
When asked who they considered more honest and trustworthy, 49% said Biden and 38% said Trump. And when asked who they thought better understood their problems, 49% said Biden and 44% said Trump. But more Wisconsin voters (49%) thought Trump a strong leader than Biden (46%).