Tag Archives: Biden for President

Anti-Trump Activism, Biden-Harris 2020, Election 2020, Joe Biden, National Security, News & Photo Features

Growing Number of Republicans Come Out in Support of Biden for President

August 26, 2020 krubin

Former DHS official Miles Taylor in a Lincoln Project ad decries Donald Trump’s national security leadership. “His first term has been dangerously chaotic. Four more years of this are unthinkable.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-featurs.com

As the Republican National Convention 2020 unfolds with stunning ferocity, mendacity, and fear-mongering, basically offering an Alice Through the Looking Glass Orwellian alternative reality, more and more Republicans, including Presidential appointees, legal experts and Congressmen and elected officials have allied against Trump for his corruption and abuse of the Presidency. These include former Governors John Kasich and Christine Todd Whitman and former Secretary of State Colin Powell who appeared at the Democratic National Convention in support of Joe Biden.

The growing list of administration officials supporting Biden over Trump also includes a former Homeland Security official Myles Taylor, who in a Washington Post op-ed, wrote, “Trump showed vanishingly little interest in subjects of vital national security interest, including cybersecurity, domestic terrorism and malicious foreign interference in U.S. affairs…. Because the commander in chief has diminished America’s influence overseas, today the nation has fewer friends and stronger enemies than when Trump took office…. Trump has also damaged the country in countless ways that don’t directly involve national security but, by stoking hatred and division, make Americans profoundly less safe.

“The president’s bungled response to the coronavirus pandemic is the ultimate example…His first term has been dangerously chaotic. Four more years of this are unthinkable.”

And former Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona, in declaring his support for Biden for president, stated, “And so, it is because of my conservatism, and because of my belief in the Constitution, and in the separation of power, and because I am gravely concerned about the conduct and behavior of our current president that I stand here today – proudly and wholeheartedly – to endorse Joe Biden to be our next president of the United States of America. (Watch Senator Flake’s remarks HERE.

Former Governor of Ohio John Kasich is among a long and growing list of Republicans endorsing Joe Biden for president over Republican Donald Trump © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Republican Members of Congress Endorse Biden

On the first day of the Republican National Convention, former Republican Members of Congress, including former Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, announced their support for Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris. In a strong rebuke to the current administration, these former members of Congress cited Trump’s corruption, destruction of democracy, blatant disregard for moral decency, and urgent need to get the country back on course as a reason why they support Biden. These former Members of Congress are supporting Joe Biden because they know what’s at stake in this election and that Trump’s failures as President have superseded partisanship.

With the support of these Members of Congress, the Biden for President is launching Republicans for Biden, a national effort to engage Republicans who are supporting Biden this fall. The campaign will encourage Republicans to organize their communities for Biden using the Vote Joe app and other relational organizing tools. More information is at joebiden.com/republicans or by texting GOP to 30330.

Republicans endorsing Joe Biden include:

Senator Jeff Flake (AZ)
Senator Gordon Humphrey (NH)
Senator John Warner (VA)
Congressman Steve Bartlett (TX)
Congressman Bill Clinger (PA)
Congressman Tom Coleman (MO)
Congressman Charlie Dent (PA)
Congressman Charles Djou (HI)
Congressman Mickey Edwards (OK)
Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (MD)
Congressman Jim Greenwood (PA)
Congressman Bob Inglis (SC)
Congressman Jim Kolbe (AZ)
Congressman Steve Kuykendall (CA)
Congressman Ray LaHood (IL)
Congressman Jim Leach (IA)
Congresswoman Susan Molinari (NY)
Congresswoman Connie Morella (MD)
Congressman Mike Parker (MS)
Congressman Jack Quinn (NY)
Congresswoman Claudine Schneider (RI)
Congressman Christopher Shays (CT)
Congressman Peter Smith (VT)
Congressman Alan Steelman (TX)
Congressman Jim Walsh (NY)
Congressman Bill Whitehurst (VA)
Congressman Dick Zimmer (NJ)

Republican Presidential Appointees, Legal Experts Support Biden

On August 25, as the Republican National Convention was underway, former Republican Presidential Appointees and legal experts came out in support of Joe Biden and against President Trump in light of the corruption and abuse of power that has pervaded the current administration. Trump has used the presidency to enrich himself — spending countless tax dollars at his own properties. Members of his administration have failed to divest themselves from conflicts of interest as promised. And, Trump has weaponized the Executive Branch against its core mission, including using the U.S. Justice Department to protect the president and his friends, over the American people and the rule of law. Trump has welcomed wealthy special interests into the Oval Office and to the highest levels of his administration to develop and guide policy.

As President, Biden is dedicated to restoring even-handed justice and the principle that no person is above the law. He would:

Return basic honesty and integrity to the U.S. Department of Justice and to Executive Branch decision-making;
Restore ethics in government;
Rein in Executive Branch financial conflicts of interest;
Reduce the corrupting influence of money in politics and make it easier for candidates of all backgrounds to run for office.

Republican appointees endorsing Joe Biden include:

Donald B. Ayer, Former U.S. Deputy Attorney General (H.W. Bush Administration)
Alan Charles Raul, Former Vice Chairman of the White House Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (W. Bush Administration), General Counsel of the Office of Management and Budget (H.W. Bush Administration), General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (H.W. Bush Administration), and Associate Counsel to the President (Reagan Administration)
Charles Fried, Former U.S. Solicitor General (Reagan Administration), Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Stuart Gerson, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice (H.W. Bush Administration), Debate Prep Advisor to President H.W. Bush, W. Bush Presidential Transition Staff
Peter Keisler, Former U.S. Acting Attorney General (W. Bush Administration), Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division of the Department of Justice (W. Bush Administration)
Paul Rosenweig, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Department of Homeland Security (W. Bush Administration), Privacy and Security Expert
Robert Shanks, Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel of the Department of Justice (Reagan Administration)
J.W. Verret, Former Chief Economist and Senior Counsel to the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, Trump Presidential Transition Staff

Meanwhile, an alternate Republican Conservative convention is underway this week of Never Trump groups. A “Convention on Founding Principles,”put on by Evan McMullin and Mindy Finn’s Stand Up Republic and the eclectic think tank, the Niskanen Center, is running as counter-programming to the Republican convention. The event is being live-streamed and available for viewing on Facebook and YouTube.

And the Lincoln Project continues to produce amazing videos, ads, social media campaign. “The Lincoln Project is holding accountable those who would violate their oaths to the Constitution and would put others before Americans.”

The stated mission of the Lincoln Project: Defeat President Trump and Trumpism at the ballot box.

“We do not undertake this task lightly nor from ideological preference. Our many policy differences with national Democrats remain. However, the priority for all patriotic Americans must be a shared fidelity to the Constitution and a commitment to defeat those candidates who have abandoned their constitutional oaths, regardless of party. Electing Democrats who support the Constitution over Republicans who do not is a worthy effort.” (lincolnproject.us)

Biden-Harris 2020, Democratic National Convention 2020, Democratic Party, Democrats 2020, Election 2020, Joe Biden, News & Photo Features, Presidential Campaign 2020

Joe Biden Delivers Speech of his Life in Accepting Democratic Nomination for President: ‘This is a battle that we, together, will win. I promise you.’

August 21, 2020 krubin

Joe Biden accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for president with the speech of his long and storied career, with the passion of his commitment to public service and the good of the nation. Known for being both a man who works toward consensus while keeping true to his values and conscience, he demonstrated the forcefulness and strength he would bring to the presidency, starting off right out of the gate with a forceful indictment of Donald Trump, and his pledge, in a nutshell, to restore “the soul of the nation”. On the fourth and last night of the Democratic National Convention, themed “America’s Promise,” he declared, “The current president has cloaked America in darkness for much too long. Too much anger. Too much fear. Too much division. Here and now, I give you my word: If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us not the worst. I will be an ally of the light not of the darkness. It’s time for us, for We the People, to come together.”

He set out how he was the leader the nation needs now as the nation simultaneously is under assault from four crises: the worst public health crisis in a century; the greatest economic collapse since the Great Depression; a racial reckoning of proportion not seen since the 1960s; and the existential crisis to the nation and planet posed by climate change. “It’s all on the ballot. The choice could not be more clear.”

Here is a highlighted transcript of the remarks by Vice President Joe Biden, now the Democratic candidate for president:

Good evening.

Ella Baker, a giant of the civil rights movement, left us with this wisdom: Give people light and they will find a way.

Give people light.

Those are words for our time.

The current president has cloaked America in darkness for much too long. Too much anger. Too much fear. Too much division.

Here and now, I give you my word: If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us not the worst. I will be an ally of the light not of the darkness.

It’s time for us, for We the People, to come together.

For make no mistake. United we can, and will, overcome this season of darkness in America. We will choose hope over fear, facts over fiction, fairness over privilege.

I am a proud Democrat and I will be proud to carry the banner of our party into the general election. So, it is with great honor and humility that I accept this nomination for President of the United States of America.

But while I will be a Democratic candidate, I will be an American president. I will work as hard for those who didn’t support me as I will for those who did.

That’s the job of a president. To represent all of us, not just our base or our party. This is not a partisan moment. This must be an American moment.

It’s a moment that calls for hope and light and love. Hope for our futures, light to see our way forward, and love for one another.

America isn’t just a collection of clashing interests of Red States or Blue States.

We’re so much bigger than that.

We’re so much better than that.

Nearly a century ago, Franklin Roosevelt pledged a New Deal in a time of massive unemployment, uncertainty, and fear.

Stricken by disease, stricken by a virus, FDR insisted that he would recover and prevail and he believed America could as well.

And he did.

And so can we.

This campaign isn’t just about winning votes.

It’s about winning the heart, and yes, the soul of America.

Winning it for the generous among us, not the selfish. Winning it for the workers who keep this country going, not just the privileged few at the top. Winning it for those communities who have known the injustice of the “knee on the neck”. For all the young people who have known only an America of rising inequity and shrinking opportunity.

They deserve to experience America’s promise in full.

No generation ever knows what history will ask of it. All we can ever know is whether we’ll be ready when that moment arrives.

And now history has delivered us to one of the most difficult moments America has ever faced.

Four historic crises. All at the same time. A perfect storm.

The worst pandemic in over 100 years. The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

The most compelling call for racial justice since the 60’s. And the undeniable realities and accelerating threats of climate change.

So, the question for us is simple: Are we ready?

I believe we are.

We must be.

All elections are important. But we know in our bones this one is more consequential.

America is at an inflection point. A time of real peril, but of extraordinary possibilities.

We can choose the path of becoming angrier, less hopeful, and more divided.

A path of shadow and suspicion.

Or we can choose a different path, and together, take this chance to heal, to be reborn, to unite. A path of hope and light.

This is a life-changing election that will determine America’s future for a very long time.

Character is on the ballot. Compassion is on the ballot. Decency, science, democracy.

They are all on the ballot.

Who we are as a nation. What we stand for. And, most importantly, who we want to be.

That’s all on the ballot.

And the choice could not be clearer.

No rhetoric is needed.

Just judge this president on the facts.

5 million Americans infected with COVID-19.

More than 170,000 Americans have died.

By far the worst performance of any nation on Earth.

More than 50 million people have filed for unemployment this year.

More than 10 million people are going to lose their health insurance this year.

Nearly one in 6 small businesses have closed this year.

If this president is re-elected we know what will happen.

Cases and deaths will remain far too high.

More mom and pop businesses will close their doors for good.

Working families will struggle to get by, and yet, the wealthiest one percent will get tens of billions of dollars in new tax breaks.

And the assault on the Affordable Care Act will continue until its destroyed, taking insurance away from more than 20 million people – including more than 15 million people on Medicaid – and getting rid of the protections that President Obama and I passed for people who suffer from a pre-existing condition.

And speaking of President Obama, a man I was honored to serve alongside for 8 years as Vice President. Let me take this moment to say something we don’t say nearly enough.

Thank you, Mr. President. You were a great president. A president our children could – and did – look up to.

No one will say that about the current occupant of the office.

What we know about this president is if he’s given four more years he will be what he’s been the last four years.

A president who takes no responsibility, refuses to lead, blames others, cozies up to dictators, and fans the flames of hate and division.

He will wake up every day believing the job is all about him. Never about you.

Is that the America you want for you, your family, your children?

I see a different America.

One that is generous and strong.

Selfless and humble.

It’s an America we can rebuild together.

As president, the first step I will take will be to get control of the virus that’s ruined so many lives.

Because I understand something this president doesn’t.

We will never get our economy back on track, we will never get our kids safely back to school, we will never have our lives back, until we deal with this virus.

The tragedy of where we are today is it didn’t have to be this bad.

Just look around.

It’s not this bad in Canada. Or Europe. Or Japan. Or almost anywhere else in the world.

The President keeps telling us the virus is going to disappear. He keeps waiting for a miracle. Well, I have news for him, no miracle is coming.

We lead the world in confirmed cases. We lead the world in deaths.

Our economy is in tatters, with Black, Latino, Asian American, and Native American communities bearing the brunt of it.

And after all this time, the president still does not have a plan.

Well, I do.

If I’m president on day one we’ll implement the national strategy I’ve been laying out since March.

We’ll develop and deploy rapid tests with results available immediately.

We’ll make the medical supplies and protective equipment our country needs. And we’ll make them here in America. So we will never again be at the mercy of China and other foreign countries in order to protect our own people.

We’ll make sure our schools have the resources they need to be open, safe, and effective.

We’ll put the politics aside and take the muzzle off our experts so the public gets the information they need and deserve. The honest, unvarnished truth. They can deal with that.

We’ll have a national mandate to wear a mask-not as a burden, but to protect each other.

It’s a patriotic duty.

In short, I will do what we should have done from the very beginning.

Our current president has failed in his most basic duty to this nation.

He failed to protect us.

He failed to protect America.

And, my fellow Americans, that is unforgivable.

As president, I will make you this promise: I will protect America. I will defend us from every attack. Seen. And unseen. Always. Without exception. Every time.

Look, I understand it’s hard to have hope right now.

On this summer night, let me take a moment to speak to those of you who have lost the most.

I know how it feels to lose someone you love. I know that deep black hole that opens up in your chest. That you feel your whole being is sucked into it. I know how mean and cruel and unfair life can be sometimes.

But I’ve learned two things.

First, your loved ones may have left this Earth but they never leave your heart. They will always be with you.

And second, I found the best way through pain and loss and grief is to find purpose.

As God’s children each of us have a purpose in our lives.

And we have a great purpose as a nation: To open the doors of opportunity to all Americans. To save our democracy. To be a light to the world once again.

To finally live up to and make real the words written in the sacred documents that founded this nation that all men and women are created equal. Endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. Among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

You know, my Dad was an honorable, decent man.

He got knocked down a few times pretty hard, but always got up.

He worked hard and built a great middle-class life for our family.

He used to say, “Joey, I don’t expect the government to solve my problems, but I expect it to understand them.”

And then he would say: “Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about your dignity. It’s about respect. It’s about your place in your community. It’s about looking your kids in the eye and say, honey, it’s going to be okay.”

I’ve never forgotten those lessons.

That’s why my economic plan is all about jobs, dignity, respect, and community. Together, we can, and we will, rebuild our economy. And when we do, we’ll not only build it back, we’ll build it back better.

With modern roads, bridges, highways, broadband, ports and airports as a new foundation for economic growth. With pipes that transport clean water to every community. With 5 million new manufacturing and technology jobs so the future is made in America.

With a health care system that lowers premiums, deductibles, and drug prices by building on the Affordable Care Act he’s trying to rip away.

With an education system that trains our people for the best jobs of the 21st century, where cost doesn’t prevent young people from going to college, and student debt doesn’t crush them when they get out.

With child care and elder care that make it possible for parents to go to work and for the elderly to stay in their homes with dignity. With an immigration system that powers our economy and reflects our values. With newly empowered labor unions. With equal pay for women. With rising wages you can raise a family on. Yes, we’re going to do more than praise our essential workers. We’re finally going to pay them.

We can, and we will, deal with climate change. It’s not only a crisis, it’s an enormous opportunity. An opportunity for America to lead the world in clean energy and create millions of new good-paying jobs in the process.

And we can pay for these investments by ending loopholes and the president’s $1.3 trillion tax giveaway to the wealthiest 1 percent and the biggest, most profitable corporations, some of which pay no tax at all.

Because we don’t need a tax code that rewards wealth more than it rewards work. I’m not looking to punish anyone. Far from it. But it’s long past time the wealthiest people and the biggest corporations in this country paid their fair share.

For our seniors, Social Security is a sacred obligation, a sacred promise made. The current president is threatening to break that promise. He’s proposing to eliminate the tax that pays for almost half of Social Security without any way of making up for that lost revenue.

I will not let it happen. If I’m your president, we’re going to protect Social Security and Medicare. You have my word.

One of the most powerful voices we hear in the country today is from our young people. They’re speaking to the inequity and injustice that has grown up in America. Economic injustice. Racial injustice. Environmental injustice.

I hear their voices and if you listen, you can hear them too. And whether it’s the existential threat posed by climate change, the daily fear of being gunned down in school, or the inability to get started in their first job — it will be the work of the next president to restore the promise of America to everyone.

Vice President Joe Biden, now the Democratic candidate for president, and Senator Kamala Harris, now the Democratic candidate for vice president, at the celebration in Wilmington, Delaware that followed the close of the Democratic National Convention with a distinctly unconventional victory pose © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features

I won’t have to do it alone. Because I will have a great Vice President at my side. Senator Kamala Harris. She is a powerful voice for this nation. Her story is the American story. She knows about all the obstacles thrown in the way of so many in our country. Women, Black women, Black Americans, South Asian Americans, immigrants, the left-out and left-behind.

But she’s overcome every obstacle she’s ever faced. No one’s been tougher on the big banks or the gun lobby. No one’s been tougher in calling out this current administration for its extremism, its failure to follow the law, and its failure to simply tell the truth.

Kamala and I both draw strength from our families. For Kamala, it’s Doug and their families.

For me, it’s Jill and ours.

No man deserves one great love in his life. But I’ve known two. After losing my first wife in a car accident, Jill came into my life and put our family back together.

She’s an educator. A mom. A military Mom. And an unstoppable force. If she puts her mind to it, just get out of the way. Because she’s going to get it done. She was a great Second Lady and she will make a great First Lady for this nation, she loves this country so much.

And I will have the strength that can only come from family. Hunter, Ashley and all our grandchildren, my brothers, my sister. They give me courage and lift me up.

And while he is no longer with us, Beau inspires me every day.

Beau served our nation in uniform. A decorated Iraq war veteran.

So I take very personally the profound responsibility of serving as Commander in Chief.

I will be a president who will stand with our allies and friends. I will make it clear to our adversaries the days of cozying up to dictators are over.

Under President Biden, America will not turn a blind eye to Russian bounties on the heads of American soldiers. Nor will I put up with foreign interference in our most sacred democratic exercise – voting.

I will stand always for our values of human rights and dignity. And I will work in common purpose for a more secure, peaceful, and prosperous world.

History has thrust one more urgent task on us. Will we be the generation that finally wipes the stain of racism from our national character?

I believe we’re up to it.

I believe we’re ready.

Just a week ago yesterday was the third anniversary of the events in Charlottesville.

Remember seeing those neo-Nazis and Klansmen and white supremacists coming out of the fields with lighted torches? Veins bulging? Spewing the same anti-Semitic bile heard across Europe in the ’30s?

Remember the violent clash that ensued between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it?

Remember what the president said?

There were quote, “very fine people on both sides.”

It was a wake-up call for us as a country.

And for me, a call to action. At that moment, I knew I’d have to run. My father taught us that silence was complicity. And I could not remain silent or complicit.

At the time, I said we were in a battle for the soul of this nation.

And we are.

One of the most important conversations I’ve had this entire campaign is with someone who is too young to vote.

I met with six-year old Gianna Floyd, a day before her Daddy George Floyd was laid to rest.

She is incredibly brave.

I’ll never forget.

When I leaned down to speak with her, she looked into my eyes and said “Daddy, changed the world.”

Her words burrowed deep into my heart.

Maybe George Floyd’s murder was the breaking point.

Maybe John Lewis’ passing the inspiration.

However it has come to be, America is ready to in John’s words, to lay down “the heavy burdens of hate at last” and to do the hard work of rooting out our systemic racism.

BidenHarris2020 supporters enjoy fireworks show in the parking lot of the Wilmington, Delaware convention center, that followed Joe Biden’s speech accepting the Democratic Nomination for president, all keeping COVID-19 protocols © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features

America’s history tells us that it has been in our darkest moments that we’ve made our greatest progress. That we’ve found the light. And in this dark moment, I believe we are poised to make great progress again. That we can find the light once more.

I have always believed you can define America in one word: Possibilities.

That in America, everyone, and I mean everyone, should be given the opportunity to go as far as their dreams and God-given ability will take them.

We can never lose that. In times as challenging as these, I believe there is only one way forward. As a united America. United in our pursuit of a more perfect Union. United in our dreams of a better future for us and for our children. United in our determination to make the coming years bright.

Are we ready?

I believe we are.

This is a great nation.

And we are a good and decent people.

This is the United States of America.

And there has never been anything we’ve been unable to accomplish when we’ve done it together.

The Irish poet Seamus Heaney once wrote:

“History says,

Don’t hope on this side of the grave,

But then, once in a lifetime

The longed-for tidal wave

Of justice can rise up,

And hope and history rhyme”

This is our moment to make hope and history rhyme.

With passion and purpose, let us begin – you and I together, one nation, under God – united in our love for America and united in our love for each other.

For love is more powerful than hate.

Hope is more powerful than fear.

Light is more powerful than dark.

This is our moment.

This is our mission.

May history be able to say that the end of this chapter of American darkness began here tonight as love and hope and light joined in the battle for the soul of the nation.

And this is a battle that we, together, will win.

I promise you.

Thank you.

And may God bless you.

And may God protect our troops.

Biden-Harris 2020, Democratic National Convention 2020, Democratic Party, Democrats 2020, Election 2020, Joe Biden, News & Photo Features

Joe Biden to Accept Democratic Nomination for President in DNC Final Night Themed ‘America’s Promise’

August 20, 2020 krubin

On this final night of the Democratic National Convention, Joe Biden delivers his acceptance speech and shows how as president, he will help all Americans realize “America’s Promise.” © Karen Rubin/news/photos-features.com

MILWAUKEE—The Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) today previewed the official program for the final night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, which will take place Thursday, August 20 from 9:00-11:00 PM Eastern.

The theme of Thursday’s program is “America’s Promise.” The measure of a president is the same as the measure of a person: What principles guide them? How do they handle adversity? Being president doesn’t change who you are—it reveals who you are. Joe Biden is a good man who believes in the promise of America, and as president, he will deliver on that promise for all.

A former public defender, a leading senator, and two-term vice president, Joe Biden is one of the most experienced candidates to ever seek the presidency. Throughout his career, he has been tested by historic recessions, global conflicts, pandemics, divisive politics, and the never-ending quest for justice and fairness in America. Every step of the way, he has risen to the moment with steady and effective leadership. When he gets knocked down, he gets back up.

Joe Biden is a leader who believes in America’s Promise—and believes in delivering on that promise for all of us.

Tonight features Americans sharing where they hope to be this time next year, elected officials standing up for the right to vote, including Senator Cory Booker, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, 2016 candidate Pete Buttigieg, Senators Tammy Baldwin, Tammy Duckworth, and Chris Coons, and the highlight of the evening, Vice President Joe Biden officially accepting the Democratic nomination for president.

As has been featured every night of the convention, between speeches segments, ordinary Americans across country will share their story and the hope they have in electing Joe Biden President and Kamala Harris Vice President.

Highlights from tonight’s program include:

THE PROMISE OF AMERICA

“This Time Next Year”
A collection of everyday Americans and prominent leaders share where they want to be this time next year—when Joe Biden is president.

Remarks
Andrew Yang
American businessman

Introduction
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
American actress

Pledge of Allegiance
Cedric Richmond, Jr.
Son of The Honorable Cedric Richmond, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Louisiana

National Anthem
The Chicks
Natalie Maines, Martie Erwin Maguire, and Emily Strayer

Invocation
Sister Simone Campbell
American Roman Catholic Religious Sister

Remarks
The Honorable Chris Coons
United States Senator, Delaware

Remarks
The Honorable Keisha Lance Bottoms
Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia

A Tribute to John Lewis
Directed by Dawn Porter

Performance
John Legend
American singer-songwriter
Common
American rapper, actor, and writer

Remarks
Jon Meacham
American writer and author

Remarks
The Honorable Deb Halaand
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, New Mexico

Remarks
The Honorable Alex Padilla
California Secretary of State
The Honorable Jocelyn Benson
Michigan Secretary of State

Remarks
The Honorable Cory Booker
United States Senator, New Jersey

“You Built America”: A Conversation on the Economy with Vice President Biden
Joe Biden listens to, and engages with, union workers around how to build an economy that rewards work.

Remarks
Dr. Vivek Murthy
Former Surgeon General of the United States

Remarks
The Honorable Tammy Baldwin
United States Senator, Wisconsin

The Biden Plan: Military Families
A video that focuses on Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden’s deep commitment to military families.

Remarks
The Honorable Tammy Duckworth
United States Senator, Illinois

A Tribute to Beau Biden
A video that focuses on the remarkable life and career of Beau Biden.

Remarks
The Honorable Pete Buttigieg
Former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana

“United We Stand”
Joe Biden through the eyes of those who ran against him in 2020—featuring Senator Cory Booker, Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Former Congressman Beto O’Rourke, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Andrew Yang.

Remarks
The Honorable Michael Bloomberg
Former Mayor of New York City, New York

The Biden Grandchildren
A video focused on Joe Biden’s family—and in particular his grandchildren, and their close bond.

Remarks
The Biden Children
Ashley Biden and Hunter Biden tell us about their father.

Biden Introduction
The story of Joe Biden’s life, up to this moment—from his parents, to his upbringing, to his greatest challenges, to his biggest successes, to the type of leader, father, husband, and person that he is.

Remarks
The Honorable Joe Biden
2020 Democratic Nominee for President of the United States
Former Vice President of the United States

How to Watch the 2020 Democratic National Convention

Viewers will have more than a dozen options for watching the 2020 Democratic National Convention, ensuring that this year’s convention will reach viewers where they are, however they prefer to watch, all across the nation.

With an unprecedented number of ways to tune in, this year’s convention will engage voters in new, innovative ways and unite the country around our shared values. The convention will take place over four nights from August 17-20, 2020. Convention programming will air live from 9:00-11:00 PM Eastern each night.

The official live stream for the 2020 Democratic National Convention will be hosted on DemConvention.com, where viewers can also find the full convention schedule, a digital toolkit to get involved, more resources for viewers, delegates and the media and additional plans and details.

In addition, the DNC is organizing watch parties all over the country, hosted with prominent leaders, as well as drive-in watch parties, like drive in movie theater where you watch on big screens – in Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Delaware.

The convention will air from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time every day, Monday through Thursday. There are a variety of ways to watch:

The official livestream will be here. It will also be available on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Twitch.
C-SPAN, CNN, MSNBC and PBS will cover the full two hours each night. ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News will carry the convention from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. each night.
The New York Times will stream the full convention every day, accompanied by chat-based live analysis from reporters and real-time highlights from the speeches.
Streams will be available on Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV by searching “Democratic National Convention” or “2020 DNC,” and on Amazon Prime Video by searching “DNC.”
The convention will air on AT&T U-verse (channels 212 and 1212) and AT&T DirectTV (channel 201). It will also air on Comcast Xfinity Flex and Comcast X1 (say “DNC” into your voice remote).
You can watch on a PlayStation 4 or PSVR through the Littlstar app.
If you have an Alexa device, you can say “Alexa, play the Democratic National Convention.”

Then, after the Convention, tune into a star-studded after-party happening on Thursday, August 20, at 11:00pm ET.

Hosted by Emmy Award-winning host, producer, and author, Andy Cohen, the event will be dropping into the homes of A-list celebrities and activists across the country for several segments, and the after party will be headlined by a never-before seen set for a special musical performance by Grammy Award-winning artist, record producer and DJ Diplo, one of the most dynamic forces in music today.

Other big names attending the after party include Alyssa Milano, Aubrey Plaza, Cat and Nicole Ehrlich Cora, Jaime Camil, Jason George, Elena Delle Donne, Keith Powell, Liza Koshy, Neil Casey, Michelle Kwan, and Zooey Deschanel.

This will be carried on the official livestream following the convention on all social platforms across the Biden campaign, DNC, and DNCC including official Facebook, Youtube, Twitter accounts, joebiden.com, and Twitch.

Biden-Harris 2020, Democratic National Convention 2020, Democratic Party, Democrats 2020, Election 2020, Joe Biden

You’re Invited! Star-Studded Democratic Convention After-Party

August 20, 2020 krubin

A very different ending to a very unconventional convention than the confetti which rained down to end the 2012 convention in Charlotte, NC: The Democratic National Convention Committee is inviting everyone to a star-studded after-party (c) Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

MILWAUKEE—The Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) will close a historic week with a star studded convention after party, happening on Thursday, August 20, at 11:00pm ET.

Hosted by Emmy Award-winning host, producer, and author, Andy Cohen, the event will be dropping into the homes of A-list celebrities and activists across the country for several segments, and the after party will be headlined by a never-before seen set for a special musical performance by Grammy Award-winning artist, record producer and DJ Diplo, one of the most dynamic forces in music today.

Other big names attending the after party include Alyssa Milano, Aubrey Plaza, Cat and Nicole Ehrlich Cora, Jaime Camil, Jason George, Elena Delle Donne, Keith Powell, Liza Koshy, Neil Casey, Michelle Kwan, and Zooey Deschanel.

DNC Chair Tom Perez, Sen. Chris Coons, and Biden for President Senior Adviser Symone Sanders are also expected to make an appearance.

The event will feature curated content that includes a call to action to bring awareness to important issues and to engage voters.

Where to Watch This will be carried on the official livestream following the convention on all social platforms across the Biden campaign, DNC, and DNCC including official Facebook, Youtube, Twitter accounts, joebiden.com, and Twitch.

Democratic National Convention 2020, Democratic Party, Democrats 2020, Election 2020, Joe Biden, News & Photo Features

Michelle Obama at DNC:’ To keep the possibility of progress alive, elect Joe Biden President’

August 19, 2020 krubin

Speaking to the 2020 Democratic National Convention, former First Lady Michelle Obama makes the argument that Donald Trump is not fit to be president, but Joe Biden, the former Vice President, has been proven and tested: “If we want to keep the possibility of progress alive in our time, if we want to be able to look our children in the eye after this election, we have got to reassert our place in American history. And we have got to do everything we can to elect my friend, Joe Biden, as the next president of the United States.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Former First Lady Michelle Obama gave a powerful, impassioned speech that struck at the heart of the momentous juncture the United States is at coming into the 2020 Election. She laid it on the line. Here is a highlighted transcript:

Good evening, everyone. It’s a hard time, and everyone’s feeling it in different ways. And I know a lot of folks are reluctant to tune into a political convention right now or to politics in general. Believe me, I get that. But I am here tonight because I love this country with all my heart, and it pains me to see so many people hurting.

I’ve met so many of you. I’ve heard your stories. And through you, I have seen this country’s promise. And thanks to so many who came before me, thanks to their toil and sweat and blood, I’ve been able to live that promise myself.

That’s the story of America. All those folks who sacrificed and overcame so much in their own times because they wanted something more, something better for their kids.

There’s a lot of beauty in that story. There’s a lot of pain in it, too, a lot of struggle and injustice and work left to do. And who we choose as our president in this election will determine whether or not we honor that struggle and chip away at that injustice and keep alive the very possibility of finishing that work.

I am one of a handful of people living today who have seen firsthand the immense weight and awesome power of the presidency. And let me once again tell you this: the job is hard. It requires clear-headed judgment, a mastery of complex and competing issues, a devotion to facts and history, a moral compass, and an ability to listen—and an abiding belief that each of the 330,000,000 lives in this country has meaning and worth.

A president’s words have the power to move markets. They can start wars or broker peace. They can summon our better angels or awaken our worst instincts. You simply cannot fake your way through this job.

As I’ve said before, being president doesn’t change who you are; it reveals who you are. Well, a presidential election can reveal who we are, too. And four years ago, too many people chose to believe that their votes didn’t matter. Maybe they were fed up. Maybe they thought the outcome wouldn’t be close. Maybe the barriers felt too steep. Whatever the reason, in the end, those choices sent someone to the Oval Office who lost the national popular vote by nearly 3,000,000 votes.

In one of the states that determined the outcome, the winning margin averaged out to just two votes per precinct—two votes. And we’ve all been living with the consequences.

When my husband left office with Joe Biden at his side, we had a record-breaking stretch of job creation. We’d secured the right to health care for 20,000,000 people. We were respected around the world, rallying our allies to confront climate change. And our leaders had worked hand-in-hand with scientists to help prevent an Ebola outbreak from becoming a global pandemic.

Four years later, the state of this nation is very different. More than 150,000 people have died, and our economy is in shambles because of a virus that this president downplayed for too long. It has left millions of people jobless. Too many have lost their health care; too many are struggling to take care of basic necessities like food and rent; too many communities have been left in the lurch to grapple with whether and how to open our schools safely. Internationally, we’ve turned our back, not just on agreements forged by my husband, but on alliances championed by presidents like Reagan and Eisenhower.

And here at home, as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and a never-ending list of innocent people of color continue to be murdered, stating the simple fact that a Black life matters is still met with derision from the nation’s highest office.

Because whenever we look to this White House for some leadership or consolation or any semblance of steadiness, what we get instead is chaos, division, and a total and utter lack of empathy.

Empathy: that’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. The ability to walk in someone else’s shoes; the recognition that someone else’s experience has value, too. Most of us practice this without a second thought. If we see someone suffering or struggling, we don’t stand in judgment. We reach out because, “There, but for the grace of God, go I.” It is not a hard concept to grasp. It’s what we teach our children.

And like so many of you, Barack and I have tried our best to instill in our girls a strong moral foundation to carry forward the values that our parents and grandparents poured into us. But right now, kids in this country are seeing what happens when we stop requiring empathy of one another. They’re looking around wondering if we’ve been lying to them this whole time about who we are and what we truly value.

They see people shouting in grocery stores, unwilling to wear a mask to keep us all safe. They see people calling the police on folks minding their own business just because of the color of their skin. They see an entitlement that says only certain people belong here, that greed is good, and winning is everything because as long as you come out on top, it doesn’t matter what happens to everyone else. And they see what happens when that lack of empathy is ginned up into outright disdain.

They see our leaders labeling fellow citizens enemies of the state while emboldening torch-bearing white supremacists. 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.

Sadly, this is the America that is on display for the next generation. A nation that’s underperforming not simply on matters of policy but on matters of character. And that’s not just disappointing; it’s downright infuriating, because I know the goodness and the grace that is out there in households and neighborhoods all across this nation.

And I know that regardless of our race, age, religion, or politics, when we close out the noise and the fear and truly open our hearts, we know that what’s going on in this country is just not right. This is not who we want to be.

So what do we do now? What’s our strategy? Over the past four years, a lot of people have asked me, “When others are going so low, does going high still really work?” My answer: going high is the only thing that works, because when we go low, when we use those same tactics of degrading and dehumanizing others, we just become part of the ugly noise that’s drowning out everything else. We degrade ourselves. We degrade the very causes for which we fight.

But let’s be clear: going high does not 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. 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.

And going high means unlocking the shackles of lies and mistrust with the only thing that can truly set us free: the cold hard truth.

So let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can. Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is.

Now, I understand that my message won’t be heard by some people. We live in a nation that is deeply divided, and I am a Black woman speaking at the Democratic Convention. But enough of you know me by now. You know that I tell you exactly what I’m feeling. You know I hate politics. But you also know that I care about this nation. You know how much I care about all of our children.

So if you take one thing from my words tonight, it is this: if you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can; and they will if we don’t make a change in this election. If we have any hope of ending this chaos, we have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it.

I know Joe. He is a profoundly decent man, guided by faith. He was a terrific vice president. He knows what it takes to rescue an economy, beat back a pandemic, and lead our country. And he listens. He will tell the truth and trust science. He will make smart plans and manage a good team. And he will govern as someone who’s lived a life that the rest of us can recognize.

When he was a kid, Joe’s father lost his job. When he was a young senator, Joe lost his wife and his baby daughter. And when he was vice president, he lost his beloved son. So Joe knows the anguish of sitting at a table with an empty chair, which is why he gives his time so freely to grieving parents. Joe knows what it’s like to struggle, which is why he gives his personal phone number to kids overcoming a stutter of their own.

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.

Now, Joe is not perfect. And he’d be the first to tell you that. But there is no perfect candidate, no perfect president. And his ability to learn and grow—we find in that the kind of humility and maturity that so many of us yearn for right now. Because Joe Biden has served this nation his entire life without ever losing sight of who he is; but more than that, he has never lost sight of who we are, all of us.

Joe Biden wants all of our kids to go to a good school, see a doctor when they’re sick, live on a healthy planet. And he’s got plans to make all of that happen. Joe Biden wants all of our kids, no matter what they look like, to be able to walk out the door without worrying about being harassed or arrested or killed. He wants all of our kids to be able to go to a movie or a math class without being afraid of getting shot. He wants all our kids to grow up with leaders who won’t just serve themselves and their wealthy peers but will provide a safety net for people facing hard times.

And if we want a chance to pursue any of these goals, any of these most basic requirements for a functioning society, we have to vote for Joe Biden in numbers that cannot be ignored. Because right now, folks who know they cannot win fair and square at the ballot box are doing everything they can to stop us from voting. They’re closing down polling places in minority neighborhoods. They’re purging voter rolls. They’re sending people out to intimidate voters, and they’re lying about the security of our ballots. These tactics are not new.

But this is not the time to withhold our votes in protest or play games with candidates who have no chance of winning. We have got to vote like we did in 2008 and 2012. We’ve got to show up with the same level of passion and hope for Joe Biden. We’ve got to vote early, in person if we can. We’ve got to request our mail-in ballots right now, tonight, and send them back immediately and follow-up to make sure they’re received. And then, make sure our friends and families do the same.

We have got to grab our comfortable shoes, put on our masks, pack a brown bag dinner and maybe breakfast too, because we’ve got to be willing to stand in line all night if we have to.

Look, we have already sacrificed so much this year. So many of you are already going that extra mile. Even when you’re exhausted, you’re mustering up unimaginable courage to put on those scrubs and give our loved ones a fighting chance. Even when you’re anxious, you’re delivering those packages, stocking those shelves, and doing all that essential work so that all of us can keep moving forward.

Even when it all feels so overwhelming, working parents are somehow piecing it all together without child care. Teachers are getting creative so that our kids can still learn and grow. Our young people are desperately fighting to pursue their dreams.

And when the horrors of systemic racism shook our country and our consciences, millions of Americans of every age, every background rose up to march for each other, crying out for justice and progress.

This is who we still are: compassionate, resilient, decent people whose fortunes are bound up with one another. And it is well past time for our leaders to once again reflect our truth.

So, it is up to us to add our voices and our votes to the course of history, echoing heroes like John Lewis who said, “When you see something that is not right, you must say something. You must do something.” That is the truest form of empathy: not just feeling, but doing; not just for ourselves or our kids, but for everyone, for all our kids.

And if we want to keep the possibility of progress alive in our time, if we want to be able to look our children in the eye after this election, we have got to reassert our place in American history. And we have got to do everything we can to elect my friend, Joe Biden, as the next president of the United States.

Thank you all. God bless

Democratic Party, Democrats 2020, Election 2020, Joe Biden, News & Photo Features

Delegates to 2020 DNC Delegates To Cast Nominating Votes from Cities, Locations, Landmarks Across Nation in Roll Call Unlike Any Other

August 18, 2020 krubin

Activist Khizr Khan will reflect on the racial violence that claimed a life in his beloved home city of Charlottesville when he joins the Roll Call nominating Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate for president. Delegates will cast nominating votes from cities, locations and landmarks across the nation in a roll call unlike any other © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

MILWAUKEE—The Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) today announced some of the everyday Americans who will cast their official nominating votes for president of the United States during tonight’s “Roll Call Across America.” The roll call vote will take place under tonight’s theme, “Leadership Matters,” and spotlight those who are stepping up in this moment of crisis to play their part in the democratic process.

“A moment like this demands leadership—not just from those we’ve elected, but from all of us,” said Joe Solmonese, CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee. “All across the nation Americans are answering that call to action, and tonight we hope viewers are inspired to see their neighbors overcoming Donald Trump’s chaos and joining Joe Biden in his battle for the soul of our nation.”

Over the course of 30 minutes, the reimagined roll call process will take convention viewers to all 57 states and territories. Democrats will tell a story about the strength of the American people in overcoming the chaos and crisis of Donald Trump and fighting for a better America. Viewers will hear from delegates, parents, teachers, small business owners, essential workers, activists and elected leaders in the Democratic Party as they officially cast votes to nominate Joe Biden to become the next president. And viewers will see these votes cast not on a convention floor, but at businesses, inside living rooms, and in front of iconic landmarks in cities and towns nationwide.

Participants include:

ALABAMA
Rep. Terri Sewell will invoke the memory of Rep. John Lewis to advocate for restoring the Voting Rights Act.

ALASKA
Veteran, fisherman, and party activist Chuck Degnan will discuss the impact of climate change on tribal waters.

AMERICAN SAMOA
Party leaders Aliitama Sotoa and Patti Matila will celebrate American Samoa’s legacy of military service—and Joe Biden’s work to improve the territory’s infrastructure.

ARIZONA
Middle school social studies teacher Marisol Garcia will discuss remote learning from the perspective of teachers, parents, and activists.

ARKANSAS
Chef Gilbert Alaquinez will describe his work delivering meals prepared at the Clinton Presidential Center to local families via food trucks.

CALIFORNIA
Sec. Hilda Solis and Rep. Barbara Lee will highlight the importance of Joe Biden’s clean energy plan for communities of color.

COLORADO
Immigrant and party activist Howard Chou and his family will discuss the challenges facing working parents during the pandemic.

CONNECTICUT
Veteran firefighter Peter Carozza will explain why he and his fellow first responders trust in Joe Biden’s courage and commitment to working Americans.

DELAWARE
Gov. John Carney and Sen. Tom Carper will share a local perspective on Delaware’s favorite son.

DEMOCRATS ABROAD
Organizer Julia Bryan will offer a call to action for Americans living abroad to get involved in this election.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Mayor Muriel Bowser will issue a call for DC statehood.

FLORIDA
Gun safety activist Fred Guttenberg will describe Joe Biden’s compassion in the wake of his daughter’s murder in Parkland and commitment to defeating the NRA.

GEORGIA
State Sen. Nikema Williams, candidate for John Lewis’s seat in Congress, will urge viewers to overcome voter suppression.

GUAM
Party chair Sarah Thomas-Nededog will celebrate the 70th anniversary of Guam citizens becoming American citizens.

HAWAII
Civil rights activist Dr. Amy Agbayani will offer a special personal message to American immigrants.

IDAHO
Mayor Lauren McLean will share her city’s bold response to climate change.

ILLINOIS
Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun will discuss the Biden plan for racial justice in housing.

INDIANA
Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg will describe his city’s revitalization and the Biden plan to do the same nationwide.

IOWA
Secretary Tom Vilsack will take a moment to share best wishes for Iowans suffering after last week’s storm.

KANSAS
Fourth-generation family farmer Mark Pringle will share his concern about the future of rural America and his confidence in the Biden plan for revitalizing rural communities.

KENTUCKY
Education advocate Colmon Elridge will share a personal story about Joe Biden’s commitment to improving American health care.

LOUISIANA
Rep. Cedric Richmond and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell will visit a thriving independent art studio to highlight the importance of small businesses to cities.

MAINE
State Rep. Craig Hickman, the first openly gay African American to serve in the Maine House of Representatives, will take us inside his American dream.

MARYLAND
City Council President Brandon Scott and college student Bianca Shah will describe the Biden plan for racial justice in the economy.

MASSACHUSETTS
State Rep. Claire Cronin will highlight the Biden plan to help our economy recover from the pandemic.

MICHIGAN
Sen. Gary Peters and UAW auto worker Ray Curry will discuss how Joe Biden saved the Michigan auto industry and his plan to create a million new auto jobs.

MINNESOTA
Sen. Amy Klobuchar will discuss Joe Biden’s ability to bring people together before throwing it across the Mississippi River to St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter.

MISSISSIPPI
College president Dr. Carmen Walters will discuss the history of the HBCU she leads and the Biden plan to invest in these important institutions.

MISSOURI
Bricklayer Reuben Gill will praise the contributions of his fellow working men and women and the Biden plan to invest in infrastructure.

MONTANA
Recent college graduate Rachel Prevost will describe her senior year of remote learning and highlights the importance of rural broadband.

NEBRASKA
Meatpacking plant employee Geraldine Waller will share a personal perspective on the dangers facing essential workers during the pandemic.

NEVADA
Backed by an array of working Nevadans, Rep. Dina Titus will describe the Biden plan for putting workers first in our economy.

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Gov. John Lynch will offer his personal endorsement of Joe Biden’s leadership skills.

NEW JERSEY
Gov. Phil Murphy will mark the impact of the pandemic on his state and explains why Joe Biden is the right leader to help us recover.

NEW MEXICO
Tribal member and state Rep. Derrick Lente will celebrate his state’s diversity and commitment to preserving natural and cultural resources.

NEW YORK
Registered nurse and a member of 1199SEIU Scheena Iyande Tannis will offer a raw personal perspective on the dangers facing health care workers.

NORTH CAROLINA
Longtime Democratic activist Cozzie Watkins will offer a call to action for Black women.

*NORTH DAKOTA
Tribal citizen and advocate Cesar Alvarez will discuss his unique path to college and Joe Biden’s plan to open up educational opportunity.

NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
Party chair Nola Kileleman Hix will describe her organizing efforts as the young leader of the party in the NMI.

OHIO
Rep. Tim Ryan and IBEW organizer Josh Abernathy will describe Donald Trump’s broken promises to Ohio workers and the Biden plan to invest in America.

OKLAHOMA
Party chair Alicia Andrews will reflect on the lessons of the Tulsa Race Massacre.

OREGON
Activist Dr. Rosa Colquitt and registered nurse Travis Nelson will discuss racial disparities in health care.

PENNSYLVANIA
Sen. Bob Casey, a fellow Scranton native, will talk about how Joe Biden’s childhood in Scranton formed his commitment to working families.

PUERTO RICO
Sen. Carmelo Rios-Santiago, will highlight Donald Trump’s abandonment of Americans in Puerto Rico.

RHODE ISLAND
State Rep. Joseph McNamara will discuss the impact of the pandemic on his state’s restaurants and fisherman and shows off the mouth-watering flavors of Rhode Island seafood.

SOUTH CAROLINA
Senate candidate Jaime Harrison will speak from the alma mater of Rep. Jim Clyburn and his late wife Emily.

SOUTH DAKOTA
Tribal activist Kellen Returns From Scout will issue a plea for forward-looking leadership.

TENNESSEE
On the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment, college student Keely Sage will visit the headquarters of the suffragists to discuss her own first vote for President and the role of women in this election.

TEXAS
Rep. Veronica Escobar will reflect on the lessons of the August 2019 massacre in El Paso.

UTAH
Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson will debunk misinformation about mail-in voting.

VERMONT
Gubernatorial candidate and Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, joined by Jane and Bernie Sanders and other Vermont activists, will speak out for justice.

VIRGIN ISLANDS
Chair Cecil Benjamin will lead a colorful tribute to Joe Biden’s leadership.

VIRGINIA
Activist Khizr Khan will reflect on the racial violence that claimed a life in his beloved home city of Charlottesville.

WASHINGTON
State Rep. My-Linh Thai, a former refugee, will share her commitment to the public schools that gave her a chance to contribute to her new home.

WEST VIRGINIA
Veteran educator and union organizer Fred Albert will discuss how teachers and parents can work together to create change.

WISCONSIN
Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes will share his personal story and a call to action for a brighter future.

WYOMING
Activists Judy and Dennis Shepherd will discuss Joe Biden’s leadership to stop hate crimes against LGBTQ Americans in the wake of their son Matthew’s murder.

Democratic Party, Democrats 2020, Election 2020, Joe Biden, News & Photo Features

‘Leadership Matters’ is Theme of Day 2 of Democratic National Convention Nominating Biden for POTUS

August 18, 2020 krubin

Dr. Jill Biden, here introducing Vice President Joe Biden at the 2016 DNC,, highlights Night Two of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, themed “Leadership Matters,” when Biden will formally be nominated after a roll call unlike any before (c) Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

MILWAUKEE—The Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) today previewed the official program for night two of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, happening Tuesday, August 18 from 9:00-11:00 PM Eastern.

The theme of Tuesday’s program is “Leadership Matters.” A moment like now demands real leadership. A leader who has the experience and character to meet the moment. A leader who will unite us, tell us the truth, take responsibility, listen to experts and be an example for the nation. Strong people and strong countries rise up during crises, don’t shy away from what is tough, and lead with competence. With Joe Biden as our president, we will restore honesty and integrity to our government, and stake out a renewed leadership role in the world. And we will create more justice, more fairness and more equality for all.

Tonight’s focus is on the leaders and the experts, the veterans, the activists, and all those who seek to unite and not divide, and who step up—and don’t back down—from a fight over what’s right.

Highlights of tonight’s program:

LEADERSHIP MATTERS

Call to Order
The Honorable Tom Barrett
Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Credentials Committee Report
James Roosevelt Jr.
Co-Chair of the Credentials Committee
Lorraine Miller
Co-Chair of the Credentials Committee

Rules Committee Report
The Honorable Barney Frank
Co-Chair of the Credentials Committee
Maria Cardona
Co-Chair of the Credentials Committee

Platform Committee Report
Julie Chavez Rodriguez
Co-Chair of the Credentials Committee
Dennis McDonough
Co-Chair of the Credentials Committee

THE LEADERS WE ARE

Keynote Address: “We Step Up to Lead”
Young and diverse elected leaders will offer different ideas and different perspectives during the keynote address, but everyone will speak to the future we’re building together—and why we need Joe Biden’s leadership right now.

Full list of participants here.

Introduction
Tracee Ellis Ross
American actress

We Respect the Constitution

Remarks
Sally Yates
Former Acting Attorney General of the United States

Remarks
The Honorable Charles Schumer
Minority Leader of the United States Senate
We Lead from the Oval Office

Remarks
Caroline Kennedy
Former U.S. Ambassador, daughter of President John F. Kennedy
Jack Schlossberg
Grandson of President John F. Kennedy

Remarks
The Honorable Jimmy Carter
39th President of the United States
Rosalynn Carter
Former First Lady of the United States

Remarks
The Honorable Bill Clinton
42nd President of the United States

THE LEADER WE NEED

Introduction
Tom Perez
Chairman of the Democratic National Committee

Nominating Speeches for The Honorable Bernie Sanders
Bob King
Former President of the United Auto Workers
The Honorable Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, New York

Nominating Speeches for The Honorable Joe Biden
The Honorable Chris Coons
United States Senator, Delaware
The Honorable Lisa Blunt Rochester
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Delaware

Roll Call Across America

THE LEADERS WE ARE

We Take On the Toughest Challenges

The Biden Plan: Healthcare
We share Joe Biden’s plan to strengthen the Affordable Care Act, protect those with preexisting conditions, and expand access to every American – because for Joe Biden and his family, this is personal.

A More Perfect Union: A Conversation on Healthcare
Joe Biden listens to, and engages with, everyday Americans on what the Affordable Care Act means to them, to their health, and to their loved ones – and they all stress why we can’t stop working to expand access and bring costs down, especially during this pandemic.

Remarks
Ady Barkan
Progressive activist

THE LEADER JOE BIDEN IS

Remarks
The Honorable John Kerry
Former United States Secretary of State
Former United States Senator, Massachusetts
2004 Democratic Nominee for President

A True Commander-In-Chief

The Biden Plan: National Security
National Security leaders who have served Democratic and Republican Presidents make the case for Joe Biden’s steady, experienced leadership.

Family, Faith, and Country First

“Teacher”
The story of Dr. Biden’s life, her career, and her relationship with Joe Biden, family, and staff.

Remarks
Dr. Jill Biden
Former Second Lady of the United States

Performance
John Legend
American singer-songwriter

How to Watch the 2020 Democratic National Convention

The convention will air from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time every day, Monday through Thursday. There are a variety of ways to watch:

The official livestream will be here. It will also be available on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Twitch.
C-SPAN, CNN, MSNBC and PBS will cover the full two hours each night. ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News will carry the convention from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. each night.
The New York Times will stream the full convention every day, accompanied by chat-based live analysis from reporters and real-time highlights from the speeches.
Streams will be available on Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV by searching “Democratic National Convention” or “2020 DNC,” and on Amazon Prime Video by searching “DNC.”
The convention will air on AT&T U-verse (channels 212 and 1212) and AT&T DirectTV (channel 201). It will also air on Comcast Xfinity Flex and Comcast X1 (say “DNC” into your voice remote).
You can watch on a PlayStation 4 or PSVR through the Littlstar app.
If you have an Alexa device, you can say “Alexa, play the Democratic National Convention.”

The Democratic National Convention is the formal event during which delegates of the Democratic Party choose the party’s nominees for president and vice president in the 2020 election. At the convention, the Democratic Party also adopts the official Democratic Party platform as well as the rules and procedures governing party activities, including the nomination process for presidential candidates in the next election cycle. www.DemConvention.com

Democratic Party, Democrats 2020, Election 2020, Joe Biden, News & Photo Features

Michelle Obama Headlines Day 1 of 2020 Democratic National Convention That Will Officially Nominate Biden for President

August 17, 2020 krubin

Former First Lady Michelle Obama, here addressing the 2012 Democratic National Convention, will highlight the first day of the DNC’s first-ever virtual convention © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Former first Lady Michelle Obama headlines a stellar list of speakers that also includes Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo, with a diverse line-up intended to convey the theme, “We the People,” for the first night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention. The first-in-history virtual convention offers multiple ways to view and participate, including watch-parties led by prominent leaders and drive-in watch parties.

MILWAUKEE—The Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) today previewed the official program for the opening night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, happening Monday, August 17 from 9:00-11:00 PM Eastern.

“The theme of Monday’s program is “We the People.” America is facing a series of monumental challenges—as the COVID-19 pandemic continues its rampage, tens of millions of people are out of work, and our nation confronts a legacy of racial injustice that has marginalized too many. But as we have learned throughout our history, when we stand united, we can overcome anything.

“Tonight the nation will hear from the many Americans who are rising up to take on these three crises, and who will join Joe Biden in building back better and moving this country forward. With Joe Biden as president, ‘we the people’ will mean all the people.”

Highlights from tonight’s program, with additional special guests slated to join throughout the evening:

WE THE PEOPLE

Introduction
Eva Longoria
American actress

“We the People” Gavel In

Everyday Americans will read the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution, before Convention Chair and The Honorable Bennie Thompson officially gavels in the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

Call to Order
The Honorable Bennie Thompson
Permanent Chair of the 2020 Democratic National Convention
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Mississippi

Pledge of Allegiance

National Anthem
A multicultural choir performing virtually with singers representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Cheyenne Nation and five territories, including Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Invocation
Reverend Gabriel Salguero
President of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition
Co-lead pastor of The Lamb’s Church in New York, New York

Remarks
The Honorable Gwen Moore
Sergeant-at-Arms of the 2020 Democratic National Convention
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Wisconsin

WE THE PEOPLE DEMANDING RACIAL JUSTICE

Remarks
The Honorable Muriel Bowser
Mayor of Washington, D.C.

Performance
Leon Bridges
American singer

“The Path Forward”: A Conversation with Vice President Biden on Racial Justice
Vice President Biden engages with, and listens to, social justice activist Jamira Burley, Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, NAACP President Derrick Johnson, and author Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner, about how America can move forward towards equality, fairness, and justice for all.

Remarks
The Honorable James Clyburn
House Democratic Whip
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, South Carolina

WE THE PEOPLE HELPING EACH OTHER THROUGH COVID-19

Remarks
The Honorable Andrew Cuomo
Governor of the State of New York

Remarks
Kristin Urquiza
A woman whose father lost his life to COVID-19.

A Conversation with Healthcare Workers on the Front Lines
A conversation with a doctor, paramedic, and two nurses on the front lines of this pandemic about what they’ve endured, and what’s at stake in this election for America’s essential medical workers.

Introduction of Performer
The Honorable Sara Gideon
Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives

Performance
Maggie Rogers
American singer-songwriter

Remarks
The Honorable Gretchen Whitmer
Governor of the State of Michigan

WE THE PEOPLE PUTTING COUNTRY OVER PARTY

Remarks
The Honorable Christine Whitman
Former Governor of New Jersey

Meg Whitman
Former CEO of Hewlett Packard

The Honorable Susan Molinari
Former Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, New York

Remarks
The Honorable John Kasich
Former Governor of the State of Ohio

Remarks
The Honorable Doug Jones
United States Senator, Alabama

Remarks
The Honorable Catherine Cortez Masto
United States Senator, Nevada

Remarks
The Honorable Amy Klobuchar
United States Senator, Minnesota

“United We Stand”
Former 2020 Democratic candidates for president of the United States will come together once again to talk about why they ran, what they’re fighting for, and why they believe Joe Biden will bring the nation together, move the nation out of crisis and chaos, and move us forward —featuring Vice Presidential Nominee and Senator Kamala Harris, Senator Cory Booker, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Governor Jay Inslee, Senator Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Representative Seth Moulton, Former U.S. Representative Beto O’Rourke, Tom Steyer, and Andrew Yang.

WE THE PEOPLE RECOVERING

Remarks
The Honorable Cedric Richmond
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Louisiana

Remarks
The Honorable Bernie Sanders
United States Senator, Vermont

WE THE PEOPLE RISE

Keynote Remarks
Michelle Obama
Former First Lady of the United States

Performance
Billy Porter and Steven Stills
American singer-songwriters

Benediction
Reverend Dr. Jerry Young
18th President of the National Baptist Convention, USA

How to Watch the 2020 Democratic National Convention

The convention will air from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time every day, Monday through Thursday. There are a variety of ways to watch:

The official livestream will be here. It will also be available on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Twitch.
C-SPAN, CNN, MSNBC and PBS will cover the full two hours each night. ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News will carry the convention from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. each night.
The New York Times will stream the full convention every day, accompanied by chat-based live analysis from reporters and real-time highlights from the speeches.
Streams will be available on Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV by searching “Democratic National Convention” or “2020 DNC,” and on Amazon Prime Video by searching “DNC.”
The convention will air on AT&T U-verse (channels 212 and 1212) and AT&T DirectTV (channel 201). It will also air on Comcast Xfinity Flex and Comcast X1 (say “DNC” into your voice remote).
You can watch on a PlayStation 4 or PSVR through the Littlstar app.
If you have an Alexa device, you can say “Alexa, play the Democratic National Convention.”

Coronavirus Pandemic, Democrats 2020, Donald Trump, Election 2020, Joe Biden

Biden: Trump’s 152 Covid-19 Lies & Counting, Causing Loss of Lives, Livehoods

August 14, 2020 krubin

Refrigerator truck serves as mobile morgue outside New York City hospital in March 2020. Biden cites 152 lies (and counting) Trump has made about the coronavirus pandemic, and faults Trump for US having 25 percent of the COVID-19 cases and deaths, and deeper, longer economic collapse than other Industrialized nations. The coronavirus has already hit over 5 million Americans, killed nearly 170,000, and put 36 million out of work © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com.

BIDEN FOR PRESIDENT REPORT

TO:   Interested Parties
FROM: Kate Bedingfield, Deputy Campaign Manager and Communications Director
RE:   President Trump’s Coronavirus Lies: 152 and Counting
DATE:     August 14, 2020

As Vice President Biden has said many times, the American people can face any challenge if you simply tell them the truth, but from the very beginning of this crisis President Trump has refused to be honest with the American people about the scope of the challenge that we face with COVID-19, or the steps needed to stop it, save lives, and get our country back to work.

Simply put, Trump has regularly lied to the American people on matters of life-and-death. This report details over 150 instances of Trump’s misleading claims or outright mistruths. There are undoubtedly more. As our country crosses the grim milestone of five million coronavirus cases, it shows the clear cost to the American people of his dishonesty.

From the outset, President Trump has lied by downplaying the threat posed by COVID-19, claiming that “one day, like a miracle, it will disappear” — repeating Chinese Communist Party propaganda about the virus instead of listening to the warnings being raised by our government’s leading public health experts and the intelligence community. Many months later, Trump has repeatedly returned to this same lie even as cases spike and America faces the worst outbreak among any advanced economy .

Trump has lied by attacking the medical experts who should be guiding our response — launching personal attacks at Dr. Fauci, twisting the advice being provided by the top public health experts in America, and constantly undermining guidance from them on the steps we must take to get COVID-19 under control. Unfortunately for Trump, poll after poll shows that the American people overwhelmingly trust the experts like Dr. Fauci over him.

Similarly, President Trump has misled the American people by hawking unproven, and possibly dangerous, treatments for the coronavirus even as he spent months dismissing and even attacking common sense steps to slow the spread of the virus, including wearing a mask and practicing social distancing.

We can, and we must, do better than Donald Trump’s lies if we want to stop COVID-19. At every step of this crisis, Trump’s failed leadership has produced tragic results, with more than 160,000 Americans dead, over five million infected, and our economy reeling from the biggest contraction in recorded history.

To beat this virus, we need a President who will level with the American people and tell them the truth about the challenges we face, and how to overcome them. Vice President Biden knows that if we’re going to beat this virus, we need to be honest with the American people — we need a President who leads by example, not someone who shirks responsibility and lies constantly in an attempt to cover up for his own failures.

That’s why Vice President Biden has laid out a bold plan to combat this virus — starting by listening to the experts, telling the truth about what it will take to overcome this scourge, and then mobilizing our country to get it done. That’s how we’ve always come together as one America, united in common purpose, to face the greatest challenges that have faced our nation, and that’s exactly how we’re going to beat COVID-19.

TRUMP’S COVID-19 LIES:

A. Minimizing the Threat of the Virus:

Trump claimed that the threat of coronavirus to the U.S. was a Democrat political hoax.
Trump repeatedly undersold the threat of the virus and claimed his administration was “ahead” of it.
Trump claimed the media was exaggerating the threat of coronavirus.
Trump repeatedly claimed that the virus would simply “go away.”
Trump claimed that warmer weather weakens the virus, and that it would go away by April, based on information given to him by President Xi.
In mid-April, Trump claimed that some states did not have “any problem” with coronavirus.
In July, Trump claimed that “large portions” of the U.S. are “corona-free.”
Trump repeatedly implied the virus was no more serious than the seasonal flu.
Trump baselessly asserted that the coronavirus mortality rate calculated by the WHO is incorrect.
Trump claimed that the virus is 99% harmless.
In mid-June, Trump claimed that the virus was “dying out” and “leaving.”
Trump has downplayed recent surges as “flames” that could easily be “put out.”
Trump has repeatedly understated the crisis in Florida.
Trump implies that the virus does not harm young people and that children are “virtually immune.”
Trump said that coronavirus could be referred to as simply “a flu” or “a germ,” and that no one really knows what to call it.
Trump claimed that one of the COVID-19 death projections did not account for mitigation measures, like social distancing.
Trump tried to differentiate the Spanish influenza from the current pandemic by claiming that the mortality rate among those infected was 50%.
Trump claimed that health experts, including Dr. Fauci, said coronavirus was not a problem in February.
Trump claimed that “nobody knew anything” about the virus in January.
Trump claimed, in early March, that the virus had only hit three weeks ago.
In April, Trump claimed, “you may not even have corona coming back” in a second wave.

B. Trump’s Response to Virus:
General:

Trump claimed that no one could have predicted that the United States would face a pandemic because of coronavirus.
Trump lied about and exaggerated the efficacy of his administration’s response, claiming that they had done a “great” job at containing and combating the virus.
Trump repeatedly claimed that the virus was “under control.”
Trump claims that the United States’ response to the virus has been the most aggressive in the world.
Trump baselessly claims that he has been “right” about coronavirus more than anyone else, including public health experts.
Trump misleadingly cited a Gallup poll to exaggerate the approval ratings of his administration’s response to Coronavirus.
Trump claimed that the public’s approval rating of his response to the virus was higher than the approval of the Obama administration’s handling of H1N1.

China Travel Restrictions:

On at least 40 occasions, Trump claimed he had imposed an outright “ban” on travel from China and “closed the borders” against the advice of experts, which he has claimed saved “thousands,” “hundreds of thousands,” and even “millions” of lives.
Trump claimed he was the first to restrict travel to and from China. He was particularly adamant that Italy and other European countries had not limited travel to and from China, which led to their high number of coronavirus cases.
Trump claimed that everyone, including public health experts, disagreed with his decision to implement restrictions from China.

Europe Travel Restrictions:

Trump claimed at least 20 times to have banned travel from Europe, and claimed that all U.S. citizens travelling from Europe would be subject to screening, testing, and quarantine if necessary.
Trump claimed to have barred travel to Italy prior to his March 11 ban on travel to all of Europe.
Trump claims that cases are also surging in European countries because of their extended lock-down orders.

U.S. Borders:

Trump claimed the U.S. had some troops on the U.S.-Canadian Border.
Trump claims that without more stringent patrol of the U.S.-Mexico border, the border would have become the “global epicenter of the viral transmission.”

Dr. Fauci:

Trump attempts to undermine Dr. Fauci’s credibility with false claims about Fauci’s past recommendations.
Trump claims he has a very good relationship with Dr. Fauci and has distanced himself from his administration’s attempts to discredit Dr. Fauci.

Other Claims:

Trump claimed states did not need federal assistance to acquire medical supplies and personal protective equipment and that they were fully stocked.
Trump claimed in April that he hadn’t left the White House in “months.”
Trump repeatedly claimed to have fully invoked the Defense Production Act (DPA), which enables the federal government to order private industry to produce specific items like testing and PPE when he had not actually done so.

C. Testing Capacities:
Nature of Tests:

Trump claimed multiple times that testing was readily available for anyone who wanted one.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that U.S. testing is “perfect” and the “best in the world.”
Trump later admitted that there were some issues with the initial coronavirus test, but claimed it took “about a week” to solve.
Trump claimed that testing was “overrated.” and that “testing isn’t necessary.”
Trump said past administrations were to blame for his administration’s delays in developing and deploying coronavirus tests.

Number of Tests:

Trump has continuously claimed that the United States is “number one” in testing, or has the “best testing.”
In March, Trump claimed that the U.S. had done more testing than any other nation, including South Korea.
By April, Trump escalated his previous lie and claimed that the U.S. had completed more coronavirus tests than the rest of the world (or all other “major” countries) combined. He has made some version of this claim at least 13 times.
Trump said the U.S. would not “need anywhere near” 5 million tests.
Trump said in late April that we would reach 5 million tests conducted per day “very soon.”
Trump claimed that the federal government was providing more testing capacities than Governors needed.
Trump baselessly claimed the report by the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, which detailed complaints from hospitals regarding wait times and shortages of testing supplies, was “wrong” and politically motivated.
Trump exaggerated the number of tests that the U.S. had completed.

Number of Cases:

Throughout the spring, Trump claimed the U.S. had reached its peak in cases and was “heading down.”
Trump claims that we only have the highest number of coronavirus cases globally because we were doing the most testing in the world.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that coronavirus cases only surged in June because of increased testing.
When forced to admit that the increase in cases is not exclusively a result of more testing, Trump claims that most of the cases are harmless.

Testing and the Private Sector:

Trump claimed that Google had engineered a website that helped Americans decide whether they need testing, and where they could obtain it.
Trump claimed testing was available and provided to passengers on trains and planes.
In May, Trump said workers returning to their jobs “should have no problem” obtaining a coronavirus test.

D. Coronavirus Deaths and Mortality Rates:

On April 10, Trump said that the final number of U.S. deaths could be as few as 55,000.
In mid-April, Trump predicted that the total number of casualties would be around 50,000 – 60,000.
In late April, Trump predicted that the total number of casualties would be around 60,000 – 70,000.
On May 1, Trump estimated that the total number of coronavirus deaths would be under 100,000.
Trump misleadingly compared the coronavirus deaths with the projected number of deaths, absent any mitigation.
Trump claimed that the U.S. coronavirus mortality rate is one of the best in the world.
Trump claims that the death rate is a better indicator than new cases.
Trump claimed in mid-July the death rate from coronavirus was “down tenfold.”

E. Personal Protective Equipment:
General:

Trump claimed that hospitals were artificially inflating their need for equipment.
Trump claimed that no one could have predicted that the country would ever need tens of thousands of ventilators.

States and Personal Protective Equipment:

Trump claimed that, by mid-April, there was no demand for ventilators.
Trump seemed to endorse Jared Kushner’s claim that the Strategic National Stockpile was the federal government’s, and was not intended to be shared with the states.
Trump claimed that NY state had rejected recommendations to buy 16,000 ventilators at a cheap price in 2015, and NY state had established lotteries and death panels in response to the virus.
Trump claimed that NY State asked for more ventilators without realizing that eight thousand had already been delivered to the state.
Trump claimed to have never said that governors were asking for equipment they did not need.
Trump claims he did not threaten to limit help to governors who “did not treat him right.”
Trump claimed that the federal government was providing states with all the materials they need.
Trump claimed that Governor Cuomo sent sick patients back to nursing homes when they could have been treated on the USNS Comfort.

Private Sector Involvement:

Trump claimed that automotive companies were producing ventilators, per his orders, by mid-March.

F. Treatments and Vaccines:
Vaccine:

Trump repeatedly claimed a vaccine would be available “soon.”
Trump said the virus would go away without a vaccine.

Hydroxychloroquine:

Trump repeatedly said that the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine was proven effective in treating coronavirus.
Trump repeatedly said that the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine is safe to use to treat COVID-19.
Trump denounced a report conducted at Veterans Administration hospitals, which found no evidence that hydroxychloroquine helped people, and in fact may increase likelihood of death. He also claimed it was the only study that undercut his claims regarding the drug.

Other Treatment-Related Lies:

Trump says he is “all for masks.”
Trump rejects the idea that widespread mask usage would successfully prevent the spread of the virus and claims that masks can actually cause problems and are a “double-edged sword.”
Trump later undersells the value of wearing masks, only tepidly endorsing their use.
Trump claims that governors “go by the CDC guidelines” regarding masks.
Trump said that he was being sarcastic when he asked medical experts to look into viability of injecting disinfectants to treat virus, that he had only asked medical experts to look into whether or not the sun could treat the virus, and that he was only talking about using disinfectants on hands, not to ingest.
Trump retweeted a conspiracy video that claimed that neither masks nor shutdowns were necessary to combat coronavirus, and that hydroxychloroquine is the cure for coronavirus, and later endorsed the video and said the video makers were “respected” doctors.
Trump claims that he had not been asking Dr. Birx questions about the impact of sunlight and heat, but was instead speaking to the laboratory expert about sunlight.

G. Other China-Related Lies:

Trump claimed that, although the virus spread out of China, China contained it to Wuhan.
Trump exaggerated Tim Cook’s statement that Apple production plants in China were “back to normal” at the end of February.

H. World Health Organization:

Trump claimed he never threatened to freeze WHO funding, just minutes after having made the threat.
Trump claimed that the WHO ignored the spread of the virus in Wuhan.

I. Blaming Democrats, the Obama Administration, and Vice President Biden:
Obama Administration:

Trump claimed that the Obama administration had implemented a rule on testing that limited the FDA’s capacity to test.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that he inherited a flawed COVID-19 test from the Obama administration.
Trump claimed that the Obama administration left no medical supplies or ventilators in the national stockpile.
Trump claims that the Obama administration stopped testing for H1N1 because they did not want to increase the number of cases.

Vice President Biden:

Trump claimed that the Obama Administration’s response – and Vice President Biden’s response in particular – to H1N1 was a huge disaster.
Trump claimed that Vice President Biden had apologized to him for calling him Xenophobic. Trump claimed this apology took place on a Friday evening, when it wouldn’t generate any coverage.
Trump claimed that a Biden aide had made up a prediction that Trump would try to delay November’s election.
Trump baselessly claims that listening to Vice President Biden would have resulted in hundreds of thousands more deaths.

Democrats:

Trump claimed criticism regarding testing was a partisan attack, and felt it was a “personal attack.”
Trump repeatedly claims that the Democrat policy of open borders caused coronavirus.
Trump later revised this claim, baselessly stating that if the Democrats had their way and opened borders, border states would be the global epicenter of the virus.
Trump later claimed that Democrats did not take the virus seriously in February and March.
Trump has made various false claims about Pelosi’s visit to San Francisco’s Chinatown, and then claimed that she deleted her tweet about her visit to Chinatown.
Trump claims that Democrats are the ones opposing “payments” to Americans and that he supported larger payments than Democrats.

J. Pandemic and the Media:

Trump claims that the media has been unfair to him and misrepresented how his administration has handled the crisis.
Trump claims that the media has unfairly focused on the number of coronavirus cases, rather than the mortality rate.
Trump claimed “unknown sources” cited by the New York Times and Post were made up.
Trump claimed the media did not call to ask for a comment before publishing stories regarding Alex Azar.
Trump denounced the media for reporting that he and Jay Inslee had clashed on the phone or that Jay Isnlee had told him the federal government needed to step up (“We need Tom Brady”). Trump claimed that the comment was meant positively.
Trump claimed a New York Times correspondent, Michael Grynbaum, had written a positive article about him.

K. The Lockdown:
General:

Trump repeatedly exaggerated how quickly the country could “open up.”
Trump claims that the country has reopened “safely” and will remain “open.”
Trump claimed that the states that did not have stay-at-home orders were “not in jeopardy.”
Trump claimed that the President has the power to decide whether or not to open up states.
Trump claimed that continued economic shutdown would result in greater number of deaths, by suicide, than Coronavirus would cause.
Trump claimed that Dr. Birx had not discouraged Americans from having dinner or cocktail parties, and was simply referring to certain states.
Trump claimed that anti-lockdown protests socially distanced, and that protestors were six feet apart.
Trump claims that Democrats only want to reimpose shutdowns to hurt Trump’s election chances.
Trump claims that states with Democratic governors are prohibiting him from holding rallies for political reasons.
Trump claimed people were getting arrested for listening to church services in their cars.

Schools:

Trump has claimed that people are opposing school reopening for political reasons.
Trump claims that “everyone” is in favor of opening schools.
Trump claims that we can safely reopen all schools.
Trump claims that keeping schools shut would be more dangerous for families.
Trump claimed that Vice President Biden does not want to open schools.
Trump attempts to discredit the CDC’s recommendations for school re-openings.

L. The Economy:
General:

Trump baselessly muses that “maybe” the coronavirus improved U.S. jobs numbers.
Trump baselessly claims that the economy will be even stronger than it was prior to the virus.
Trump claims that, prior to the virus, he was paying off the national debt.
In early June, Trump claimed the economy was “rocking and rolling.”
In early July, Trump claimed the economy is “roaring back to life” like “nobody has even seen before.”
Trump claimed that he would exempt farmworkers from restrictions on immigration, because in previous instances when the border was closed, all farmers went out of business.
Trump understates coronavirus’ catastrophic impact on small businesses.

Coronavirus Relief Act:

Trump said that the Paycheck Protection Program had been administered seamlessly.
Trump claimed that he was the first President to provide paid sick leave for American workers.
Trump denied that Wells Fargo had stopped taking small business loan applications.

M. Lies about Voting and Elections:

Trump claims mail-in voting enables “massive” voter fraud.
Trump says that Americans can safely vote in person this November.
Trump claims that absentee ballots are safer than mail-in ballots.

N. Other:

Trump floats the idea of postponing the election to protect against fraudulent election results, saying it could take “years” to determine results of election.
Trump claimed that Captain Crozier had sent the letter regarding the outbreak on the USS Roosevelt to 28 people.
Trump claimed that the outbreak on the USS Roosevelt resulted in 540 people testing positive.
Trump blamed Captain Crozier for stopping in Vietnam during the pandemic, implying that this was the reason for the outbreak on ship.
Trump exaggerates the number of people on the Grand Princess cruise, saying there were close to 5,000 people aboard.
Trump blames Black Lives Matter protests for the increase in cases.
Trump blames Mexico for the spike in coronavirus cases.

Coronavirus Pandemic, Democrats 2020, Donald Trump, Economic Development, Economic Policies, Economy, Election 2020, Government spending, Joe Biden, News & Photo Features, Social Safety Net

Biden Reacts to Trump COVID Relief Executive Orders: ‘Unable to deliver for the American people in a time of crisis, Donald Trump offered a series of half-baked measures’

August 9, 2020 krubin

Vice President Joe Biden reacted to Trump’s COVID Relief Executive Orders, saying “Unable to deliver for the American people in a time of crisis, Donald Trump offered a series of half-baked measures.” © Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

On Saturday, August 8, Trump signed four Executive Orders intended to substitute for Congressional Republicans compromising with Democrats on a relief package against the health and economic ravages of the coronavirus pandemic. In a vitriolic speech, delivered to a mini-rally assembled from among his Bedminister golf course members, he attacked the Democrats’ plan, threatened a stock market crash should Joe Biden become president, and promised to end the payroll tax (which funds Social Security) should he be elected.

Indeed, Trump delivered this campaign promise: to reduce income taxes and capital gains taxes (in order to goose the stock market), in effect robbing the US Treasury which is already over $25 trillion in debt with trillions added because of the 2017 GOP tax cuts and the trillions spent on COVID relief, much of it going to the wealthiest and best connected. Instead of providing aid to states and localities which have been devastated by depleted revenues and run-up in costs to address COVID-19, he put more of the burden on states to come up with his faux employment benefits (it requires 25% to be paid by states). Instead of funding election protection and the post office, he accused Democrats of stealing the election.

“The massive taxpayer bailout of badly run blue states we talked about — that’s one of the things they’re looking to do. Measures designed to increase voter fraud,” he told his adoring audience.

“You know what it’s about? Fraud. That’s what they want: fraud. They want to try and steal this election because, frankly, it’s the only way they can win the election.

“The bill also requires all states to do universal mail-in balloting — which nobody is — nobody is prepared for — regardless of whether or not they have the infrastructure. They want to steal an election. That’s all this is all about: They want to steal the election.”

Trump couldn’t resist attacking proposals for a Green New Deal: “And they want to do the Green New Deal, which will decimate our country and decimate — it’s ridiculous, too. It’s childish. I actually say the Green New Deal is childish. It’s for children. It’s not for adults.”

And when asked what happens if the states can’t pony up the 25% to continue the $400 (not $600) unemployment benefits (the 75% that the federal government would spend would be coming from the states’ share of the CARES Act funding), he said, “Well, if they don’t, they don’t… So I don’t think their people will be too happy.”

As for the reduction in unemployment benefits, Trump said, “this gives them a great incentive to go back to work.”

Questioned about the constitutionality of going around Congress, which has the sole “power of the purse,” Trump said, “This will go very [fast]– if — if we get sued. Maybe we won’t get sued. If we get sued, it’s somebody that doesn’t want people to get money. Okay? And that’s not going to be a very popular thing. “

Pressed whether a President should go around Congress “ and decide how money is collected and spent?” Trump retorted, “You ever hear the word ‘obstruction’? “yes,” the reporter replied. “You were investigated for that.”

Trump then replied, “They’ve obstructed. Congress has obstructed. The Democrats have obstructed people from getting desperately needed money.”

“But this is in the Constitution, Mr. President,” the reporter insisted.Asked why he keeps taking credit for Veterans Choice, which was passed in 2014 by the Obama Administration, Trump abruptly ended the press conference.

In reaction to Trump’s executive orders, Vice President Joe Biden, presumptive Democratic nominee for President, issued this statement: –Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com

Unable to deliver for the American people in a time of crisis, Donald Trump offered a series of half-baked measures today. He is putting Social Security at grave risk at a time when seniors are suffering the overwhelming impact of a pandemic he has failed to get under control. And make no mistake: Donald Trump said today that if he is re-elected, he will defund Social Security.

For months, Trump has golfed rather than negotiated, and sown division rather than pull people together to get a package passed. Now, instead of staying in Washington and working with Republicans and Democrats to reach a bipartisan deal, President Trump is at his golf club in New Jersey signing a series of dubious executive orders.

This is no art of the deal. This is not presidential leadership. These orders are not real solutions. They are just another cynical ploy designed to deflect responsibility. Some measures do far more harm than good.

One order is Donald Trump’s first shot in a new, reckless war on Social Security. Trump announced a payroll tax plan with no protections or guarantees — like the ones the Obama-Biden administration enforced a decade ago — that the Social Security Trust Fund will be made whole. And, Trump specifically stated today that if re-elected, he plans to undermine the entire financial footing of Social Security. He is laying out his roadmap to cutting Social Security. Our seniors and millions of Americans with disabilities are under enough stress without Trump putting their hard-earned Social Security benefits in doubt.

Another order brings cuts, chaos, and confusion to our system of unemployment insurance. Trump is unilaterally reducing the amount laid-off workers could receive. And he purports to provide these benefits until the end of the year, but only identifies enough funding to make it a handful of weeks. Even with that limited funding, Trump is basically playing a cruel game of robbing Peter to pay Paul: He is taking billions of dollars of federal natural disaster funding away so it won’t be available to states like Florida. And, he is forcing states to choose between imposing benefit cuts for unemployed workers or slashing funds for public schools, health workers, and first responders.

A third order, on evictions, is woefully inadequate to deal with the emerging housing crisis. He is leaving our nation’s renters with ever-mounting debt and leaving our small family landlords badly squeezed. Without a comprehensive plan to help our American families make rent, they will leave this crisis months behind on their payments while many landlords teeter on the verge of bankruptcy.

And a fourth order is a band-aid approach to student debt that leaves out 7 million borrowers who obtained their federal loans from private lenders or their college rather than the Department. The economic strain on these Americans is deep and unrelenting.

There is a solution to all of this pain and suffering. A real leader would go back to Washington, call together the leaders of the House and Senate, and negotiate a deal that delivers real relief to Americans who are struggling in this pandemic. We need a president who understands their struggle and believes in their courage to overcome.