DNC Battleground Brief

This is the DNC’s Battleground Brief — a weekly wrap-up of Trump’s broken promises and everything you need to know across the path to 270. 

“CATASTROPHIC:” DEMOCRATS CALL OUT TRUMP ON BROKEN PROMISES TO LATINOS. This week, while Joe Biden unveiled his wide-ranging agenda for the Latino community, Democrats across the battleground states slammed Donald Trump’s broken promises and disastrous record with Latinos.

In Arizona: 

• Arizona State Senator Martín Quezada: “Arizona’s Latinos are experiencing firsthand the consequences of Donald Trump’s failures as we grapple with his catastrophic coronavirus response.”

In Georgia: 

• Democratic Party of Georgia Treasurer Jason Esteves: “Latino families have been hit hardest by Donald Trump’s dangerous rhetoric, divisive policies, and failed leadership. Since his first days on the campaign trail, Trump attacked Latino Americans and our immigrant communities, and has only used his power to further harm our community.”

In Maine: 

• Maine Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Marra: “From his corporate tax giveaway that favored the wealthy while leaving out the majority of Latinx families, to his botched pandemic response that has fallen disproportionately on the Latinx community, to his cruel immigration policies, Trump has left Latinx families in Maine behind.”

In Michigan: 

• Michigan State Board of Education Member Lupe Ramos-Montigny: “Biden’s agenda stands in stark contrast to Donald Trump, who has done nothing but demonize the Latino community as he attacks immigrants, leaves Latino communities to suffer disproportionate harm from COVID-19, and fails to invest in Latino-owned businesses and workers.”

In Nevada:

• Nevada Assemblywoman Selena Torres: “From the campaign trail to the White House, Donald Trump has relentlessly attacked the health, safety, and economic security of the Latino community, while using us as little more than a political prop to sow division and spread fear.”

In New Hampshire: 

• New Hampshire Democratic Party Latino Caucus Chair Letizia Ortiz: “Since the beginning of his political career, cruelty towards the Latino community hasn’t just been a by-product of Donald Trump’s choices – often, it’s been the entire point.”

In North Carolina:

• North Carolina Democratic Party Spokesperson Austin Cook: “Disproportionately impacted by the health consequences and largely shut out of recovery efforts like the Paycheck Protection Program, Latinos here have been completely left behind by this administration.”

In Ohio:

• Ohio Democratic Party Chair David Pepper: “Now, more than six months after he promised that the virus was under control, his incompetent pandemic response is endangering Latino Ohioans’ health, lives and livelihoods. We can’t afford four more years of Trump’s chaos, and this November we’re putting it to an end.”

In Pennsylvania:

• Pennsylvania Democratic Party Spokesperson Andres Anzola: “From his very first speech as a presidential candidate, Donald Trump has ruthlessly attacked the health, safety, and economic wellbeing of Latinos in Pennsylvania and around the country.”

In Texas: 

• Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee (HDCC) Chair and State Representative Celia Israel: “Throughout his presidency, Donald Trump has waged an all-out assault on Latinos with his xenophobic rhetoric and toxic agenda. Now, as our country grapples with the fallout of Trump’s catastrophic pandemic response, Latinos are bearing the brunt of his failed leadership, especially in Texas.”

In Virginia:

• Virginia House Majority Whip and State Delegate Alfonso Lopez: “It’s no surprise that President Trump has failed to help Latino communities that have borne a disproportionate share of the pain and suffering from the COVID crisis, or that he’s stopped tweeting long enough to continue his assault on the Affordable Care Act that tens of millions of Latinos depend on for health insurance.”

In Wisconsin: 

• Democratic Party of Wisconsin Spokesperson Philip Shulman: “Latinx Wisconsinites continue to face the brunt of the economic impact of Trump’s ineffective coronavirus response as Trump himself says ‘it is what it is,’ once again passing the buck instead of stepping up to do his job.”

BONUS — featuring DNC Chair Tom Perez and the Nevada Democrats!

DEMOCRATS SLAM TRUMP’S FAILED PANDEMIC RESPONSE AS 16 MILLION AMERICANS GO WITHOUT WORK. Today, we learned that more than 16 million Americans are unemployed amidst an unprecedented economic meltdown. Democrats across the battlegrounds slammed Trump’s incompetent, failed pandemic response that continues to punish working families in every corner of the country.

• Arizona Democratic Party Spokesperson Tyler Cherry: “Thanks to Donald Trump and Doug Ducey’s failed pandemic response, the unemployment rate remains in the double digits and hundreds of thousands of Arizonans are still out of work … Five long months into a historic recession, Trump is still mismanaging the pandemic response, prioritizing relief for corporations over working families, and failing to deliver on a school reopening strategy that keeps children, teachers, and families safe. Arizonans can’t afford four more years of this chaos.”
• Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried: “Unemployment is still in the double digits because Donald Trump never stepped up to lead this nation — he ignored the experts, pushed conspiracy theories, and still doesn’t have a plan to manage the pandemic. As thousands of Floridians worry about paying their rent, buying groceries, and keeping their families safe, what is Trump doing? He’s hosting campaign rallies and tweeting insults at his political opponents. It is going to take tremendous leadership to pull us out of the hole Donald Trump left us in, and that is why we must elect Joe Biden in November.”
• GA Dems: “Donald Trump’s leadership failure is devastating our economy and costing Georgians our health, jobs, and for far too many, their lives. In addition to passing 200,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, hundreds of thousands of Georgians are still jobless and many are without the health care coverage they desperately need.”
• IA Dems: “This morning’s new unemployment numbers make it clearer than ever: Trump has failed the American people with his disastrous mishandling of the coronavirus crisis … While our economy continues to struggle and the middle-class and working people suffer, Trump and GOP leaders have resorted to desperate, baseless attacks on everything from health care to vote-by-mail efforts in an attempt to distract from their economic floundering.”

55 YEARS LATER, DEMOCRATS ARE STILL FIGHTING FOR FAIR AND FREE ELECTIONS. Marking the 55th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Democrats highlighted the ongoing fight for free and fair voting access and called out Donald Trump and Republicans’ voter suppression efforts across the country.

• Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Nikema Williams: “Georgia Democrats know, like Mr. Lewis taught us, that our vote is the most powerful tool we have in a democratic society – that’s why Donald Trump and Republicans up and down the ballot are spreading lies about this election and making it harder for people to vote.”
• Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes: “Congress and specifically, the U.S. Senate, have an opportunity to right this wrong, and pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act … By not moving this legislation, Mitch McConnell and the Republican-led Senate are once again standing in the way of progress and engaging in one of the worst forms of government sanctioned voter suppression.”
• New Hampshire State Senator Melanie Levesque: “The right to vote is a foundation of our democracy. … Some politicians, driven by desperation, are deliberately trying to stop or make it harder for certain groups of people to vote. But what I believe is that when more people vote, democracy wins.”
• Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa and Vice Chair Carla Brailey: “Since the Voting Rights Act was gutted by the U.S. Supreme Court, Trump and Texas Republicans have taken every opportunity to make voting more difficult for Latino, Black and other voters that the VRA was created to protect … Texas Democrats know that our democracy thrives when more people participate, not less … We will continue to fight to preserve the legacy and promise of the Voting Rights Act until every eligible Texan can cast their ballot.”

Check out much more HERE!

HOLDING TRUMP ACCOUNTABLE. Wherever Trump and his cronies go, Democrats will be there to call out their broken promises. See for yourself:

In Arizona:

Arizona Republic: “The Arizona Democratic Party took issue with the narrative Ducey and Trump presented during their question-and-answer session on Wednesday. The party wrote on Twitter that the pair ‘just patted themselves on the back for their half-measures addressing the pandemic in AZ, but the reality is their efforts were too little, too late.’”

• Arizona Daily Star: “Arizona Democratic Party spokesman Matt Grodsky labeled the visit, as well as a reported ‘tele-rally’ with supporters on Tuesday, as ‘cheap political stunts.’ ‘Nothing Mike Pence says at his tele-rally today or his photo-op next week will change the fact that his boss’s failed pandemic response has tanked our economy and forced millions of Arizonans out of work.’” 
• Tucson Sentinel: “Democrats called Pence’s visit a ‘cheap political stunt’ … Democrats used Pence’s plans as a peg to criticize the administration.” 

In Ohio:

WTVG: “Ohio Democrats gathered this morning for an online discussion ahead of the president’s visit to the Buckeye State. They talked about the negative impact the president has left on Ohio and its economy, even before the pandemic. Toledo Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur says President Trump doesn’t have a record to run on in Ohio.”

 

• WFMJ: Ohio Democratic Party calls out president’s broken promises as he heads to Cleveland. “Hours before President Donald Trump’s planned visit to Cleveland Thursday, the state’s Democratic party called out what they said are the commander in chief’s broken promises across the Buckeye State. The Ohio Democratic Party hosted a virtual roundtable with District 9 Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, Cleveland City Councilman Blaine Griffin, United Steelworkers Local 979 President Dan Boone and Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper.”

 

 

• Cleveland.com:  Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga: Working Ohioans are paying the price for President Trump’s incompetence. “Working people know that our greatest strength is found in solidarity. We can overcome immense challenges if we work together, support each other, and put our urgent collective needs first. But instead of rallying us together — rather than carry out the most basic responsibilities of his job — Trump has put himself first at every turn.”

 

In Florida:

Bay News 9: As VP Mike Pence Returns to Tampa, Biden Campaign, DNC Again Blast Trump Administration’s Coronavirus Response. “The Democratic National Committee is running digital ads on the Tampa Bay Times website throughout the day as Pence visits the region. ‘Nothing Pence says today can change Trump’s total incompetence in responding to the coronavirus — it didn’t need to be this bad, it’s getting worse, and his failure in handling this crisis effectively has cost Floridians their jobs and lives,’ said DNC Chair Tom Perez in a statement.”

• WUSF: Trump Campaign Courts Evangelicals, Dems Try To Sell Biden To Latinos In Battleground Florida. “With Pence on their home turf, Florida Democrats virtually stumped for Biden Wednesday. The party hosted a Zoom call with various progressive religious leaders, who ripped the Trump administration as not being the champions for evangelicals they purport to be.”

In Wisconsin: 

The Cap Times: Ron Martin: Joe Biden is right — schools need a clear, science-based strategy. “DeVos has popped up again in our state, this time to champion the Trump administration’s reckless attacks on Title IX, designed to make it nearly impossible for victims of sexual assault on campus to get justice. In June, she was in Wisconsin to push more federal funding for unaccountable private voucher schools. In July, she threatened to withhold funding for school districts that didn’t open fully in-person, no matter the increase in positive tests in a community.”

• WITI: ‘Anxious and uncertain:’ Questions, concerns persist as schools prep for fall return. “Ron Martin, president of the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), said there is a lack of a return plan in a broader sense of education and wants more to be done on a larger level. ‘Now as we look to another school year, parents and educators are still anxious and uncertain,’ said Martin. ‘We deserve more testing, a national tracing plan, proper PPE and the funding to make it all happen so we can go back to our school face-to-face safely.’”

THE SELF-SABOTAGE CONTINUES! Trump’s vote-by-mail conspiracy theories continue to hamper his own chances in November. Across the country, Democrats are outpacing Republican turnout thanks to a surge in mail-in voting — see for yourself:

 

• Politico: Trump’s assault on mail voting threatens his reelection bid. “Donald Trump’s all-out war on mail voting is backfiring in battleground states. New private polling shared first with POLITICO showed that Republicans have become overwhelmingly concerned about mail balloting, which Trump has claimed without evidence, will lead to widespread voter fraud.”

 

 

• Bridge Michigan: Absentee ballots favor Democrats in Michigan, causing worry among GOP. “In a historic primary election Tuesday, Democrats were far more likely than Republicans to cast absentee ballots — and that could spell trouble for the GOP in the fall.”

 

 

• KNXV: Arizona on target to have record turnout for primary election; Democrats take the lead returning ballots. “[Republican strategist George] Khalaf agrees and tells us that this is the first election that he has records of that Democrats are outperforming Republicans in the primary. Typically, the party enjoys a double-digit performance gap over Democrats in August.”

 

• NPR: Missouri Voters Approve Medicaid Expansion Despite Resistance From Republican Leaders. “Voters in Missouri approved creating a state constitutional amendment that will open Medicaid eligibility to include healthy adults starting on July 1, 2021. Voters approved expansion by a vote of 53.25% to 46.75%. A total of 1,263,776 voters weighed in on the measure.”

 

• Miami Herald: Trump backs off mail voting attacks in Florida as Democrats build huge advantage. “Trump’s tweet — in stark contrast to numerous others in recent weeks warning of a rigged election — comes as Republican mail ballot registration lags behind Democrats in Florida ahead of the November election, which will be held under the cloud of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

 

 

• NBC News: Trump or Biden? Voters in North Carolina could pick as soon as next month. “‘This election isn’t in three months — it starts in 30 days,’ said Austin Cook, communications director of the North Carolina Democratic Party. ‘That’s why Donald Trump is running scared and lashing out against voting by mail.’”

 

BIDEN’S BOOMING IN THE BURBS… Trump is steadily losing critical suburban voters, and he’s only making things worse for himself:

• Philadelphia Inquirer: Trump’s warning that Biden will ‘destroy’ the suburbs is falling flat outside Philly. “President Donald Trump is selling fear in America’s suburbs. But outside Philadelphia, even some Republicans don’t think voters are buying it … interviews with voters, Republican officials, and independent analysts suggest Trump is misreading a suburban electorate that has become more diverse in recent decades — and more racially progressive.”

 

• Delaware Gazette: Trump out of touch with suburban Ohio. “Donald Trump’s divisive appeals show he is truly out of touch with suburban Ohio. In communities like Dublin, Delaware and Westerville — communities that are growing more diverse every year — local leaders organized peaceful Black Lives Matter events with thousands of supporters. Every parent recognized the pain of George Floyd when he called out for his mother and begged for his life, and many Delaware County residents have had their eyes opened to racial disparities. We see Trump’s fake ‘law and order’ rhetoric for what it is — a lame attempt to distract us from his many failures.”

 

…AND WINNING ON THE WEB! TIME: Inside the Democrats’ Plan to Win Back the Internet. “For more than half a century, Democrats have put their faith in field organizing as the key to campaign success. But this year, instead of marching through neighborhoods with clipboards, Democratic staffers, Biden campaign volunteers and activists across the party are texting, messaging and commenting at their neighbors’ virtual doorsteps … Because in order to win Florida, or Arizona, or the White House, Democrats know that they first have to win the Internet.”

YOUR WEEKEND READING. In case you missed them, here are a few key reads from across the battlegrounds this week.

• Macomb Daily: Former Trump voter: Joe Biden is the right man for the job. “Four years ago, I voted for Donald Trump. He was not my first choice, nor my second, but I supported him and was pleased he won. Throughout the 2016 campaign, I was concerned with his Twitter tirades and press conference shenanigans. While it generated media buzz and rallied his devoted base, I was uneasy that this behavior was a harbinger of things to come … We were wrong. I regret my decision to vote for a man unfit for our nation’s highest office.”
• Concord Monitor: New Hampshire women deserve better than Trump’s broken promises. “Every day, New Hampshire women are paying the price for Donald Trump’s incompetence and broken promises. We can’t afford another four years of his failures. We need a president who’s prepared to tackle this crisis head on. We deserve a leader who will put women’s health and economic security at the heart of our nation’s recovery.”

 

• Delaware County Daily Times: Trump’s attacks undermine democracy. “As we speak, the Trump Campaign is in court trying to suppress the vote in the commonwealth. Further, a pro-Trump activist group is leading efforts to illegitimately purge voter rolls in Delco. Make no mistake: Trump is trying to save his campaign by disenfranchising everyday voters.”

 

Make sure to follow the DNC’s War Room (@DNCWarRoom) to get real-time updates on Trump’s abuses of power and broken promises.

Happy Friday! 

The DNC Comms Team