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. 

DEMOCRATS HAMMER TRUMP ON THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF BROKEN PROMISE TO PROTECT COVERAGE FOR PREEXISTING CONDITIONS. Three years ago, Donald Trump vowed that he would ensure protections for those with preexisting conditions. He lied. And this week Democrats across the battlegrounds spoke out to hold him accountable for adding another notch to his belt when it comes to failing to deliver to Americans on his health care promises.

• Florida Democrats: “Three years ago, Donald Trump promised he would ‘guarantee’ coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, but he’s delivered nothing but hot air ever since.”

• Arizona Democrats: “This Trump-backed lawsuit would completely overturn the entire ACA without any plan to replace it, jeopardizing pre-existing condition protections for millions of Arizonans. When Arizonans head to the polls in November, they will have a clear choice: a Democrat who will protect their health care or a Republican who will tear it away.”

• Michigan Democrats: “Time and again Donald Trump has promised to protect people with pre-existing conditions, but after years of lies, Michiganders know he’s broken that promise,’ said Michigan Democratic Party spokesman Christian Slater. “Even in the middle of a global pandemic, Donald Trump can’t help but continue his assault on protections for pre-existing conditions.”

• North Carolina Democrats: “Today’s anniversary is an important reminder that despite his hollow promises, Donald Trump will not protect health insurance for the most vulnerable among us.”

• Virginia Democrats: “‘Attempting to deny coverage to the over three million Virginians with pre-existing conditions is reprehensible. Even in the middle of a global pandemic, the Trump administration continues to push an agenda to overturn the Affordable Care Act and deny affordable coverage to families across the Commonwealth. His plan tries to undo the legislation we’ve passed, and voters will not tolerate this come November.’”

• Wisconsin Democrats: “‘Wisconsinites have been living in fear since Trump took office as they worry they will lose the coverage they need to stay alive — and they’re not staying silent about it,”’Democratic Party of Wisconsin spokesperson Philip Shulman said. ‘All over our state people are speaking out because their lives literally hang in the balance with Donald Trump as president.’”

Lots more here.

ACROSS THE BATTLEGROUNDS, DEMOCRATS CONTINUE HOLDING TRUMP AND REPUBLICANS ACCOUNTABLE FOR ERRATIC, FAILED CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE. Democrats continued to hold Trump and Republicans accountable for their disastrous response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A few examples:

In Florida:

The Florida Democrats held a press conference calling out Trump’s continued chaotic response to coronavirus as Floridians’ lives continue to hang in the balance.

Florida Democratic Party Chair Terrie Rizzo: “President Donald Trump has been absolutely chaotic in his response to the coronavirus pandemic and sadly, Governor Ron DeSantis has been following his lead every step of the way. After months of ignoring experts, shirking responsibility, and failing to rapidly scale testing, Trump has sadly shown us that we cannot trust him to lead in this pandemic.”

In New Mexico:

Democrats held a press call slamming Trump for his failed, chaotic coronavirus response which is disproportionately hurting Hispanic families.

NM Political Report: “Monday, state Democratic leaders criticized the Trump administration’s COVID-19 response, while praising the response from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. Lt. Gov. Howie Morales said, ‘While Donald Trump has overseen a failed, chaotic response that has made this crisis even worse, Governor Lujan Grisham has led a serious, coordinated effort and made an impact on the ground, especially for Hispanic families.’”

In Nevada:

NV Dems: Trump’s Chaotic Handling Of Coronavirus Leads To A Disjointed Nevada GOP. Nevada State Democratic Party spokesperson Molly Forgey released the following statement: ‘Trump made this pandemic exponentially worse when he decided to ignore warning signs, to downplay its seriousness, and failed to prepare. This chaotic approach seems to have manifested into a disjointed Nevada GOP. There’s a reason Republicans have become irrelevant in Nevada and, come November, they’ll be extinct.”

In Texas:

The Texas Democratic Party held a press conference call to hold President Trump and Governor Abbott accountable for their coronavirus response.

Battleground States Communications Director David Bergstein: “The reason that states and battlegrounds like Texas have found themselves in the situation they’re in, and having to make this really impossible choice, the underlying reason is it’s something that’s been forced on states like Texas because of the erratic, chaotic, and failed response to the coronavirus by President Trump. We couldn’t imagine a worse leader than President Trump to be in charge of something as important as leading our country through and out of a national pandemic.”

In Wisconsin:

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin held a press call to discuss the Trump administration’s failure to help small businesses during coronavirus. 

DPW Chair Ben Wikler: “Main streets across Wisconsin have had to close their doors because the public health safety risk that Trump allowed to go forward is so great. But while Democrats have done their job, Trump and his administration created plans that were littered with holes that allowed giant corporations to get millions of dollars.”

In Pennsylvania:

PA Dems held a press call with Senator Bob Casey and local leaders to discuss the disastrous effects of Trump’s attacks on Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and his lawsuit to strike down the ACA on rural communities across the commonwealth. 

Williamsport Sun-Gazette: “Casey accused Republicans of attempting to slash the government program so vital, he noted, to providing health care to senior citizens, children and low-income populations. The Trump Administration has filed suit to strike down the Affordable Care Act, which provides health care for millions of Americans who would not otherwise afford insurance, Casey said.”

More highlights here.

*AND DON’T MISS THESE GUEST COLUMNS FROM LEADERS IN NH, PA, MI, AND NC CALLING OUT TRUMP’S FAILED LEADERSHIP.*

• (PA) Washington Post: My rural Pennsylvania neighbors helped Trump win. His inaction is endangering them. “Rather than offering the nation assurances and information, Trump dismissed concerns and vowed that the virus would disappear ‘like a miracle.’ Instead of drawing on the expertise of the nation’s top scientists and medical experts, he opted to go with his ‘hunch’ that this was no big deal and would have a very low death rate of a fraction of 1 percent. And now my community is paying the price.”

• (NH) Vice President Youth Democrats in the Concord Monitor: Trump’s irresponsible behavior is putting my family in danger. “Coronavirus has touched every part of our lives. It’s scary, it’s all-consuming and it’s constantly being made worse: Every day, Donald Trump’s chaotic, irresponsible behavior is putting my family in danger.”

• (NH) Concord Monitor: Sununu and Trump failed the state on testing. “And while Donald Trump is central to the testing crisis we find ourselves in, Gov. Chris Sununu has stood by Trump’s mismanagement and failure on testing at every turn.”

• (MI) DNC Vice Chair Michael Blake in MLive: Opinion: Michigan Democrats are strong in the face of a crisis. “While the buck is supposed to stop with the President, he’s shown no interest in taking his job seriously. Instead of working to contain and prevent the spread of the virus, the President ignored months of warnings, downplayed the severity of the virus, and stumbled through an erratic and inadequate response that left Michigan unprepared for this global pandemic.”

• (NC) North Carolina Democratic Party Chair in the Charlotte Observer: Trump should reopen federal health insurance markets for those who have lost jobs. “For all the discord, clumsiness, misinformation and propaganda that has shaped President Trump’s response to this emergency, his most egregious failure has been on the issue he seems to ignore at every opportunity – access to health insurance.”

CONGRESSMAN RYAN JOINS MI + WI DEMS TO HIT TRUMP ON CHINA. The DNC and Ohio Congressman Tim Ryan joined leaders in key battleground states to highlight Donald Trump’s broken promises on China, especially as it relates to his slow and ineffective coronavirus response and his erratic trade policies. Joining the call with Rep. Ryan was Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes and Wisconsin Farmers Union President Darin Von Ruden.  More here.

DNC ORGANIZING DIRECTOR: “WE CANNOT TAKE AN EIGHT-WEEK SABBATICAL FROM ORGANIZING.” DEMOCRATS CONTINUE DIGITAL ORGANIZING PUSH. The DNC and state parties across the battlegrounds are continuing to ramp up their digital organizing and texting efforts to reach voters where they’re at — online at home. Some highlights:

Washington Post: Thousands of candidates reinventing politics on the fly for the age of pandemic: “‘We needed to give our community something to do,’ said Meg DiMartino, the digital organizing director of the Democratic National Committee. ‘We cannot take an eight-week sabbatical from organizing.’”

(NV) Nevada Democratic Party Executive Director on KRNV: “Nevada Dems say their campaigning throughout the state is not slowing down.” Alana Mounce: “I think Democrats are energized when we look at the contrast of Donald Trump, where we’ve seen chaotic and reactive leadership. And, that has motivated Democrats to make sure that we win in November.”

(WI) Wisconsin Examiner: Political organizers pivot to a digital campaign. “With many people required to stay home, and also intensely concerned about how the disease could affect not just their health and life but their livelihood, ‘they’re spending a lot more time on the internet and a lot more time on social media platforms,’ Shulman says. ‘It gives us a bigger window to tell a bigger story.’”

WHEN REPUBLICANS ATTACK VOTING RIGHTS, WE TAKE THEM TO COURT. DEMOCRATS WON OUR CASE IN NV, WE’VE FILED IN WI, AND TODAY, WE’RE FILING IN SC. The DNC joined the Democratic Party of Wisconsin in amending our lawsuit to expand access to voting in the Badger state ahead of the May 12 special election and November general elections.

NBC 15: Wisconsin Dems push for mail-in, online voting during 2020 elections. “The Democratic National Committee and the Democratic Party of Wisconsin are filing an amended complaint to their lawsuit to expand mail-in and online voting in Wisconsin. The party initially filed the complaint in the Western District of Wisconsin before the April 7 election.”

THE CASE FOR VOTE-BY-MAIL COULDN’T BE MORE SOUND. HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES:

(PA) The Inquirer: Republicans to Pa. voters: Mail-in ballots are good. And also very dangerous. “Pennsylvania Republicans considering the state’s new vote-by-mail option are caught in a crossfire of mixed messaging from their party, from President Donald Trump on down… Here in Pennsylvania, the state Republican Party is aggressively pushing mail-in ballots, offering ‘vote safe’ advice on its website, and hosting online training sessions. The Republican National Committee in April sent mailers to Pennsylvania voters urging them to vote by mail.”

(OR) DPO Chairwoman KC Hanson in Portland Tribune: Oregon has proven vote-by-mail works, and the GOP is terrified. “In Oregon and across the country, Democrats are fighting to ensure that every American has a say in the most consequential election of our generation. The cost of this pandemic will be horrifically high, but it doesn’t have to strip us of our vote. Oregonians have been voting by mail for 20 years. It’s time to offer every American a chance to do the same.”

(KS) Kansas City Star: Kansas Democrats triple turnout after switch to mail-only presidential primary. “Kansas Democrats have already more than tripled their turnout from the 2016 presidential caucus after switching to an all-mail May 2 party primary this year. ‘The record-breaking turnout for the 2020 Presidential Primary is testament to the growing enthusiasm and cohesion of Democrats to make Donald Trump a one-term President,’ Hiatt said in a statement.”

(NV) Nevada Independent: State, national Democrats file legal challenge against conservative group’s lawsuit challenging all-mail primary election. “Four Democratic Party groups have filed to intervene and defend the Nevada secretary of state’s office against a lawsuit filed by a conservative-leaning vote monitoring group challenging the state’s planned all-mail primary election in June. […] In the briefing, attorneys for the groups argued that claims of potential voter fraud through the all-mail election were ‘legally and factually unfounded.’”

(NM) DPNM, Deb for Congress Announce $40,000 Digital Ad Buy to Promote Absentee Voting. “‘Now more than ever, absentee voting is critical to ensuring that every New Mexican can safely exercise their right to vote,’ said DPNM Chair Marg Elliston.”

WHEREVER TRUMP AND HIS CRONIES GO, WE’LL BE THERE TO HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE. In response to Pence traveling across the country (despite the global pandemic), Democrats continued to call out their countless broken promises to American families. Take a look:

In Minnesota: 

• Star-Tribune: “While the visit was intended to reinforce the administration’s commitment to fighting the coronavirus, Minnesota Democrats criticized Trump and Pence for what they see as a broadly insufficient federal response to the pandemic, forcing Minnesota to compete against other states and countries for needed medical supplies.”

In Indiana:

• Indianapolis Star: “Democrats told IndyStar they were glad the vice president picked the Kokomo manufacturing plant to tour, but they criticized the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic… Democrats widely panned the visit. The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus said the Trump administration hasn’t done enough for black communities disproportionately affected by the coronavirus. The Indiana Democratic Party called it a photo op. Dr. Woody Myers, the presumptive Democratic candidate for governor, said he would do more for such manufacturing facilities than Holcomb.”

• WTHR: “Indiana Democrats called the visit a photo op. ‘Hoosiers don’t need a photo op — we need tests, we need protective equipment, and we need leadership,’ said Indiana Democratic Party Executive Director Lauren Ganapini. ‘On every count, this administration has been totally ineffective in responding to this crisis, and Hoosiers are paying the price.’”

“DONALD TRUMP’S MARICOPA PROBLEM”. Donald Trump’s road to 270 has a major obstacle in Arizona. Some highlights in Roll Call:

• “The problem for Republicans is that Sinema’s victory and Trump’s relatively weak showing in 2016 suggest that Arizona’s politics are changing — or at least that state voters find Trump unpalatable.”

• “Clearly, the problem is Trump, whose style doesn’t sell well in Maricopa County (and in many other urban and suburban areas). As long as he is in the White House or on the ballot, the GOP has a problem in the county, and therefore in the state.”

*MUST READ* POLITICO: LAYOFFS WRECK THE STATES THAT LIFTED TRUMP TO THE WHITE HOUSE. 

• “Battleground states that handed Donald Trump the presidency four years ago are seeing higher-than-average layoffs amid an economic downturn wreaking havoc across the country — a dynamic that could hold major implications for November’s election.”

• “Job losses are piling up in places like Michigan, where more than one in four workers applied for unemployment benefits in the past five weeks, according to a POLITICO analysis of Labor Department data. In Pennsylvania, another key Rust Belt state that voted for Trump in 2016, nearly one-fourth of the workforce has filed an unemployment claim since mid-March. Ohio is seeing more than 17 percent of workers filing jobless claims, outpacing the national average of 16.1 percent, as is Minnesota, a state Trump narrowly lost.

• “‘The economy is in a freefall now. And I don’t think it had to be this bad,’ said Lavora Barnes, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party.”

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