DNC Battleground Brief

May 8, 2020

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. 

ABC: DEMS MARK HEALTH CARE COURT CASE DEADLINE WITH “RENEWED PUSH ON HEALTH CARE, PUTTING TRUMP IN THEIR CROSSHAIRS TO UNDERSCORE THE PRESIDENT’S ATTEMPT TO DISMANTLE THE ACA.” On the deadline for opening briefs in California v. Texas this week, Democrats across the battlegrounds slammed Trump and the GOP for their health care agenda that is spiking costs and  jeopardizing coverage protections for people with pre-existing conditions — even in the midst of a pandemic. 

Some highlights:

  • ABC: The Note: “Even in the midst of a pandemic, Trump and Republicans are in court, continuing to push their health care agenda that would rip away coverage protections for people with pre-existing conditions and spike health care costs for hard-working Americans,” said David Bergstein, the DNC’s battleground state communications director. “Just like it was in 2018, health care will be a defining issue of this election, and Democrats across the battlegrounds are joining with voters to hold Trump accountable for his toxic record.”
  • Florida Democrats: “As we have witnessed directly, Donald Trump cannot be trusted with our health care. His response to the coronavirus pandemic has ranged from negligent to chaotic — and we truly cannot afford another four years of his erratic leadership, especially when it jeopardizes our health and safety.”
  • Michigan Democrats: “‘There’s never been a more important time to protect Michiganders’ health care, and never been a worse time to rip it away,’ said Attorney General Dana Nessel. ‘That’s why I’m fighting Donald Trump and Republicans’ reckless attacks on the Affordable Care Act that would gut protections for pre-existing conditions and strip Michiganders of critical health care.’”
  • North Carolina Democrats: “That the Trump administration continues to pursue the reckless effort to dismantle the ACA while unemployment skyrockets and millions of Americans are losing employer-sponsored insurance is indeed mindboggling,” said North Carolina Chair Wayne Goodwin”
  • Ohio Democrats: “Trump and the GOP have never had a plan for health care — this lawsuit is the Republican plan. Even after 70,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and more than one million cases have been confirmed, Republicans will not stop in pursuit of their goal of overturning the Affordable Care Act and taking away coverage from millions of Americans.”
  • Pennsylvania Democrats: “If Trump gets his way, protections for people with pre-existing conditions could be ripped away from over 5.3 million Pennsylvanians and another 850,000 could lose health care coverage altogether. As we suffer through the worst public health crisis in generations, the President should be making it easier to access care, not harder.”
  • Virginia Democrats: Senator Mark Warner: “Virginians with pre-existing conditions — and their loved ones — should not have to live in fear of their health coverage being taken away by President Trump. The Trump Administration continues to pursue a lawsuit that will rip protections away from millions of Americans without any viable plan to make sure people can get the health coverage they need.”
  • Wisconsin Democrats: Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul: “If this suit is successful, millions of Americans will lose access to health insurance coverage. We need more resources for our medical system, and it’s one of the reasons why expanding Medicaid now is critical for the state of Wisconsin. Frankly, I think it’s very troubling that this suit is going forward during a pandemic.” 

Lots more here.

IT DIDN’T HAVE TO BE THIS BAD — DEMOCRATS BLAST TRUMP’S FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP OVER APRIL’S JOB REPORT. After the U.S. Department of Labor released the latest jobs and unemployment numbers, Democrats called out Trump and his administration for their failed leadership and role in the skyrocketing unemployment numbers. A few highlights:

Arizona Democrats: “Trump has treated the economy like Jenga and now it’s all fallen down due to his poor leadership. Arizonans know we need a Commander in Chief who will unite the country, keep us safe, and help us recover.”

Florida Democrats: “Instead of preparing us for the pandemic, as other nations’ leaders had, Donald Trump ignored his own intelligence briefings, fell for China’s propaganda, and allowed COVID-19 to spread without widespread testing to track and contain the virus. ”

Michigan Democrats: “‘At every turn, Donald Trump has failed in his response to COVID-19 and now 75,000 are dead and over 20 million jobs have been lost,’ said Michigan Democratic Party spokesman Christian Slater. ‘Trump’s inadequate preparation and continued erratic response to this pandemic have devastated working families across Michigan. Donald Trump has no plan to contain this disaster as the country stumbles from crisis to crisis and everyday people suffer as a result.’”

North Carolina Democrats: “Today’s jobs report is a crushing reminder of the toll this pandemic has taken on workers in North Carolina and across the country. But it is also clear that this damage would not have been so devastating if our country had competent leadership in the White House.”

Pennsylvania Democrats: “‘This devastating report is a direct result of Donald Trump’s failure to prepare our nation for the coronavirus crisis. It didn’t have to be this bad, but Trump’s chaotic, erratic response to COVID-19 continues to put the health, safety and economic security of Pennsylvanians at risk,’ said Pennsylvania Democratic Party Spokesperson Andres Anzola.”

Virginia Democrats: “This was avoidable. Trump failed to prepare us for this pandemic and we now have the highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression.”

Wisconsin Democrats: “Had Donald Trump taken the coronavirus seriously from the outset instead of playing it down and kowtowing to China, over half a million Wisconsinites and tens of millions of Americans who have now lost their jobs wouldn’t be left worrying about how they are now going to pay their bills, put food on the table, and pay for their medicine.”

More here.

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:

  • Dina Titus and Steven Horsford Op-Ed: Las Vegas Sun: Biden is the leader this nation needs. “In difficult times such as these, a real leader would step up to the challenge and provide solace to the population, but President Donald Trump has been more concerned about his optics than with reality. Nevadans deserve a president who, like Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, will listen to medical professionals, not one who seeks to bury the truth under a pile of dangerous falsehoods.”
  • New Hampshire Reps. David Doherty and Dianne Schuett Concord Monitor: Before you vote, examine the character of candidates. “The president is more interested in securing the circumstances to ensure his re-election than taking care of the health and well being of our country. He ignores expert advice, promotes untested medication, blames anything and anyone to deflect his own lack of responsibility, lies and scapegoats.”
  • DNC Officer Michael Blake: MLive: Opinion: Michigan Democrats are strong in the face of a crisis. “The state of Michigan has seen its communities hit harder than most from the COVID-19 pandemic, and now more than ever, we need problem solvers who will focus on facts, not on politics. While the buck is supposed to stop with the President, he’s shown no interest in taking his job seriously.”
  • Wisconsin Examiner: ACA backers reiterate warning of threat to health law. “‘For me this really hits home,’ said Wisconsin resident Noah Reif, who has Type 1 diabetes, is immunocompromised and took part in Wednesday’s press call. ‘I know what it’s like to ration insulin,” Reif added. “Now we’re in the midst of a global pandemic, and health care coverage for people like me is more important than ever.’”
  • Lehigh Valley Live: ‘We were never prepared:’ Nursing home workers describe battle against COVID-19. “‘We feel every day when we go to work that we’re going to war with a butter knife and a bathing suit,’ she said. ‘How could we not be prepared? How come we’re still not prepared?’ Malachi spoke on a media call Friday organized by the Pennsylvania Democratic Party which included Lehigh Valley Congresswoman Susan Wild and SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania President Matt Yarnell.”

WHEN IT COMES TO DIGITAL ORGANIZING, DEMOCRATS ARE BRINGING THEIR A-GAME. 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:

DNC’s Digital Organizing Director in CBS: “Through partnerships with state parties in battleground states like Florida and Georgia, the committee has sent 2.8 million text messages to voters encouraging them to vote by mail. And the DNC has embedded 11 digital organizing fellows in the battleground states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

‘Organizing at its core is just relationship-building. I think digital organizing is like that as well. How connected does a supporter feel to us and how much of the party do they feel like is their own,’ said DNC Digital Organizing director Meg DiMartino. ‘The thing I think about often is how do we continue to deepen and build that online …what are more ways that our supporters, our volunteers can feel more ownership over this program.’”

(PA) @HollyOtterbein: “New: The Pennsylvania Democratic Party, DNC  & other partners are announcing today they’ve texted 1 million Democratic voters in the state about voting by mail. The state party partly credits the program for the fact that more Dems have requested mail ballots than Republicans.”

(NC) North Carolina Democrats: “While the ongoing public health crisis has obviously limited our ability to engage voters in-person, our team has already adopted innovative approaches to ensure we are still reaching voters through virtual and digital platforms by: 

  • Adapting many of our fundraising efforts to the post-COVID campaign world, including our Cocktails with the Council event, which drew more than 150 people. We’ll continue this kind of outreach with our Congressional candidates and through events like our Protect the Vote panel on May 13. 
  • Working with the Coordinated Campaign to hold our first statewide Digital Day of Action to reach tens of thousands of voters across the state through various digital engagements. 
  • Waging an aggressive digital advertising effort to draw sharp contrasts between the failed Republican leadership and what Democrats’ offer as an alternative. In the last month alone we’ve launched two new ads highlighting Sen. Thom Tillis’s failed leadership in Washington and his insufficient response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.” 

WHILE REPUBLICANS ATTACK OUR RIGHT TO VOTE, WE’RE FIGHTING BACK IN COURT. After winning our case in NV, Democrats are continuing to fight to ensure Trump and the GOP aren’t able to cut off access to anyone’s right to vote in SC, and WI. Some updates:

(WI) Washington Post: Unexpected outcome in Wisconsin: Tens of thousands of ballots that arrived after Election Day were counted, thanks to court decisions. “The Post’s survey of ballot data in the state’s 24 largest cities found that Wisconsinites overwhelmingly chose to vote by mail rather than risk infection by casting a ballot in person.” 

(NV) Nevada Current: Clark County expands voter access for upcoming primary election. “In response to a lawsuit by Nevada Democrats, Clark County plans to expand voter access during the upcoming all-mail primary election. Clark County will now send mail ballots to all registered voters regardless of whether they are considered ‘inactive’ by the state. The county will also operate three physical polling locations on election day as opposed to just one. The physical polling locations will allow for same-day voter registration and allow for any ballot issues voters may face.”

(SC) Essence: DNC Lawsuit Contends South Carolina Laws Require Blacks To Choose Health Or Their Vote. “A new lawsuit filed on behalf of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the South Carolina Democratic Party alleges that current South Carolina election laws unfairly require that young voters and African-Americans, in particular, to choose between risking their health amid the coronavirus pandemic or voting in the June 9 primary.”

WHEREVER TRUMP AND HIS CRONIES GO, WE’LL BE THERE TO HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE. In response to Trump and 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 Iowa:

In Arizona:

  • Arizona Republic: “About an hour before the president was scheduled to arrive, the Arizona Democratic Party held a media phone call to highlight Republicans’ record on trying to repeal and roll back the Affordable Care Act. Those efforts would make Arizonans with pre-existing medical conditions more vulnerable to COVID-19, they said. Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., a vocal critic of the president, said Trump’s trip to the state would only serve as a reminder that he ‘ignored warnings for months,’ overlooked science and data and downplayed the severity of the coming pandemic to the detriment of Americans.”

In Connecticut

  • DNC: Ronna McDaniel Owes Connecticut Answers on Trump’s Failed, Chaotic Pandemic Response. “‘Nutmeggers aren’t interested in more empty rhetoric from Donald Trump’s Republican Party. For months, he downplayed the coronavirus pandemic, left health care workers without personal protective equipment, and failed to deliver desperately needed testing. Instead of sliding into Connecticut to raise money, McDaniel needs to answer for her boss’ repeated failures and broken promises.’”

In Virginia: 

*BREAKING RECORDS: OREGON HITS 1 MILLION REGISTERED VOTERS*

  • Oregon Democrats: One (Million) For The Record Books: For the first time ever, more than one million registered Oregon Democrats. “Republicans have a million reasons to be nervous today. This remarkable achievement is a testament to what we already knew: Democrats are more energized and better organized than ever before,” said Tom Perez, DNC Chair. “Every day, Chair Hanson and Oregon Democrats are doing the hard work of strengthening our party and bringing more voices into our democracy — that dedication is going to pay off in November.”
  • Portland Tribune: Oregon Democrats hit one million mark for voters. “Carla ‘K.C.’ Hanson, chair of the Democratic Party, on Tuesday, May 5, hailed the increase in voters registered as Democrats. ‘These numbers are for the record books, and demonstrate the strength of our party’s vision for all Oregonians and the work of Democratic activists from all corners of the state,’ she said in a statement.”

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