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. 

“AMERICA CAN’T AFFORD FOUR MORE YEARS OF DONALD TRUMP.” As we kick off the final weekend before Election Day, Democrats aren’t leaving anything to chance. Across the battlegrounds, we’re continuing to hammer Donald Trump on his incompetent, chaotic pandemic response — from the streets to the airwaves. See for yourself:

  • (AZ) Mohave Valley Daily News: DNC coincides digital campaign with Trump visit. “The Democratic National Committee is countering [Trump’s] visit less than a week before Election Day by presenting an argument against Trump’s reelection with a digital ad campaign today aimed at online readers of the Mohave Valley Daily News and Laughlin Nevada Times … The DNC already has placed mobile billboards in Arizona and stationary billboards in Nevada to coincide with other Trump visits.”

  • (FL) ABC News: DNC running mobile billboards around Trump’s rally that focus on COVID-19 cases. “With both Trump and Biden hitting the trail in Tampa this afternoon, Democrats — hoping to divert attention from Trump’s rival rally — are circling the president’s venue with counterprogramming highlighting what they view as his failed response to the coronavirus pandemic. In new billboards that are set to be unveiled at the Raymond James Stadium, the Democratic National Committee blames the president for his handling of the virus, which it contends has led to more than 16,500 deaths in Florida alone and more than a million lost jobs in the state. ‘COVID cases are spiking. This administration failed us,’ a mobile billboard deployed by the Democratic National Committee reads. The DNC also set up a digital billboard two miles south of the stadium to target a wider swath of potential Democratic voters.”

  • (FL) Creative Loafing Tampa Bay: ‘This Administration Failed Us’: New Tampa billboards slam Trump ahead of Thursday visit. “New billboards in Tampa are targeting Donald Trump’s COVID-19 response, and they are located directly outside of today’s rally at Raymond James Stadium. This morning, the Democratic National Committee unveiled the new billboards, which read ‘COVID cases are spiking’ in white, followed by giant black lettering that says ‘This Administration Failed Us.’ A digital billboard that is located two miles south of the stadium, while a similar mobile billboard will circle today’s event. Both billboards contain a link to IWillVote.com.”

  • (FL) Sun Sentinel: ‘Lie, cheat and steal’ is Democrats’ description of Trump in TV ad airing in South Florida. “The Democratic Party is making a withering assault on President Donald Trump in a closing-argument TV ad that starts airing Thursday in South Florida. The Democratic National Committee said the 60-second ad, titled ‘Deserves,’ is designed to show “who Trump really is: someone with a long record of lying, cheating, and stealing his way through life and whose failed leadership has plunged Florida into crisis.”

  • (IA) Quad City Times: “The national Democratic Party launched digital display ads to coincide with the event. The ads were to reach voters in Des Moines and contained criticisms of the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic. ‘Nothing Pence will say today changes the fact that Iowans are sick and tired of his broken promises and incompetence that is threatening their lives and livelihoods,’ Tom Perez, chairman of the national Democratic Party, said in a statement.”

  • (MI) MLive: “Michigan Democrats criticized Trump for holding a campaign rally as COVID-19 cases and deaths rise across the country. The Democratic National Committee launched digital ads in the Lansing area criticizing Trump for ‘holding dangerous campaign rallies that threaten to worsen the spread of coronavirus.’”

  • (NE) Omaha World-Herald: “Democrats also will be driving a mobile billboard near the Trump campaign rally and running digital ads highlighting the president’s record on COVID-19, including 225,000 Americans lost to the virus.”

  • (NV) KUNR: DNC Blasts Trump Administration As Pence Visits Reno. “Democrats also have announced another round of ad buys in Washoe County ahead of election day. That includes billboards and a TV ad critical of the Trump administration’s handling of the pandemic.”

  • (OH) Columbus Dispatch: “The Democratic National Committee unveiled an anti-Trump billboard west of Ohio Stadium on Saturday, the day of the Buckeyes’ COVID-delayed season opener.”

  • (PA) Politics PA: Exclusive: DNC Closing Ad Slams Trump on Philly TV. “The ad continues to accuse Trump of ‘stoking the fire of racism and division, losing a trade war with China, pushing millions off their healthcare,’ while blaming his response to COVID-19 for the aftermath in the United States. ‘Standing back and standing by as over 225,000 Americans died from COVID,’ a voiceover says towards the end of the ad. ‘I don’t take responsibility at all,’ a clip from Trump is played during the spot. ‘America can’t afford four more years of Donald Trump,’ the ad closes with.”

ON THE TRAIL! DNC Chair Tom Perez continued barnstorming across the country this week, calling out Donald Trump’s broken promises and encouraging voters in Colorado and Nevada to make a plan to cast their ballots.

In Colorado: 

Loveland Reporter-Herald: “U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse and Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez also visited to talk with voters and help distribute promotional materials … ‘There’s a lot of healthcare voters here in Colorado,’ [Perez] said. ‘And they understand that Joe Biden is going to protect their healthcare and Donald Trump wants to take it away, real simple. They’re looking for leadership on COVID. The president’s given up. He has no plan, and we need a plan.’”

  • KDVR: “We know the race is going to be close, but I think right now for people this is all about the pandemic, all about health care, it’s all about the president’s failed responses to these things. And voters want a leader who can lift us out of these crises.”

In Nevada:

  • KRNV: “In response to the Vice President’s visit, the Nevada State Democratic Party hosted a press event with Tom Perez … ‘This president has no plan. He keeps telling us that we’re rounding the corner. What corner is he referring to? Because so many people in this state and across the country, they come home at night now to an empty seat at the kitchen table because they’ve lost a loved one.’”

  • KOLO: “Earlier today, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez was in town urging people to vote. Perez says the message for residents is to get out and vote early here in Washoe County… ‘I think voters should ask themselves the following question: how can an administration who can’t even get a handle on coronavirus within the West Wing of the White House get a handle on the coronavirus across America?’”

STORIES FROM TRUMP’S ECONOMY. Trump’s failed handling of the pandemic continues to inflict devastating economic impacts on working families across the country. Read about the kitchen table issues that are top of mind as Americans cast their ballots.

HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE. Wherever Trump, Pence, and their cronies go, Democrats are calling out their broken promises. See for yourself:

In Arizona:

Arizona Republic: “Ahead of Trump’s visit to Bullhead City, Arizona Democrats highlighted the suffering by Arizonans and Nevadans on the public-health and economic fronts … Signa Oliver, a U.S. Army veteran from Goodyear, said veterans, in particular, are bearing the brunt of Trump’s ‘lack of leadership’ compared to previous presidents … ‘His complete ineptitude in handling this virus that is just ravaging this country is unthinkable.’”

In Florida: 

Florida Politics: ‘All of this chaos has cost livelihoods’: Tampa Democrats tout Joe Biden ahead of Donald Trump visit. “The Florida Democratic Party hosted Congresswoman Kathy Castor and Florida Rep. Fentrice Driskell virtually ahead of President Donald Trump’s afternoon visit to Tampa … ‘All of this chaos has cost livelihoods, it’s costing jobs, and we know that unless we get control of the coronavirus, it’s gonna continue to wreak havoc,’ Castor said. ‘What this all springs from, of course, is the complete and utter failure of Donald Trump to control coronavirus.”

In Iowa:

Des Moines Register: “In a news conference, Iowa Democrats also criticized Pence for not listening to experts on the White House coronavirus task force, which the vice president leads. ‘His experts are telling and have consistently pretty much been telling us don’t gather in crowds, wear a mask, stay apart, and yet his actions today are not showing that,’ said state Rep. Jo Oldson, D-Des Moines.”

In Minnesota:

Star Tribune: “The state DFL held an event at the Duluth Labor Temple on Sunday blasting the visit and the administration’s handling of the pandemic. ‘The reality is, anyone that is responsible for 220,000 deaths should not remain as President of the United States,’ said DFL Chairman Ken Martin. ‘President Trump says that we’re learning to live with this virus. But as Joe Biden says, ‘No, we’re learning to die with it.’’”

  • WDIO: “United Steelworkers Local 1938 President John Arbogast spoke at the DFL’s event, saying he feels Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will better support miners. ‘Republicans like to walk around and make signs and say: ‘We support mining.’ But, what they don’t do is they don’t support the miners—the men and women that work in the mines,’ Arbogast said.”

In Maine:

Bangor Daily News: Janet Mills says Trump ‘doesn’t care about’ Maine working people as he visits Bangor area. “Three of Maine’s top Democrats greeted President Donald Trump with sharp criticism for his last-minute visit to the Bangor area on Sunday, with Gov. Janet Mills saying the president ‘doesn’t care about’ everyday Maine people and chiding him for only showing up in Maine during election years … Mills said Trump was ‘desperate for every electoral vote’ and blasted his response to the coronavirus pandemic on the day Trump’s chief of staff said, ‘We’re not going to control the pandemic.’ ‘We’ve seen this pandemic spread in every county in the state and this president has done nothing to stop it,’ Mills said.”

  • Portland Press Herald: Democrats rally in advance of Trump’s Bangor visit. “In 2017, Mills said, she was willing to give Trump ‘a shot’ at governing after his election. ‘I am not willing to give him the benefit now, and no one should,’ she said. Her voice rising to stir an animated crowd, Mills assailed Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, saying the president had repeatedly ‘lied about’ the seriousness of the virus and his response to it. Mills accused the president of being indifferent toward working Mainers and people working long hours to pay for health care or to put food on the table.”

In Michigan:

WJBK: Michigan Democrats criticize President Trump’s campaign rally in Lansing. “‘We’re not seeing that we are turning the corner. We’re seeing numbers go up and we’re seeing a second wave,’ said Lansing mayor Andy Schor. ‘He just tries to wish it away. He’s hoping we don’t talk about it anymore,’ Sen. [Debbie] Stabenow said.”

  • Detroit News: “‘I find it continually shocking to see what he’s doing,’ Stabenow said. Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said Michigan is seeing a second wave of COVID-19 and it needs to be taken seriously. ‘Lansing needs a president right now who supports us,’ said Schor, a Democrat. ‘We need a president with a plan for COVID response.’”

In Nebraska:

Omaha World Herald: “‘The pandemic is spiraling out of control in Nebraska because of Donald Trump’s failed leadership, and instead of taking steps to control the virus, Trump is renewing his relentless attacks on the Affordable Care Act and protections for people with preexisting conditions,’ [Nebraska Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb] said.”

In Nevada:

Las Vegas-Review Journal: “Ahead of the rally, Nevada Rep. Dina Titus and Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego released the following joint statement… ‘Trump has openly called for the Affordable Care Act to be terminated, leaving health care coverage for hundreds of thousands of Arizonans and Nevadans hanging in the balance. And by giving up on containing the pandemic, Trump is abandoning our small businesses and working families who desperately need economic relief and leadership in the White House.’”

  • KTVN: “Ahead of Mike Pence’s rally in Reno, Nevada State Democratic Party Chair William McCurdy II released the following statement: ‘Pence’s reckless rally in Reno today can’t spin the truth about Trump: Nevadans are paying the price for his ineffective pandemic response with our lives and our livelihoods — especially in communities of color. While the Trump Administration has openly admitted that it’s waving the white flag on controlling the virus and claimed that we’re ‘rounding the corner’ on the pandemic, Washoe County just hit a record high for hospitalizations and active COVID cases.”

In North Carolina:

Fayetteville Observer: Democrats criticize COVID-19 response as Trump plans return to Fayetteville. “President Donald Trump’s mishandling of the coronavirus has wreaked havoc on the Fayetteville community and the rest of the nation, local Democratic Party leaders said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has a plan to contain the spread of the virus, which in turn will help the economy rebound and fix the mess Trump has created, the officials said.”

  • The News & Record: Mayor Nancy Vaughan: Greensboro doesn’t need a rally with Mike Pence — it needs COVID relief. “Everyone wants this crisis to be over as quickly as possible, but we can’t do that without real leadership at the federal level. As a former governor, yourself, you know how critical strong partnerships are across all levels of government. We want full employment. We want our children back in school. Defeating this virus will take more than the efforts of Greensboro or any other single city or state. It will require all of us working together with a president who follows the science and facts.

In Pennsylvania:

WFMZ: Pa. Democrats blast president ahead of Trump visit to the Lehigh Valley. “U.S. Sen. Bob Casey joined Lehigh Valley Congresswoman Susan Wild, who is running for re-election against Republican Lisa Scheller, and Pennsylvania Democratic chair Nancy Patton Mills to denounce President Donald Trump’s rallies in the Keystone State, including a visit Monday to the Lehigh Valley. ‘People in Pennsylvania are hurting from this economic crisis,’ Wild said. ‘Frankly, they were hurting as a result of the Trump administration’s policies even before this pandemic ever hit our shores.’”

  • Lehigh Valley Live: Democrats time criticism of President Trump’s record with Lehigh Valley rally. “As President Donald Trump arrived Monday in the Lehigh Valley for one of three planned rallies in Pennsylvania, state Democrats criticized the incumbent’s record on the COVID-19 pandemic, economic development and the Affordable Care Act … ‘What I’d hope the president would do today, or maybe any day between now and Election Day, is finally — finally — tell us what is his plan to tackle the virus, but it sounds like that’s not gonna be forthcoming. Not only because he doesn’t have one, but because his chief of staff basically waived the white flag of surrender in the last 24 hours,’ Casey said.”

In Wisconsin:

WKBT: La Crosse Democrats push back on President Trump visit. “Members of the La Crosse County Democratic Party are voicing their concerns about President Trump’s visit. 94th Assembly district representative Jill Billings and the Wisconsin Farmers Union President spoke during the virtual press conference.”

  • Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “‘Looking at what it’s really doing for us — not a whole lot,’ Darin Von Ruden, a Westby dairy farmer and president of the Wisconsin Farmers Union, said. ‘The current administration is just making it worse, and we need to get to a point where we can actually trust what’s coming out of the White House.’”

THE STATE OF PLAY, 4 DAYS OUT. While Trump continues alienating voters on the campaign trail, Democrats are focused on getting out the vote and building our momentum in the final stretch. Check out some of the most important battleground trends defining the final hours of this campaign:

FINALLY, YOUR WEEKEND READING. Roll Call: Trump’s worst possible closing message. “By arguing that the country is ‘rounding the corner’ on COVID-19 in the face of irrefutable data that the coronavirus is surging, Donald Trump risks appearing more and more out of touch with reality. Critics of the president will joke that he has been out of touch for the last four years. But Trump’s argument in the final weeks of the campaign could alienate any remaining undecided voters, possibly causing some of his weakest supporters to stay home.”

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