Trump raises $12 million at fundraisers in Hamptons


 Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing

August 12, 2019: Donald Trump raised $12 million from two fundraisers Friday. The 2020 Democrats gathered in Iowa to speak at the Soapbox and a gun violence forum.


There are nine new candidates running since last week, including two Democrats, three Republicans, and one Green. In total, 816 individuals are currently filed with the FEC to run for president.

Notable Quote of the Day

“Seniors are the likeliest to actually cast ballots, with two-thirds of them voting in the 2018 midterms compared with 53% of the overall voting-age population. While the electorate in presidential years skews younger than in midterm ones, no Democratic presidential candidate has won seniors since Al Gore in 2000, and for the past five presidential-election cycles, every Republican nominee has won a larger share of seniors than his predecessor.”

– Michelle Hackman, The Wall Street Journal

Democrats

Nearly the entire Democratic field was in Iowa over the weekend. Seventeen candidates participated in a forum on gun violence hosted by Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action, and Students Demand Action. Here are some more highlights of what the candidates discussed during their Iowa trips.

  • Michael Bennet discussed income inequality and education while campaigning in Ames.
  • Joe Biden discussed biometric weapons and individualizing weapons to authorized owners. He wrote an op-ed in The New York Times titled “Banning Assault Weapons Works.”
  • Bill de Blasio called for a boycott of Walmart, saying there should be consequences for gun retailers.
  • Cory Booker focused his speech at the Iowa Democratic Wing Ding on gun violence and regulation. He also campaigned in Milwaukee Sunday.
  • While campaigning in Nevada, Iowa, Steve Bullock spoke about healthcare, campaign finance, and the federal debt ceiling.
  • Pete Buttigieg attended the forum on gun violence in Iowa before campaigning in Austin, Texas.
  • Julián Castro discussed tariffs and how trade policy was affecting farmers.
  • Appearing at the Soapbox, John Delaney spoke about racism, his healthcare plan, climate change, and infrastructure.
  • Tulsi Gabbard discussed national security, foreign policy, and criminal justice at the Soapbox Friday.
  • Kirsten Gillibrand criticized Iowa political leadership for supporting a pro-gun amendment to the state constitution.
  • Kamala Harris discussed the existence of racism in the United States, before and after the Trump administration.
  • John Hickenlooper described what he called his pragmatic progressive policies on the economy and the environment.
  • During a campaign stop in Nevada, Iowa, Jay Inslee discussed climate change and electability.
  • Amy Klobuchar spoke about immigration, climate change, workforce training, and the rural-urban divide at the Soapbox.
  • Tim Ryan discussed education, mental health, and manufacturing at the Soapbox.
  • Bernie Sanders said candidates needed to focus on policy that addresses the concerns of working families during a speech at the Wing Ding.
  • While speaking at the Soapbox, Joe Sestak discussed healthcare, globalism, and cancer research funding.
  • Appearing at the Wing Ding, Tom Steyer said his business experience would allow him to directly challenge Trump.
  • Elizabeth Warren introduced her gun violence platform, seeking to reduce the number of gun deaths in the country by 80 percent. Her plan would create a federal licensing program, cap firearm purchases, change the laws to protect survivors of domestic abuse, and raise taxes on gun manufacturers.
  • Marianne Williamson spoke about morality in politics and addressed criticism of her campaign.
  • Andrew Yang discussed accidental gun deaths involving children and personalized weapons at the forum on gun violence.

Republicans

  • Donald Trump raised $12 million at two fundraisers in the Hamptons Friday.
  • Bill Weld campaigned in New Hampshire Saturday, where he said his strategy was to enlarge the electorate. He was in Iowa Sunday for a speech at the Soapbox at the state fair.

What We’re Reading

Flashback: August 12, 2015

Hillary Clinton hired Heather Stone as the campaign’s chief of staff and Craig Smith as a paid consultant.