Notable Quote of the Day

“Teflon presidents, gangsters, candidates — we have had them all. What we have not experienced until now is a Teflon campaign.

Between March 11, when the coronavirus prompted the NBA to suspend its season, and May 14, some 84,000 Americans died of coronavirus, more than 36 million lost their jobs, and Congress appropriated $3.6 trillion in new spending. It is not foolish to suppose that these world-shaking events would affect the presidential election. On the contrary: One would expect a dramatic swing toward either the incumbent or the challenger. But look at the polls. Not only has there been no big shift. There has been no shift. …

Why? The incidents of this election cycle are not the reason. Epidemics, depressions, and sex scandals have happened before. What is distinct are the candidates. One in particular.

If this race has been the steadiest in memory, it is because public opinion of the incumbent has been the most consistent in memory. ‘Trump’s approval rating has the least variation of any post-World War II president,’ notes Geoffrey Skelley of FiveThirtyEight. Whatever is in the headlines matters less than one’s view of the president. And he is a subject on which most people’s views are ironclad.”

– Matthew Continetti, National Review

Election Updates

• The Equality PAC, which is affiliated with the Congressional LGBTQ Equality Caucus, endorsed Joe Biden.

• Biden released a statement on the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia in which he wrote, “As President, I will reinvigorate and expand U.S. efforts to advance the human rights of LGBTQ+ people at home and around the world.” He also tweeted that passing the Equality Act would be one of his top legislative priorities as president.

• Donald Trump tweeted, “I’m not running against Sleepy Joe Biden. He is not even a factor. Never was, remember 1% Joe? I’m running against the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats & their partner, the real opposition party, the Lamestream Fake News Media! They are vicious & crazy, but we will WIN!”

• U.S. Rep. Justin Amash (L-Mich.), who announced on April 28 that he was launching an exploratory committee for the Libertarian presidential nomination, tweeted, “Thanks for your support as I’ve been exploring a run for president as the potential nominee of the Libertarian Party. … After much reflection, I’ve concluded that circumstances don’t lend themselves to my success as a candidate for president this year, and therefore I will not be a candidate.”

Flashback: May 18, 2016

Trump announced a list of possible Supreme Court nominees. He said the list was “representative of the kind of constitutional principles I value and, as president, I plan to use this list as a guide to nominate our next United States Supreme Court justices.”