Jacksonville named host city for Republican National Convention main event


Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing
June 12, 2020: Donald Trump will accept the Republican presidential nomination in Jacksonville, Florida, in August. Joe Biden sends an open letter to Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg on disinformation on the platform.

Each Friday, we highlight a presidential candidate’s key campaign staffer.

Daily Presidential News Briefing, Staffer Spotlight - Jason Miller

Jason Miller is a Republican staffer with experience in communications. Miller graduated from The George Washington University with a B.A. in political science.

Previous campaign work:

  • 2016 Donald Trump presidential campaign, senior communications advisor
  • 2016 Ted Cruz presidential campaign, senior communications advisor and digital consultant
  • 2015 Matt Bevin gubernatorial campaign, consultant
  • 2014 Darrell Issa congressional campaign, consultant
  • 2013 Mark Sanford congressional campaign, consultant
  • 2012 Richard Mourdock senatorial campaign, consultant
  • 2008 Rudy Giuliani presidential campaign, national deputy communications director
  • 2006 Mark Sanford gubernatorial campaign, campaign manager

Other experience:

  • SHW Partners LLC, principal
  • CNN, commentator
  • Teneo Strategy, managing director
  • Trump transition team, communications director
  • Jamestown Associates, partner and executive vice president
  • Dezenhall Resources, executive

What he says about Trump: “Every president who has faced a global crisis — whether it be a kinetic war or a viral war or even an economic war — has become the face of that crisis, whether they like it or not, and I think it’s smart for President Trump to realize that his presidency will ultimately be defined by the successful recovery from coronavirus.”

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Notable Quote of the Day

“For some Democrats, the choice [of vice president] is about strategy — and the realization that Democrats need to have high turnout among a diverse group of voters to win the presidency in November. They believe a black woman will boost turnout among black voters. For others, the decision is about policy — and the belief that a black candidate will have a better understanding of structural racism and push Joe Biden further left on issues of racial justice and police reform, while also giving him credibility with some Democratic voters who might doubt his convictions. And, yet for others, this demand is about loyalty — black women, they point out, have been the most consistent voting bloc of the Democratic base, they saved Biden’s campaign in South Carolina, and yet they’re never the candidates chosen for the number one or number two spot. The focus on choosing a candidate of color, specifically a black woman, as the vice president comes despite the fact that a historically diverse field of presidential candidates this cycle resulted in a final contest between two white men in their 70s.”

– Asma Khalid, NPR

Election Updates

  • Joe Biden posted an open letter to Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday calling on Facebook to fact-check political ads in the two weeks prior to the general election, among other steps to prevent disinformation on the platform.
  • Biden released his plan to reopen the economy on Thursday. His proposal includes guaranteeing testing and PPE for workers, covering coronavirus-related medical and family leave, establishing a workforce of 100,000 coronavirus contact tracers, and covering additional costs for reopening schools and childcare centers.
  • Attendees of Donald Trump’s upcoming rally in Oklahoma will be required to sign a waiver that says they cannot hold the Trump campaign or venue liable if they contract COVID-19.
  • Mike Pence is kicking off “The Great American Comeback Tour,” a series of events highlighting the reopening of the country, in Pittsburgh on Friday. America First Policies is hosting the tour.
  • The Republican National Committee announced on Thursday that Trump will accept the party’s nomination in Jacksonville, splitting the national convention between Florida and its original location in Charlotte, North Carolina. Trump’s acceptance speech will take place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, which has a 15,000-person capacity.

What We’re Reading

Flashback: June 12, 2016

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton responded to the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. It was then the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

Click here to learn more.