June 17, 2020: The Democratic National Committee launched its first television ad against Donald Trump in four years. An Oklahoma judge denied an emergency motion to block Trump’s rally in Tulsa.
“Recent polls have suggested Biden might hold an even stronger position in other states [than Texas] that Trump won in 2016 — Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio and even Georgia. And because of its vast size, numerous media markets and massive population, Texas is more expensive to compete in. …
In other words, the cost of seriously trying to win Texas would almost certainly be high, while there’s a decent chance that the reward would ultimately prove inconsequential.
Below the surface, however, the presidential race in Texas still matters — an underperformance by Trump compared to recent history has the potential to reset Texas politics for the next decade. The central question in the political class every time one of these polls is released five months out from Election Day is: What kind of down-ballot damage could Republicans potentially suffer if Biden has coattails?”
– Abby Livingston and Alex Samuels, The Texas Tribune
Election Updates
Joe Bidenspoke during a webcast by the League of Conservation Voters on Tuesday. He connected climate change to racial inequality and environmental justice.
Biden is speaking in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday to discuss the coronavirus pandemic and reopening plans.
More than 50 progressive groups, including the Working Families Party, Our Revolution, and Black Voters Matter, signed an open letter to Biden on Monday calling for him to support reduced incarceration and police forces.
The Democratic National Committee launched a television and digital ad campaign against Donald Trump on Tuesday that focuses on employment, healthcare, race relations, and immigration. The clip, “Descent,” is the first television ad the DNC has run in four years.
The Trump campaign is considering using an additional venue for overflow during its rally in Tulsa on Saturday. An Oklahoma judge denied an emergency motion to block the rally unless the Trump campaign used social distancing guidelines at the event. Plaintiffs said they would pursue the case in the Oklahoma Supreme Court.
Trump Victory, the joint committee of the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee, is offering donors various packages for the Republican National Convention, including a $1.2 million tier for premier access at the event.
Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday to establish a database of police officers with excessive use-of-force complaints.
The Washington Postreported that at least 30 delegates to the Republican National Convention were planning an effort to block Donald Trump’s nomination.
