Notable Quote of the Day

“The bluntness of Trump’s [Supreme Court pick] was a reflection of the political stakes. Trump, after all, won four years ago because of (white) women just as much as (white) men, and he could lose in November because he’s lost enough support of enough women in enough of the places that matter the most. His pick for the court marks a readymade chance for him to change the topic from the still-raging pandemic (by nearly all accounts the biggest drag on his re-election hopes) and remind conservatives of the most consequential accomplishment of his first term (steering the federal judiciary to the right for a generation to come). Just as importantly, though, it offered the possibility to bolster support with not only the most ardently pro-life women in his base but women in general, and college-educated suburban women in particular.”

– Michael Kruse, Politico​​​

Election Updates

• Joe Biden discussed the Supreme Court vacancy during remarks in Wilmington, Delaware, on Sunday. He called discussion of expanding the court a distraction from the effect nominee Amy Coney Barrett could have on the Affordable Care Act.
• Biden virtually appeared at L’Attitude, a four-day conference focused on Latinos across several different industries.
• Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge (R) endorsed Biden in an op-ed for The Philadelphia Enquirer on Sunday.
• In preparation for Tuesday’s debate, Biden has been holding mock debate sessions with former White House general counsel Bob Bauer playing Donald Trump. Trump is not formally preparing, according to the Associated Press, although he said on Sunday that former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie were advising him.
• Donald Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court vacancy on Saturday. He said, “Rulings that the Supreme Court will issue in the coming years will decide the survival of our Second Amendment, our religious liberty, our public safety and so much more. To maintain security, liberty and prosperity, we must preserve our priceless heritage of a nation of laws. And there’s no one better to do that than Amy Coney Barrett.”
• The New York Times reported on Trump’s federal tax returns from 2000 to 2017. The report said that Trump “paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years — largely because he reported losing much more money than he made.” Trump lawyer Alan Garter disputed the report, saying that “most, if not all, of the facts appear to be inaccurate.”
• Biden released a digital campaign ad on Sunday showing the average federal income tax paid by teachers, firefighters, and nurses, compared to the $750 that Trump reportedly paid in his first year in office.
• The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee sued North Carolina election officials on Saturday to block new guidance that allows for mail-in ballots with deficiencies to be corrected without a new blank ballot being submitted.

Flashback: September 28, 2020

Politico reported that Chicago Cubs owner Todd Ricketts raised $30 million for two pro-Trump groups and had an overall goal to raise $70 million.