Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - August 3, 2016
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Wednesday's Leading Stories
- On Tuesday, President Barack Obama said, "The Republican nominee is unfit to serve as president. He keeps on proving it. … The notion that he would attack a Gold Star family that made such extraordinary sacrifices on behalf of our country, the fact that he doesn't appear to have basic knowledge of critical issues in Europe, the Middle East, in Asia, means that he's woefully unprepared to do this job.” Obama then criticized Republican leaders for not withdrawing their support for Trump. He said, “What does this say about your party that this is your standard-bearer? This isn't a situation where you have an episodic gaffe. This is daily and weekly where they are distancing themselves from statements he's making. There has to be a point at which you say, 'This is not somebody I can support for president of the United States, even if he purports to be a member of my party.'" Referring to Donald Trump’s feud with Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the parents of a soldier killed in Iraq in 2004, Obama said he does not doubt the sincerity of Republican leaders who have denounced Trump’s remarks, adding, “I don't doubt they were outraged by some of the statements that Mr. Trump and his supporters made about the Khan family. But there has to come a point in which you say, 'Somebody who makes those kinds of statements doesn't have the judgment, the temperament, the understanding to occupy the most powerful position in the world.'" (CNN)
- Trump responded to the criticism by calling Hillary Clinton unfit to serve as president and by calling Obama “a terrible president.” In a statement, he said, "Hillary Clinton has proven herself unfit to serve in any government office. Obama-Clinton have single-handedly destabilized the Middle East, handed Iraq, Libya and Syria to ISIS, and allowed our personnel to be slaughtered at Benghazi." In an interview, Trump continued his criticism, saying, "He's [Obama’s] a terrible president. He'll probably go down as the worst president in the history of our country. He's been a total disaster."
- On Tuesday, Trump declined to endorse House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) in his primary election. He said, “I like Paul, but these are horrible times for our country. We need very strong leadership. We need very, very strong leadership. And I’m just not quite there yet. I’m not quite there yet.” According to The Washington Post, “Trump also said he was not supporting Sen. John McCain in his primary in Arizona, and he singled out Sen. Kelly Ayotte as a weak and disloyal leader in New Hampshire, a state whose presidential primary Trump won handily.” (The Washington Post)
Polls
- Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump 46 percent to 43 percent, according to an Economist/YouGov poll released on Tuesday. In a four-way race, Clinton leads with 41 percent support, and Trump follows with 36 percent support. Gary Johnson comes in third with 8 percent, and Jill Stein comes in fourth with 4 percent support. (Economist/YouGov)
- In Nevada, Clinton leads Trump 41 percent to 40 percent, and Johnson has 10 percent support, according to a KTNV/Rasmussen poll released on Tuesday. (KTNV/Rasmussen)
- In Oklahoma, Trump leads Clinton 53 percent to 29 percent. Johnson has 7 percent support, according to a Sooner Poll released on Tuesday. (Sooner Poll)
Democrats
- On Tuesday, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced that DNC CEO Amy Dacey, DNC Communications Director Luis Miranda, and DNC CFO Brad Marshall are leaving the committee. According to The Hill, the “staff shakeup [was] spurred by the leak of damaging emails about the primary battle between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.” The emails “appeared to show officials at the committee plotting against Sanders's presidential campaign.” Donna Brazile, who has taken over as chairwoman of the DNC following the resignation of former chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (R-Fla.), said in a statement, “Thanks in part to the hard work of Amy, Luis, and Brad, the Democratic Party has adopted the most progressive platform in history, has put itself in financial position to win in November, and has begun the important work of investing in state party partnerships. I’m so grateful for their commitment to this cause, and I wish them continued success in the next chapter of their career.” Brazile also announced that Doug Thornell, a Democratic strategist who works at the consulting firm SKDKnickerbocker, would be joining the DNC on an interim basis as a senior adviser. (The Hill)
Hillary Clinton
- On Tuesday, NBC News reported that Hillary Clinton and groups supporting her have planned to spend nearly $97 million more on TV ads than Donald Trump and groups supporting his candidacy. According to NBC News, “Clinton's campaign and pro-Clinton group Priorities USA Action have reserved a combined $98 million through the fall so far, while pro-Trump PAC Rebuilding America Now has just about $817,000 set to air at this time. Through last week, Team Clinton had aired a total of $68 million in ads, while Team Trump had spent roughly $6 million - mostly from Rebuilding America Now and the NRA Political Victory Fund.” (NBC News)
- On Tuesday, Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman announced her support for Clinton. Whitman wrote in a Facebook post, "As a proud Republican, casting my vote for president has usually been a simple matter. This year is different. Donald Trump’s demagoguery has undermined the fabric of our national character. … Trump’s unsteady hand would endanger our prosperity and national security. His authoritarian character could threaten much more.” Whitman also said that she will raise money for Clinton. (The Los Angeles Times)
Republicans
- Maria Comella, a former top aide to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, said that she plans to vote for Hillary Clinton during an interview on Tuesday. She said, "Donald Trump has been a demagogue this whole time, preying on people's anxieties with loose information and salacious rhetoric, drumming up fear and hatred of the 'other.’ Instead of trying anything remotely like unifying the country, we have a nominee who would rather pick fights because he views it as positive news coverage. It may make him media savvy, but it doesn't make him qualified or ready to be president." (CNN)
Donald Trump
- On Tuesday, Donald Trump promised to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) by bombing them, if elected. He said, "We have no choice but to bomb them. They have taken over Libya. That was another one of Hillary Clinton's duties — they have taken over Libya. No good. We have to bomb them. … I would do what you have to do to get rid of ISIS. It's a horrific problem. ... We should have never been there in the first place. I was opposed to going into Iraq.” (The Hill)
- Charles Woods, the father of Navy SEAL Tyrone Woods who was killed in the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack, endorsed Trump on Tuesday. Woods said, “I support Donald Trump, and the main reason is national security as well as the economy are the two most important issues that voters are going to have to decide upon next November. Hillary Clinton's poor judgment led to these tragic deaths in Libya. First, her reckless decision to invade Libya unleashed radical Islamic terror groups that threatened Americans. Compounded with her failure to provide the necessary security upgrades and reinforcements cost four Americans their lives. After it all, she lied to the world about what happened to cover up the role of Radical Islam. We could have known more about her actions, but she illegally stored and then deleted 33,000 emails.” (The Hill)
- During a campaign event on Tuesday, retired Lt. Col. Louis Dorfman gave Trump his Purple Heart. Trump said, "Something very nice just happened to me. A man came up to me and handed me his Purple Heart. I said to him, 'Is that like the real one or is that a copy?' And he said, 'That's my real Purple Heart. I have such confidence in you.' … I always wanted to get the Purple Heart. This was much easier.” Purple Hearts are awarded to service members who suffer wounds in combat. (CNN)
- On Tuesday, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie commented on Trump’s feud with Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the parents of a soldier killed in Iraq in 2004. Christie said, “I didn’t see Mr. Khan’s speech at the DNC but I’ll just say this: I’m a father and I just cannot imagine the pain of losing a child under any circumstances. And for Mr. and Mrs. Khan, the pain of losing their son while defending our country is unfathomable, and I think it gives them the right to say whatever they want, whether they’re right or wrong. We need to honor their sacrifice for our country and we need to honor their son’s sacrifice for our country. And to focus on anything other than that, to me, is missing the point. That’s what we should be doing, and any comments that we’re making publicly or privately should be with that in mind. My view on this is that the Khans have a right to say whatever it is they want regarding the loss of their son and that for all the Gold Star families out there, they have put forward a sacrifice that I cannot fathom as a parent.” (Politico)
- On Monday, The New York Times reported that Trump received five deferments exempting him from military service during the Vietnam War. Four of them were for education, and one was for bone spurs in his heels. According to the Times, “The diagnosis resulted in a coveted 1-Y medical deferment that fall, exempting him from military service as the United States was undertaking huge troop deployments to Southeast Asia, inducting about 300,000 men into the military that year.” Trump’s military record has come under scrutiny since he began feuding with Khizr and Ghazala Khan, the parents of a soldier killed in Iraq in 2004. (The New York Times)
Third Party Candidates
Jill Stein (Green Party)
- On Tuesday, The Washington Post outlined Jill Stein’s issue positions, noting where Stein and Bernie Sanders agree and where Stein and Sanders differ from Hillary Clinton. (The Washington Post)
Gary Johnson (Libertarian Party)
- On Tuesday, Gary Johnson apologized for a recent comment he made about violence in early Mormon history. Last week, when asked about the government’s role in an individual’s right to religious freedom, Johnson said that “religious freedom is a ‘black hole’ that can lead to more discrimination than the world needs,” according to Deseret News. Johnson added, “I think what you're going to end up doing is open up a plethora of discrimination that you never dreamed could even exist. And it'll start with Muslims. … I mean under the guise of religious freedom, anybody can do anything. Back to Mormonism. Why shouldn't somebody be able to shoot somebody else because their freedom of religion says that God has spoken to them and that they can shoot somebody dead?" Johnson apologized for the comments in the following statement: “My reference to the LDS church, made during an impromptu conversation, was an admittedly very imprecise reference to the violence that accompanied the Mormon’s early history in the 1800s– violence that was prompted by the persecution of the Mormons themselves by both the federal government and others. Absolutely no offense was intended, and I regret any that has resulted. My point, made with an unfortunate example, is that religion has been used too many times to justify discrimination, persecution and, yes, violence. Acts of violence and aggression can not be excused by religion and all people must be held accountable for their own actions. Few in America have experienced that persecution more than Mormons, and I understand and respect that. The LDS church and its historical struggles with the government are perfect examples of the need for true religious freedom, not selective freedoms legislated and created by politicians. I consider many of the LDS faith to be my closest of friends including National Campaign Manager Ron Nielson.” (Deseret News, Fox13Now.com)
See also
- Presidential election, 2016
- Presidential candidates, 2016
- Presidential debates (2015-2016)
- Important dates in the 2016 presidential race
- Polls and Straw polls
- 2016 presidential candidate ratings and scorecards
