Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - May 16, 2016
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Monday's Leading Stories
- Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and several leading conservative commentators and strategists, including William Kristol, Erick Erickson, Mike Murphy, Stuart Stevens, and Rick Wilson, have reportedly been trying to recruit conservative officials to launch a third-party run against Donald Trump. Romney personally reached out to U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) who has since declined to run. Other potential contenders, according to The Washington Post, are former presidential candidate John Kasich, Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, retired Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, and billionaire Mark Cuban. (The Washington Post, CNN)
- Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus condemned the report on Sunday. “They can try to hijack another party and get on the ballot, but, look, it's a suicide mission for our country because what it means is that you're throwing down not just eight years of the White House but potentially 100 years on the Supreme Court and wrecking this country for many generations,” he said in an interview. (CNN)
- On Saturday, The New York Times published an investigative report based on interviews with dozens of women who worked with Trump in real estate, modeling, and pageant competitions over four decades. Some women said that he had supported their careers while others suggested “unwelcome romantic advances, unending commentary on the female form, a shrewd reliance on ambitious women, and unsettling workplace conduct.” (The New York Times)
- Trump tweeted in response on Sunday, “The failing @nytimes wrote yet another hit piece on me. All are impressed with how nicely I have treated women, they found nothing. A joke!” He accused the newspaper of refusing to use women who would say that Trump had helped them. (CBS News)
- On Sunday, Priebus said that “people just don’t care” about negative reports of Trump’s conduct. “The bigger question is: Between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, who represents somebody who is going to bring a more efficient, accountable, effective government here in Washington?” Priebus said. (The Huffington Post)
- Billionaire donor Sheldon Adelson wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post on Friday to announce that he was endorsing Trump. He said, “Trump has created a movement in this country that cannot be denied. He will end this primary election cycle having garnered more Republican primary votes for president than anyone before. But some Republicans are sitting on the sidelines, threatening to stay home on Election Day or, worse, suggesting they will vote for Clinton. They must realize the stakes are too high for an outcome that will have a damaging impact on our country.” According to the The New York Times, Adelson could donate up to $100 million to support Trump’s campaign. (The Washington Post, The New York Times)
Polls
- According to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll released on Sunday, Donald Trump leads Hillary Clinton in a general election matchup in Georgia, 45 percent to 41 percent. Against Bernie Sanders, Trump trails in the state, 42 percent to 47 percent. A Democrat has not won Georgia in the general election since 1992 when former President Bill Clinton narrowly took the state by less than 15,000 votes. (Politico)
Democrats
- On Friday, Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz dismissed that importance of the FBI clarifying last week that Hillary Clinton’s private email server use was under “investigation” rather than a “security inquiry.” She said, “Secretary Clinton isn't even the target of this investigation/inquiry. Whatever I-word you want to use.” She added that pressure on Bernie Sanders to suspend his campaign "isn't very high." (RealClearPolitics)
- During the Nevada Democratic State Convention on Saturday, 56 delegates to the state convention supporting Bernie Sanders were excluded because they were not timely registered as Democrats or their personal information was missing. Eight Clinton supporters were also rejected for similar reasons, The Las Vegas Sun reported. With the support of 1,695 Clinton delegates over 1,662 Sanders delegates at the state convention, Clinton netted two more national delegates than Sanders. Supporters of Sanders who said the vote was fixed remained after the event was adjourned and were eventually removed by security. (The Washington Post, The Hill, The Las Vegas Sun)
Hillary Clinton
- The editorial board of The Los Angeles Times endorsed Hillary Clinton on Friday. “Compared to the intoxicating altruism of the Sanders’ campaign, Clinton’s candidacy might seem unexciting. But nominating a candidate for president is, or ought to be, serious business. As Obama himself likely would admit after almost eight years in the White House, there is more to being president than grand promises, whether they are about ‘hope and change’ or a political revolution. We admire Bernie Sanders’ passion for progress and equality, but our endorsement goes to the candidate who is more likely to translate ideals into action,” they wrote. (The Los Angeles Times)
- On Friday, Clinton’s campaign released a one-minute web video questioning what Donald Trump was “hiding” by delaying the release of his tax returns. “He will not follow the example of every single Democratic and Republican presidential nominee since 1976,” CNN’s Jake Tapper says in one of the clips used. (CNN)
- Clinton met with HIV/AIDS activists in her Brooklyn campaign headquarters on Friday. She expressed support for expanding medical research, increasing the use of PrEP, and capping out-of-pocket medical expenses for individuals with HIV/AIDS. (The Huffington Post)
- When asked on Sunday if he was interested in being Clinton’s running mate, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said, “I will put real effort into helping to elect Hillary Clinton. As I said, I love this job, and I'm just not going to give you a different answer." (CNN)
- Priorities USA, a super PAC supporting Clinton, has made $6 million ad buys in Ohio, Florida, Virginia, and Nevada for general election ads against Trump over the next three weeks. These media reservations are earlier than the previously reported start date of June 8, the day after the California Democratic primary. (CNN)
Bernie Sanders
- Bernie Sanders launched a petition on Sunday to oppose the Obama administration’s plan to increase deportation raids in May and June. “Sending women and children back into harm's way after they already fled horrendous violence in Central America is painful and inhumane, and must be stopped," the email reads,” Sanders said in an email to supporters. He called for Temporary Protective Status to be extended for individuals who fled Central America. (The Hill)
- Sanders made several jabs against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) during a campaign event in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He said that Democrats would retake the U.S. Senate and “then we can do something for the retired coal miners for protecting their pensions.” He also criticized McConnell’s support of Citizens United, saying, "If Mitch McConnell has his way, we're going to have United States senators: 'Hey, I'm proud I’m sponsored by Exxon Mobile; I’m sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry; Hey, look at me, I'm sponsored by Wall Street." (The Hill)
- On May 14, Sanders called on Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to join him in supporting the California Drug Price Relief Act, which would prevent the state from paying for prescription drugs at a rate higher than the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs does. (Bernie Sanders for President)
- Sanders is campaigning in Puerto Rico on Monday, where he is expected to unveil an economic recovery plan for the debt-ridden U.S. territory. (Daily Mail)
Republicans
- On Friday, the National Republican Senatorial Committee released an ad opposing Hillary Clinton, presenting her as “a living history of scandal, lies and spin.” The narrator concludes, “Democrat Senate candidates, she is your burden to bear.” (The Washington Post)
Donald Trump
- U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) has been drafted to prepare a white paper on energy policy for Donald Trump’s campaign. The Huffington Post reported on Friday that Cramer “would emphasize the dangers of foreign ownership of U.S. energy assets, burdensome taxes, and over-regulation” in his policy paper. Cramer has previously stated that believes the planet is cooling rather than warming. (The Huffington Post)
- With reports of a second super PAC forming to support Trump last week, Trump spokesperson Hope Hicks said on Friday that Trump “continues to disavow the support of all Super PACs.” (USA Today)
- Mayor of London Sadiq Khan invited Trump to come to London on Friday to challenge his “ignorant” view that it was “incompatible to be Western and to be Muslim.” (NBC News)
- Trump said of British Prime Minister David Cameron that “it looks like we're not going to have a very good relationship” because Cameron previously called Trump’s call for a ban on all Muslims “divisive, stupid and wrong." Trump continued, "I hope to have a good relationship with him, but it sounds like he's not willing to address the problem either.” (ITV)
- In an interview with The New York Times published on Monday, Trump said that “just getting nasty with Hillary won’t work” as an offensive approach in the general election. He continued, “You really have to get people to look hard at her character, and to get women to ask themselves if Hillary is truly sincere and authentic. Because she has been really ugly in trying to destroy Bill’s mistresses, and she is pandering to women so obviously when she is only interested in getting power.” Republican strategist Mike Murphy noted that Trump’s “best way to rally hostile Republican delegates before the convention is to show he’s a great Clinton attack dog.” (The New York Times)
Third Party Candidates
Gary Johnson (Libertarian Party)
- In an interview with The Washington Post published on Friday, Gary Johnson said the Libertarian presidential race has been “the most negative race of my career, by far.” Also interviewed for the article, rivals John McAfee and Austin Petersen questioned Johnson’s ability to launch a successful Libertarian platform. Mcafee said, “I do not see how [Johnson’s] lackluster personality can help the Libertarian Party any more than it already has.” Petersen commented, “Governor Johnson gets most of his money from special interests and the marijuana industry. I’m trying to create a grown-up movement.” (The Washington Post)
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
