Notable Quote of the Day

“Political conventions have been a balloons-and-bunting mainstay of American campaigns since the Republican Party gathered in Baltimore to nominate Henry Clay for president in 1831. But this year, they may join the list of crowded events — concerts, baseball games, movies and Broadway shows — forced off the stage because of the coronavirus.

And it may not matter.

Some Democratic leaders are discussing replacing their convention with a virtual gathering, and some Republicans are unsure about holding the big spectacle that President Trump wants. Yet even before the pandemic, a more fundamental debate was playing out: Has the American political convention become a ritual holdover from another age?

For all the organizing, money, time and energy poured into a four-day extravaganza of parties, speeches, forums, lobbying and networking, there is a strong argument that they have become among the less consequential events on the political calendar.” 

— Adam Nagourney and Matt Flegenheimer, The New York Times

Election Updates

• Joe Biden released a plan called “Lift Every Voice: The Biden Plan for Black America,” which he said would “tackle some of the most stubborn and pervasive issues — including those that often go unnoticed — that hold back African Americans from receiving an equal shot.”  

• Biden participated in a virtual forum hosted by the League of United Latin American Citizens. During the forum, he advocated a $13 per hour additional pay increase for essential workers.

• Donald Trump participated in an interview with the New York Post in the Oval Office. Regarding his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, he said, “We did the right thing and now we’re bringing the country back. And I think there’s a great optimism. I don’t know if you see it, but I think there’s a great optimism now.”

Flashback: May 5, 2016

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) stated that he was not ready to endorse Trump for president, saying that the “bulk of the burden on unifying the party will have to come from our presumptive nominee.” Trump replied that he was “not ready to support Speaker Ryan’s agenda.”