Dear Friends-
 

It’s 12 days until election day, over 47 million ballots have already been cast, and tonight at 9PM ET the final Presidential debate will take place at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. As you watch tonight’s debate please share and amplify content from the DNC War Room’s Presidential Debate Tool Kit (see below) as they will be fact-checking throughout the night. 

We began our day with Democrats protesting the hypocrisy of the rushed Republican nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court just days 12 before Election Day. Though the vote was 12-0, we are proud of the 10 Democratic senators on the panel who boycotted the vote, and filled their seats with pictures of people who rely upon the Affordable Care Act. Because on November 10, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments over whether the ACA should be tossed out and as of today, Republicans have set up a final vote for Coney Barrett’s confirmation this coming Monday.

Voters are continuing to hold Republicans accountable for their actions. It’s further ignited volunteerism from communities like Disabled voters, whose engagement picked up even more as this SCOTUS process moved forward--breaking records in participation in our phone banks and voter protection trainings. 

So tonight as Joe Biden takes that stage, millions of voters will once again be able to see a calm and steady leader taking on a feckless tyrant.  During the debate, Vice President Biden will speak directly to the American people about his plan to contain COVID-19 and to build our country back better. 

This debate will also discuss Foreign Policy. The DNC War Room released a MEMO this morning on how Trump’s foreign policy failures have made America less safe. 

Americans have heard Trump’s unhinged rants, baseless conspiracies, and incessant lying. He still has yet to present any closing argument to convince voters he deserves a second term in office. 

Meanwhile, we live in a world defined by Trump’s failures to protect the nation.

• More than 8 million Americans have been infected by COVID-19

• 12 million Americans are unemployed

• 1 in 5 small businesses have closed their doors

Voters know Joe Biden — they know his character, his empathy, and his leadership. 

Yours in the Fight,

Mũthoni

In this Presidential Debate Primer

• Presidential Debate: How to Watch

• DNC War Room Presidential Debate Tool Kit

  • 5 ways you can help fact check and engage voters

  • Holding Trump accountable: The Coronavirus; Race; Climate Change; National Security; Leadership

  • Biden Harris Platform

PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: HOW TO WATCH

The last Presidential debate is scheduled for tonight, Thursday, October 22 at 9PM ET. There are multiple ways to watch on broadcast networks like ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX, as well as major cable news networks like FOX News, MSNBC and CNN. It can also be viewed on C-SPAN and streamed online via YouTube and TV streaming apps. 

Location: Belmont University in Nashville, TN

Time: 9-10:30 p.m. ET

Moderator: Kristen Welker, NBC News White House correspondent and co-anchor of “Today Weekend”

Topics announced: Fighting Covid-19; American families; Race in America; Climate change; National security; Leadership. Each will get 15 minutes.

Note: The commission recently announced that Biden and Trump would have their microphones muted during portions of the debate. At the start of each of the six segments, each candidate will be given two minutes to answer an initial question, and during that portion, the opposing candidate's microphone will be muted.

DNC WAR ROOM: PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE TOOL KIT

The DNC War Room has compiled this toolkit for allies, partners and surrogates like you. Alongside the Biden campaign, the DNC War Room will fact check Trump’s lies in real time to hold him accountable and get the truth out to reporters, influencers, and the public.

Here are 5 ways that you can help us fact check Trump and engage voters. 

1. Social Media

   1. Follow the DNC War Room on Facebook and Twitter, and RT/QT us throughout the debate.

   2. Follow and RT/QT the @Truth Twitter account, a joint effort of the DNC War Room and the Biden campaign.

   3. Uplift VP Biden’s record of fighting for everyone to be treated fairly and given the opportunity to succeed.

   4. Write from your own perspective! For example, when Trump says he’s done a great job, talk about how his failure to lead on Covid and the economy has impacted your life.

   5. Use our hashtags: #Debate2020 #TrumpLied220KDied #HealthCareVoter, #ScrantonvsParkAve.
       

2. Support Democrats Up and Down the Ballot
   Encourage your constituents, family members and friends to vote now! Most states have early voting options. Share iwillvote.com as a one-stop resource to find your polling place, find voting deadlines, and learn the rules in each state.  (Note: iwillvote.com is the DNC voter resource. If you are a 501(c)(3), you should promote a non-political voter platform.)
    

3. Volunteer
   Reaching out to voters is the most important thing we can do now to get out the vote in key battleground states. Sign up at joebiden.com/take-action to text, call, support voter protection efforts, or find events near you.

4. Message Your Constituents
    

   After the debate, send an e-blast to your members and constituents with your closing argument about Trump’s record on topics concerning your community. For example: 
    

   Subject: Trump has failed American families
    

   This evening during the presidential debate, Trump said ______ about ______.  This is false. This is the true record of the Trump administration: 

   [INSERT FACTS FROM BELOW]
   
   We need a president who is committed to healing -not hurting- Americans, and who fights to protect our constitutional rights -- not take them away. Vice President Biden and Senator Harris can lead us out of the mess that Trump has made. Please make a plan to vote right now. Visit iwillvote.com for information about how to safely vote in your state. 

5. Write an Op-Ed
   Pen an op-ed in your local paper and make your closing argument about Trump’s failed presidency and why you support Biden and Harris.

HOLDING TRUMP ACCOUNTABLE

The Coronavirus

• 2 million Americans have lost family members as the pandemic has entered a third wave in much of the United States.

• Trump’s attacks on experts and science, along with his chaotic behavior, are making the coronavirus crisis worse. The U.S. surpassed 8.3 million cases and 220,000 deaths.

• Trump is endangering Americans by continuing to lie about COVID-19 while holding potential superspreader events.

• Experts agree far more tests are needed, with a recent report finding the U.S. needs nearly 200 million tests per month to control the pandemic. And Trump still refuses to encourage mask wearing.

• In the middle of a pandemic, Trump is still fighting to tear away protections from as many as 133 million Americans with preexisting conditions — including cancer survivors and many of the 8 million who survived COVID-19.

  • Experts say Trump’s executive order won’t actually protect people with preexisting conditions, and is meaningless if his lawsuit succeeds.

• Trump and Pence let PPP funds meant for small businesses go to large corporations, Chinese firms, and companies owned by their donors and allies.

Race

• Trump has fanned the flames of hate and division, defended accused murderers, and tried to blame the chaos that ensues on his political opponents.

• Trump refused to condemn white supremacist groups and his supporters who committed acts of violence.

• Trump’s history of racism dates back at least to the 1970s. And Trump repeatedly refused to disavow David Duke and the KKK.

• Trump’s policies have worsened economic disparities between Black and white Americans.

  • New York Times: “As a result, the average tax cut going to a white American household is more than double one going to a black or Latino one.”

  • Washington Post: “During Obama’s last three years, the black unemployment rate fell from 11.9 percent in December 2013 to 7.9 percent in December 2016. 

  • Last month the unemployment rate for Black Americans was 12.1%, well above the 7% rate for white Americans

  • Black-owned businesses were largely shut out of the first round of emergency Paycheck Protection Program loans, with only 12% of Black applicants saying they received the amount of loans they requested, and 26% receiving a fraction of what they requested.   

• Opportunity zones have been just another windfall for rich investors like Trump’s friends and family, not the boon to Black communities that Trump claims.

Climate Change 

• Trump said climate change was a “hoax” invented by the Chinese.

• Trump has dismantled environmental protections, jeopardizing our air and water quality while driving up carbon emissions.

• By dismantling clean air and water protections, Trump has done more to eliminate environmental protections than any other president.

• Trump vacated America’s leadership role in the fight against climate change, creating an opening for China to fill the void and making it harder for other countries to address the issue.

• The U.S. does not have the cleanest air or water in the world, and air pollution actually rose in the first two years of Trump’s presidency.

• The 2020 Environmental Performance Index ranks the U.S. 26th in the world for sanitation and drinking water, and 16th for air quality. 

• Trump appointees focused their efforts on helping their former employers at the expense of the environment.

National Security

The DNC War Room released a MEMO this morning on how Trump’s foreign policy failures have made America less safe. Please share the link.

• Because of Trump, we’re a global laughing stock and Americans are less safe today than they were when he took office. 

  • Iran accelerated its nuclear program because Trump allowed it.

  • North Korea is more dangerous than ever after continuing to expand its nuclear and missile programs.

• Trump promised to make better deals and end endless wars. And he said he’d make America safer and that we’d be respected again. None of that has happened.

• Instead, America’s global standing has fallen to a record low. Trump has put our national security at risk for his own personal gain. 

• He’s cozied up to dictators while alienating our allies. He’s lied about bringing our troops home. He’s brought us to the brink of war and manufactured new crises, including allowing for the resurgence of ISIS. 

• More troops say they will vote for Biden than for Trump, and Trump has a history of insulting our service members.

Leadership

• Trump has failed to lead on every front:

  • He failed on the coronavirus... New York Times: “Inside Trump’s Failure: The Rush to Abandon Leadership Role on the Virus”

  • He failed at creating jobs… CNN: “Trump has the worst job losses on record heading into the election”

  • He failed to combat climate change.... Politico: “Trump's climate change rollbacks to drive up U.S. emissions”

  • He failed to make Americans feel safe… Quinnipiac poll: “Fifty percent of likely voters say having Donald Trump as president of the United States makes them feel less safe, while 35 percent say it makes them feel more safe.”

  • He failed to denounce QAnon...Washington Post: “Asked about QAnon, Trump declines to denounce the conspiracy theory”

  • He failed to keep his drain the swamp… New York Times: “A businessman-president transplanted favor-seeking in Washington to his family’s hotels and resorts — and earned millions as a gatekeeper to his own administration.”

BIDEN HARRIS PLATFORM

• For the full Biden-Harris platform, visit joebiden.com/joes-vision.