During his Liberty University Convocation address Monday, Donald Trump said as president, he would "protect Christianity."
The Lynchburg, Virginia, school says it is the largest Christian university in the world, NBC News reports, and its president, Jerry Falwell Jr., told Trump he reminded him of his own father (Trump called that the "best compliment of all"). Trump promised that, if elected, "you're going to say 'Merry Christmas' again," and called Jeb Bush "a stiff." He also referenced "two Corinthians" (conventionally, it would be cited as "Second Corinthians") and, without naming him, accused Ted Cruz of stealing his immigration and border security plans.
The Republican presidential candidates are wooing evangelicals, seen as a key voting bloc in states like Iowa. Student Casey Upton told NBC News she attended the convocation because she had to, but was "okay with listening to him. I support him wanting to run, but I'm not sure if I support him." Student Megan Cooper said she thinks Liberty University's values are "more about compassion, and I feel like Donald Trump doesn't have much compassion when it comes to other cultures that don't really fit in with the American way. I feel like that's not something that Liberty upholds." Catherine Garcia
President Trump's campaign may be calling her "Phony Kamala" now, but Trump once liked Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) enough to twice donate to her campaign for California attorney general.
The Sacramento Bee first reported the donations in 2019, but they are receiving renewed interest now that former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has chosen Harris to be his running mate.
Before she became a senator, Harris was attorney general of California; she was first elected in 2010, and was re-elected four years later. Trump made two donations to Harris' campaign — $5,000 in 2011 and $1,000 in 2013. His daughter, Ivanka Trump, also gave Harris $2,000 in 2014.
A spokesperson for Harris' campaign previously told McClatchy that in 2015, Harris donated the $6,000 she received from Trump to a nonprofit organization that advocates for civil and human rights for Central Americans. Catherine Garcia
History has its eyes on Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) — in more ways than one.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, announced Harris as his pick to hold the position he once held under former president Barack Obama on Tuesday.
The former California attorney general is rightly being recognized as the first Black woman to sit on a major political party's national ticket, but the historic nature of Harris' position contains multitudes.
To start, Harris is the first person with Indian heritage to run on a national presidential ticket. Her late mother was born in India, and Harris has credited her maternal grandfather, a former Indian diplomat, with helping her to appreciate the "importance of democracy and a government that represents the people — all the people,” Politico reports.
Harris's nomination also marks the first time a major nominee has graduated from an HBCU, a.k.a Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Harris graduated from Howard University in 1986, receiving her B.A. after studying political science and economics.
Howard University president Wayne A.I. Frederick released a statement saying the senator's nomination "represents a milestone opportunity for our democracy to acknowledge the leadership Black women have always exhibited, but has too often been ignored.”
Harris went on to attend the University of California, Hastings where she received her J.D., making her the first person to sit on the Democratic ticket in over 35 years who did not attend an Ivy League school.
If Harris and Biden succeed in ousting President Trump from office, Harris will also hold the honor of being the first female and the first Asian American to be elected to national office, but we'll save that conversation for another day. Marianne Dodson
Joe Biden just announced his running mate choice: Sen. Kamala Harris of California. That means Harris, if she can govern well, could be the leader of both the Democratic Party and the country through 2030. If she can't, she might well be the last democratically-elected vice president in American history.
Biden is the heavy favorite against Trump this year. Given his age and his track record of working closely with President Obama when he was vice president, Harris will presumably play a significant role in major governing decisions. It's unpopular for the media to talk about, but there's a decent chance she would need to step in before Biden's term is up. What's more, there is a reasonable chance that Biden would choose not to run for re-election in 2024. If so, Harris would be the overwhelming favorite to run in his place.
The stakes could hardly be higher. Donald Trump is blatantly trying to steal the 2020 election, and the next Republican candidate will very likely try the same trick. A Biden administration would have four years, and perhaps another four or eight under a Harris administration, to address the pandemic, rebuild the shattered economy and federal government, root out Trump's gangrenous corruption, and fortify America's democratic institutions. If Biden and Harris instead muddle through letting everything fester, as happened under the Obama administration, the next would-be authoritarian probably won't be as incompetent as Trump. Let's hope they seize the moment. Ryan Cooper