‘He Cannot Meet This Moment’: Convention Speakers Excoriate Trump’s Ability To Handle Pandemic
"He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is,” said former first lady Michelle Obama in the keynote speech of the first night of the virtual Democratic National Convention. Other speakers who made waves are Govs. Gretchen Whitmer (Mich.) and Andrew Cuomo (N.Y.), as well as a woman who's father died from COVID-19: His "only preexisting condition was trusting Donald Trump."
The Washington Post:
On Democratic Convention’s First Night, Speakers Blame Trump For America’s Woes
Democrats kicked off their virtual nominating convention Monday with a focused denunciation of President Trump, showcasing dozens of testimonials that culminated in lancing criticism from former first lady Michelle Obama, who cast Trump as incapable of meeting America’s needs and said Joe Biden would usher in racial justice and ease the coronavirus pandemic. In the centerpiece speech of the night, a searing indictment of her husband Barack Obama’s successor, Obama declared that Trump has mishandled the pandemic and failed to respond to outcries over the deaths of Black Americans. She warned that the nation would suffer more if he is elected to a second term. (Johnson, Scherer, Wootson Jr., Janes, Stanley-Becker, Sonmez and Wagner, 8/18)
The New York Times:
Michelle Obama, Capping Off First Night of Democratic Convention, Hits Trump for Lacking Empathy
Casting aside her reluctance to engage in political combat, Michelle Obama delivered an impassioned keynote address to cap off the first night of the Democratic convention and offered a withering assessment of President Trump, accusing him of creating “chaos,” sowing “division” and governing “with a total and utter lack of empathy.” (Saul, 8/18)
AP:
Michelle Obama Warns At DNC That Trump Is 'In Over His Head'
The president “has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head,” she said. “He cannot meet this moment.” “It is what it is,” Mrs. Obama said — echoing a remark Trump made recently about the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus. Citing the pandemic, the flagging economy, the political unrest that’s broken out nationwide over systemic racism and what she described as America’s lack of leadership on the world stage, Mrs. Obama said the nation is “underperforming not simply on matters of policy, but on matters of character.” (Superville and Jaffe, 8/17)
The Hill:
Whitmer Faults Trump For Fighting Other Americans More Than Virus
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) faulted President Trump for fighting “his fellow Americans” more than the coronavirus during her speech at the Democratic National Convention. The Michigan governor called out the president for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic during the convention held virtually because of COVID-19. (Coleman, 8/17)
Dallas Morning News:
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo Tells DNC ‘Our Way Succeeded’ On COVID, But Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick Has Found Reason To Differ
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo told the virtual Democratic National Convention on Monday night that President Donald Trump mishandled the COVID-19 crisis, proving that “government matters and leadership matters.” But for weeks, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, has accused Cuomo of botching New York’s initial response to the coronavirus outbreak, with his attempt to ease pressure on hospitals by sending infected patients to nursing homes. (Garrett, 8/17)
CNN:
Woman Who Lost Father To Covid-19: 'His Only Preexisting Condition Was Trusting Donald Trump'
A woman who lost her father to the coronavirus excoriated the President on the first night of the Democratic National Convention, declaring in a pointed speech that her father's "only preexisting condition was trusting Donald Trump." Kristin Urquiza, whose father Mark Urquiza died from the virus in June, said in a video message Monday night that he "paid with his life" by trusting the President's repeated insistence that the pandemic would go away. (LeBlanc, 8/17)
In other news from the Democrats —
Politico:
Biden Says He Thought About Suicide After 1972 Death Of His Wife And Daughter
Joe Biden says he contemplated suicide following the 1972 car crash that killed his wife and daughter, opening up about his personal encounters with loss in pre-released clips on Monday from an upcoming documentary. The presumptive Democratic nominee’s life has been defined by the deaths of those close to him. Although tragedy forms a crucial part of his political outlook, Biden’s comments represent some of the most intense disclosures about his mental health struggles after the deaths of his family members. (Cohen, 8/17)
The Hill:
With Biden, Advocates Sense Momentum For Lifting Abortion Funding Ban
Abortion rights advocates are pinning their hopes on presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to help end a longstanding ban on the use of federal funds for abortion — a policy he supported for more than 40 years. Biden reversed his position by denouncing the so-called Hyde amendment last year, but its future doesn’t just depend on who wins the White House. Democrats will also need to make major gains in the Senate, keep control of the House and gain the support of more moderate Democratic lawmakers on a divisive issue. (Hellmann, 8/17)
