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News of Justice Ginsburg’s Death Arrives as Biden and Trump Host Dueling Minnesota Events News of Justice Ginsburg’s Death Arrives as Biden and Trump Host Dueling Minnesota Events
(about 3 hours later)
The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday immediately jolted the presidential race, putting President Trump in position to make a third appointment to the Supreme Court.The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday immediately jolted the presidential race, putting President Trump in position to make a third appointment to the Supreme Court.
News of Justice Ginsburg’s death broke just minutes after Mr. Trump took the stage at a rally in Bemidji, Minn., where he made no mention of her passing, even as he bragged about his record of appointing conservative judges and noted that he had named Senator Ted Cruz of Texas as a potential Supreme Court nominee. News of Justice Ginsburg’s death broke just minutes after Mr. Trump took the stage at a rally in Bemidji, Minn., where he made no mention of her passing, even as he bragged about his record of appointing judges and noted that he had named Senator Ted Cruz of Texas as a potential Supreme Court nominee.
For almost two hours, the president riffed onstage, at times discussing the importance of the judicial nominations, even as he appeared to be the only person in the airport hangar still in the dark. “The next president will get one, two, three or four Supreme Court justices,” he said. “I had two.” For almost two hours, the president riffed onstage, at one point emphasizing the importance of Supreme Court nominations, even as he appeared to be the only person at the rally who was still in the dark. “The next president will get one, two, three or four Supreme Court justices,” he said. “I had two.”
Someone in the audience yelled “Ginsburg is dead!” but Mr. Trump did not appear to hear the cry, or react.Someone in the audience yelled “Ginsburg is dead!” but Mr. Trump did not appear to hear the cry, or react.
Instead, he remained unaware of the potentially seismic shift to the balance of the court that had occurred while he was launching sexist attacks against Hillary Clinton and stoking fears of a flood of Islamic terrorists that would occur if Joseph R. Biden Jr. were elected. Instead, he remained unaware of the potentially seismic shift to the balance of the court that had occurred while he was launching sexist attacks against Democratic women and stoking fears of a flood of Islamic terrorists that he said would occur if Joseph R. Biden Jr. were elected.
Mr. Trump, who prides himself on being able to change cable news chyrons and news cycles with a tweet or an aside at a rally, was delivering an extended performance totally in the dark about one of the biggest news events of the campaign. Even after his own chief of staff, Mark Meadows, had released a statement on Twitter, Mr. Trump was still onstage, taking a poll about what nickname his supporters liked better for Mr. Biden. Mr. Trump, who prides himself on being able to change cable news chyrons and news cycles with a tweet or an aside at a rally, was delivering an extended performance totally in the dark about one of the biggest news events of the campaign. Even after his own chief of staff, Mark Meadows, had noted Justice Ginsburg’s death on Twitter, Mr. Trump was still onstage, taking a poll about what nickname his supporters liked better for Mr. Biden.
After learning of Justice Ginsburg’s death, Mr. Trump spoke briefly about her to reporters before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington. “She led an amazing life,” he said. “What else can you say? She was an amazing woman. Whether you agreed or not, she was an amazing woman who led an amazing life.” After learning the news, Mr. Trump spoke briefly about the justice to reporters before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington. “She led an amazing life,” he said. “What else can you say? She was an amazing woman. Whether you agreed or not, she was an amazing woman who led an amazing life.”
When the news broke, Mr. Biden was flying back to Delaware after making his own visit to Minnesota, where he gave a speech at a carpenters’ training center in Hermantown, a suburb of Duluth. After landing at New Castle Airport, Mr. Biden told reporters that the vacancy created by Justice Ginsburg’s death should not be filled until after the presidential election.When the news broke, Mr. Biden was flying back to Delaware after making his own visit to Minnesota, where he gave a speech at a carpenters’ training center in Hermantown, a suburb of Duluth. After landing at New Castle Airport, Mr. Biden told reporters that the vacancy created by Justice Ginsburg’s death should not be filled until after the presidential election.
“There is no doubt — let me be clear — that the voters should pick the president, and the president should pick the justice for the Senate to consider,” Mr. Biden said, before pointing to how Senate Republicans refused to consider the nomination of Judge Merrick B. Garland in the final year of President Barack Obama’s second term.“There is no doubt — let me be clear — that the voters should pick the president, and the president should pick the justice for the Senate to consider,” Mr. Biden said, before pointing to how Senate Republicans refused to consider the nomination of Judge Merrick B. Garland in the final year of President Barack Obama’s second term.
“This was the position the Republican Senate took in 2016 when there were almost 10 months to go before the election,” Mr. Biden said. “That’s the position the United States Senate must take today.”“This was the position the Republican Senate took in 2016 when there were almost 10 months to go before the election,” Mr. Biden said. “That’s the position the United States Senate must take today.”
The death of Ms. Ginsburg upended what had been a relatively conventional day on an unconventional campaign trail. Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump had both turned their attention on Friday to Minnesota, where victory barely eluded Mr. Trump four years ago, with dueling events on the first day of in-person early voting in the state. The death of Justice Ginsburg upended what had been a relatively conventional day on an unconventional campaign trail. Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump had both turned their attention on Friday to Minnesota, where victory barely eluded Mr. Trump four years ago, with dueling events on the first day of in-person early voting in the state.
Mr. Trump called his largely maskless rally at the Bemidji airport a “protest against stupidity” and portrayed himself as the one thing protecting Minnesota from a flood of “radical Islamic terrorists” that he claimed wanted to infiltrate the state. Mr. Trump called his largely maskless rally at the Bemidji Regional Airport a “protest against stupidity” and portrayed himself as the one thing protecting Minnesota from a flood of “radical Islamic terrorists” that he claimed wanted to infiltrate the state.
“I am your wall,” he said, “between the American dream and chaos.” “I’m your wall,” he said, “between the American dream and chaos.”
Mr. Trump went on to deliver a typically discursive performance in a state that he has long been determined to flip. On Friday night, speaking outside a small city in the northern part of the state, Mr. Trump leaned into the state’s urban-rural divide by stoking fears about immigrants flooding urban settings if he loses, and claiming, inaccurately, that Democrats wanted to get rid of the police force in Minneapolis. Mr. Trump delivered a typically discursive performance in a state that he has long been determined to flip. Speaking in a small city in the northern part of the state, Mr. Trump leaned into the state’s urban-rural divide by stoking fears about refugees flooding Minnesota if he loses and speaking of “far-left rioters” wreaking havoc in Minneapolis.
Mr. Trump also launched into a string of sexist attacks against women who are not running for president. He noted that Mrs. Clinton, the 2016 Democratic nominee, was not “big into yoga,” which she claimed was the subject of many of her deleted emails on her personal server. “If she is, she is not getting her money’s worth,” he said, prompting vintage chants of “Lock her up!” that the president did nothing to quell. Mr. Trump also launched into a string of sexist attacks against women who are not running for president. He noted that Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic nominee, was not “big into yoga,” which she claimed was the subject of some of her deleted emails on her personal server. “If she is, she’s not getting her money’s worth,” he said, eventually prompting vintage chants of “Lock her up!” that the president did nothing to quell. He also attacked Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.
The competing campaign events came in a state where Mr. Trump is going on the offensive, even as he simultaneously plays defense in a number of critical battlegrounds, including neighboring Wisconsin. In 2016, Mr. Trump lost Minnesota to Mrs. Clinton by only 1.5 percentage points, or about 45,000 votes, and the Trump campaign is targeting the state as a pickup opportunity this time around.The competing campaign events came in a state where Mr. Trump is going on the offensive, even as he simultaneously plays defense in a number of critical battlegrounds, including neighboring Wisconsin. In 2016, Mr. Trump lost Minnesota to Mrs. Clinton by only 1.5 percentage points, or about 45,000 votes, and the Trump campaign is targeting the state as a pickup opportunity this time around.
But no Republican presidential candidate has won Minnesota since President Richard M. Nixon’s re-election in 1972, and Mr. Biden appears to be in a substantially stronger position in the state than Mrs. Clinton was, with time running out for Mr. Trump to improve his fortunes. Mr. Biden held a nine-point lead among likely voters in a poll conducted this month by The New York Times and Siena College.But no Republican presidential candidate has won Minnesota since President Richard M. Nixon’s re-election in 1972, and Mr. Biden appears to be in a substantially stronger position in the state than Mrs. Clinton was, with time running out for Mr. Trump to improve his fortunes. Mr. Biden held a nine-point lead among likely voters in a poll conducted this month by The New York Times and Siena College.
The visits by Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump also offered another reminder of the starkly different approach the two candidates are taking to campaigning in a pandemic. Unlike Mr. Trump, Mr. Biden is not holding rallies, and his speech was not open to the public.The visits by Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump also offered another reminder of the starkly different approach the two candidates are taking to campaigning in a pandemic. Unlike Mr. Trump, Mr. Biden is not holding rallies, and his speech was not open to the public.
In his speech, Mr. Biden struck a populist tone, leaning on his middle-class roots and sketching a picture of a Trump presidency where billionaires reaped financial gains and ordinary people struggled as the pandemic raged.In his speech, Mr. Biden struck a populist tone, leaning on his middle-class roots and sketching a picture of a Trump presidency where billionaires reaped financial gains and ordinary people struggled as the pandemic raged.
“Like a lot of you, I spent a lot of my life with guys like Donald Trump looking down on me, looking down on the people who make a living with their hands,” Mr. Biden said. “People who take care of our kids, clean our streets.”“Like a lot of you, I spent a lot of my life with guys like Donald Trump looking down on me, looking down on the people who make a living with their hands,” Mr. Biden said. “People who take care of our kids, clean our streets.”
He added: “These are the guys that always thought they were better than me, better than us, because they had a lot of money. Guys inherit everything they’ve got and still manage to squander it.” He added: “These are the guys who always thought they were better than me, better than us, because they had a lot of money. Guys inherit everything they’ve got and still manage to squander it.”
Mr. Biden briefly mentioned the Supreme Court, noting that Mr. Trump was “in the Supreme Court saying, ‘Get rid of pre-existing conditions,’” a reference to a legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act. The Trump administration has asked the court to overturn the law, and oral arguments are scheduled for a week after Election Day.Mr. Biden briefly mentioned the Supreme Court, noting that Mr. Trump was “in the Supreme Court saying, ‘Get rid of pre-existing conditions,’” a reference to a legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act. The Trump administration has asked the court to overturn the law, and oral arguments are scheduled for a week after Election Day.
The speech capped a notably active week for Mr. Biden, who is escalating his travel to battleground states after months in which he mostly stayed in Delaware and held in-person events only occasionally.The speech capped a notably active week for Mr. Biden, who is escalating his travel to battleground states after months in which he mostly stayed in Delaware and held in-person events only occasionally.
This week, Mr. Biden gave two speeches in Delaware, made a trip to Florida and participated in a CNN town hall event near his hometown, Scranton, Pa. He also received a classified intelligence briefing on Wednesday, the first that he has received as the Democratic nominee, a campaign official said.This week, Mr. Biden gave two speeches in Delaware, made a trip to Florida and participated in a CNN town hall event near his hometown, Scranton, Pa. He also received a classified intelligence briefing on Wednesday, the first that he has received as the Democratic nominee, a campaign official said.
At the CNN town hall, Mr. Biden described the presidential race as “a campaign between Scranton and Park Avenue,” and he continued to make that case on Friday, saying that the president was “only worried about the stock market and his re-election.”At the CNN town hall, Mr. Biden described the presidential race as “a campaign between Scranton and Park Avenue,” and he continued to make that case on Friday, saying that the president was “only worried about the stock market and his re-election.”
“All Trump sees from Park Avenue is Wall Street,” he said. “That’s why the only metric of the American prosperity for him is the value of the Dow Jones.”“All Trump sees from Park Avenue is Wall Street,” he said. “That’s why the only metric of the American prosperity for him is the value of the Dow Jones.”
Mr. Trump said this week, incorrectly, that “stocks are owned by everybody,” and Mr. Biden took aim at him on that subject, invoking Scranton and Claymont, Del., where Mr. Biden’s family moved when he was a child.Mr. Trump said this week, incorrectly, that “stocks are owned by everybody,” and Mr. Biden took aim at him on that subject, invoking Scranton and Claymont, Del., where Mr. Biden’s family moved when he was a child.
“Trump says, by the way, I’m paraphrasing, everyone’s in the stock market,” Mr. Biden said. “That’s why he cares about the stock market. What the hell’s he talking about? People I grew up with in Scranton and Claymont, they don’t have money in stocks. Every penny we made was to pay the bills and take care of the families.”“Trump says, by the way, I’m paraphrasing, everyone’s in the stock market,” Mr. Biden said. “That’s why he cares about the stock market. What the hell’s he talking about? People I grew up with in Scranton and Claymont, they don’t have money in stocks. Every penny we made was to pay the bills and take care of the families.”
Mr. Biden assailed Mr. Trump on a number of other subjects, including his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, his reported comments about fallen soldiers, his desire to cut capital gains taxes and his failure to advance an infrastructure plan.Mr. Biden assailed Mr. Trump on a number of other subjects, including his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, his reported comments about fallen soldiers, his desire to cut capital gains taxes and his failure to advance an infrastructure plan.
“I know how to do the job of being president,” Mr. Biden said. “No matter how wealthy Donald Trump is, no matter how much he doctors his, if he does, his tax returns, he doesn’t have a clue how to be president.”“I know how to do the job of being president,” Mr. Biden said. “No matter how wealthy Donald Trump is, no matter how much he doctors his, if he does, his tax returns, he doesn’t have a clue how to be president.”