It may be mid-June in 2019, but we’re about to enter one of the biggest weeks in 2020 movements to date. On Monday, nearly a dozen candidates will appear on stage at an inequality forum in Washington, hosted by the Poor People’s Campaign and Rev. William Barber, one of the most influential political and faith leaders in Democratic politics. The event, billed as “a national call for moral revival,” is one of the largest gatherings of presidential aspirants on one stage yet. I’ll be at Trinity Washington University following the action.
As these things go, the big draw is usually tied to the current frontrunner, and this event is no different. Former Vice President Joe Biden is kicking off the day’s speaking circuit and will appear alongside most of his rivals for the first time since launching his campaign in April. Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), three top-tier candidates, as well as Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), former HUD Secretary Julián Castro, author Marianne Williamson, businessman Andrew Yang, and Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam are all scheduled to attend.
In my view, this is not just another 2020 cattle call. It’s one of the biggest meetings of current 2020 contenders. Ten candidates! Which means we’ll get a glimpse into how they match up ahead of the first primary debates next month. But it’s also a chance for candidates across the Democraitc ideological spectrum–from the moderate lane occupied by Biden to left-leaning space taken up by Sanders and Warren–to hear directly from voters who often find themselves most dependent on the federal government for support. With a party set on increasing turnout and tapping into areas of the country that were largely ignored in 2016, candidates and voters would be wise to pay particular attention to the issues and responses discussed on Monday.
TRUMP’S 2020 CAMPAIGN LAUNCH. President Trump, who has never really stopped campaigning since 2015, officially kicks off his 2020 re-election effort in Orlando on Tuesday. He promises it will be the “hottest” rally yet. We shall see! My colleague Asawin Suebsaeng, who covers the White House, will be on the ground. Follow him here.
The festivities will get underway at the 20,000-seat Amway Center, where Trump will have some of his friendliest allies around him, including his wife Melania, Vice President Mike Pence, and his wife Karen Pence.
As far away as 2016 seems, it’s good to remember the historic significance of Florida, a key battleground, to Trump’s first successful campaign. He narrowly won the state against Hillary Clinton and emerging victorious is absolutely essential for him in 2020. Starting off with a stadium of die-hard fans, is at the very least, smart optics.
OFF TO ‘THE FIRST IN THE SOUTH’ PRIMARY. For all the hype about Iowa and New Hampshire—the first two states to vote in the Democratic nominating contest—South Carolina is about to really catch fire. Much has been written about why it’s so important this time around, but as I alluded to earlier in this memo, increasing turnout is going to be a huge party goal in 2020, and a big part of that means boosting minority turnout.
The Democratic primary now features a historically diverse field of candidates who will be able to make their unique cases to voters in the Palmetto State, a place that more accurately reflects the diversity of the rest of the country, ahead of other primaries. And with that in mind, I’m heading to Columbia on Friday for “Jim Clyburn's World-Famous Fish Fry,” where nearly all the top-tier Democratic contenders will convene.
Clyburn, the House majority whip, is something of a kingmaker in Southern politics. He’s held this event for three decades, and it’s considered a must-stop for any presidential aspirant. And with so many candidates to choose from, this year the gathering may be even more important. Clyburn’s own endorsement history is a bit scattered: Last election, he endorsed Clinton over Sanders, but stayed neutral in 2008 when then- Sen. Barack Obama was running against then-Sen. Hillary Clinton. I’ll be looking for early signs of who is capturing his attention, as well as the imagination of voters on the ground.
So far, the polling out of the state has been scarce, and it’s really early to put much stake into it. For now, Biden dominates others there, with one plugged-in Democrat in the state telling me that his proximity to Obama is still very significant in voters’ minds. But with a steady polling advantage comes the challenge of maintaining it. Sanders is second to Biden in several polls, Harris and Sen. Cory Booker have prioritized it in their primary strategy, and Warren recently teamed up with Clyburn on legislation to cancel student loan debt.
I’ll be there to witness it all, so follow me at @HCTrudo and, of course, check back to www.thedailybeast.com for all the 2020 news around the country.
