Republican Party (United States)

During the final presidential debate on Thursday, Democratic nominee Joe Biden criticises President Donald Trump's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, alleging there was a "dark winter" ahead and Trump had "no clear plan."

"I don’t think we’re going to have a dark winter at all — we’re opening up our country," Trump responded. "We're learning to live with it. We have no choice. We can’t lock ourselves up in a basement like Joe does."

"He says ‘we're learning to live with it.’ People are learning to die with it," Biden countered. "Anyone who’s responsible for that many deaths should not remain as president of the United States of America."

Even though the president, for the first time, said he took full responsibility for the impact of the virus, he quickly blamed China, saying "It’s not my fault that it came here — it’s China’s fault."

During Thursday's final presidential debate, moderated by Kristen Welker of NBC News, Democratic nominee Joe Biden and President Donald Trump were asked questions regarding the current state of the US economy, the effect of Covid-19 on New York, foreign interference in US elections and health care. The candidates’ microphones were muted at times while the other was speaking.

Biden insisted that "people deserve to have affordable health care" which would be provided by Bidencare. Trump has said again he would replace Obamacare but didn't give any further information.-

Trump stated he knew all about foreign interference in US elections but alleged it was a ploy to undermine his candidacy. Biden promised that "they will pay a price if I’m elected" as they were interfering with American sovereignty, referring to China, Russia and Iran.

The editorial board of American newspaper USA Today has published its first presidential endorsement in its history, urging Americans to vote for Democratic nominee Joe Biden.

"In 2016, we broke tradition in urging you not to vote for Trump. Now we're making our first presidential endorsement. We hope it's our last," so the Editorial Board. "We urged readers not to vote for Donald Trump, calling the Republican nominee unfit for office because he lacked the “temperament, knowledge, steadiness and honesty that America needs from its presidents.” We stopped short, however, of an outright endorsement of Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee. This year, the Editorial Board unanimously supports the election of Joe Biden, who offers a shaken nation a harbor of calm and competence."

The former chairman of the Republican National Committee and former lieutenant governor of Maryland, Michael Steele, has endorsed Joe Biden for president.

In an advertisement for the conservative political group "The Lincoln Project" Steele has stated his endorsement for Joe Biden and said: "I'm a lifelong Republican and I'm still a Republican, but this ballot is how we restore the would of our nation, electing a good man, Joe Biden, and a trailblazer, Kamala Harris and ensure an orderly transfer of power or plunge our country into chaos".

Thousands of supporters attended President Donald Trump's rally in Janesville, Wisconsin on Saturday, despite the state's recent surge in Covid-19 cases.

"We’re doing great, we’re doing really well. I wish you’d have a Republican governor because frankly, you got to open your state up. You got to open it up," the President told the crowd. "We’re rounding the corner. We have unbelievable vaccines coming out real soon."

On Saturday, thousands of mostly young women joined together in the second Women's March this year in honour of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The demonstration was hosted to protest Donald Trump's reelection and the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.

"His presidency began with women marching, and now it’s going to end with woman voting. Period," so Rachel O’Leary Carmona, executive director of the Women’s March.

The Republican party in California has admitted responsibility for the placement of over 50 ballot drop boxes for mail-in ballots that are not official, but labeled as either "Official Ballot Drop off Box" or as "Ballot Drop Box."

Government officials say the receptacles are illegal and could lead to voter fraud, but the party says it will continue the practice.

Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin is the third senator who has tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours. On Friday, Senator Mike Lee of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina both tested positive for Covid-19 after having attended the White House event on Saturday.

"Senator Johnson was exposed to someone who tested positive for covid-19 on Sept. 14. He stayed in quarantine for 14 days without developing symptoms and tested negative twice during that time. He returned to Washington on Sept. 29 and shortly after was exposed to an individual who has since tested positive. After learning of this exposure, the senator was tested yesterday afternoon. This test came back positive," so his spokesman Ben Voelkel.

Johnson "feels healthy and is not experiencing symptoms" and will self-quarantine.

President Donald Trump has claimed "he paid millions of dollars in taxes" during the first presidential debate Tuesday, just days after a report by the New York Times showed the president paid no federal income taxes in 10 out of the last 15 years.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden suggested Trump "does take advantage of the tax code" and that the president "pays less tax than a schoolteacher."

"I don't want to pay tax," Trump responded, claiming that all business leaders did the same "unless they are stupid."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has promised that Supreme Court Justice nominee Amy Coney Barrett will receive a vote in the "weeks ahead, following the work of the Judiciary Committee."

Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham confirmed that hearings would start on October 12 with opening statements from Barrett herself and members of the Judiciary Committee, followed by questions from the committee and testimony from legal experts and Barrett's associates.

"I expect the nominee will be challenged and that's appropriate to challenge the nominee. If they treat Judge Barrett like they did Justice [Brett] Kavanaugh it's going to blow up in their face big time," so Graham on Fox News Saturday.

Cindy McCain, the widow of the late Republican Senator John McCain, endorses Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

"My husband John lived by a code: country first. We are Republicans, yes, but Americans foremost. There's only one candidate in this race who stands up for our values as a nation, and that is @JoeBiden," Ms McCain tweeted Tuesday. "Joe and I don't always agree on the issues, and I know he and John certainly had some passionate arguments, but he is a good and honest man. He will lead us with dignity," she added.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R) pledged Friday to bring President Trump's Supreme Court nominee replacing the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to a Senate vote.

"President Trump's nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate," so McConnell.

Senate Majority Whip John Thune is backing McConnell, saying: "I believe Americans sent a Republican president and a Republican Senate to Washington to ensure we have an impartial judiciary that upholds the Constitution and the rule of law. We will fulfil our obligation to them."

CNN reports that "GOP aides are skeptical that there is enough time to confirm a nominee before November 3" as the process usually takes around two to three months but "that process could be sped up if McConnell, who controls the majority of the chamber, has the votes to confirm a replacement."

After the White House announced Trump would visit Kenosha on Tuesday to survey the damage caused by last week's protests following the shooting of Jacob Blake, Mayor John Antaramian (D) said: "from our perspective, our preference would have been for him not to be coming at this point in time."

"All presidents are always welcome and campaign issues are always going on. But it would have been, I think, better had he waited to have for another time to come." Antaramian added.

Antaramian further stated that the city supports peaceful protests and that the people had "every right to protest," and added that "our biggest problem really did come from people coming from outside the area and causing a great deal of damage and destruction."

Portland mayor Ted Wheeler has denounced Saturday's act of violence in downtown Portland, where a man was shot during a clash between right-wing supporters and protestors.

Wheeler further blamed President Donald Trump for having created an America that sees a level of violence not seen in decades, saying that it's Trump who has created "the hate and the division."

"President Trump, for four years we've had to live with you and your racist attacks on black people. We learned early about your sexist attitudes towards women. We've had to endure clips of you mocking a disabled man; we've had to listen to your anti-democratic attacks on journalists; we've read your tweets slamming private citizens to the point of receiving death threats; and we've listened to your attacks on immigrants," so Wheeler.

"You bring no peace. You bring no respect to our democracy," Wheeler added. "You've tried to divide us more than any other figure in modern history and now you want me to stop the violence you helped create. What America needs is for you to be stopped so that we can come back together as one America."

During the fourth night of the Republican National Convention, President Donald Trump took various swings at Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

"Joe Biden is not the savior of America’s soul," so Trump. "He is the destroyer of America’s jobs, and if given the chance, he will be the destroyer of America’s greatness."

Trump claimed that his response to the Covid-19 pandemic was based "the science, the facts, and the data" and that Biden would surrender to the virus with the result of "drug overdoses, depression, alcohol addiction, suicides, heart attacks, economic devastation, job loss."

Biden would also "demolish the suburbs, confiscate your guns, and appoint justices who will wipe away your Second Amendment and other Constitutional freedoms," so Trump. He paints Biden as the "Trojan horse for socialism," who "wouldn't have the strength to stand up to Marxists like Bernie Sanders and fellow radicals."

On Thursday night during the Republican National Convention, Donald Trump officially accepted the Republican party's presidential nomination, "brimming with confidence in the bright future we will build for America over the next four years!"

Trump promises to make "America into the manufacturing superpower of the world," to "end our reliance on China once and for all," and to "create 10 million jobs in the next 10 months." Other points on his agenda including ensuring "equal justice for citizens of every race, religion, color and creed," protect medicare and social security and to land the first woman on the moon.

On the fourth day of the Republican National Convention, Ivanka Trump introduced her father Donald Trump, saying: "Four years ago, I introduced you to a builder, an entrepreneur, an outsider and the people's nominee for president of the United States. Tonight, I stand before you as the proud daughter of the people's president."

Ms Trump called her father the "champion of the American worker, defender of common sense and our voice for the forgotten men and women of this country," and describes that she has witnessed "him make some of the most difficult decisions of his life" and "seen the pain in his eyes when he receives updates on the lives that have been stolen by this plague."

Addressing his tweets, Ms Trump said that the president's tweets "can feel a bit unfiltered," but "the results speak for themselves."

"America doesn't need another empty vessel who will do whatever the media and the fringe of his party demands. Now more than ever, America needs four more years of a Warrior in the White House," she ended her speech.

During the third night of the Republican National Convention, Vice President Mike Pence heavily attacked Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, saying people "won't be safe in Joe Biden's America" and that a vote for Biden would be "nothing more than a Trojan horse for the radical left."

Praising the Trump administration's handling of Covid-19, Pence said: "Before the first case of the coronavirus spread within the United States, the president took unprecedented action and suspended all travel from China, the second largest economy in the world." According to the New York Times, "40,000 people had traveled to the United States from China" between the start of the travel ban on Jan 31 and the beginning of April.

During Tuesday's second night of the Republican National Convention, Melania Trump directly referenced the Covid-19 pandemic, offering her "deepest sympathy goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one and my prayers are with those who are ill or suffering," while other speakers mentioned it only as a vanquished threat. The first lady further claimed that "Donald will not rest until he has done all he can to take care of everyone impacted by this terrible pandemic."

Addressing the BLM protests, Mrs. Trump called to "stop the violence and looting being done in the name of justice" and urged people to "never judge anyone based on the color of their skin."

During the second night of the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, Eric Trump heavily criticises Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, claiming that Biden did "not know the slightest thing about the American worker or the American business" and had accomplished "nothing" during his entire governmental career. He further added that Biden was "a total pushover for Communist China" whose presidency would be "a giant relief for terrorists."

Eric Trump also accused Democrats of wanting to "disrespect our national anthem by taking a knee, while our armed forces lay down their lives every day to protect our freedom" and to "destroy the monuments of our forefathers."

Voting for Donald Trump would be a vote for "the American spirit, the American dream and the American flag," and would ensure that "freedom will never be a thing of the past," so Eric Trump.

"In closing, I’d like to speak directly to my father," Trump said during the end of his speech. "I miss working alongside you every day but I’m damn proud to be on the front lines of this fight. I am proud of what you are doing for this country."