Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - September 1, 2016
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Thursday's Leading Stories
- Donald Trump delivered a speech in Phoenix, Arizona, where he discussed immigration policy, saying, “For those here illegally today who are seeking legal status, they will have one route and one route only. To return home and apply for re-entry like everybody else under the rules of the new legal immigration system that I have outlined today.” In the speech, Trump laid out a ten point plan on immigration policy: (LA Times)
- One: “We will build a great wall along the southern border. And Mexico will pay for the wall.”
- Two: “We are going to end catch and release. … Under my administration, anyone who illegally crosses the border will be detained until they are removed out of our country and back to the country from which they came.”
- Three: “Zero tolerance for criminal aliens. Zero. They don't come in here. They don't come in here. … We're going to triple the number of ICE deportation officers. … We're also going to hire 5,000 more Border Patrol agents.”
- Four: “Block funding for sanctuary cities. We block the funding. No more funds.”
- Five: “Cancel unconstitutional executive orders and enforce all immigration laws. We will immediately terminate President Obama's two illegal executive amnesties in which he defied federal law and the Constitution to give amnesty to approximately five million illegal immigrants, five million.”
- Six: “Suspend the issuance of visas to any place where adequate screening cannot occur.”
- Seven: “Ensure that other countries take their people back when they order them deported.”
- Eight: “We will finally complete the biometric entry-exit visa tracking system which we need desperately. … The politicians are all talk, no action, never happens. Never happens. … In my administration we will ensure that this system is in place.”
- Nine: “Turn off the jobs and benefits magnet. We will ensure that E-Verify is used to the fullest extent possible under existing law.”
- Ten: “Reform legal immigration to serve the best interests of America and its workers the forgotten people. Workers. We're going to take care of our workers.”
- By a 4-4 vote, the Supreme Court rejected a request from North Carolina to stay an appeals court ruling in July that struck down the state’s voting rights law. The Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled that North Carolina lawmakers passed the law with the intent to discriminate against African-American voters, calling it “the most restrictive voting law North Carolina has seen since the era of Jim Crow.” CNN explains, “the Supreme Court's order means provisions of the law -- concerning a tightening in voter ID requirements, cutbacks on early voting and the preregistration of 16-year-olds -- will remain off the books for November's election.” Hillary Clinton praised the ruling on Twitter, saying, “Great news for North Carolinians. Let's make voting easier so every voice in our democracy can be heard.” (The Wall Street Journal, CNN)
Polls
- Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump by two points in a four-way race, according to a Fox News Poll. Clinton registered 41 percent to Trump’s 39. Gary Johnson and Jill Stein took 9 and 4 percent, respectively. In a two-way race, Clinton leads Trump 48 to 42 percent. (Fox News)
- A Monmouth University poll has Clinton leading Trump in Wisconsin 43 to 38 percent, with Gary Johnson taking 7 percent and Jill Stein taking 3 percent. (Monmouth)
- Trump leads Clinton 44 to 40 in Arizona, according to a Breitbart/Gravis poll. (Breitbart)
Democrats
Hillary Clinton
- Hillary Clinton delivered a speech focused on American exceptionalism at the American Legion national convention in Ohio. She said, “When we say America is exceptional, it doesn't mean that people from other places don't feel deep national pride just like we do. It means that we recognize America's unique and unparalleled ability to be a force for peace and progress, a champion for freedom and opportunity. … And it’s not just that we have the greatest military or that our economy is larger than any on Earth. It’s also the strength of our values, the strength of the American people. Everyone who works harder, dreams bigger and never, ever stops trying to make our country and the world a better place. And part of what makes America an exceptional nation, is that we are also an indispensable nation. In fact, we are the indispensable nation.” (Time)
- James Clad, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense under George W. Bush endorsed Clinton. He said, “Secretary Clinton has demonstrated her skills as Secretary of State, especially but by no means exclusively in helping other Asian countries counter Chinese bullying in the western Pacific. For Republicans and Democrats alike, everything in national security requires clarity and steadiness, whether managing nuclear weapons or balancing great power rivalries. Our adversaries must never hear flippancy or ignorance in America’s voice. They should never take satisfaction from an incompetent president. Giving an incoherent amateur the keys to the White House this November will doom us to second or third class status.” (The Hill)
Republicans
Donald Trump
- Hours before his speech in Phoenix, Donald Trump met with Mexico president Enrique Peña Nieto. The meeting was in private, but afterward Trump and Peña Nieto held a brief press conference and took questions. Trump reiterated his opposition to NAFTA and illegal immigration as well as his support for strong immigration laws and border security, saying, “having a secure border is a sovereign right and mutually beneficial.” But Trump also commented on his personal relationship with Mexicans, his desire to keep jobs in the western hemisphere, and the United States’ relationship with Mexico. (The Washington Post)
- Personal relationship with Mexicans and Mexican-Americans: “And I happen to have a tremendous feeling for Mexican Americans not only in terms of friendships, but in terms of the tremendous numbers that I employ in the United States and they are amazing people, amazing people. I have many friends, so many friends and so many friends coming to Mexico and in Mexico. I am proud to say how many people I employ.”
- Jobs in the western hemisphere: “There are many improvements that could be made that would make both Mexico and the United States stronger and keep industry in our hemisphere. We have tremendous competition from China and from all over the world. Keep it in our hemisphere. Workers in both of our countries need a pay raise, very desperately. … When jobs leave Mexico, the U.S. or Central America and go over seas, it increases poverty and pressure on social services as well as pressures on cross border migration.”
- U.S.-Mexico relations: “The United States and Mexico share a 2,000-mile border, a half a trillion dollars in annual trade and one million legal border crossings each and every day. We are united by our support for democracy, a great love for our people and the contributions of millions of Mexican Americans to the United States.”
- When asked if he discussed with President Peña Nieto his plan for Mexico to pay for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, Trump said, “We did discuss the wall, we didn't discuss payment of the wall. That will be for a later date.” Later, Peña Nieto tweeted, “At the beginning of the conversation with Donald Trump, I made clear that Mexico will not pay for the wall” (translation). (NBC News, The Washington Post)
Third Party Candidates
Jill Stein (Green Party)
- Jill Stein—along with Gary Johnson—qualified for the Oregon general election ballot. Polls from Oregon have been few-and-far-between, but a Clout Research poll from July had Stein at 3 percent in Oregon. (OPB FM, Clout Research)
Gary Johnson (Libertarian Party)
- Bill Weld, Gary Johnson’s running mate, published an op-ed in RedState on gun rights. Weld said, “Being a committed supporter of the Constitution means that I support the First Amendment, the Second Amendment, and the entire Bill of Rights. … I agree with the D.C. v. Heller decision. Politicians can't simply ignore part the Constitution because they think it doesn't or shouldn't apply in today's society.” He also commented on calls to regulate semi-automatic weapons, saying, “The problem with banning semi-automatic weapons like the AR-15 is that it is functionally no different from a standard hunting rifle. … However, it makes sense to draw a clear line between legitimate semiautomatic weapons and fully automatic ones.” (RedState)
See also
- Presidential election, 2016
- Presidential candidates, 2016
- Presidential debates (2015-2016)
- Important dates in the 2016 presidential race
- Polls and Straw polls
- 2016 presidential candidate ratings and scorecards