What A Year This Week Has Been

There are just over three weeks until Election Day and President Donald Trump is trailing Joe Biden in national polls by double digits. Sidelined with COVID-19 and unable to participate in traditional campaign events, the president has taken to Twitter, cable TV, and homemade videos to pitch voters on promises to deliver everything from free coronavirus drug cocktails to stimulus checks. Amidst the political theatre, more than six million voters have cast their ballots. Laura Barrón-López, national political reporter at POLITICO, and Clare Malone, senior political writer at FiveThirtyEight breakdown the state of the race for the White House.

Senator Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence gathered in Utah on Wednesday for the first and only vice presidential debate. The advanced age of President Donald Trump and Joe Biden against the backdrop of a highly contagious pandemic has emphasized the role of vice president. Maya King from POLITICO and Annie Karni from the New York Times explain what role Harris and Pence will play between now and Election Day.

An unusually competitive senate race in South Carolina is among the many twists and turns of this election cycle. Lindsey Graham, Senator from South Carolina, Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and Trump loyalist is fighting for his political career. The latest polling has Senator Graham virtually tied with charismatic newcomer, Democrat Jaime Harrison. Danielle Vinson, professor of politics and international affairs at Furman University, explains why the state is in play in this year and what Senator Graham misunderstood about South Carolina's electorate. 

It's been four years since Donald Trump was elected after one of the most unconventional and divisive campaign cycles in recent history. During his norm-shattering first term, President Trump has been impeached, emboldened far-right groups, refused to release his tax returns, and attempted to use his status to influence the Department of Justice. Moments that would've ended anyone else's political ambitions are just bumps in the road for Donald Trump. The authors of "After Trump: Reconstructing the Presidency" describe how Trump has taken advantage of his office and how the presidency could be reformed to prevent similar abuse. Bob Bauer is a senior adviser to the Biden campaign and former White House counsel to President Barack Obama and Jack Goldsmith is a professor at Harvard Law and served as George W. Bush’s assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel.