The Point: Protests put Trump and Biden's leadership to the test

May 31, 2020 | by Lauren Dezenski

With just 156 days until the 2020 election, you'll be voting before you know it. Every Sunday, Chris Cillizza delivers to your inbox the 5 BIG storylines you need to know to understand the upcoming week on the campaign trail -- and I'm filling in today.

These storylines are ranked, so the No. 1 story is the most important of the coming week. Tell your friends to subscribe to The Point newsletter here!

Protests put Trump and Biden's leadership to the test

5. Trump's face mask war stretches to the convention: President Donald Trump continues to push for August's Republican National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, to go on as planned, and without face masks or social distancing -- a point of contention with North Carolina's Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

While Trump threatens to pull the convention from the state, the President and his party are wrangling with state and local officials over how to pull off the event, which would normally draw more than 50,000 people from all over the country, amid a pandemic.

According to local officials, RNC leaders had said it was President Trump's desire to hold the convention in a "crowd-like setting without social distancing or face coverings."

The North Carolina Department of Health responded by asking if that was still the RNC's intention, and saying that the onus is on convention organizers to come up with a more comprehensive plan to keep attendees safe -- including social distancing and face coverings.

4. Trump hits the trail: It's not packed rally halls -- yet. But the President is getting his campaign back up and running in Texas and then New Jersey next month with some in-person fundraising.

He'll be in Dallas on June 11 for a fundraiser at a private home, according to the Texas Tribune's Patrick Svitek: They're expecting roughly 25 attendees, at $580,600/couple. There will still be precautions around the coronavirus: the site will be "professionally cleaned & sanitized," plus attendees must test negative the day of, pass a temperature screening and complete a wellness survey.

Trump is hosting another in-person fundraiser at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club (outdoors) on June 13, according to Politico. The same precautions and size limitations will be in place -- and one ticket will set you back $250,000.

3. It's (still) primary season: Though the two presumptive nominees are set, the presidential primary still isn't over! We have a slate of primaries coming up Tuesday, including Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Maryland, Indiana, Montana, South Dakota, Rhode Island and Washington, DC. Many of these states' primaries were delayed because of the coronavirus -- now some will be conducted by vote-by-mail, including Maryland, Montana and Rhode Island.

There are also down-ballot races to keep in mind. Keep your eye on Iowa's GOP Rep. Steve King, who is facing a formidable field of primary challengers, one of whom could unseat the controversial longtime congressman.

2. Biden's more complicated veepstakes: Up until now, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar was frequently seen as a top contender to be Joe Biden's running mate. But as the conversation about police brutality in Minneapolis and around the country continues, the former prosecutor in Minnesota's largest county is now under more scrutiny for her record -- and her standing could take a hit.

Consider what Biden confidante and South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn said Friday: "We are all victims sometimes of timing and some of us benefit tremendously from timing," Clyburn said. "This is very tough timing for Amy Klobuchar. ... The timing is tough."

Another contender, Sen. Kamala Harris, was among the protesters outside the White House on Saturday.

Biden's potential VP list also shrunk by one this week -- when Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto withdrew herself from consideration. Biden has said he wants to make a choice by August 1.

1. A nation in chaos: Protests continue to reverberate through cities across the nation, as crowds take to the streets to protest George Floyd's death while in Minneapolis police custody. And all of this is happening while the coronavirus maintains its grip on the nation and 1 in 4 Americans are now out of work.

Former Vice President Joe Biden has taken a more active role in responding to the situation. On Friday, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said he had spoken with Floyd's family, and called on Americans to confront racial injustice in the nation -- declaring that it's "time for us to take a hard look at the uncomfortable truths."

Amid another night of protests, some of which turned violent, Biden issued a statement after midnight on Sunday: "Protesting such brutality is right and necessary. It's an utterly American response. But burning down communities and needless destruction is not."

Trump has mostly taken to Twitter to respond to the situation -- invoking tough-on-crime language like "looting leads to shooting" and warning of "vicious dogs" and "ominous weapons" awaiting protests that turn violent.

The President delivered his most in-depth remarks on the situation after the SpaceX rocket launch on Saturday, when he admonished protesters across the country, expressed support for the "majority of police officers" and blamed Antifa and the "radical left" for the unrest. He even tweeted that Antifa will be designated as a terrorist organization -- even though some experts believe that's unconstitutional.

Trump has yet to make any sort of presidential public address to the nation.

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