Trump surrenders in the War Against the Invisible Enemy, pivots to a message about rebuilding the economy, and tries to make the race about Joe Biden. Then Jon and Dan break down the latest polls, answer some listener questions, and Dan interviews Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias about his legal battles to protect our right to vote in November.

Show notes

Mission Accomplished

• NPR: Tracking The Pandemic: How Quickly Is The Coronavirus Spreading State By State?
• CNN: Black communities account for disproportionate number of Covid-19 deaths in the US, study finds
• Axios: Trump and some top aides question accuracy of virus death toll
• NYT: Don’t Be Fooled by America’s Flattening Curve
• NYT: With New Hot Spots Emerging, No Sign of a Respite
• WaPo: States moving forward with reopening are seeing increases in new coronavirus cases
• The Guardian: Trump gives up on virus fight to focus on economic recovery – and re-election
• The New Yorker: The White House’s Push to Reopen the Economy This Early Is a Dangerous Gamble
• Politico: Trump team plots tax cuts and regulatory suspensions to boost a coronavirus recovery
• Politico: Trump’s next coronavirus pivot: Celebrate America’s grand reopening
• WSJ: Trump Says Coronavirus Task Force to Shift Focus to Safety and Reopening Economy
• WaPo: Live updates: Trump, reversing course, says coronavirus task force will continue ‘indefinitely’; U.S. death toll surpasses 70,000
• NBC News: White House to wind down coronavirus task force
• NYT: Administration to Phase Out Coronavirus Task Force
• The Guardian: Live and Let Die plays as Trump visits mask factory without a mask
• CNN: Restless Trump escapes White House but not the pandemic
• Marketwatch: Trump wears goggles but no mask at Honeywell facility in Arizona
• AZ Central: ‘Nothing can cover up how he failed’: Biden rips Trump ahead of Phoenix visit
• ABC News: TRANSCRIPT: ABC News anchor David Muir interviews President Trump in Arizona
• ABC News: Trump to ABC’s David Muir: ‘Possible there will be some’ COVID-19 deaths as country reopens
• Politico: ‘Maybe our best work’: Trump praises his coronavirus response
• Vox: Trump’s trainwreck ABC interview illustrated why he rarely strays from Fox News
• Columbia Journalism Review: For Trump, the medium is not the message
• Fact Base: Donald Trump Interview Transcripts
• CNN: ABC’s David Muir misses an opportunity as Trump ventures outside the Fox-verse
• Media Matters: With his interview of Trump, David Muir failed his test

The Economy

• NYT:  ADP: More Than 20 Million Jobs Vanished in April
• Bloomberg: U.S. Companies Cut a Record 20.2 Million Jobs, ADP Says
• NYT: The Jobs Numbers Will Be Terrible. Here’s How to Interpret Them.
• NYT: April Jobs Data to Show Epic Losses and Soaring Unemployment
• CNN: Kevin Hassett: April jobs report could show 20% unemployment rate
• Reuters – Biden’s edge evaporates as Trump seen as better suited for economy, coronavirus response, poll shows
• Bloomberg – Trump Reboots 2020 Message to Play Up Post-Virus Era, Not Crisis
• The Hill: Trump campaign touts pandemic response in new TV ad: ‘American comeback’
• Politifact: Ad Watch: Trump’s ‘American Comeback’ ad uses words of media, Democrats out of context
• CNN: CNN sends Trump campaign cease-and-desist letter for misleading ad
• The Hill: Trump takes underdog role in campaign against Biden
• NPR: Trump Campaign Reworks Its Pitch To Black Voters After Pandemic Slams Economy
• NYT: Trump Eyes New Tax Cuts for Next Stimulus Package
• Gallup – Americans Express Mix of Concern and Hope on the Economy
• Reuters: FACTBOX-Trump, Biden offer clashing visions on reopening economy, taxes
• NYT – Biden Camp Finds Selling Point in Ailing Economy: His Work on 2009 Recovery
• WaPo: Joe Biden pitches himself as the ‘been there, done that’ candidate as economic and health crises dominate the presidential race
• Roll Call: Senate GOP weighs letting states use virus aid to plug budget holes
• NBC News: Trump says ‘bailouts’ unfair to GOP since states needing aid ‘run by Democrats in every case’
• Politico: Democrats aim to squeeze Republicans on next coronavirus relief package
• The Hill: GOP divided over state aid during coronavirus pandemic
• Business Insider: ‘Over our dead bodies’: Lindsey Graham vows Congress won’t extend additional $600 coronavirus-related unemployment benefits, as US death toll crosses the 60,000 mark
• WaPo: Republican-led states signal they could strip workers’ unemployment benefits if they don’t return to work, sparking fresh safety fears

Poller Coaster

• NYT: Biden Leads Trump in First Poll to Address Sexual Assault Allegation
• Change Research / CNBC – States of Play: Battleground Survey Shows Voters Concerned About Reopening Economy
• FiveThirtyEight – We’ve Got Some Early Trump vs. Biden Swing State Polling
• The Hill – Poll: Biden leads Trump by 7 points in North Carolina
• The Hill – Trump tops Biden by 2 points in Iowa: poll
• Civiqs – Daily Kos – North Carolina survey
• NY Mag – The State of the Presidential Race, Six Months Before Election Day
• The Atlantic – The Public Is Astonishingly United
• Politico: ‘Maybe our best work’: Trump praises his coronavirus response
• Vox: Trump’s train wreck ABC interview illustrated why he rarely strays from Fox News
• AP: A referendum election in November? Trump allies see risks
• CNN: Why Trump’s shadow over the race for Senate control is so long
• Axios: New polling shows warning signs for GOP-held Senate seats
• WaPo: The Trailer: A guide to what’s in play in the Senate in 2020
• WaPo: Democrats are in a strong position for the fall. So why all the hand-wringing?
• CNN: History says whoever can best handle coronavirus will win the election. That should worry Trump.
• Vanity Fair – TRUMP’S CORONAVIRUS BLUNDERING MAY HELP DEMOCRATS WIN THE SENATE
• Slate: Biden Has a Real Latino Problem
• NYT Op-Ed– These Are the Voters Who Could Decide the Election