An earlier version of this article was published at On the Trail 2024 NewsletterSign up to receive our newsletter on Tuesday and Friday mornings hereTo submit a question for next Friday's mailbag, onthetrail@deseretnews.com.
Good morning, friends. With just under five months until Election Day, are you tired of all the robot texts yet?
Three things you need to know
- President Joe Biden called for defending democracy. In a speech marking D-Day on Friday, standing in Normandy, France, Biden said World War II heroes ask us to “remain true to our American beliefs,” including defending Ukraine in the war against Russia. Read more here.
- 2024 is the “biggest election year in history” Half the world's population will watch elections in their own countries. While all eyes will be on the United States, other democracies from Europe to Southeast Asia to Africa will either “sink further into illiberalism or begin the climb towards freedom,” said one writer. Read more here.
- Dr. Phil tried to urge Donald Trump to forgive. that largely It worked. “We are all brothers and sisters and there should be no hard feelings,” Dr. Phil said after asking Trump about the conviction. Trump seemed to acknowledge that “the country has to come together.” But he also said, “Sometimes revenge is justified.” “You have to be honest.” Read more here.
The Big Idea
Biden's fundraising surprise in Republican states
Trump is currently in the midst of a major fundraising spree. In April, the Trump campaign surpassed Biden's total fundraising by $25 million. In May, the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee raised $141 million, a third of which came within 24 hours of Trump's conviction. Last weekend, Trump reportedly raised another $30 million during a weekend fundraiser in Southern California.
Still, Biden has a surprising lead in the Republican-leaning state of Utah.
According to FEC data, contributions to Biden's major campaign committees in Utah have so far exceeded those of Trump's campaign committees: Biden has raised $1,031,627 from Utah donors during the 2024 election cycle, while Donald J. Trump has raised $750,461 in the 2024 presidential race.
The fundraising totals are just a fraction of the combined totals of both campaigns, which have benefited from joint fundraising arrangements with political parties and affiliated super PACs. Additionally, Trump has not held any in-person fundraisers in Utah this election cycle, while Biden has. The president hosted a fundraiser in Park City during a visit last August, and first lady Jill Biden also visited Utah in January and held another event there.
The Trump campaign had planned to hold a fundraiser in Utah in late June, but those plans were scrapped after Trump agreed to appear on CNN's debate the same day. Fundraiser organizers now hope to bring Trump to Park City in late July or late August, a person familiar with the matter said.
Trump is expected to win Utah handily; all of the state's offices are held by Republicans. Trump won the state by 20 percentage points in 2020, while Biden, who finished with 38 percent, performed better than any Democrat since 1964.
Democrats are putting up a fight nonetheless. The Democratic National Committee announced Monday that it would give Utah Democrats a $45,000 grant to help with organizing infrastructure, which they said marks the party's first organized campaign effort in Utah since 2016. The donation is part of a roughly $2 million effort to support Republican-leaning state Democrats in lower-ranking races.
Diane Lewis, chairwoman of the Utah Democratic Party, called the grant a sign of a commitment to “support Utah's potential as a future battleground state.”
“With the support of the national party, we will organize across the state to help Democrats win not only this election, but every election to come,” Lewis said in a statement.
What I'm Reading
This epic work about Phoenix The Arizona State Legislature, a microcosm of America, is worth reading in its entirety. But Latter-day Saints will find this anecdote about former Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers of particular interest. In the 1920s, Bowers' grandmother says she heard Heber J. Grant, then president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, speak in Phoenix about water shortages. A century later, it inspired Bowers to dedicate his post-political life to water conservation. The most American city (George Packer, The Atlantic)
In most elections, The vice presidential nominee doesn't really matter. In 2024, it may matter quite a bit, given the widespread unpopularity of both major party candidates. The final field for President Trump's running mate has been narrowed down to a few candidates. There's an intriguing argument to support the least well-known of them all, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum. Trump Vice President Election 2024: Those Who Survived (Jeffrey Blehar, National Review)
Immigration and the economy These are two top issues for voters in 2024. They're interrelated: America needs a secure border, but we also need thriving immigrant communities for a healthy economy, from agricultural jobs on California farms to management jobs at some of the nation's largest companies. The immigration issue that no one talks about (John Cassidy, The New Yorker)
Tuesday Trivia
Last Tuesday's question: Donald Trump will hold a rally in Las Vegas on Sunday, marking his fifth visit to Nevada this election cycle. Which presidential candidate has visited Nevada the most during the 2020 election cycle?
The answer is Julian Castroa former housing secretary and candidate for the Democratic nomination, visited Nevada 12 times during the 2020 campaign, according to tracking data from the Nevada Independent, including one visit to tiny West Wendover, Nevada, a “battleground city” on the battleground state's border.
Question of the week:
Do you think inflation is now a bad thing? The U.S. Treasury once printed a $100,000 bill, and it had the portrait of which president on it?
See you on the trail.
Editor's note: The Deseret News is committed to covering the important issues of the 2024 presidential election. Unique perspective and editorial valueOur team of political reporters will provide in-depth coverage of the most relevant news and information to help you make an informed decision. Check out our complete coverage of the elections. here.
