Nov 29, 2018

Mormons support the GOP, but skeptical of Trump

Alexi McCammond

President Trump and Mitt Romney at a dinner in New York in November 2016. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Image

In the 2018 midterm elections, 67% of Mormons voted for a Republican candidate, but only 56% approve of Trump as president, according to a new AP survey.

Why it matters: This is one religious group that Trump is struggling with, despite Mormon voters' widespread support of the GOP. By comparison, President Trump has a stronghold on white Evangelical Christian voters, 79% of whom approve of his job as president and 80% of whom voted for a Republican in the midterms. This could put incoming Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah in an interesting position. Among his fellow Mormon voters in his state, 64% of them want Romney to confront Trump, according to the survey.

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Older candidates take the lead on social media

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Michael Bloomberg, Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden — all close to 80 — are pushing the boundaries on social media, while their younger Democratic presidential rivals are comparatively staying out of the fray.

The big picture: President Trump's unexpected rise to political power has shown Democrats and world leaders the power of harnessing popular internet culture to get elected.

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South Korea and Italy step up emergency measures as coronavirus cases jump

Data: The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins, the CDC, and China's Health Ministry. Note: China numbers are for the mainland only and U.S. numbers include repatriated citizens.

The novel coronavirus has spread to more nations as South Korea and Italy step up emergency measures in their countries amid rising case numbers on Sunday.

The big picture: COVID-19 has killed at least 2,462 people and infected almost 79,000 others, mostly in mainland China. South Korea increased the infectious disease alert to red, the highest possible, as its case numbers jumped to 602 and the death toll to five. Italy's government announced emergency measures, with several towns in the north effectively placed in lockdown, as it confirmed two deaths and infections rose to 79.

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Bernie Sanders wins Nevada caucus

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders waves to supporters at a campaign rally on Friday in Las Vegas. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Sen. Bernie Sanders is projected to handily win the Nevada Democratic primary caucus, becoming the clear frontrunner among 2020 Democratic presidential primary election candidates.

Why it matters: Nevada is the first state with a diverse population to hold a nominating contest, highlighting candidates' abilities to connect with voters of color — particularly Latino voters.

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