Axios

President Trump said Tuesday he believes Goodyear Tire workers "will be able to get another good job," after he called for a boycott of the company following reports that an Ohio plant had banned his red "Make America Great Again" campaign hats.

Why it matters: Goodyear is headquartered in the critical swing state of Ohio and employs approximately 63,000 people.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) told Fox News Wednesday that he opposes Congress passing more stimulus funding because "if you give people money and you make it less painful to be in a recession," governors "will not have an incentive" to reopen the economy.

Why it matters: Republicans and Democrats remain deadlocked over the next coronavirus stimulus package. The Trump administration has said it is willing to pass a bill at a lower price tag than House Democrats' $3 trillion proposal, but some Republicans — like Paul and other deficit hawks — have said there is no need.

The Trump campaign is taking yet another crack at the Commission on Presidential Debates in its unsuccessful push to move up the start of the general election debates — this time asking for a conference call with Joe Biden's campaign to at least talk about it.

Why it matters: The president's campaign team views the debates as the key opportunity left to sway voters before the November election, and given the anticipated surge in early voting, they want to give as many Biden-leaning voters as possible a reason to think twice before they cast their ballots.

Former President Obama will tell Americans tonight that "democracy itself is on the line," setting the stage for a heavily personal and biographical appeal by Kamala Harris "for people to see themselves in her speech," advisers to both tell Axios.

Driving the news: Each is speaking on Day Three of the Democratic National Convention — with Harris capping the night when she formally accepts the vice presidential nomination on Joe Biden's ticket.

It's the new "depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is" — President Bill Clinton's instant-classic evasion in grand jury testimony in 1998.

What's happening: President Trump's comment about the virus to Jonathan Swan on "Axios on HBO" — "It is what it is" — became an online sensation.

Former Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Penn.) said on Wednesday that he will be voting for Joe Biden over President Trump in November, telling CNN: "At the end of the day, this really isn't about right or left. It's not about ideology. ... For me, it's about right or wrong."

Why it matters: Dent, who represented the key swing state of Pennsylvania in Congress before retiring in 2018, is one of a number of former Republican officials who have come out against Trump during the week of the Democratic National Convention.

Facebook announced on Wednesday it has banned or restricted hundreds of groups, pages and Instagram accounts that "demonstrated significant risks to public safety" via their ties to the right-wing QAnon conspiracy movement.

Why it matters: QAnon has morphed from a fringe conspiracy theory into a sprawling network of falsehoods sowing fear and confusion as it has seeped into the mainstream and taken stances on critical issues like the coronavirus pandemic and election integrity.

Hillary Clinton plans to say in her address to the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night that to all those who have expressed regret at voting for President Trump or not voting at all in 2016, this November "can’t be another woulda coulda shoulda election," according to excerpts of her remarks.

Why it matters: Clinton will use her return to the (virtual) convention stage after her devastating loss in 2016 to urge dejected Americans not to give up, and to "vote like our lives and livelihoods are on the line, because they are."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called out Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Wednesday, saying his alleged suspension of operational changes and cost-cutting "is wholly insufficient and does not reverse damage already wreaked."

The big picture: Pelosi said that a conversation with DeJoy revealed the USPS has no intention of replacing the sorting machines, mailboxes and other mail infrastructure that has already been removed. On Tuesday, DeJoy promised to halt changes until after the 2020 election, a move Pelosi criticized as "misleading."

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Wednesday that Blue Lives Matter is an "equity issue," noting that "MAGA is pretty much unanimous" with the group.

Driving the news: Trump advised Americans not to buy Goodyear tires in a tweet Wednesday morning, claiming the company announced a ban on "Make America Great Again" hats for his re-election campaign.

The results of the 2020 presidential contest might be delayed beyond the day after Election Day, depending on how quickly each state counts absentee ballots, Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez said Wednesday at an Axios virtual event.

What he's saying: Perez stressed that delays are "a small price to pay for ensuring that everybody can participate." Americans should have more time to vote as they juggle a pandemic on top of responsibilities at work and at home, he said.

Gov. Phil Murphy (D-N.J) cautioned against calling his state a "COVID success story," during an Axios virtual event on Wednesday.

Why it matters: New Jersey, once a hot spot for the novel coronavirus, is requiring quarantines for some travelers entering the state. The number of coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and fatalities have declined drastically since June.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) wishes the racial wealth gap would also be known as the "American wealth gap," he said at an Axios virtual event on Wednesday.

What he's saying: "[W]hen you have large poverty concentrated disproportionately among African Americans, it actually leads to the deficit of us all," he said, pointing to the economic disparity caused by Black entrepreneurs not having the same access to capital as their white peers.

Structural, long-term change is needed before the massive protests supporting the Black Lives Matter movement can be seen as a "racial reckoning," Richmond, Virgina, Mayor Levar Stoney said at an Axios virtual event on Wednesday.

What he's saying: "The proof will be in the pudding," Stoney said. "If the divides and gaps between Black and brown people, and white people, still remain in 2030, then all of this was for naught. Then we missed our moment."

Most Americans say it's very (37%) or somewhat (36%) likely that social media platforms intentionally censor political viewpoints that they find objectionable, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

Why it matters: The survey shows that the concept of tech censorship, a political argument for the right, has turned into a mainstream belief.

DNC week: On Wednesday, August 20 Axios co-founder Mike Allen hosted a conversation on the future of the Democratic Party, featuring Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), DNC Chair Tom Perez, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney.

Mayor Levar Stoney unpacked his efforts to remove confederate statues and monuments in Richmond and the racist historical legacy they represent.

• On taking down confederate iconography: "We should be ashamed of these monuments. We should be ashamed of these symbols as Americans...I know in 2020 that my city is better than that. I know my state is better than that. And I definitely know that my country is better than that."

Sen. Cory Booker discussed the historic 2020 election ticket, his vision for how communities can expand their view of what makes safe neighborhoods, and how to maintain transparency and accountability in governance.

• On the nomination of Sen. Kamala Harris as VP: "I think it's this feeling of affirmation that for the first time since the founding of this nation, I can look up at that historic ticket and see myself."
• On rethinking community safety and situations where law enforcement gets involved: "We need to...treat mental illness not with jail or prison, but with help and health care. Those kinds of things ultimately reduce violence, make us safe, safer, but more importantly, elevate human well-being and human flourishing."

Gov. Phil Murphy broke down New Jersey's COVID-19 response and highlighted which successful efforts could be replicated by other states.

• On his advice for other state governments: "I think history will not judge you harshly if you overcorrect, if you are too aggressive with this virus. I think we will all be judged, on the other hand, very harshly if you under-correct, if you underestimated."

Tom Perez stressed the importance of getting out the vote for the fall election and discussed the efforts undertaken by the Democratic party to uphold voting rights.

• On the Democratic party's voter protection efforts: "We've never had a more robust voter protection operation than we do now...The reason for this is that Donald Trump has been very, very clear — [he's] going to try to make it harder for eligible people to vote. [The Trump campaign] doesn't want everyone to vote. They want less people to vote. That's their only formula for success: suppressing the vote."
• On the 2020 election and the historic Democratic ticket: "This is history-making. And so many levels, shattering the gender glass ceiling, shattering the racial glass ceiling...This is historic, but it will be only a historical footnote unless we win."

Thank you Bank of America for sponsoring this event.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Wednesday challenged his Democratic competitor, Amy McGrath, to a "socially distanced, Lincoln-Douglas style debate" with "no notes at the table, no props and no audience."

Why it matters: McConnell has held a steady lead over McGrath in most polling for the race, adding a layer of intrigue over his request.

President Trump is trying to use California’s electricity woes as a political cudgel against Democrats nationwide heading into the election, blaming Democrats for rolling blackouts in recent days.

Reality check: The nonprofit California Independent System Operator, which manages the state's power grid, is not a political entity.

In the not-so-distant past, major tech firms made a splashy presence at the national political conventions. This year, they're taking a much quieter role.

The big picture: Silicon Valley and Washington continue to keep each other at arm's length — even though the conventions are only possible in the pandemic era with a vital assist from tech products and platforms.

In Dr. Jill Biden's speech from a classroom where she once taught, she took on the issue of reopening schools safely, acknowledging the yearning many families have for a return to learning.

Why it matters: This could help scramble President Trump's message that Republicans want to open while Democrats want to stay shut. Jill Biden wants to open, too, but it has to be safe.

Slowdowns in mail delivery could have serious consequences for the millions of Americans who get prescription drugs — in some cases, lifesaving treatments — through the mail.

Why it matters: Treatments for cancer, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and other complex diseases increasingly are sent in the mail. And the coronavirus pandemic has spurred more people to get their routine prescriptions mailed to their homes, as a safer alternative to visiting a pharmacy.

Jill Biden said in her speech at the Democrats' virtual convention Tuesday night from a Wilmington, Del., school at which she once taught that Democratic nominee Joe Biden would bring the U.S. "together and make us whole."

The big picture: She spoke of the grief her husband had faced, with him losing his first wife and infant daughter in a car crash in 1972 and his son Beau to brain cancer in 2015. But she said his "strength of will is unstoppable" and his faith "unshakable," adding that "his faith is in you — in us." Trump loyalist Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) joined Democrats and others in praising Jill Biden for her personal speech.

Former Rep. Cynthia Lummis won Wyoming's Republican primary for the Senate on Tuesday, defeating a number of challengers and nearly guaranteeing a win in the deep-red state this November, per AP.

The big picture: Lummis, the clear front-runner in Tuesday's race, served in the House from 2009-2017, and was the only woman in the House Freedom Caucus at the time, per CNN. Her election could be significant for GOP gender diversity in the Senate looking ahead.

• Lummis racked up endorsements from President Trump, retiring Wyoming Sen. Mike Enzi (R) and Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso (R).

Americans across the 50 states and U.S. territories highlighted the country's diversity and individual identities during the Democratic National Convention's virtual roll call officially nominating Joe Biden as the party's nominee.

The state of play: Khizr Khan, the father of a Muslim U.S. soldier killed in combat, represented Virginia in nominating Biden. He spoke at the DNC in 2016 and held the U.S. Constitution, asking if then-candidate Donald Trump had ever read it.

Former President Jimmy Carter, 95, and former first lady Rosalynn Carter, 93, made a rare public appearance to endorse Joe Biden at Tuesday night's Democratic National Convention. Read the oldest living presidential couple's full speeches below.

ROSALYNN CARTER: "It's a great pleasure for Jimmy and me to join you in celebrating our next president of the United States, Joe Biden.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry said at the Democratic National Convention Tuesday night President Trump "doesn't know how to defend the troops" and is more interested "in defending himself."

What he's saying: "Donald Trump inherited a growing economy and peaceful world. Like everything else he inherited he bankrupted it," Kerry said. "When this president goes overseas, it's not a goodwill mission. It's a blooper reel. America deserves a president who is looked up to, not laughed at."

"This moment is a fight for the security of America and the world. Only Joe Biden can make America lead like America again."

Far-right activist Laura Loomer won Tuesday night's GOP House primary in Florida’s 21st Congressional District, according to AP.

Why it matters: Loomer pulled ahead in a crowded field of Republican candidates to win the nomination in the left-leaning southeast Florida district. She was banned from Facebook last year and later from Twitter after criticizing Minnesota Rep.-elect Ilhan Omar and making anti-Muslim comments. She is not expected to win come November against Democratic incumbent Rep. Lois Frankel, who won in 2016 with more than 60% of the vote.

In her nominating speech for Sen. Bernie Sanders at the Democratic National Convention, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lauded the progressive movement, which she said strives "to recognize and repair the wounds of racial injustice, colonization, misogyny and homophobia."

The big picture: AOC ticked through several of the crises facing the country right now and really laid bare what progressives are fighting for.

The security guard captured praising Joe Biden in a now-viral video from an episode of the New York Times' "The Weekly" last December became the first person to officially nominate Biden at the Democratic convention Tuesday night.

Driving the news: Jacquelyn Brittany met Biden for the first time when she escorted him up to his interview with the Times editorial board before they made their public endorsement of a 2020 presidential candidate. "I love you,” she told Biden. “I do. You’re like my favorite.”

Lakeland City Commissioner Scott Franklin won the Republican House primary race for Florida's 15th Congressional District against freshman Rep. Ross Spano on Tuesday evening, after the incumbent faced months of ethics investigations over possible campaign finance violations, per AP.

Catch up quick: The House Ethics Committee originally undertook the investigation into Spano, but it deferred to the Justice Department last November to review allegations that he may have received improper loans in excess of federal campaign contribution limits. Spano has denied wrongdoing in the matter, claiming the errors were "completely inadvertent and unintentional."

Former President Bill Clinton slammed President Trump saying, "if you want a president who defines the job as spending hours a day watching TV and zapping people on social media, he's your man," during Tuesday night's Democratic National Convention.

What he's saying: "Denying, distracting and demeaning works great if you're trying to entertain or inflame. In a real crisis, it collapses like a house of cards. COVID doesn't respond to any of that. To beat it, you have to actually go to work and deal with the facts."

• "You know what Donald Trump will do with four more years: blame, bully and belittle. And you know what Joe Biden will do: build back better. It's Trump's 'us vs. them America' against Joe Biden's America."

Former President Jimmy Carter went to bat for Joe Biden at Tuesday night's Democratic National Convention saying Biden "must be our next president."

What he's saying: "Joe Biden was my first and most effective supporter in the senate. For decades, he's been my loyal and dedicated friend," Carter said. "Joe has the experience, character and decency to bring us together. ... You deserve a person with integrity and judgment. Someone who's 100% fair, someone who's committed to what is best for the American people. Joe is that kind of leader, and he's the right person for this moment in our nation's history."

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Joe Biden for president and will appear at the Democratic Convention Tuesday evening, NBC first reported.

Why it matters: Powell is the highest-profile Republican to cross party lines, throwing his support behind Biden and adding his name to a growing list of GOP voices who are encouraging voters to support the former vice president over President Trump.