Published 17:45 IST, June 24th 2020
Voters nominate Republicans opposed by Donald Trump in North Carolina, Kentucky
Rejecting the candidates backed by US President Donald Trump, voters nominated Madison Cawthorn and Thomas Massie in North Carolina and Kentucky respectively.
Rejecting the candidates backed by US President Donald Trump, voters nominated Madison Cawthorn and Thomas Massie in North Carolina and Kentucky respectively on June 23. As voting took place amid the deadly coronavirus outbreak in both states, the GOP voters nominated 24-year-old investor in North Carolina over Trump-backed Lynda Bennett who is a real estate agent. Meanwhile, in Kentucky Massie, reportedly a libertarian-minded maverick was renominated for the sixth term despite the US President labelling him as “disaster in America”.
Donald Trump had opposed the Kentucky Republican and said he should be ousted from the party after he forced the lawmakers to come back to US capital during COVID-19 pandemic to cast vote on a huge economic relief package. For North caroline, the US President was supporting Bennett for the seat which was vacated by GOP Rep Mark Meadows who resigned to secure the position of chief of staff in Trump administration. According to international media reports, Meadows was also rooting for the real estate agent over the 24-year-old.
However, Cawthorn has said that he supports his Republican US President and Massie is a strong conservative. But both these victories are called an embarrassment for Donald Trump in international media reports, whose re-election campaign is already being scrutinised. Moreover, the votings are being subjected to unavoidable delays with most states shifting to mail-in ballots to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. But it has slowed the counting procedures. This aberration is expected to affect the Presidential elections of November.
Trump on getting support from Black community
This year's election for the White House will be shaped by a number of issues in the United States ranging from global health crisis to the situation of Black Americans. With multiple controversial seats of African Americans and the anger against police brutality after the death of 46-year-old George Floyd in Minneapolis, the US President's leadership is being severely criticised. But Trump said that “it’s a shame” he even has to ask for the black community to support his reelection in 2020.
The US President not only said that he “did more for the black population” than any other US President after Abraham Lincon but said that the entire community should say ‘we love Trump’. In a televised interview with an international media outlet, when the 45th US President was asked how is he planning to bring the country back together amid the nationwide demonstrations against racial injustice, he replied all that he has done for the community in the country.
Inputs: AP
Updated 17:44 IST, June 24th 2020