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Jimmy Carter the latest former president to weigh in on George Floyd, says violence ‘is not a solution’

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Former President Jimmy Carter spoke out Wednesday against the racial discrimination that plagues America and said people in power must say “no more” to a racially discriminatory police system and the “immoral” economic disparities between white and black people.

“Rosalynn and I are pained by the tragic racial injustices and consequent backlash across our nation in recent weeks,” Carter said in a statement following the death of George Floyd and subsequent nationwide protests. “Our hearts are with the victims’ families and all who feel hopeless in the face of pervasive racial discrimination and outright cruelty.”

Carter, however, rejected the violence that has also broken out in cities across the nation as police and protesters have, at times, clashed and looters have broken into businesses.

“We all must shine a spotlight on the immorality of racial discrimination. But violence, whether spontaneous or consciously incited, is not a solution,” said Carter, 95, who was commander in chief from 1977 to 1981.

CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS CHAIR REJECTS CALL TO DEFUND POLICE, BUT PUSHES FOR JUNE VOTE ON REFORMS

The former Democratic president recalled the long, painful history of racial injustice in America and his quest for human rights around the world, saying that “as a white male of the South, I know all too well the impact of segregation and injustice to African-Americans.”

He said America needs to do better.

“[W]e have seen that silence can be as deadly as violence,” Carter said. “People of power, privilege, and moral conscience must stand up and say ‘no more’ to a racially discriminatory police and justice system, immoral economic disparities between whites and blacks, and government actions that undermine our unified democracy.”

He added: “We are responsible for creating a world of peace and equality for ourselves and future generations. We need a government as good as its people, and we are better than this.”

OBAMA LAYS OUT IDEAS FOR ‘REAL CHANGE’ FOLLOWING GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS 

Carter is the latest president to speak out after Floyd died in custody after a police officer in Minneapolis knelt on his neck for several minutes in moments captured on cellphone video. The four officers involved in his arrest have been fired and criminally charged.

Former President Barack Obama will address Floyd’s death for the first time on camera in a virtual town hall Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET. Last week, Obama said the death of Floyd at the hands of a Minnesota police officer “shouldn’t be ‘normal’ in 2020 America,” and later laid out plans for change.

GEORGE W. BUSH SPEAKS OUT ON GEORGE FLOYD, RACISM: ‘IT IS TIME FOR AMERICA TO EXAMINE OUR TRAGIC FAILURES’

Former President George W. Bush on Wednesday broke his silence on the death of George Floyd, saying that he was “anguished” by the incident and calling “for America to examine our tragic failures” when it comes to racial injustice.

“We have resisted the urge to speak out, because this is not the time for us to lecture,” Bush said in a statement. “It is time for us to listen. It is time for America to examine our tragic failures — and as we do, we will also see some of our redeeming strengths.”

Fox News’ Andrew O’Reilly and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report. 

Fox News Poll: Biden leads Trump in Wisconsin

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Majorities of Wisconsin voters rate the economy negatively and are concerned about coronavirus.  That helps explain Democrat Joe Biden’s gains in the presidential race, in a Fox News Poll of Wisconsin registered voters released Wednesday.

Biden has a 9-point edge over President Donald Trump, 49-40 percent.  That’s up from a 5-point advantage in January, and is outside the poll’s margin of sampling error.  Another 11 percent are uncommitted.

A big reason Trump trails Biden is lack of party support: 85 percent of Republicans back him, while 93 percent of Democrats support Biden.  Eight percent of Republicans defect to Biden.  In addition, only 87 percent of those who approve of Trump’s job performance support his reelection.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE POLL RESULTS

Overall, more voters trust Biden to do a better job handling coronavirus (+14) and race relations (+22).  Trump is preferred over Biden to handle the economy (+3 points).

Less than a quarter (22 percent) rate the economy positively, however, three-quarters (76 percent) say it is only fair or poor. Those who rate the economy negatively opt for Biden by 26 points, and trust him to handle the economy by a 16-point spread.

The president receives some of his highest support from white men without a college degree (+19 points), white evangelical Christians (+29), and self-described very conservatives (+81).

Biden’s lead comes from strong backing among women (+20 points), suburban voters (+14), and independents (+8).

Voters extremely interested in the election give Biden a 15-point lead over Trump (55-40 percent).

In addition, more Biden supporters (71 percent) than Trump supporters (63 percent) are extremely motivated to vote in the election.

By an 8-point margin, more have a favorable (52 percent) than unfavorable (44 percent) view of Biden.  Views of Trump are net negative by 12 points (43 favorable, 55 unfavorable).

In 2016, some 64 percent of Wisconsin voters had an unfavorable view of Trump.  However, 21 percent of those who disliked Trump still voted for him — today, just 2 percent who dislike him support his reelection.

Trump won Wisconsin by 22,748 votes, less than one percentage point.

The new poll, released Wednesday, shows 45 percent approve of his job performance as president and 54 percent disapprove — mostly unchanged since January (46-53 percent).

Wisconsin Democratic governor Tony Evers garners better marks:  60 percent approve of the job he is doing, while 36 percent disapprove.

Twenty-six percent of Republicans approve of Evers, while 6 percent of Democrats approve of Trump.

Evers’ approach to reopening Wisconsin’s economy gets mixed reviews.  Thirty-one percent say he is moving too quickly, 25 percent say too slowly, and 36 percent say things are moving at about the right pace.

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Still, Evers may have hit the right balance.  Fewer than half of Democrats think Evers is moving too quickly (43 percent), while only half of Republicans believe he is reopening the state too slowly (50 percent).

Two-thirds of Wisconsin voters are concerned about catching coronavirus (66 percent) and three-quarters have a positive view of people who wear face masks (77 percent).

By more than a two-to-one margin, they think it is important for the president to set an example for Americans by wearing a mask (65-29 percent).

Among Republicans, 33 percent believe Trump should wear a mask and 64 percent have a favorable view of people who wear masks.

Conducted May 30-June 2, 2020 under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with 801 Wisconsin voters, randomly selected from a statewide voter file, who spoke with live interviewers on landlines and cellphones.  The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for all registered voters.

Fox News Poll: Biden-Trump tossup in Ohio, 82 percent approve of DeWine

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A Fox News Poll of Ohio registered voters finds Democrat Joe Biden narrowly tops President Donald Trump in the race for the White House.  At the same time, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine enjoys sky-high, bipartisan approval.

Biden is ahead of Trump by a 45 to 43 percent margin.  The former vice president’s 2-point edge is within the poll’s margin of sampling error.

Voters extremely interested in the election go for Biden by 6 points (51-45 percent).

More Democrats (61 percent) than Republicans (55 percent) are extremely interested in the election.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE POLL RESULTS

Some of Biden’s best groups include voters under age 45 (+15 points) and suburban women (+14).

Groups most likely to back Trump include voters ages 65 and over (+11 points), rural whites (+33), and white evangelical Christians (+48).

About 7 in 10 Biden supporters (70 percent) and Trump supporters (67 percent) are extremely motivated to vote in November.

Overall, 75 percent think the economy is in bad shape and 66 percent are concerned about personally catching coronavirus.

Ohio voters trust Biden to do a better job than Trump on race relations by 13 points and coronavirus by 6 points, while Trump is trusted more on the economy by 11 points and immigration by 4.

One in seven Republicans trust Biden over Trump on race relations and one in ten Republicans trust Biden on coronavirus

Trump won Ohio by 8 percentage points in 2016.  The new poll finds 50 percent of voters approve of the job he is doing as president, while 48 percent disapprove.

Fully 82 percent of Ohio voters approve of DeWine’s job performance as governor.  Even more impressive, equal numbers of Democrats (83 percent) and Republicans (81 percent) approve.

A bare majority of 51 percent agrees with how DeWine is handling Ohio’s reopening. Twenty-eight percent think he is opening things too quickly, while 17 percent say he is going too slowly.

Democrats split over how DeWine is reopening Ohio’s economy. Forty-six percent think he is moving at about the right pace and 42 percent say he is moving too quickly.

In early May, DeWine reversed a mask mandate for Ohio stores and instead “strongly recommends” customers wear a mask.  Most Ohio voters, 78 percent, view people who wear masks positively, and 65 percent feel it is important for the president to set an example and wear a mask in public.

“The contrast between the governor and the president is instructive,” says Daron Shaw, Republican pollster who conducts the Fox News Poll with Democrat Chris Anderson.

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“If Trump had responded to the coronavirus outbreak more along the lines of DeWine, he might have emerged as unbeatable in Ohio and a slew of other battlegrounds.”

By a 2-point margin, Ohio voters have a positive view of Biden (49 favorable, 47 unfavorable).

By a 3-point margin, they have a negative opinion of Trump (48 favorable, 51 unfavorable).  That’s an improvement since his 2016 victory. At that time, he was underwater with Ohio voters by 16 points (41 favorable, 57 unfavorable).

Pollpourri

Sixteen percent of Ohioans report typically voting by absentee or mail-in ballot.  For 2020, about double that number, 31 percent, would prefer to vote by mail, including 44 percent of Democrats and 20 percent of Republicans.   In response to coronavirus, Ohio allowed all residents to vote by mail in April’s primary elections.

Conducted May 30-June 2, 2020 under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with 803 Ohio voters, randomly selected from a state voter file, who spoke with live interviewers on landlines and cellphones. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for all registered voters.

Fox News Poll: Biden ahead in Arizona, Kelly trouncing McSally in Senate race

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Republicans are rightly concerned about Arizona.

A new Fox News Poll finds the state shading blue — especially in the race for the U.S. Senate, where Democrat Mark Kelly bests incumbent Republican Sen. Martha McSally by a 50-37 percent margin among Arizona registered voters.

The story here is party loyalty.  Some 88 percent of Democrats back Kelly, while just 73 percent of Republicans support McSally.  Fully 13 percent of those backing President Trump in the presidential race cross over and go for Kelly.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE POLL RESULTS

Gov. Doug Ducey appointed McSally after the 2018 retirement of Sen. John McCain’s successor, Jon Kyl.

In a head-to-head presidential ballot test, Democrat Joe Biden edges President Donald Trump by 46-42 percent.  Another 11 percent are still up for grabs.  Biden’s 4-point advantage is within the poll’s margin of sampling error.

Among the 49 percent of voters who are extremely interested in the election, Biden leads Trump by a 52-42 percent margin.

Biden’s advantage comes from his support among Hispanics (+38 points), voters under 45 (+17), and women (+5).

Trump is preferred among white men without a college degree (+17 points), whites (+6) and voters ages 65 and over (+5).

Roughly equal numbers of Biden (66 percent) and Trump supporters (64 percent) are extremely motivated to vote in November.

Trump won Arizona by three and a half percentage points in 2016.  GOP nominee Mitt Romney took the state by nine points in 2012.

In November 2018, only 32 percent of Arizona voters rated the economy negatively according to the Fox News Voter Analysis election survey. Now, 74 percent feel the economy is in bad shape.

Six in 10 Arizona voters (60 percent) are very or somewhat concerned about catching coronavirus.

More voters trust Biden over Trump to handle the pandemic by 7 points, while more trust Trump on the economy by 7 points.  In addition, more trust Biden on race relations by 16 points and immigration by 1.

The president’s personal favorable ratings are upside down: a 54 percent majority views him negatively, while 44 percent have a positive view.

For Biden, 49 percent have a favorable opinion vs. 47 percent unfavorable.

Trump’s overall job performance is also underwater among Arizona voters by 6 percentage points:  46 percent approve vs. 52 percent disapprove.

Among those who approve of Trump’s job performance, only 90 percent back him for re-election, while 4 percent go for Biden and the rest are unsure or won’t vote.

Trump’s job ratings pale in comparison to those for Republican Governor Doug Ducey.

A majority of 61 percent approves of the job Ducey is doing, nearly double the number who disapprove (33 percent).

Four voters in 10 (39 percent) think Ducey is reopening the state at about the right pace, while a roughly equal number believe he is moving too quickly (40 percent).  Fifteen percent say he is not opening things quickly enough.  Arizona is still in phase one of a three-phase reopening process, although the governor says it is nearing phase two.

A majority of Republicans (52 percent) and nearly half of independents (48 percent) think the reopening is happening at the right pace, while a majority of Democrats (64 percent) says it is happening too quickly.

Pollpourri

Some 75 percent of Arizona voters have a favorable opinion of people who wear masks and 65 percent believe it is important for the president to wear a mask as an example for Americans.

Among Democrats, 80 percent are concerned about getting the virus, 91 percent view mask wearers positively, and 92 percent say it is important the president wears one.  Each of those numbers is much lower among Republicans: 42 percent worry about catching coronavirus, 61 percent have a favorable opinion of people who wear a mask, and 37 percent feel Trump wearing a mask is important.

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On the economy, 89 percent of Democrats feel the economy is in negative shape compared to 58 percent of Republicans.

Conducted May 30-June 2, 2020 under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with 1,002 Arizona voters, randomly selected from a statewide voter file, who spoke with live interviewers on landlines and cellphones.  The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points for all registered voters.  Respondents could complete the interview in English or Spanish.

Pentagon pushing back on reports active-duty troops being pulled out of DC area

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The Pentagon is pushing back on reports that active-duty troops are being pulled out of the Washington, D.C., area amid widespread protests over the death of George Floyd.

According to a spokesman for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, “all Title 10 active-duty forces remain in the National Capital Region.” The comment refers to the 1,600 active-duty military police from Fort Bragg, N.C., and Fort Drum, N.Y., and a battalion from the 82nd Airborne, also out of Fort Bragg, who have been staged outside D.C. at Andrews Air Force Base and Fort Belvoir.

The comment from the Pentagon comes amid numerous reports that the 82nd Airborne would be leaving the area after two days of peaceful demonstrations in Washington, D.C.

GEORGE FLOYD’S FAMILY CALLS FOR ALL OFFICERS CHARGED, ARRESTED

It was previously reported that about 200 soldiers with the 82nd Airborne’s immediate response force would be the first to leave on Wednesday. It was also reported that the remainder of the active-duty troops, who have all been kept at military bases outside the city in northern Virginia and Maryland, would be sent home in the coming days.

The confusion over the troops’ presence in the region comes as Defense Secretary Mark Esper told reporters Wednesday that current conditions do not warrant using military forces as law enforcement in containing the protests. Trump has in recent days talked about using the military to quell protests in U.S. cities that might turn violent.

About 1,300 active-duty troops were brought in to the Capitol region earlier this week amid at-times violent protests, in the aftermath of the death of Minnesota man George Floyd, who died in police custody after an officer pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck for several minutes in moments captured on cellphone video.

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The active-duty unit that is last to remain on alert is the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, which is normally most visible as the service members who stand at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The troops, known as the Old Guard, are based close to D.C. at Fort Myer, Va., and have been on 30-minute-alert status. So, they will continue to be prepared to respond to any emergency in the region within a half hour for as long as needed, if necessary.

Pentagon leaders have consistently said there continues to be no intent to use the active-duty forces in any law enforcement capacity. They would be used to assist the National Guard or other forces.

Only two states have so far sent National Guard troops to D.C. About 300 are from Indiana and 1,000 from Tennessee. Other states turned down requests for forces.

Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Biden and Trump all tied up in Texas: poll

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It’s been nearly half a century since a Democratic presidential candidate carried Texas. You have to go all the way back to Jimmy Carter in 1976.

But a new poll in the Lone Star State suggests that Texans are split right now between President Trump and Democrat challenger Joe Biden, with five months to go until the November general election.

BIDEN HAS EDGE OVER TRUMP ON HANDLING RACE RELATIONS: POLL

According to a Quinnipiac University survey released Wednesday, 44 percent of registered voters in Texas say they’d vote for the GOP incumbent if the election were held today, with 43 percent saying they’d support the former vice president and presumptive Democratic nominee. Seven percent say they’re unsure or don’t know, and 3 percent indicate they’d back a different candidate.

The president’s 1-point edge over Biden is well within the poll’s margin of error.

“Too tight to tell in Texas. As the country confronts chaos and COVID-19, perhaps one of the most important states of all is a toss-up,” Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said.

Trump won the longtime red state by 9 points in the 2016 election, down from Republican nominee Mitt Romney’s 16-point win over then-President Barack Obama in Texas in 2012.

Republicans questioned in the survey overwhelmingly back the president, with Democrats overwhelming supporting Biden. Independents back the former vice president by a 45-36 percent margin, according to the poll. There’s a vast gender divide, with women supporting Biden by 22 points and men backing Trump by the same margin.

By a 14-point margin, voters say Trump would do a better job handling the economy, but they say by a 6-point margin that Biden would do a better job handling health care. The survey also showed that voters are split on who would do a better job handling the continued response to the coronavirus pandemic, with 47 percent saying Biden and 45 percent saying Trump.

The president’s job approval in Texas stands at 45 percent approval and 50 percent disapproval, unchanged from September 2019.

THE LATEST POLLING FROM FOX NEWS

Nearly 6 in 10 questioned in the survey say Texas voters should be allowed to cast a ballot by mail due to health concerns over the coronavirus pandemic, with 4 in 10 disagreeing. But there’s an expected wide partisan gap, with 91 percent of Democrats and 61 percent of Independents supporting mail-in voting and 68 percent of Republicans opposing it.

The Quinnipiac University poll was conducted May 28 through June 1, with 1,166 self-identified registered voters in Texas questioned by live telephone operators. The survey’s overall sampling error is plus or minus 2.9 percentage points.

Congressional Black Caucus chair rejects call to defund police, but pushes for June vote on reforms

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The chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus rejected growing demands from activists for a national defunding of police departments but said the House is forging ahead with passing police reforms as soon as this month.

In a video press conference Wednesday, Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., said she personally doesn’t favor the #DefundthePolice movement that Black Lives Matter activists and protesters across the country have been pushing as a way to end brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.

“No, I don’t believe that we should defund police departments,” said Bass, noting that she was “not familiar” with that demand from Black Lives Matter and would further consult with them.

TOP HOUSE DEM CALLS PROTESTS ‘DEFINING’ HISTORICAL MOMENT, BUT CONDEMNS LOOTING

Bass on Wednesday joined with the leaders of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Congressional Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and members of the Congressional Native American Caucus to call for legislation to condemn police brutality and reform police departments. Leaders predicted a package of reform bills could pass later this June.

“All of us consider this legislation must-pass legislation,” said Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Activists calling to defund police departments want resources diverted to helping black people thrive, such as investments in education, health care and other community services.

The #DefundThePolice petition has gotten the support of celebrities, including singer John Legend.

But the progressive movement doesn’t appear to be gaining traction in the House. Instead of zeroing out police department budgets, lawmakers are focused on police reforms. The proposals are still being developed, but Bass outlined the broad themes of the “comprehensive” legislation: holding police accountable, identifying bad cops and training officers.

“The most important is holding police accountable because right now it is difficult to sue, you can very rarely fire and you can almost never prosecute,” Bass said. “So we need to deal with the laws that make it so difficult to hold police accountable.”

HOYER CALLS TRUMP CHURCH VISIT AN ‘ACTION WORTHY OF CENSURE,’ AFTER PROTESTERS CLEARED

Bass said the legislation would aim to prevent a scenario of unfit cops being on the job and passed from one department to another, citing the case of Cleveland Police Officer Timothy Loehmann who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014. Loehmann was hired by Cleveland police even though he was allowed to resign instead of being fired from his previous suburban job that found him unfit for duty.

“We need to have a national database,” Bass said. “We need to know where the bad apples are.”

She added: “Clearly there needs to be better training. So I see it being a comprehensive bill and I see it being voted on before July.”

PEACEFUL PROTESTERS WITH ANTI-POLICE SIGNS CAST DOUBTS OVER UNIFYING MESSAGE

The House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the police reforms next week, Bass said, which will jumpstart the House’s legislative response. Details of the forthcoming committee hearing have not yet been released.

The package of bills is being developed with the Congressional Black Caucus and Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J.,  and Kamala Harris, D-Calif., in the Senate.

Details are still the works, but specific legislation that lawmakers have touted in recent days includes Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries’ bill to ban chokeholds by police, a bill he first introduced in the wake of the death of Eric Garner in New York City in 2014, who called out “I can’t breathe” when an officer used a chokehold to arrest him.

NANCY PELOSI WIELDS BIBLE, QUOTES BUSH, OBAMA IN RESPONSE TO TRUMP

The Democrats also backed legislation authored by Reps. Bass, Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Barbara Lee, D-Calif., to condemn police brutality, racial profiling and the excessive use of force.

Another bill gaining traction is one to form a new commission to examine the effects of slavery, institutional racism and discrimination against people of color, and how that history impacts policies today.

Unlike past efforts to pass police reform bills, lawmakers say Floyd’s case is different because the video of his death horrified Americans across the country and prompted tens of thousands of people to protest in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic to demand action.

“People are saying: ‘Enough is enough,'” said Rep. Judy Chu, D-Calif., chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. “They have seen this whole string of murders that have occurred, and nothing has been done. So we need to get this legislation passed. They have to see that we are doing something.”

Montana lawmaker who bodyslammed reporter wins GOP gubernatorial primary, as Biden all but secures nomination

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Greg Gianforte, the Montana Republican lawmaker who bodyslammed a reporter the day before his election to the House of Representatives in 2017, won the state’s gubernatorial GOP primary on Tuesday.

President Trump, who along with Joe Biden also easily won several primary contests on Tuesday, previously praised Gianforte’s pummeling of Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs.

“I shouldn’t say this — it’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” Trump began at an October 2018 rally. “I was in Rome with a lot of the leaders of other countries … and I heard about it, and we endorsed Greg very early, but I had heard that he had body slammed a reporter. And he was way up, and I said, and this was the day of the election or just before — ‘This is terrible, he’s going to lose the election.’ And then I said, ‘Wait a minute, I know Montana pretty well. I think it might help him.’ And it did. He’s a great guy. Tough cookie.”

Gianfote pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault in the incident, and was sentenced to community service and anger management lessons. He was also fined $385.

The incident was captured on audio tape. Initially, Gianforte said the reporter initiated the fight, but the politician recanted hours after Fox News reporter Alicia Acuna, who witnessed the incident, described what she saw.

Gianforte had previously run for governor in 2016, losing to incumbent Gov. Steve Bullock. This year, Bullock is running for Senate against GOP Sen. Steve Daines, who was also nominated on Tuesday. Daines has highlighted his focus on Montanans amid the coronavirus pandemic, including his efforts to evacuate residents trapped abroad.

Separately in Tuesday’s slate of primaries, state Sen. Randy Feenstra declared victory over embattled Iowa GOP Rep. Steve King in the 4th Congressional District. Feenstra had hammered King as an ineffective ally to President Trump, after top Republicans stripped of his committee assignments for asking during an interview: “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive? Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?”

King also told Newsmax in 2013 that “for every one who’s a valedictorian, there’s another 100 out there that weigh 130 pounds and they’ve got calves the size of cantaloupes because they’re hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert,” referring to some immigrants.

The comments drew sharp rebukes from both parties.

Bide, meanwhile, is on the cusp of formally securing the Democratic presidential nomination after winning hundreds more delegates in primary contests Tuesday that tested the nation’s ability to run elections while balancing a pandemic and sweeping social unrest. Biden could lock down the nomination within the next week as West Virginia and Georgia hold primaries.

GREG GIANFORTE: FOX NEWS TEAM WITNESSES GOP HOUSE CANDIDATE ‘BODY SLAM’ REPORTER

On Tuesday, voters across America were forced to navigate curfews, health concerns and National Guard troops — waiting in line hours after polls closed in some cases — after election officials dramatically reduced the number of in-person voting sites to minimize the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.

Biden and Trump easily swept their respective primary contests that ranged from Maryland to Montana and featured the night’s biggest prize: Pennsylvania. The two men are certain to face each other on the presidential ballot in November, yet party rules require them first to accumulate a majority of delegates in the monthslong state-by-state primary season.

FILE – In this Jan. 23, 2020, file photo, U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, left, speaks during a Republican gubernatorial primary debate as Attorney General Tim Fox, center, and state Sen. Al Olszewski listen in Billings, Mont. Republicans are seeking to end 16 consecutive years with a Democrat in the governor’s office when current Gov. Steve Bullock completes his second term. The winner of the Republican gubernatorial primary will take on the winner of the Democratic race between Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney and first-time candidate Whitney Williams. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)

Trump secured the Republican presidential nomination in March.

Pennsylvania, which offered Tuesday’s largest trove of delegates, also represented a significant test case for Republicans and Democrats working to strengthen their operations in a premier general election battleground.

Voters were forced to brave long lines in “militarized zones” because officials consolidated the vast majority of polling places in Philadelphia to minimize health risks, according to Erin Kramer, executive director of One Pennsylvania.

Biden was in Philadelphia earlier Tuesday to deliver remarks about the civil unrest that has erupted across the nation after the police killing of George Floyd. He didn’t talk about the primary, instead focusing his attention on Trump, whom Biden blasted as “more interested in power than in principle.”

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is not actively campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination, having suspended his operation and endorsed Biden, but his name appeared on the ballots. On the eve of Tuesday’s primaries, senior adviser Jeff Weaver encouraged progressives to vote for Sanders anyway to help maximize his influence in the direction of the Democratic Party.

A voter, right, checks in with an election worker before casting her ballot in the Pennsylvania primary in Philadelphia, Tuesday, June 2, 2020. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The comments served as a reminder that Biden may have no legitimate Democratic rivals remaining, but he must still win over skeptical activists from his party’s far-left flank, who worry he’s too close to the political establishment.

Several major cities, particularly Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia among those voting Tuesday, struggled to contain protests and related looting that led to thousands of arrests.

Political groups have had to adjust as some states move to a system that relies largely on voting by mail. They include Montana, where all 56 counties decided to vote entirely by mail, despite Trump’s repeated warning against it. Voting rights watchdogs in multiple states on Tuesday expressed concerns about access to mail ballots, confusion about deadlines and a shortage of poll workers that led to long lines.

Those voting Tuesday included the District of Columbia, Indiana, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and South Dakota. Two other states holding primary elections on Tuesday, Idaho and Iowa, chose their presidential nominee early in the year.

“We are in unique times, and voting is a unique challenge for people,” said Josh Schwerin, chief strategist for the pro-Democrat super PAC Priorities USA. He said that his organization and others would be watching closely on Tuesday “to see how well it works, where issues are and where obstacles have been put in place.”

Fox News’ Andrew O’Reilly and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Warren asks DOD IG to investigate tactics used for Trump’s church visit

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., asked the Defense Department’s inspector general to investigate any military involvement in crowd dispersal tactics during the protests over the death of George Floyd.

In a letter to acting Inspector General Sean O’Donnell, Warren specifically mentioned reports that police used tear gas and rubber bullets on peaceful protesters Monday so President Trump could walk to St. John’s Episcopal Church in Lafayette Park – which was set on fire by rioters – for a photo op.

The Trump campaign denied reports that tear gas was used on the protesters. The statement said that, “We now know through the U.S. Park Police that neither they, nor any of their law enforcement partners, used tear gas to quell rising violence. We also know that police discovered stashes of weapons like glass bottles, baseball bats, and metal poles hidden nearby, which are indeed strange items to have on hand for a ‘peaceful’ protest.”

Warren, like other Democrats, referred to the tactics as an “‘ambush’ of American citizens who were protesting the killing of [George] Floyd,” claiming it was done to allow Trump “to partake in a blatantly political photo opportunity.”

She also mentioned a call Trump made with several governors in which he said he wished there was an “occupying force” in major cities and in a speech to the nation this week he warned he would send “thousands and thousands” of soldiers to quell D.C. protests.

“The president further said he placed General Milley ‘in charge,’ despite the fact that as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs he has no operational authority and is not in the formal chain of command,” Warren, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, wrote.

PARK POLICE DEFENDS ACTIONS CLEARING PROTESTERS NEAR WHITE HOUSE, SAYS ‘NO TEAR GAS WAS USED’

The United States Park Police denied any tear gas was used to clear away protesters. The USPP said they took the steps “to curtail the violence that was underway,” pushing back against claims that the protest was entirely peaceful.

“At approximately 6:33 pm, violent protestors on H Street NW began throwing projectiles including bricks, frozen water bottles and caustic liquids,” the USPP said in a statement. “The protestors also climbed onto a historic building at the north end of Lafayette Park that was destroyed by arson days prior. Intelligence had revealed calls for violence against the police, and officers found caches of glass bottles, baseball bats and metal poles hidden along the street.”

Still, the Park Police acknowledged using smoke canisters and pepper balls on the protesters.

“As many of the protestors became more combative, continued to throw projectiles, and attempted to grab officers’ weapons, officers then employed the use of smoke canisters and pepper balls when protestors did scatter from the area,” the statement said.

White House spokesperson Judd Deere said in a statement: “The perimeter was expanded to help enforce the 7:00 pm curfew in the same area where rioters attempted to burn down one of our nation’s most historic churches the night before. Protesters were given three warnings by the U.S. Park Police.”

Several reporters in the crowd said they didn’t hear the warnings.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who participated in the photo op, said he wasn’t given advance notice by the president, according to The Hill.

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Trump walked from the White House to the church after it was reported he was ushered into a White House bunker Friday as protesters pushed at police barricades and threw rocks at police.

fox News’ Andrew O’Reilly contributed to this report.

Protest outside Los Angeles mayor’s residence draws large crowd

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More than 1,000 protesters gathered Tuesday outside the Getty House in Los Angeles, which serves as the residence of Mayor Eric Garcetti.

The crowd appeared to remain peaceful, with no reports of vandalism or looting in the immediate area, as demonstrations following the May 25 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis continued across the U.S., FOX 11 of Los Angeles reported.

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“It’s a Black Lives Matter thing,” one protester told FOX 11. “It’s not to get confused; it’s not us versus you, it’s not white versus black. It’s a lot of our people versus bad cops. We understand there’s good cops but there’s a lot of bad cops and it’s not a job that can have bad cops.”

Joined by community faith leaders Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti takes a knee in prayer during a Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. (Associated Press)

After the protest was already underway, Garcetti made some remarks at an evening news conference at City Hall.

“I hear you that this isn’t just about the criminal justice system. This is also about society and where we put out resources,” Garcetti said, according to KTLA-TV of Los Angeles.

Also appearing at the briefing was Davion Pilgrim, 16, a student from Morningside High School in Inglewood, who was recently stopped by police, and racially and criminally profiled.

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“I was accused of being associated with a gang and that really hurt, because that’s not me,” Pilgrim said, according to KTLA. “We want to make sure that what happened to George Floyd does not ever happen to someone who looks just like me.”

Earlier in the day, Garcetti appeared at a protest outside Los Angeles police headquarters, where he kneeled in solidarity with the protesters.

“I hear you. I hear what you are saying about the police,” the Democrat said.

The protest at the mayor’s residence came one day after a previous news conference in which Los Angeles police Chief Michel Moore drew criticism for claiming protesters shared in the blame for the death of Floyd, the Minneapolis man who died in police custody, sparking a weak of protests, rioting and looting throughout the U.S.

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Moore apologized soon after making the remarks – but Garcetti, who appeared at the same news conference, faced calls to fire Moore and resign from office himself.

Fox News’ Nick Givas contributed to this story.