Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign

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Biden for President

Campaign 2020 Democratic primaries

2020 U.S. presidential election

Joe Biden
Candidate
47th Vice President of the United States

(2009–2017)

Kamala Harris

U.S. Senator from California

(since 2017)

Affiliation Democratic Party

Status Announced: April 25, 2019

Official launch: April 29, 2019

Presumptive nominee: April 8, 2020

Official nominee: August 18, 2020

Won election: November 7, 2020[1][2]

Headquarters Philadelphia, Pennsylvania[3]

Key people Cedric Richmond (National Co-Chair)[4]

Eric Garcetti (National Co-Chair)

Lisa Blunt Rochester (National Co-Chair)

Gretchen Whitmer (National Co-Chair)

Jen O'Malley Dillon (campaign manager)

Pete Kavanaugh (deputy campaign

manager)

Kate Bedingfield (communications director,

deputy campaign manager)

 Anthony Bernal (deputy campaign manager)

Anita Dunn (senior advisor)

Greg Schultz (senior advisor)

Symone Sanders (senior advisor)

Cristobal Alex (senior advisor)

Brandon English (senior advisor)

Erin Wilson (national political director)

Katie Petrelius (national finance director)[5]

Receipts US$328,413,079.01[6] (July 31, 2020)

Slogan Battle for the Soul of the Nation[7]

Our Best Days Still Lie Ahead[8]

No Malarkey![9]

Build Back Better[10]

Unite for a Better America[11]

Website

www.joebiden.com

This article is part of

a series about
Joe Biden

 Political positions
 Electoral history

 Early life
 Early career
 Family

U.S. Senator from Delaware

 Tenure
 Senate Judiciary Committee 
o Supreme Court hearings 
 Robert Bork
 Clarence Thomas
  Biden rule
o 1994 Crime Bill
o Violence Against Women Act
 Senate Foreign Relations Committee 
o Gulf War
o Yugoslav Wars 
 Kosovo War
 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
o Iraq War 
 Resolution
 2007 troop surge

Vice President of the United States

 Transition
 Tenure
 Obama administration
 Economic policy 
o Great Recession response
o 2010 Tax Relief Act
o 2011 debt-ceiling crisis response
o Fiscal cliff response
 Foreign policy 
o New START
o 2011 Libya intervention
o Troop withdrawal from Iraq
 Task forces 
o Gun Violence
o Women and Girls
o Protect Students from Sexual Assault

President-elect of the United States

 Transition
 Inauguration
 First 100 days
 Cabinet
 Presidency
 show
Presidential campaigns

show
Vice presidential campaigns

Published works

 Promises to Keep
 Promise Me, Dad

 v
 t
 e

This article is part of

a series about
Kamala Harris

 Political positions
 Electoral history

 Early life
 Early career
 Family
 #KHive

District Attorney of San Francisco

 Tenure
 Elections 
o 2003
o 2007
 Attorney General of California

 Tenure
 Elections 
o 2010
o 2014

U.S. Senator from California

 Tenure
 2016 election

2020 presidential campaign

 Endorsements

2020 vice presidential campaign

 Selection
 Convention
 Election

Vice President-elect of the United States

 Transition
 Inauguration

Published works

 Smart on Crime
 Superheroes Are Everywhere
 The Truths We Hold

 v
 t
 e

The 2020 presidential campaign of Joe Biden began on April 25, 2019, when Biden

released a video announcing his candidacy in the 2020 Democratic party presidential
 primaries, and concluded with he and running mate Kamala Harris defeating incumbent
president Donald Trump in the general election. Biden, the vice president of the United
States from 2009 to 2017 and a former U.S. senator from Delaware, had been the
subject of widespread speculation as a potential 2020 candidate after declining to be a
candidate in the 2016 election.
Biden is generally described as a moderate, although he has recently described himself
as progressive. His positions include codifying Roe v. Wade into statute, a public
option for health insurance, decriminalization of recreational cannabis, passing
the Equality Act, free community college, and a $1.7 trillion climate plan embracing the
framework of the Green New Deal. He supports regulation as opposed to a complete
ban on fracking.
As a former vice president, Biden entered the race with very high name recognition.
From his campaign announcement up to the start of the elections, he had been the
candidate most identified as the Democratic front-runner. He led most national polls
through 2019, but did not rank as one of the top three candidates in either the Iowa
caucuses or the New Hampshire primary. On February 29, 2020, he won a landslide
victory in the 2020 South Carolina Democratic primary which reinvigorated his
campaign. In March 2020, ten of his former competitors endorsed Biden, bringing the
total number of such endorsements to 12. Biden earned enough delegates on Super
Tuesday 2020 to pull ahead of Senator Bernie Sanders. On April 8, after Sanders
suspended his campaign, Biden became the presumptive Democratic presidential
nominee.
In June, Biden reached the required number of delegates to become the nominee. On
August 11, Biden announced that Senator Kamala Harris would be his vice presidential
running mate. On August 18 and 19, Biden and Harris were officially nominated at
the 2020 Democratic National Convention, making Harris the first Asian American and
the first female African American to be nominated for vice president on a major party
ticket.[12] National opinion polls conducted in 2020 generally showed Biden leading
President Donald Trump in favorability. On November 7, four days after Election Day,
Biden was projected to have defeated Trump, becoming president-elect of the United
States.[13]

Contents

 1Background
o 1.1Previous presidential campaigns
o 1.2Speculation
o 1.3Time for Biden
o 1.4Considering his options
 2Campaign
o 2.1Announcement
o 2.2Fundraising and strategy
o 2.3Early primary election results
o 2.4Nomination
 o 2.5Presidential debates
o 2.6Final month
 2.6.1Texas bus incident
o 2.7Election Day and beyond
 3Polling
o 3.1Odds of winning
 4Endorsements
 5Political positions
o 5.1Social issues
 5.1.1Abortion
 5.1.2Cannabis
 5.1.3Capital punishment
 5.1.4Education
 5.1.5Immigration
 5.1.6LGBTQ issues
 5.1.7Race relations
o 5.2Economic issues
 5.2.1Environment
 5.2.2Health
 5.2.3Infrastructure
 5.2.4Welfare
 6Communication style
o 6.1Perceived gaffes
o 6.2False statements
 7Trump–Ukraine scandal
 8See also
 9References
 10External links

Background
Previous presidential campaigns
Main articles: Joe Biden 1988 presidential campaign and Joe Biden 2008 presidential
campaign
Biden's 2020 presidential campaign was his third attempt to seek election for president
of the United States.[14] His first campaign was made in the 1988 Democratic Party
primaries where he was initially considered one of the potentially strongest candidates.
However, newspapers revealed plagiarism by Biden in law school records and in
speeches, a scandal which led to his withdrawal from the race in September 1987. [15]
He made the second attempt during the 2008 Democratic Party primaries, where he
focused on his plan to achieve political success in the Iraq War through a system of
federalization. Like his first presidential bid, Biden failed to garner endorsements and
support. He withdrew from the race after his poor performance in the Iowa caucus on
January 3, 2008. He was eventually chosen by Barack Obama as his running mate and
won the general election as vice president of the United States, being sworn in on
January 20, 2009.
Speculation
Vice President Joe Biden was seen as a potential candidate to succeed Barack Obama
in the 2016 presidential election. On October 21, 2015, following the death of his
son Beau, Biden announced that he would not seek the Democratic presidential
nomination in 2016.[16][17]
During a tour of the United States Senate with reporters on December 5, 2016, Biden
refused to rule out a potential bid for the presidency in the 2020 presidential election.[18]
[19]
 He reasserted his ambivalence about running on an appearance of The Late Show
with Stephen Colbert on December 7, in which he stated "never say never" about
running for president in 2020, while also admitting he did not see a scenario in which he
would run for office again.[20][21] He seemingly announced on January 13, 2017, exactly
one week prior to the expiration of his vice presidential term, that he would not run.
[22]
 However, four days later, he seemed to backtrack, stating "I'll run if I can walk." [23] In
September 2017, Biden's daughter Ashley indicated her belief that he was thinking
about running in 2020.[24]
Time for Biden

Time for Biden, a political action committee, was formed in January 2018, seeking
Biden's entry into the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries.[25][26]
The PAC was created by Matthew Graf of Rock Island, Illinois, and Collin West of East
Moline, Illinois.[27][25] Although it sought Biden's entry into the 2020 Democratic Party
presidential primaries, it was not affiliated with or sponsored by Biden himself. [28] The
founders also stated that if Biden announced, a run of the committee said resources
would be merged with the campaign.[26]
The organization was criticized by some, who felt it was created too early and that
Democratic effort should be spent on the 2018 midterm elections.[29]
Considering his options
In February 2018, Biden informed a group of longtime foreign policy aides that he was
"keeping his 2020 options open".[30]
In March 2018, Politico reported that Biden's team was considering a number of options
to distinguish their campaign, such as announcing at the outset a younger vice
presidential candidate from outside of politics, [31] and also reported that Biden had
rejected a proposition to commit to serving only one term as president. [31] On July 17,
2018, he told a forum held in Bogota, Colombia, that he would decide if he would
formally declare as a candidate by January 2019. [32] On February 4, with no decision
having been forthcoming from Biden, Edward-Isaac Dovere of The Atlantic wrote that
Biden was "very close to saying yes" but that some close to him are worried he will have
a last-minute change of heart, as he did in 2016. [33] Dovere reported that Biden was
concerned about the effect another presidential run could have on his family and
reputation, as well as fundraising struggles and perceptions about his age and relative
centrism compared to other declared and potential candidates. [33] Conversely, his "sense
of duty", offense at the Trump presidency, the lack of foreign policy experience among
other Democratic hopefuls and his desire to foster "bridge-building progressivism" in the
party were said to be factors prompting him to run.[33]

Campaign
Announcement

The campaign's original logo, used prior to Harris's selection as running mate.

Biden speaking at the camapaign's kickoff event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

On March 12, 2019, he told a gathering of his supporters he may need their energy "in a
few weeks".[34] Five days later, Biden accidentally revealed that he would be a candidate
at a dinner in Dover, Delaware.[35]
On April 19, 2019, The Atlantic reported that Biden planned to officially announce his
campaign five days later via a video announcement, followed by a launch rally
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, or Charlottesville, Virginia.[36] In the days before his
expected launch, several major Democratic donors received requests to donate to his
campaign committee, to be named "Biden for President". [37] Subsequent reports
indicated that Biden's plans remained uncertain, with no known launch date, locations
for campaign rallies, or permits for an event in Philadelphia; associates continued to
plan a fundraiser on April 25 in Philadelphia hosted by Comcast executive vice
president David L. Cohen, but it was unclear whether the fundraiser would be held as
planned,[38][39] though his associates had continued to solicit donations in the days leading
up to his announcement.[40] On April 23, it was reported that Biden would formally enter
the race two days later,[41] so as to avoid overshadowing a forum focusing on women of
color held the day before.[42] The campaign reserved the Teamsters Local 249 union hall
in Pittsburgh for April 29.[43]
Biden released a video formally announcing his campaign early on April 25, 2019. [44] On
May 22, the magazine Ebony reported that Biden had begun assembling his 2020
presidential campaign team, to be headquartered in Philadelphia. His team included
campaign manager Greg Schultz[45] and director of strategic communications Kamau
Mandela Marshall, who both previously worked in the Obama administration,[46][47] as well
as other senior advisors from the Obama administration. [48] Additionally, on May 31, the
Biden campaign announced that Congressman Cedric Richmond would join the
campaign as the national co-chairman. [4]
Fundraising and strategy

Campaigning in Marshalltown, Iowa

On April 26, 2019, Biden's campaign announced that they had raised $6.3 million in the
first 24 hours, surpassing all other candidates' first 24-hour fundraising totals for the
Democratic presidential nomination at that time.[49] Biden's fundraising came from
128,000 unique contributors, equivalent to that of Beto O'Rourke's campaign, but about
40% lower than that of Bernie Sanders, who had 223,000 unique contributors in the first
24 hours of his campaign.[50]
According to a Politico article, the Biden campaign is running a campaign on the
premise that the Democratic base is not nearly as liberal or youthful as perceived.
Privately, several Biden advisers acknowledge that their theory is based on polling data
and voting trends, contending that the media is pushing the idea of a hyper-progressive
Democratic electorate being propagated by a Twitter bubble and being out of touch with
the average rank-and-file Democrat. In April 2019, Biden told reporters, "The fact of the
matter is the vast majority of the members of the Democratic Party are still basically
liberal to moderate Democrats in the traditional sense." Biden also described himself as
an "Obama-Biden Democrat". An unspecified Biden adviser said, "There's a big
disconnect between the media narrative and what the primary electorate looks like and
thinks, versus the media narrative and the Twitter narrative [and] the Democratic
primary universe is far less liberal. It's older than you think it is." From April 25 to May
25, 2019, Biden's campaign spent 83% of his total $1.2 million Facebook ad funding on
targeting voters 45 years and older. No other top 2020 Democratic candidate has
pursued a similar strategy in the primary.[51]
Biden, along with Bernie Sanders, was often perceived as the candidate with the best
chance of defeating Donald Trump in the general election.[52] According to The
Washington Post, this may be because of his more moderate policies, or it may be
because voters or party leaders believe a white male candidate is more "electable".
[53]
 Joe Biden said that his late son Beau should be running instead of him if he were
alive.[54][55][56] Biden led most national polls through 2019.[57][58]
The campaign raised $70 million during the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
[59]
 The campaign and DNC combined raised a record $365 million in August 2020,
compared to $154 million by Trump and the RNC.[60] Biden raised another $383 million in
September 2020, breaking his own record from the previous month. [61]
Early primary election results

Biden speaking at a campaign event in Des Moines, Iowa

During the Iowa caucuses held on February 3, 2020, Biden came in fourth place,

earning six pledged delegates.[62] In the New Hampshire primary held on February 11,
Biden came in fifth place and did not earn any delegates due to his failure to meet the
required 15% eligibility threshold.[63] After poor showings in Iowa and New Hampshire,
some media outlets questioned whether Biden's status as the most electable candidate
was accurate.[64]

Biden speaking to voters in Iowa

Biden won the South Carolina primary election held on February 29. Biden won all 46
counties in the state, winning 48.7% of the popular vote and earning 39 delegates.
[65]
 The win was largely attributed to his support from 61% of African-American voters
(African-American voters make up approximately 60% of the Democratic electorate in
South Carolina).[66] Before the primary on February 26, Jim Clyburn endorsed Biden.
[67]
 Many cited Clyburn's endorsement as a reason for Biden's wide margin of victory, as
Clyburn's endorsement is a deciding factor for many African American voters in South
Carolina. Thirty-six percent of all primary voters said that they made their decision after
Clyburn's endorsement; of that total, 70% voted for Biden. [68][69] According
to FiveThirtyEight, the outcome significantly boosted Biden's chance of winning multiple
Super Tuesday states (especially southern states like North Carolina, Texas,
and Virginia).[70]
On the Super Tuesday primary elections on March 3, Biden won Alabama, Arkansas,
Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and
Virginia, earning a total of 458 delegates, [71] and pulling ahead of Bernie Sanders in the
race.[72] According to an exit poll, Biden received a substantial amount of support from
voters who made up their minds in the last few days before the election. Late voters
also preferred a candidate who they believed could defeat Trump more than one who
agreed with them on issues.[73]
In early March, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, and Michael Bloomberg dropped out of
the race and endorsed Biden.[74][75][76] Beto O'Rourke, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris,
who both suspended their campaign months before, also endorsed him. [77] On March
9, CNN reported that Biden had a double-digit lead over Sanders in a nationwide poll.
[78]
 On March 12, with the coronavirus pandemic looming, Biden changed campaign
managers, replacing Greg Schultz with Jen O'Malley Dillon.[79] In mid-March, as a result
of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the scheduled primaries were postponed. Aides to
both Biden's and Sanders's campaigns were in contact regarding the pandemic and its
effects.[80]
Nomination
Leading up to the 11th Democratic presidential debate, Biden announced two new
progressive policies: making public colleges and universities tuition-free for students of
families whose income is less than $125,000, and allowing for student loan debts to
default during bankruptcy.[81] The debate was held on March 15, 2020, and was the first
to feature only the race's two lead finalists. Biden announced that if he secured the
nomination, he would choose a female running mate, having previously hinted as much
by naming several contenders.[82][a] On April 3, Biden announced that his campaign would
unveil a committee to vet prospective vice presidential candidates later in the month. [83]
On March 15, Jen O'Malley Dillon was announced as the new campaign manager.[84]
On March 25, when asked whether he would debate Sanders again, Biden said, "My
focus is just dealing with this crisis right now. I haven't thought about any more debates.
I think we've had enough debates. I think we should get on with this." [85] On April 8, after
Sanders suspended his campaign, Biden became the presumptive Democratic
presidential nominee. The next day, a former Senate staffer made a sexual assault
allegation against Biden, which his campaign denied.[86][87] On May 1, Biden stated that
the allegation was false[b] and requested that the secretary of the Senate work with
the National Archives and Records Administration to identify and release any relevant
documents.[89][c]
On April 13, Bernie Sanders endorsed Joe Biden, and the two announced the formation
of several task forces to work out shared policy solutions. On May 13, Biden and
Sanders announced that the six task forces would be co-chaired by Rep. Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez, former Secretary of State John Kerry, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, former
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, NILC director Marielena Hincapié, Rep. Lucille Roybal-
Allard, AFA president Sara Nelson, Rep. Karen Bass, civil rights attorney Chiraag
Bains, Rep. Bobby Scott, Dr. Heather Gautney, and Rep. Marcia Fudge.[91]
By June 9, Biden had enough delegates to secure his nomination as the Democratic
candidate.[92] On July 4, musician and entrepreneur Kanye West announced his
campaign for the presidency. The Los Angeles Times wrote that this "might be part of
an effort to draw Black supporters away from Biden to help Trump." [93] On July 8, Biden's
campaign released a set of policy recommendations adopted by the Unity Task Forces
appointed by him and Bernie Sanders. The recommendations focus on climate change,
criminal justice, the economy, education, health care, and immigration. [94]
Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris at the first campaign event of the ticket, on August 12, 2020

On August 5, it was reported that Biden would accept the Democratic nomination from
his home state of Delaware due to the pandemic. [95] On August 11, he announced
that Kamala Harris would be his running mate.[96][a] The next day, the two made their first
public appearance together promoting their mutual campaigns. [97] On August 18, the
second night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, the party officially nominated
Biden,[98] making him the first non-incumbent vice president to be nominated for
president since Walter Mondale in 1984.[99][100] Biden accepted the nomination two nights
later. Chris Wallace of Fox News Sunday called Biden's acceptance speech
"enormously effective" and said he "blew a big hole" in Trump's characterization of the
candidate as being "mentally shot."[101] During the convention, delegates adopted the
party platform, which was drafted by a committee of many of the same people from the
unity task forces and based on the recommendations issued by those task forces. [102][103]
Presidential debates
Main article: 2020 United States presidential debates
Since Biden's successful nomination in the Democratic primaries Trump attempted to
cast doubt over Biden's abilities, claiming that he was suffering from dementia and that
he was taking performance-enhancing drugs in the primaries. Trump called for Biden to
be drug tested before the presidential debate; Biden declined. Trump also claimed that
Biden would use a hidden electronic earpiece for the debate, demanding that Biden's
ears be searched. Again, Biden declined. [104][105]
The first debate took place at Cleveland Clinic on September 29. It was moderated by
Chris Wallace. Debate topics included Trump's and Biden's records, the economy, the
COVID-19 pandemic, race relations, and the Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney
Barrett. Each speaker was to have two minutes to state their positions followed with a
period of discussion. The debate quickly devolved into cross talk and interruptions and
was widely criticized as being a low point in U.S. presidential politics. Although Wallace
pleaded multiple times with Trump to follow the agreed-upon debate rules, Trump
frequently interrupted and spoke over Biden and at times with Wallace as well. [106]
[107]
 Following the debate Wallace stated that while his own family and the Biden family
wore masks as had been required for those in attendance, the Trump family did not and
refused the masks offered to them by Cleveland Clinic staffers. [108]
The vice presidential debate between Harris and Pence took place as scheduled on
October 7 with Susan Page serving as moderator. The debate was generally seen as
civil although there were frequent instances of both candidates interrupting while the
other was speaking, with Harris interrupting only about half as often as Pence. Pence
also repeatedly spoke beyond his allotted time, ignoring Page's attempts of asking him
to mind the two-minute time limits. A CNN poll of registered voters found that 59% felt
Harris had won, while 38% felt Pence to be the winner. [109]
Two further presidential debates were scheduled to take place on October 15 and 22, [110]
[111]
 but the first was cancelled in light of the White House COVID-19 outbreak and
Trump's declared intention not to participate in a virtual debate. [112] In response to
Trump's refusal to debate Biden scheduled a town hall on ABC for October 15; Trump
then scheduled a town hall as well, on the same date and at the same time, to be
broadcast on NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC. According to Nielsen ratings, nearly 700,000
more viewers watched Biden's town hall than those who watched Trump's, even though
Trump appeared on three outlets.[113][114]
Final month
On October 6, Biden made a campaign speech in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, called "the
best of his campaign" by CNN's John Avlon.[115]
On October 15, both Biden and Trump held separate town hall speeches, replacing the
cancelled second debate.[116]
On October 22, Biden and Trump participated in a second and final debate in Nashville,
Tennessee. In contrast to the first debate, the microphones of both candidates were
muted at select times.[117] Trump pressed Biden on renewed allegations that during his
time as vice president, members of his family had personally profited from his position in
Ukraine and China; Biden denied any misconduct and pointed out controversies
involving Trump and those countries. [118] Trump repeatedly asked why Biden had not
delivered on his 2020 campaign promises during his eight years in the White House, to
which Biden responded, "we had a Republican Congress." [119]
Texas bus incident
On October 31, 2020 a Joe Biden campaign bus was harassed by several drivers while
traveling from San Antonio to Austin, Texas along Interstate 35. The bus, which carried
former State Senator Wendy Davis and several campaign staffers, was followed along
the interstate by several cars, including many flying Donald Trump flags. [120][121] After the
incident, the Biden campaign cancelled two planned events in Austin, Texas.[122][123]
On November 1, 2020, it was announced that the Federal Bureau of Investigation would
launch an investigation into the incident. [124][125][126][127] Trump subsequently criticized the
FBI's decision at a rally. He later tweeted, "In my opinion, these patriots did nothing
wrong. Instead, the FBI & Justice should be investigating the terrorists, anarchists, and
agitators of ANTIFA, who run around burning down our Democrat run cities and hurting
our people!"[128][129]
Election Day and beyond
People celebrate in the streets near the White House after the major networks project Joseph Biden the winner
of the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

On November 6, election-calling organization Decision Desk HQ forecast that Biden had

won the election, once it forecast that Biden had won Pennsylvania, as this result
coupled with Biden's other projected state wins would grant him over 270 electoral
college votes.[130][131]
By November 7, news organizations ABC News, Associated Press, CBS News, CNN,
Fox News, NBC News, Reuters, and the New York Times all forecast that Biden had
won the election.[132]

Polling
Opinion polls conducted in 2020 have generally shown Biden leading Trump nationally
in general election matchups, with the former vice president's advantage often
extending beyond that of the survey's margin of sampling error.[133][134][135]
On July 4, Politico reported that Biden was leading Trump "by double digits in recent
polls".[136] In late July, a Washington Post–ABC News poll showed Biden's double-digit
lead holding.[137] A national poll conducted in early August showed Biden leading by three
percent.[138] An Iowa poll showed Trump leading Biden by 48% to 45%, which is six
percentage points less than Trump won the state with in 2016. [139]
Three national polls released August 13–17 show Biden polling ahead of Trump: Fox
News has him leading Trump 49%–42%,[140] NBC/Wall Street Journal has him leading
50%–41%,[141] and Washington Post/ABC News has him 53%–41%. [142] A Pew Research
Center showed similar results, but found that a majority of participants believed that
Trump would win.[143] A Washington Post/ABC News poll taken in late September
showed Biden and Harris's lead to be 53%–43%.[144]
A NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll conducted September 30 – October 1 (after the
presidential debate, but before Trump's announcement of his COVID-19 diagnosis) has
Biden leading 53%–39%.[145][146] On October 7, a CNN poll showed Biden leading 57%–
41%,[147] and a week later, Opinium Research/The Guardian showed him leading 57%–
40%.[148] As of October 13, Biden consistently led in poll averages by several or more
points for over 100 days, as compared to the last four presidential elections. [148] Biden led
54%–42% in a CNN poll of October 28; its polling director pointed out that:
Although the election will ultimately be decided by the statewide results, which drive the
Electoral College, Biden's lead nationally is wider than any presidential candidate has
held in more than two decades in the final days of the campaign. [149]

Odds of winning
In late September, FiveThirtyEight put Biden's odds of winning at nearly 77% and
specifically predicted that he would win 352 electoral votes.[150] His popularity rose in
early October and, by October 13, FiveThirtyEight had increased its odds of Biden
winning the election to 87%. This calculation remained the same through October 26,
when it began to rise again, reaching 90% on October 30. [151]
Endorsements
Main article: List of Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign endorsements
As tracked by FiveThirtyEight, Biden received the most support from prominent
members of the Democratic Party out of all Democratic candidates in the 2020
presidential election.[152] Biden received endorsements from 12 former candidates in the
2020 race, including Bernie Sanders,[153] Pete Buttigieg, Michael Bloomberg, Tulsi
Gabbard, Amy Klobuchar, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Beto O'Rourke, Andrew Yang,
and others.[154] On April 14, 2020, after Biden was the only remaining major candidate for
the Democratic nomination, former president Barack Obama endorsed him. [155] On April
27, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi endorsed him.[156] On April 28, former 2016
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton endorsed him.[157]
Biden increasingly attracted Republican support away from their party's incumbent
leader, Donald Trump. On August 17, an ad from Republican Voters Against
Trump aired featuring Miles Taylor, former chief of staff to former homeland security
secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Taylor concludes in the ad, "Given what I experienced in the
[Trump] administration, I have to support Joe Biden for president." [158] In late August, a
movement called Republicans for Biden was launched with sponsorship by 25 former
Republican congresspeople,[159] and Politico reported that "Several dozen former staffers
from Sen. Mitt Romney's (R-Utah) presidential campaign, the George W.
Bush administration and the campaign and Senate staff of former Sen. John McCain (R-
Ariz.) have signed on to an effort to elect Joe Biden." [160] By early September, over 175
current and former law enforcement officials had endorsed Biden. [161]
In September 2020, Scientific American announced its endorsement of Biden for
president. In the almost 200 years that the journal has been in print it had never
endorsed a presidential candidate before. The magazine's endorsement read:
The evidence and the science show that Donald Trump has badly damaged the U.S.
and its people—because he rejects evidence and science. The most devastating
example is his dishonest and inept response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which cost
more than 190,000 Americans their lives by the middle of September. He has also
attacked environmental protections, medical care, and the researchers and public
science agencies that help this country prepare for its greatest challenges. That is why
we urge you to vote for Joe Biden, who is offering fact-based plans to protect our health,
our economy and the environment. These and other proposals he has put forth can set
the country back on course for a safer, more prosperous and more equitable future. [162]
In October, the New England Journal of Medicine, the oldest and considered to be the
world's most prestigious medical magazine, published an editorial which condemned the
Trump administration's handling of the coronavirus pandemic saying that "they have
taken a crisis and turned it into a tragedy." This is the first time in the journal's history
that they have supported or condemned a political candidate. [163] A week later, the
science journal Nature also endorsed Biden.[164]
In October, 780 retired generals, admirals, senior noncommissioned officers,
ambassadors and senior national security officials signed a letter endorsing Biden. [165]
On October 25, the conservative-leaning New Hampshire Union Leader endorsed
Biden, the first Democratic presidential candidate the paper had endorsed in over 100
years.[166]

Political positions
Main article: Political positions of Joe Biden
Although generally referred to as a moderate, Biden has declared himself as the
candidate with the most progressive record.[167]
Social issues
Abortion
On May 21, 2019, a Biden campaign aide told the Associated Press that Biden would
support immediate federal legislation codifying Roe v. Wade into statute.[168] On June 5,
2019, the Biden campaign confirmed to NBC News that Biden still supports the Hyde
Amendment, something no other Democratic presidential candidate came out in support
of. Biden's campaign also told NBC News that Biden would be open to repealing the
Hyde Amendment if abortion access protections currently under Roe v. Wade were
threatened.[169] On June 6, 2019, Biden, at the Democratic National Committee's African
American Leadership Council Summit in Atlanta, Georgia, said he now supports
repealing the Hyde Amendment, crediting his change in position, in part, to recent
efforts by Republicans passing anti-abortion state laws, which he called "extreme laws".
Also at the summit, he focused on economic inequality for African Americans, education
access, criminal justice reform, healthcare, and voter suppression in the south.[170][171]
Cannabis
Biden supports the decriminalization, but not legalization, of
recreational cannabis usage. Biden said he believes no one should be in jail because of
cannabis use. As president, he would decriminalize cannabis use and automatically
expunge prior convictions.[172][173][174] He supports the legalization of cannabis for medical
purposes, leaving decisions regarding legalization for recreational use up to the states,
and recategorizing cannabis as a Schedule II drug so researchers can study its impacts.
Every other Democratic presidential candidate supported the full federal legalization of
cannabis, with the exception of Michael Bloomberg, Steve Bullock and Joe Sestak.[175][176]
Capital punishment
On June 20, 2019, following the first federal death sentence since 2003, Biden came
out against capital punishment, supporting the repeal of both federal- and state-level
death sentence statutes. He argued that with the death penalty, there is a risk of
executing a wrongfully convicted person. Biden had previously supported capital
punishment.[177][178]
Education
In 2018, Biden said he supported a universal pre-kindergarten program.[179] He unveiled
a higher education plan in October 2019, which includes two years of guaranteed
free community college or other training, and cuts to student loan obligations. Unlike
some of his rivals, he initially did not support four years of free college tuition, [180] but later
reversed this for students of families whose income is less than $125,000, as well as
allowing student loan debts to default during bankruptcy. [81]
Although the Obama administration promoted charter schools, Biden criticized some
charter schools for funneling money away from public schools in a May 2019 speech,
and said that he opposes federal funds for-profit charter schools. [181]
Immigration
On July 5, 2019, Biden told CNN he did not support decriminalizing illegal entry into the
United States, a position that puts him at odds with many of his 2020 Democratic rivals.
[182]
 He released a plan to reform the immigration system in December 2019, which
includes a reversal of the Trump administration's deportation policies, a pathway to
citizenship for undocumented immigrants, and expansions in work visas and refugee
admissions.[183]
LGBTQ issues
On June 1, 2019, Biden gave a keynote address to hundreds of activists and donors at
the Human Rights Campaign's annual Ohio gala. He declared his top legislative priority
was passing the Equality Act. He attacked Donald Trump for banning transgender
troops in the U.S. military, allowing individuals in the medical field to deny treating
LGBTQ individuals, and allowing homeless shelters to deny transgender occupants. [184]
Race relations
While at a fundraiser on June 18, 2019, Biden said one of his greatest strengths was
"bringing people together" and pointed to his relationships with senators James
Eastland and Herman Talmadge, two segregationists, as examples. While imitating
a Southern drawl, Biden remarked "I was in a caucus with James O. Eastland. He never
called me 'boy,' he always called me 'son.'" [185][186] Biden's Democratic opponents criticized
the remarks, specifically the use of the word "boy".[186] In response, Biden said that he
was not meaning to use the term "boy" in its derogatory racial context.[187]
During the first Democratic presidential debate, Kamala Harris criticized Biden for his
comments regarding his past work with segregationist senators and his past opposition
to desegregation busing, which had allowed black children like her to attend integrated
schools.[188] Biden was widely criticized for his debate performance and support for him
dropped 10 points.[189][190][191] President Trump defended Biden, saying Harris was given
"too much credit" for her debate with Biden.[192]
In May 2020, during an interview on The Breakfast Club radio show that CBS
News described as "contentious", Biden remarked "If you have a problem figuring out
whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't black". [193][194][195][196] He later apologized for
his remarks.[197]
Economic issues
Environment
On June 4, 2019, the Biden campaign released a $1.7 trillion climate plan that
embraced the framework of the Green New Deal.[198] The plan called for the US to reach
net-zero emissions by 2050 or earlier, and help coal workers to transition into jobs
created from a clean-energy economy. Biden supports the development of carbon
capture and storage and small modular reactors to reduce emissions.[199] On September
4, 2019, during a CNN climate change town hall, Biden said he does not support
banning fracking for natural gas, distancing himself from some of his Democratic
presidential rivals, but said he would ban new fracking permits and evaluate existing
ones to determine their safety.[200]
Health
On July 16, 2019, Biden called for additional funding to construct rural hospitals,
increase telehealth services in rural communities, and provide incentives for doctors to
practice in rural areas, also known as medical deserts in the United States.[201]
On April 29, 2019, Biden came out in favor of a public option for health insurance and
outlawing non-compete clauses for low-wage workers. [202]
Infrastructure
Biden released his infrastructure plan on November 14, 2019, calling for investments of
$1.3 trillion on infrastructure overhaul. The plan involves investments in the restoration
of roads, bridges and highways, encouraging greater adoption of rail transport and
electric vehicles. It also includes water pipe replacements, increases in broadband
coverage, and updates to schools.[203]
Welfare
On June 17, 2019, Biden appeared at the "Poor People's Campaign Presidential
Forum" in Washington, D.C., to discuss proposals for the funding of poverty alleviation
programs. At a fundraiser in New York the next day, he reassured wealthy donors that
he would not "demonize" the rich and said, "no one's standard of living will change,
nothing would fundamentally change." [204]

Communication style
Perceived gaffes
Biden has a history of "verbal fumbles", which became an issue in the 2020 campaign.
[205]
 In 2018, Biden said he was "a gaffe machine" but disagreed with comparisons to
Trump, saying his gaffe-prone nature was "a wonderful thing compared to a guy who
can't tell the truth".[206] On August 26, 2019, Biden addressed the controversy. After he
stumbled over where he had spoken earlier that day, he looked directly at the
assembled press and said, "I want to be clear: I'm not going nuts." [207]
In December 2019, after a man asked him a question about Hunter Biden's ties to
Ukraine, Biden called him a "damn liar" and "too old to vote for me". He also reportedly
called him "fat",[208][209] but the Biden campaign claimed he had said "look, facts", rather
than "look, fat".[210] A campaign spokesperson argued, "That's the kind of fire that we
need" to beat Trump in the election. [211]
In February 2020, a university student asked Biden to explain why he had come fourth
in the Iowa caucus when he had claimed to be the most electable candidate. Biden
responded by asking her if she had ever been to a caucus before. She said yes, and he
'jokingly' called her "a lying, dog-faced pony soldier", a phrase he has used before in
reference to an unidentified, possibly nonexistent John Wayne film.[212][213][214]
In March 2020, Biden, when accused of being anti-gun rights, called the questioner "full
of shit" and when further provoked, said, "Don't be such a horse's
ass."[215] The NRA criticized Biden for saying that automatic guns, apparently including
the semi-automatic AR-15, should be banned. A spokesman from Biden's campaign
was pleased with the exchange.[216]
In October 2020, Biden was alleged to have confused Trump with George W. Bush,
[217]
 which left out the context that Biden's mention of "George" was during an interview
with George Lopez.[218]
False statements
On July, September, and December 2019, Biden claimed he opposed the Iraq War from
the moment it started. However, CNN and other outlets noted that he had actually
spoken in favor of the war both before and after it began. [219][220] In January 2020, he then
said he made a mistake to believe the Bush administration's claim that with
congressional approval for military force, they were "just going to get [weapons]
inspectors in" and not go to war. Reason found this statement to be at odds with Biden's
actual political positions on Iraq.[221]
In February 2020, Biden claimed several times he was arrested, along with U.S.
ambassador to the U.N., Andrew Young, in Soweto, South Africa, on his way to
visit Nelson Mandela in prison.[222] Biden faced scrutiny over the claim and later admitted
he had never been arrested, saying that he was referring to airport protocol. [223]
In a virtual town hall with CNN on March 27, Biden said that the Trump administration
had not made an effort to send U.S. medical experts to China to investigate the
outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019, a claim FactCheck.org characterized as false.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar had said at a January 28 press
conference, "On January 6, we offered to send a CDC team to China that could assist
with these public health efforts." [224]
In May 2020, Biden stated he has been endorsed by NAACP, a claim the organization
denied.[195][225]
On September 9, 2020, Biden said, "Under President Trump, U.S. trade deficit has
grown. It's hit an all-time high. Let me say that again. U.S. trade deficit is at an all-time
high under Trump in the last three years." The deficit was much higher between 2004
and 2008 when President George W. Bush was in office. [226]
On October 15, 2020, Biden said in an ABC News town hall that "The boilermakers
union has endorsed me because I sat down with them and went into great detail with
leadership [about] exactly what I would do." Local 154 of the International Brotherhood
of Boilermakers, which was mentioned during the town hall, endorsed President Donald
Trump. The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers as an entity has not endorsed a
U.S. presidential candidate for the 2020 Election. [227][228]
Biden has said several times that he would be the first non-Ivy League president in U.S.
history or, on other occasions, the first in 80 or 90 years. However, President Ronald
Reagan went to Eureka College; Jimmy Carter graduated from the United States Naval
Academy; and Richard Nixon graduated from Whittier College and Duke University Law
School.[229]

Trump–Ukraine scandal
Main articles: Trump–Ukraine scandal and Biden–Ukraine conspiracy theory
In 2019, Trump allegedly attempted to coerce Ukraine and other foreign countries to
investigate Joe Biden's son Hunter. Trump enlisted surrogates within and outside his
official administration, including his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and Attorney
General William Barr, to pressure Ukraine and other foreign governments to cooperate
in supporting conspiracy theories concerning American politics.[230][231][232] Trump blocked
but later released payment of a congressionally mandated $391 million military aid
package to allegedly obtain quid pro quo cooperation from Volodymyr Zelensky, the
president of Ukraine. A number of contacts were established between the White House
and the government of Ukraine, culminating in a phone call between Trump and
Zelensky on July 25, 2019.[230][233]
The scandal resulted in Trump's impeachment on charges of abusing the power of his
office and obstructing Congress,[234] and his ultimate acquittal by the Senate.[235] To date,
there has been no evidence produced of any wrongdoing by the Bidens. [236]
In October 2019, CNN refused to run an ad for the Donald Trump 2020 presidential
campaign, saying it includes false claims against Biden. [237] Fox News refused to stop
airing a Trump campaign ad that allegedly lies about Biden after his campaign asked
them to stop running the ad.[238]
On October 14, 2020, the New York Post ran a story showing a screenshot of an
alleged email from a top adviser to Ukrainian energy company Burisma to Biden's
son Hunter, thanking him for the supposed opportunity to meet his father. The article
alleges that this supports claims that Biden used his political power to benefit his son
Hunter in business dealings with Ukraine. [239] The Post's source was Trump's personal
lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who says he got the data from the hard drive of a laptop allegedly
dropped off at a repair shop in April 2019. [239] The shop owner, John MacIsaac, said he
initially turned the laptop over to the FBI and later shared a copy of the data with
Giuliani. CBS reported that they held a lengthy interview with MacIsaac in which he
frequently contradicted himself, "raising questions about [his] truthfulness." [240][241] Social
media platforms swiftly responded by controlling how the article could be shared—
Facebook by including a fact-checking statement and Twitter by preventing links to the
story on the basis of its containing hacked material. Republican politicians accused
these platforms of censorship, renewing calls for reform of Section 230. Trump
suggested that disclosures in the emails should disqualify Biden from the presidency.
Biden's campaign and those associated with him portrayed the article's allegations as
false, saying that no such meeting ever happened. [239][242] Former U.S. intelligence officials
warned the White House last year that Giuliani could be the target of a Russian
intelligence operation.[243]