Will debates give Biden or Trump an edge?

President Biden is trailing Donald Trump in several battleground
states, according to new polling from the New
York Times and Siena College. While polling this far out from an
election often doesn’t represent final results, it can reveal
trends that candidates should seriously consider, says Mo
Elleithee, executive director at Georgetown University's
Institute of Politics and Public Service. In Biden’s case, the
polls indicate less support among young voters, nonwhite voters,
and blue collar workers. With Biden and Trump agreeing to a
series of debates in June and September, can the president use
the head-to-head settings to regain ground with those crucial
groups?


The Democratic National Convention will take place in Chicago
this summer. There are some concerns that the contentious
atmosphere surrounding the convention, including nationwide
campus protests and anger with the president’s support for the
war in Gaza, could lead to a scene similar to the unrest at
1968’s DNC, also in Chicago. Are those concerns overblown? And
would more protests allow Donald Trump to emerge as a figure who
can end the growing sense of chaos among voters?


Kansas is the focus of our 50 states series this week. Mandatory
diversity, equity, and inclusion statements have become a growing
legal concern for legislators and administrators in Kansas and at
universities across the country. Does requiring a commitment to
DEI fall mean forcing an ideology on faculty and students?