Timeline: Presidential candidate Twitter responses to events of 2020

Brynne Paiva, Amy Wang, Deepali Yedulapuram, Julia Dailard, and Sara Brownlee|October 25, 2020

This year, as unprecedented events unfolded one after the other, the two presidential candidates have taken to Twitter to express their views and, in turn, their political opinions and plans for the future.

2020

January 20

First case of Covid-19 in AmericaThe U.S Center for Disease control confirmed the first case of Covid-19 in America, Jan. 20. The first patient was a man living in Washington state who had just returned from traveling to Wuhan, China. Both Donald Trump and Joe Biden first tweeted about the coronavirus soon after.

March 13

School closuresOn March 13, PUSD closed schools to ensure the safest possible option for students, teachers, and administrators during the worsening pandemic. Public schools across the country all closed within that same month. Donald Trump first shared his opinion via Twitter in May and Joe Biden in July.

May 25

George Floyd’s DeathGeorge Floyd, a 46 year old Black man, died on May 25 after he was pinned to the ground and suffocated under the knee of a police officer in Minneapolis. His death, which was captured on video by a bystander, sparked outrage across the country. Both Trump and Biden responded to Floyd’s death via Twitter shortly after the video footage surfaced on social media.

May 26

Minneapolis protestsOn May 26 2020, the day following George Floyd’s death, protests broke out in Minneapolis to call for an end to police brutality and the arrests of those involved in Floyd’s murder. The protests, which began as peaceful demonstrations, quickly took a violent turn when protestors began looting businesses and buildings were set afire.

August

California WildfiresFor residents of California, due to a variety of different environmental factors, this year has seen the biggest wildfires in the history of the state. More than 4,317,646 acres have been burned in total, and more than 90,000 state residents have been evacuated.

September 18

Ruth Bader Ginsburg PassingOn Sept. 18 2020, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died due to complications from pancreatic cancer. That night, both Biden and Trump took to Twitter to deliver their condolences and praise of Ginsburg’s accomplishments.

September 26

Trump nominates Amy Coney BarrettTrump announces his nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court eight days after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. He and Biden both share their opinion via Twitter.

September 29

First Presidential DebateThe first presidential debate of 2020 was moderated by Chris Wallace, in Cleveland, Ohio. Both candidates had staff tweet from their accounts throughout the hour and a half debate. For both campaigns, it was a chance to sway voters and explain policies to the millions of listeners tuning, and even afterwards, both Biden and Trump tried to capitalize on momentum.

October 1

Trump contracts COVID-19President Donald Trump announced that he and his wife had tested positive for COVID-19, Oct. 1. Joe Biden offered his support the following day.

Oct 26

Amy Coney Barrett is confirmedAmy Coney Barrett was confirmed by the Senate on Oct. 26 as 115th Associate Justice on the United States Supreme Court.

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About the Writers

Brynne Paiva, Editor-in-Chief

Brynne Paiva is a senior and an editor-in-chief of The Nexus. In her free time, she reads avidly, spends time with friends, and attends local concerts. She is passionate about social justice and journalism.

Amy Wang, Editor-in-Chief

Amy (11) is in her third year as a part of The Nexus. In her free time, you can find her crying over fanfiction or translating Chinese webnovels.

Deepali Yedulapuram, Features Editor

Deepali Yedulapuram is a senior and serves as the Features Editor for The Nexus. She has been on staff since her sophomore year. Aside from writing, Deepali enjoys talking to people, eating good food, and playing basketball and tennis. She is also part of the Speech & Debate and Mock Trial team at Westview.

Julia Dailard, Features Editor

Julia Dailard (12) is in her third year as a part of The Nexus. She is passionate about fashion, photography, and advocating for womens’ rights. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time at the beach with friends, thrifting, and traveling. She can also probably guess your astrology sign.

Sara Brownlee, Managing Editor

Sara Brownlee (12) is in her third year as a part of The Nexus. She plays lacrosse and rugby. She also enjoys hanging out with her friends and playing guitar during her free time. She loves listening to music and making necklaces as well.

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