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Charlotte Talks Politics: America On Edge, Heading For A Long, Hot Summer

Flickr / Phil Roeder

Monday, June 1, 2020

Temperatures are rising, from Minneapolis and Washington to Charlotte. On Politics Monday, a recap of weekend protests and the latest on the showdown over the Republican convention.

In the pre-COVID world, this was supposed to be the week the Democratic race for president crossed the finish line with the final set of primaries on Tuesday. Of course the pandemic put the campaign on the backburner as COVID and the economy took precedence. Now the country is also facing new tensions over deaths at the hands of police.

Rather than trying to calm tensions, President Trump tweeted a threat to shoot looters in Minneapolis, where the police killing of George Floyd set off a wave of protests that reached Charlotte over the weekend.

North Carolina is nearing the president's deadline for giving an answer on whether a full-scale Republican convention can be held in Charlotte in August.

Polls show the president still trailing de facto Democratic nominee Joe Biden, who is being urged to name a nonwhite running mate as the "veepstakes" continues.

GUESTS

Adolphus Belk, Jr., Winthrop University, professor of political science (@abjrphd)

Michael Bitzer, Catawba College, chair of political science, professor of politics and history (@BowTiePolitics)

Whitney Ross Manzo, Meredith College, assistant professor of political science, assistant director of the Meredith Poll (@whitneymnz)

Josh Putnam, Wilmington-based political scientist, writes the Frontloading blog on presidential elections and campaigns (@FHQ)

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A veteran of Charlotte radio news, Chris joined the "Charlotte Talks" staff in January 2016, but has been listening to WFAE since discovering the station as a high schooler.