As Trump prepares for GOP convention, Democrats are plotting their own counter-progamming

The party is attempting to cast everything about Trump as chaotic and disruptive, from the way he runs the presidency to the items that appear on his Twitter feed, from his approach to the coronavirus to the speaking lineup for his nominating convention.

“Whereas our themes, our unity, and our speakers exude optimism and hope in the face of so many challenges, the Republican convention next week will be marked by chaos, chaos, chaos,” Tom Perez, the chairman of the Democratic Party, said on Friday morning.

“He’ll do what he always does: Lie, scare, distract, divide and make next week all about himself,” he added during a call with reporters. “Joe Biden, as you saw, made this past week about the American people, especially those who are struggling.”

Perez also drew a contrast in how the Democratic convention was run, with events that were socially distant, and speeches given to largely empty rooms.

“I sure hope that the people participating in the convention next week are going to be safe,” he said. “And I hope they don’t put those people at risk like they did in Tulsa, Oklahoma.”

Trump on Friday offered his own rebuttal of the Democratic convention and previewed how he’ll approach his nomination next week.

“Where Joe Biden sees American darkness, I see American greatness,” Trump told a gathering of conservative activists, the Council for National Policy, in Arlington.

“They spent four straight days attacking America as racist and a horrible country that must be redeemed,” he added. “Joe Biden grimly declared a season of American darkness, and yet look at what we’ve accomplished.”

Speaking from a crowded ballroom, Trump also mocked Biden for the amount of time he spends in his Delaware home.

While Trump held events this past week in swing states to divert attention from the four-day Democratic convention, Democrats are planning to showcase surrogates. Biden’s campaign declined to say whether Biden — or his running mate Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) — would have any visible role next week.

Biden’s campaign is exuding confidence, giddy over what they feel were four days of well-produced virtual programming and speeches that helped crystallize their case for the November election.

“We know that the race will also tighten over the next two months,” said Symone Sanders, a senior adviser on the Biden campaign. “But I am here to tell you, we feel very good about our position going into September.”

Democrats are planning a war room of researchers that will attempt to counter what they expect will be a flurry of misinformation.

“President Trump and his campaign, they are going to lie,” Sanders said. “They’re going to throw every piece of mud at the wall and attempt to divide Americans based on race or gender.”

The four-day virtual pageant that Democrats oversaw included a diverse array from speakers to celebrate diversity. One night, there was a single prominent White male speaker, Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, with the visuals instead showcasing women and racial and ethnic minorities. Each night featured Republicans who were supporting Biden.

For next week, Democrats have themes for each day of the Republican convention, with Monday discussing families, Tuesday on the economy, Wednesday on health care, and Thursday on the country as a whole.

“We’re also guessing that you won’t here next week at the RNC: A single harsh word for Russia for interfering in our elections or putting a bounty on the lives of our soldiers,” Sanders said. “I don’t think you’ll hear a kind word on the legacy of civil rights warrior John Lewis, let alone the voting rights bill that bears his name.”

“I bet you won’t hear the word climate,” she added. “And, you know, you might hear a few people quoting the Constitution, but you won’t hear anyone who understands it. Most of all, though, you are not going to hear a single reason that Donald Trump deserves to be reelected.”

Trump on Friday attacked Democrats for what he said was a lack of focus on issues he plans to highlight.

“But, the biggest part of last night’s speech was what Joe Biden didn’t talk about. He didn’t talk about law enforcement. He didn’t talk about bringing safety to Democrat run cities that are totally out of control and they have no clue,” he said. “China was never mentioned in any way, shape, or form. China will own our country if he gets elected. They will own our country and we’re not going to let that happen.”