Protests Rock The Country – Protests over the death of George Floyd, killed by a white Minnesota police officer, rocked the country this week, as tens of thousands took to the streets across America. While mostly peaceful, some protests in major cities devolved into riots, with participants looting and burning stores in their path. In what has become the most spoken about moment of the protests, law enforcement in Washington, DC cleared away protesters from in front of Lafayette Park in front of the White House to allow President Trump to attend a photo-op in front of a church. After President Trump gave a speech denouncing the violence that took place in some protests and declared himself the defender of law and order, the president held up a bible in front of St. John’s church across the street from the White House.

Jobs Report A Welcome Surprise – The US stock market surged on Friday after jobs were unexpectedly added to the economy in May, shocking economists who believed it could take years to recover jobs lost to the Covid-19 pandemic. The economy added 2.51 million jobs in May and the unemployment rate fell to 13.3%, according to the Labor Department. President Trump held a news conference in the Rose Garden after the report was released, where he touted the strength of the US economy and said that 2021 would be the economy’s best year. As reopenings are expected to take place in New York City in June, many economists now believe that the economy will continue to gain strength.

Mattis Unloads On Trump – General James Mattis, President Trump’s former Secretary of Defense, denounced the president for “dividing the nation” and accused Trump of using the military to violate the rights of US citizens. “Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people – does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us,” Mattis wrote. “We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort.” President Trump responded to Mattis on Twitter, writing, “Probably the only thing Barack Obama & I have in common is that we both had the honor of firing Jim Mattis, the world’s most overrated General. I asked for his resignation, & felt great about it. His nickname was “Chaos”, which I didn’t like, & changed to “Mad Dog” … His primary strength was not military, but rather personal public relations. I gave him a new life, things to do, and battles to win, but he seldom “brought home the bacon”. I didn’t like his “leadership” style or much else about him, and many others agree. Glad he is gone!”

Biden Leading Trump – A “poll of polls” shows presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden with a commanding 51%-42% lead over President Donald Trump in national polls of the 2020 election. Only two of the polls included in the poll of polls were taken after the death of George Floyd, and many believe that the racial issues that his death brought to the forefront of the national consciousness will only help Biden broaden his lead. However, almost half of voters reported that the state of race relations wouldn’t be a factor in who they decide to vote for in November. President Trump is also trailing Biden in multiple battleground states, like Arizona and Florida, according to the polls. Changes happen quickly in politics, and Republicans are hoping President Trump’s reelection prospects do as well.