Culture wars, Amy Coney Barrett and Covid comes home

In the 19th instalment of our series recapping an unprecedented presidency, Joe Sommerlad looks at Republican gamesmanship on the Supreme Court, the first presidential debate and the inevitable happening

Trump unveils Amy Coney Barrett as his Supreme Court nominee in September (AFP/Getty)

Donald Trump began July 2020 with an extraordinary Independence Day speech at Mount Rushmore in which he accused Black Lives Matter activists of wanting to “overthrow the American Revolution”. 

“Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values and indoctrinate our children,” he said.

“Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our founders, deface our most sacred memorials and unleash a wave of violent crime in our cities… One of their political weapons is ‘cancel culture’ – driving people from their jobs, shaming dissenters, and demanding total submission from anyone who disagrees. This is the very definition of totalitarianism.”