Author: Jack Merritt

Following President Biden’s announcement of new commonsense gun safety solutions, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement: 

“After signing the most significant bipartisan gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years, President Biden is continuing to find new ways to make our communities safer after violent crime skyrocketed under Donald Trump’s watch. While the Biden-Harris administration is once again delivering commonsense gun safety solutions, Trump tells school shooting victims to ‘get over it,’ rails against expanded background checks, and caves to the NRA and the gun lobby at every opportunity. President Biden is laser-focused on reducing gun violence, but Trump only cares about himself – that’s why the American people will reject Trump and his dangerous MAGA agenda at the ballot box in November.”

NEW: President Biden is once again making our communities safer by closing the gun show loophole and delivering commonsense solutions.

Politico: “Biden to close ‘gun-show loophole’ and expand background checks for firearms”

“The Biden administration is moving to expand background checks for gun purchases, fulfilling a key demand of advocates following the deadly shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas. … The rule was issued under a provision of the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.”

New York Times: “President Biden, repeatedly blocked from enacting universal background checks by Republicans in Congress, is leveraging a provision of the sweeping bipartisan gun control law passed in 2022 to achieve an elusive policy goal that enjoys widespread public support: closing the so-called gun show loophole.”

While President Biden is working to make communities safer, Donald Trump is running on a dangerous agenda and is railing against commonsense reforms like expanded background checks.

New York Times: “In the face of N.R.A. opposition, [Trump] has also retreated from his earlier openness to expanded background checks and a renewal of the expired ban on assault weapons.”

Trump:  “I will sign concealed carry reciprocity. Your Second Amendment does not end at the state line.”

CNN: “Trump suggests arming teachers as a solution to increase school safety”

Reuters: “[Trump] also called for eliminating gun-free school zones, adding that such zones leave victims with no means to defend themselves in case of an attack by an armed person.”

Trump keeps pandering to the NRA — which has given tens of millions of dollars to his campaigns — and told school shooting victims to “get over it.”

New York Magazine: “President Trump met with survivors of the Parkland school shooting and attempted to convey a sincere intention to act. … What happened next was predictable. Trump met with the head of the NRA. He stopped talking about the issue he was going to solve.”

Rolling Stone: “Trump on Iowa School Shooting: ‘Get Over It’”

“A day after a gunman killed a sixth grade student and wounded five other people at Perry High School northwest of Des Moines, Donald Trump returned to the state at a campaign event and told residents that they ‘have to get over it.’”

Trump: “There’s no bigger fan of the NRA [than me].”

NBC News: “Trump says mass shootings are not ‘a gun problem’ as 2024 GOP hopefuls pledge loyalty to the NRA”

New York Magazine: “After Taunting Republicans for Being Afraid of NRA, Trump Gives In to NRA”

Washington Post: “After latest shooting, Trump pushes Facebook ads ‘straight from the NRA playbook’”

Politico: “Former President Donald Trump on Friday addressed the National Rifle Association’s annual conference in Houston … just three days after a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at a Texas elementary school.”

CNN: “A slew of 2024 GOP presidential hopefuls courted gun rights activists Friday at a National Rifle Association convention in Indianapolis that took place in the wake of mass shootings in Kentucky and Tennessee in recent days. Former President Donald Trump … attended the gathering.”

Yahoo News: “The gun-rights group spent $54 million during the 2016 election cycle, including $30 million to help Donald Trump get elected president.”

Fortune: “For instance, in 2020, the NRA alone spent over $12 million campaigning against Biden and another $4.5 million in favor of Donald Trump.”

Trump made the gun epidemic WORSE as president, refusing to pass commonsense gun reform and making it easier for criminals to carry guns — all while the murder rate skyrocketed.

New York Times: “Conceding to N.R.A., Trump Abandons Brief Gun Control Promise”

“President Trump on Monday abandoned his promise to work for gun control measures opposed by the National Rifle Association, bowing to the gun group and embracing its agenda of armed teachers and incremental improvements to the background check system.”

The Hill: “The [Trump] White House on Monday issued a statement warning that President Trump would veto proposed legislation to enhance background checks for gun purchases if it passes the House and Senate.”

Politico: “Trump quietly used regulations to expand gun access”

Associated Press: “FBI: 2020 homicides up nearly 30%, largest 1-year jump ever”

Philadelphia Inquirer: “The Council on Criminal Justice, a D.C.-based research group, found that homicides in 21 American cities were up 32% between March and October compared with 2019. And some analysts believe 2020 could record the largest-ever single-year increase in murders in the United States.”

The post President Biden Once Again Delivers Commonsense Gun Safety Solutions As Trump Continues to Cave to the NRA appeared first on Democrats.

In response to RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump saying the RNC will partner with election-denying conspiracy theorist Scott Presler, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement: 

“Scott Presler is not a ‘grassroots hero’ – he’s an election-denying, far-right MAGA extremist who has peddled QAnon conspiracy theories, spread lies about the 2020 election, and was at the Capitol on January 6. By announcing plans to partner with Presler, Lara Trump and the RNC are once again putting election denialism front and center of Trump’s MAGA takeover of the party: They’ve made election denial a litmus test for their hires, are spreading baseless lies about the 2020 election, and are partnering with conspiracy theorists and serial liars like Presler. Donald Trump and his MAGA allies are making it clear that democracy is on the line this November, and the American people are going to reject his dangerous MAGA agenda at the ballot box.”

NEW: Lara Trump said the RNC will partner with election denier and conspiracy theorist Scott Presler.

RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump: “Scott Presler is a grassroots hero. … I said I want Scott on our team. … We got together and we said, however we can legally partner, we’re going to legally partner, so the RNC and the Trump campaign are gonna be working side by side with Scott Presler and his organization to ensure that we are utilizing all of the power that we have together.”

Lara Trump backtracked after initially announcing plans for the RNC to hire Presler.

NBC News: “Scott Presler, a conservative activist who has spread conspiracy theories, won’t be getting an RNC job”

“Lara Trump, the RNC’s new co-chair, initially said she wanted to hire Scott Presler for its ‘legal ballot-harvesting’ division.”

Presler is a far-right MAGA extremist who has peddled QAnon-fueled conspiracy theories and lies about the 2020 election, worked for an anti-Muslim hate group, and was literally on Capitol grounds during the January 6 insurrection. 

NBC News: “[Presler] has a large online following and has helped spread a wide range of conspiracies, including about QAnon, in recent years. Presler was director for a group critical of Islam that organized ‘March Against Sharia’ protests and helped plan ‘stop the steal’ rallies ahead of Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.”

WCCO: “Presler, a Virginia native, planned several ‘stop the steal’ rallies in addition to being on the Capitol grounds the day of the insurrection. Presler also described the siege on the Capitol as ‘the largest civil rights protest in American history.’”

Pennsylvania Capital-Star: “The Trump rally was organized by Scott Presler, formerly a paid organizer for the Virginia Republican Party, and a speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference this year. He called for an audit of the election results.”

“Attendees, including Presler, repeated false claims of voter fraud in Michigan, stemming from a typo in results from a small county, according to the New York Times. Presler could not cite any examples of voter fraud in Pennsylvania.

“‘Be assured, if I have to set up my own independent commission, I will be looking through votes to make sure there is no fraudulent, illegal activity,’ Presler said.”

Media Matters: “Media Matters previously documented that Presler promoted QAnon in dozens of instances on his Instagram account. Presler has also worked for the anti-Muslim group Act for America, which, The Associated Press wrote, ‘is identified by the Anti-Defamation League as the largest anti-Muslim group in America.’”

And Presler backed disgraced Senate candidate Roy Moore, who was accused of sexually assaulting women and minors. 

@ScottPresler: “Interesting that these accusations against Roy Moore come out a month before Election Day, just like what happened to President Trump. #RoyMoore”

@ScottPresler: “I think Jeff Flake just won the election for Roy Moore. Flake just galvanized every angry Republican to vote. #JeffFlake”

The RNC is still pushing baseless lies about the 2020 election, even after Lara Trump claimed MAGA Republicans have moved on.

CNN: “RNC under Lara Trump spreads ‘massive fraud’ claims about 2020 election”

“The Republican National Committee last week sent out a scripted call to voters’ phones on behalf of new co-chair Lara Trump saying Democrats committed ‘massive fraud’ in the 2020 election. It’s the latest example of how the RNC under the former president’s daughter-in-law is perpetuating lies about the 2020 election.

“Even after she was elected co-chair and said claims of a stolen election are ‘in the past,’ she didn’t repudiate those baseless accusations.”

Under Trump’s MAGA rebrand of the RNC, election denialism is a litmus test for getting hired.

Washington Post: “Those seeking employment at the Republican National Committee after a Trump-backed purge of the committee this month have been asked in job interviews if they believe the 2020 election was stolen, according to people familiar with the interviews, making the false claim a litmus test of sorts for hiring.

“The questions about the 2020 election were open-ended, two people familiar with the questioning said. ‘But if you say the election wasn’t stolen, do you really think you’re going to get hired?’ one former RNC employee asked.”

CNN: “Over the past few weeks, Trump advisers have asked those seeking employment at the RNC about their views of fraud during the 2020 election, with the question serving as an apparent litmus test for hiring, the sources said.

“The new hiring questions come as Trump continues to falsely claim, both publicly and privately, that the 2020 election was rife with fraud, and suggest that President Joe Biden stole the election from him — a rallying cry that has united many GOP voters around him.”

As the RNC merges with the Trump campaign and continues its extreme MAGA rebrand, the roster of MAGA extremists and conspiracy theorists among its leadership only continues to grow. 

New York Times: “Mr. Trump likes Mr. Whatley for one overwhelming reason, according to people who have discussed him with the former president: He is ‘a stop the steal guy,’ as one of the people described him. He endorses Mr. Trump’s false claims about mass voter fraud … Mr. Whatley has baselessly claimed that election security efforts from Republicans in North Carolina stopped Democrats from cheating.”

CNN: “Likely frontrunner for RNC chair parroted Trump’s 2020 election lies”

“Michael Whatley, the chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, shared false claims that Republican observers were prevented from accessing polling locations and repeatedly said Democratic cities in swing states were engaged in ‘massive fraud.’”

CNN: “She also played a key role in the Trump campaign’s fake electors scheme after he lost the 2020 election, working closely with Trump advisers to organize the plan in seven battleground states. The scheme formed the basis of parts of Smith’s election subversion indictment against the former president, which says Trump and his allies created ‘fraudulent slates of presidential electors to obstruct the certification proceeding’ in Congress on January 6, 2021, and ‘disenfranchise millions of voters.’

“Bobb was also a correspondent during the 2020 election for the fringe pro-Trump network OAN, where she promoted false claims that the election was rigged. The voting technology company Dominion sued Bobb and OAN for defamation in 2021. Some of her on-air segments were also referenced in a separate defamation case against OAN filed by Smartmatic, another aggrieved voting company. OAN and Bobb have denied wrongdoing in these civil cases.”

New York Times: “A self-described conspiracy theorist and election denier, Ms. Bobb will take on a role overseeing Republican election integrity efforts — after years of aggressively promoting false claims about the 2020 election. Her appointment reflects the ascendant role of election deniers in Republican leadership and in Mr. Trump’s presidential campaign.”

The post Lara Trump AGAIN Says RNC Will Partner With Election-Denying Conspiracy Theorist Scott Presler appeared first on Democrats.

In response to Donald Trump’s support for punishing women who have abortions and doctors who provide them while once again demanding credit for ending Roe v. Wade, DNC spokesperson Aida Ross released the following statement: 

“Donald Trump says he’s ‘proudly responsible’ for the reversal of Roe v. Wade, but he’s not stopping there – he thinks ‘there has to be some form of punishment’ for women who access reproductive care and would allow states to punish doctors who provide abortions. Women across America are hearing Donald Trump’s message loud and clear: He is endorsing every single cruel abortion ban across the states, and would let his MAGA allies threaten women and doctors with jail time if he has his way.”

Just yesterday, Donald Trump said states should be able to punish doctors for providing abortions.

Washington Post: “Trump says states should determine whether to punish doctors”

Washington Post: “Asked whether doctors who provide abortions should be punished, Trump allowed that certain states could do that.”

Trump has also said women should be punished for having an abortion…

Trump: “There has to be some form of punishment [for women who have an abortion].”

… and is responsible for the horrifying reality that women are living in – including cruel abortion bans with no exceptions for rape or incest such as the one in Arizona.

CNN: “Arizona Supreme Court rules state must adhere to century-old law banning nearly all abortions”

Business Insider: “Arizona’s abortion ban from 1864 — which would jail doctors for years — reinstated”

CNN: “Arizona shows that punting to the states will not alleviate Trump’s abortion problem”

Trump is demanding credit for the reversal of Roe v. Wade and the ensuing cruel abortion bans across the country.

Trump: “I was proudly the person responsible for the ending of … Roe v. Wade.”

Trump: “Many states will be different. Many [states] will have a different number of weeks, or some will [be] more conservative than others, and that’s what they will be.”

Trump: “After 50 years of failure, with nobody coming even close, I was able to kill Roe v. Wade … Without me there would be no 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 15 weeks, or whatever is finally agreed to. Without me the pro Life movement would have just kept losing. Thank you President TRUMP!!!”

Trump: “For 54 years they were trying to get Roe v. Wade terminated, and I did it, and I’m proud to have done it. … Nobody else was going to get that done but me, and we did it, and we did something that was a miracle.”

Trump: “I’m the one that got rid of Roe v. Wade, and everybody said that was an impossible thing to do. I put on three Supreme Court justices. Very few people have had that privilege or honor.”

Trump: “Getting rid of Roe v. Wade was an incredible thing for pro-life because it gave pro-life something to negotiate with. Pro-life had absolutely nothing, being stuck in Roe v. Wade, to negotiate with. … And look, everybody that was president wanted to get rid and tried to get rid of Roe v. Wade … For fifty years, this has been going on. I was able to do it, and I was very honored to do it.”

Rolling Stone: “Trump Claims Credit for All Abortion Bans”

Business Insider: “Trump boasts he’s ‘proud’ about his role in overturning Roe v. Wade, the issue that has become ballot-box poison for Republicans”

Rolling Stone: “Trump Says He’s ‘Proud’ to Have ‘Terminated’ Abortion Rights”

Trump campaign radio ad: “And Trump nominated conservative judges, leading to Roe v. Wade being overturned.”

FWIW: “This week, we found more evidence that the Trump campaign has no interest in ‘moderating’ on the issue of abortion. On Monday, his team began running new Facebook video ads targeting voters in Iowa, referring to Trump as ‘THE MOST Pro-Life President in history.’”

Let’s not forget: Trump said he would sign a national abortion ban if elected to a second term.

Associated Press: “Trump says he will support national ban on abortions around 15 weeks of pregnancy”

Trump: “There of course remains a vital role for the federal government in protecting unborn life. And it’s very important.” 

Trump on if he would sign a six-week national abortion ban: “I’m looking at all options.”

Trump: “We’ll pick something that’s going to be very, very good for pro-life … I’m going to be in there pushing.”

Rolling Stone: “Trump Wants to Ban Abortion Nationwide: Report”

New York Times: “Trump Privately Expresses Support for a 16-Week Abortion Ban”

Rolling Stone: “Trump Floats National Abortion Ban After Claiming He’s ‘On the Side of Women’”

Trump also backed a national abortion ban during his first term.

The Hill: “The Trump administration formally backed a House bill Monday that would ban abortions after 20 weeks. … It would make it a crime to perform or attempt an abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, with the possibility of a fine, up to five years in prison or both.”

Trump and MAGA Republicans’ extreme anti-abortion agenda is overwhelmingly unpopular with voters.

USA Today: “Americans overwhelmingly oppose the next goal of many anti-abortion activists, to enact a federal law banning abortion nationwide. By 80%-14%, those surveyed opposed that idea, including 65% of Republicans and 83% of independents.”

Axios: “Most Americans support abortion access one year after Roe v. Wade: poll”

CNN: “A 64% majority of US adults say they disapprove of last year’s Supreme Court ruling that women do not have a constitutional right to an abortion, with half strongly disapproving – an assessment that’s almost entirely unchanged from CNN’s poll last July in the immediate wake of the decision.”

The post In Trump’s Own Words: “There Has to Be Some Form of Punishment” For Women Who Have an Abortion – And For Their Doctors, Too appeared first on Democrats.

In response to reporting that the RNC is perpetuating lies about the 2020 election through scripted calls to voters on behalf of Lara Trump, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement: 

“Robocalls spewing election denying conspiracy theories are a new low for Lara Trump and ultra-MAGA RNC Chair Michael Whatley as they continue to undermine democracy at Donald Trump’s command. The RNC is shamelessly propping up Trump as he lies about election fraud because he still can’t come to terms with the fact that he lost to President Biden by over 7 million votes in 2020. With Lara Trump, Michael Whatley, and the rest of the RNC’s in-house conspiracy theorists doing Trump’s bidding and brazenly spreading the Big Lie about the 2020 election, it could not be clearer that democracy is at stake this November.”

Donald Trump hand-picked Lara Trump to be co-chair of the RNC because her election-denying extremism is a perfect fit for his total MAGA rebrand of the committee.

ABC News: “Trump endorses daughter-in-law Lara Trump for RNC co-chair”

New Republic: “Lara Trump Promises to Use RNC to Complete MAGA Takeover of Party”

Allan Smith, NBC News: “Lara Trump, embracing ‘ultra-MAGA’ label, says its ‘nothing to be ashamed of’”

Lara Trump ahead of January 6: “We want to make sure that if there is a contested vote, anybody who doesn’t want to certify the votes for Joe Biden, that they get their chance to debate that.”

Newsweek: “Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of Donald Trump, and Fox News’ Sean Hannity attempted to blame the violence which occurred on January 6 on Nancy Pelosi—in what are the latest incidents of false claims regarding the House Speaker by Republicans in the wake of the attack. On Wednesday, Lara Trump, a TV producer who is married to Donald Trump’s son, Eric, defended her father-in-law during an appearance on Hannity’s show on Wednesday, while questioning why there wasn’t ‘adequate security’ on January 6 to protect the Capitol from the mob.”

Under Trump’s MAGA rebrand of the RNC, election denialism is a litmus test for getting hired.

Washington Post: “Those seeking employment at the Republican National Committee after a Trump-backed purge of the committee this month have been asked in job interviews if they believe the 2020 election was stolen, according to people familiar with the interviews, making the false claim a litmus test of sorts for hiring.

“The questions about the 2020 election were open-ended, two people familiar with the questioning said. ‘But if you say the election wasn’t stolen, do you really think you’re going to get hired?’ one former RNC employee asked.”

CNN: “Over the past few weeks, Trump advisers have asked those seeking employment at the RNC about their views of fraud during the 2020 election, with the question serving as an apparent litmus test for hiring, the sources said.

“The new hiring questions come as Trump continues to falsely claim, both publicly and privately, that the 2020 election was rife with fraud, and suggest that President Joe Biden stole the election from him — a rallying cry that has united many GOP voters around him.”

The post 🚨🚨🚨 NEW: Big Lie Robocalls Are Lara Trump and the RNC’s Latest Scam appeared first on Democrats.

In response to Donald Trump and Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson announcing a joint press conference on “election integrity” this Friday, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement: 

“This is what losers do – Donald Trump and MAGA Mike Johnson are extreme election deniers who are focused on spreading baseless lies and threatening our democracy instead of doing anything to help the American people. Johnson has spent years enabling Trump’s lies about the 2020 election results – with Johnson’s unwavering support, Trump is now vowing to pardon violent insurrectionists, calling for the termination of the Constitution, and promising a ‘bloodbath’ if he loses in November. Here’s the truth that you probably won’t hear on Friday: Trump got smoked by President Biden in 2020 and lost by over 7 million votes, but Trump and his crew of MAGA extremists still can’t get over it.”

Donald Trump is still pushing baseless lies about his loss in the 2020 election.

Associated Press: “[Trump] is flooding the airwaves and his social media platform with distortions, misinformation and unfounded conspiracy theories about his defeat.”

NBC News: “Re-litigating the 2020 election, repeating false claims it was stolen and casting aspersions on the security of mail voting remain major fixtures for [Trump] on the stump. … He regularly refers to the 2020 election as ‘rigged’ on his social media channels.”

WPR: “One day before his campaign stop in Green Bay, former President Donald Trump continued to push the false claim that he won Wisconsin four years ago — despite a recount, audits and court cases showing he lost to President Joe Biden.”

New York Times: “Donald J. Trump pressured state and federal government officials to overturn results of the 2020 election in more than 30 phone calls or meetings.”

Associated Press: “Trump, running for the White House for the third time, has signaled that the 2020 election will remain an integral part of his 2024 presidential bid.”

Trump continues to praise and embrace violent January 6 rioters – including calling them “hostages” and “patriots” and vowing to pardon “a large portion” of those who attacked our Capitol. 

Associated Press: “Trump is making the Jan. 6 attack a cornerstone of his bid for the White House” 

Semafor: “How Donald Trump learned to love the January 6 prisoner movement”

The Hill: “Trump describes imprisoned Jan. 6 rioters as ‘hostages’”

Washington Post: “Trump vows pardons, government apology to Capitol rioters if elected”

Business Insider: “Then-President Donald Trump didn’t want to specifically call for the Justice Department to prosecute January 6 rioters or forcefully condemn those who stormed the Capitol as unrepresentative of the MAGA movement.”

Washington Post: “No, Trump did not order 10,000 troops to secure the Capitol on Jan. 6”

NBC News: “Former President Donald Trump promised Wednesday night that if he is elected he will pardon a ‘large portion’ of the people convicted of federal offenses for their participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.”

​​Washington Post: ​​“Former president Donald Trump on Thursday praised and embraced a woman convicted of defying police orders on the U.S. Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021. … Trump has steadily escalated his advocacy for people charged in the Capitol riot, including by pledging to pardon them if he returns to the White House, praising them as patriots, participating in a recording with Jan. 6 prisoners singing the national anthem, and playing it at his first rally of the 2024 campaign last month.”

Trump: “January 6, it was the largest crowd I’ve ever spoken to. And they were there proud, they were there with love in their heart. That was an unbelievable — and it was a beautiful day.”

NBC News: “Trump spoke at a fundraiser for Jan. 6 defendants”

Trump is promising a “bloodbath” if he loses in November.

NBC News: “Trump says there will be a ‘bloodbath’ if he loses the election”

Politico: “Trump says country faces ‘bloodbath’ if Biden wins in November”

Rolling Stone: “Trump Says There Will Be a ‘Bloodbath’ and Elections Will End if He Isn’t Reelected”

New York Times: “Trump Defends His Warning of a ‘Blood Bath for the Country’”

Speaker MAGA Mike Johnson was an “architect” of Trump’s Big Lie — helping spread election conspiracy theories and leading the effort to overturn the 2020 election results.

Washington Post: “Johnson played one of the most significant roles of any member of Congress in the effort to overturn the election.”

HuffPost: “Johnson, a former lawyer, led an amicus brief signed by over 100 Republican members of Congress backing a flawed Texas lawsuit that asked the Supreme Court to overturn the 2020 election. He also played a key role in crafting the rationale that many of his GOP colleagues used in justifying their votes to throw out the 2020 election results ― even just hours after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.”

Johnson urged supporters to “fight” on the morning of January 6 and has since tried to downplay the riot and prevent those who violently attacked law enforcement from being charged. 

Johnson on January 6, 2021: “We MUST fight for election integrity, the Constitution, and the preservation of our republic! It will be my honor to help lead that fight in the Congress today.”

Louisiana Illuminator: “Johnson, who is close to Trump, did not acknowledge that the people who attacked the Capitol were the president’s supporters. He told a reporter that he thought there was a possibly a ‘big mix of people involved in this.’

“‘I don’t think President Trump is any more responsible for what happened at the Capitol today than the congressmen of Portland are responsible for what happened there,’ said Johnson, referring to some violence that erupted in Oregon over the summer. ‘What caused [the Capitol riot] is the same thing that has caused all the unrest over the last many months.’”

2021: Johnson voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the January 6 attack.

NBC News: “Speaker Mike Johnson says he’s blurring Jan. 6 footage so rioters don’t get charged”

Raw Story: “Mike Johnson says Jan. 6 rioters  just ‘happened to be walking through the building’”

The post Election Deniers Donald Trump and MAGA Mike Johnson Are Teaming Up To Spread More Lies appeared first on Democrats.

Following the Arizona Supreme Court ruling to uphold a cruel 1864 abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest, or the health of the mother made possible by Donald Trump overturning Roe v. Wade, Arizona Republicans are trying to spin their support for Trump’s extreme ban – but we have the receipts. 

“Donald Trump created this new nightmare for Arizona women, and Arizona Republicans can’t escape their record standing ten toes behind him,” said DNC Regional Press Secretary Cameron Niven. “Trump and Arizona’s extreme Republicans have cheered on as women’s fundamental rights have been ripped away from them after Trump proudly killed Roe v. Wade, and now, they own yesterday’s Arizona Supreme Court decision. Arizona voters know that freedom is on the ballot this November and that President Biden and Democrats are the only people fighting for their right to choose.”

Trump and MAGA Republicans have already endorsed Arizona’s cruel 160 year old abortion ban, and they have records to prove it.

Axios: “GOP suffers desert meltdown on abortion”

“A day after former President Trump thought he’d tamped down the GOP’s exposure on abortion, it popped back up in the key 2024 battleground of Arizona.

“Why it matters: Trump ushered in the end of Roe vs. Wade and its national protection of abortion rights, and now his party is suffering a massive voter backlash.

“Abortion rights have yet to lose since the end of Roe when the decision has been up to voters instead of legislators or courts. The big picture: Despite the backlash, state-level Republicans have responded to the end of Roe by pushing extremely strict restrictions on abortion, including many that effectively outlaw the practice.

“The Arizona Supreme Court, controlled by GOP-appointed justices, upheld today a 1864 law that allowed abortion only to save the life of the mother.

“Between the lines: The state court ruling creates a stark contrast in November.

“Republicans have ushered in a near-total ban.

“Democrats are pushing a state constitutional amendment for the ballot to protect abortion rights up to 24 weeks.”

New York Times: “Kari Lake, the leading Republican candidate for Senate in Arizona, was quick to denounce the state Supreme Court’s ruling upholding an 1864 law banning nearly all abortions in the state. The law is ‘out of step with Arizonans,’ she said in a statement. She called on state lawmakers to ‘come up’ with a ‘solution that Arizonans can support.’

“But Ms. Lake, an ally of former President Donald J. Trump and a 2020 election denier, had voiced enthusiastic support for the law less than two years ago, when she was in the midst of a scorched-earth campaign for the Republican nomination for governor. Asked then what she thought of the ban, she said she was thrilled it existed and called a ‘great law.’”

Copper Courier: “Arizona lawmakers with an extensive history of opposition to abortion-related healthcare spent Tuesday deriding the state’s newly reinstated, total abortion ban.”

“But those who passed the 15-week ban made clear the eventual goal was to ban abortion services entirely. Three months after Republicans passed the 15-week ban, Queen Creek Sen. Jake Hoffman prepared to introduce a new bill to ban abortion entirely.

“When conflict arose surrounding the bill—Republican House Majority Leader Ben Toma wouldn’t bring the bill to a vote over worries its introduction could signal that the 1864 ban was no longer legally sound—the two nearly got into a physical altercation to prove who was the most anti-abortion.

‘I’m more pro-life than you will ever be!’ Toma shouted on the House floor. ‘I’ve done more to help life than you ever will.’

“Toma, who later explained that all Republican legislators support a total ban but need to be more strategic about implementing one, has now toned down his support considerably, while still not taking a total ban off the table.”

The post Arizona Republicans Can’t Run From Trump’s Extreme Abortion Ban appeared first on Democrats.

Following President Biden’s latest announcement of new actions to reduce and eliminate student loan debt for millions of Americans, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement: 

“Today, President Biden is again delivering on his promise to help hardworking Americans by fixing the broken student loan system and making college more affordable — all while Trump continues to rail against life-changing relief. President Biden has already canceled more student debt than any president in history, growing the economy from the bottom up and middle out even as Trump and his MAGA allies stand in the way. Trump won’t put students and families first, and voters will remember who is on their side come November.”

NEW: President Biden announced new plans to reduce and eliminate student loan debt for tens of millions of hardworking Americans.

HuffPost: “President Biden To Cancel Student Debt For Millions More Americans”

“Combined with prior measures, Biden’s plans mean he will have reduced student debt for 30 million people. … Overall, due to this newest set of changes, the Biden administration estimates that more than 10 million people would get over $5,000 in debt forgiven, including 4 million people who would have their outstanding debts entirely forgiven.”

Washington Post: “Biden’s proposed student debt relief plan could help more than 30 million”

CNBC: “Biden administration will soon roll out a sweeping new student loan forgiveness plan”

“Almost half of all voters, or 48%, say canceling student loan debt is an important issue to them in the 2024 presidential and congressional elections, a recent survey found.”

Wall Street Journal: “The Biden administration is poised to issue a proposal aimed at reducing or eliminating student loan balances for millions of borrowers… Biden is planning to outline the broad strokes of the new proposal during a speech on Monday in Madison, Wis., where he is expected to tout his administration’s wide-ranging efforts to chip away at the student debt burden facing more than 40 million Americans.”

President Biden has already taken historic action to make college more affordable – under his watch, millions of Americans have gotten their debt canceled.

CNN: “About 4 million people have seen their federal student debt canceled under Biden, totaling about $144 billion.”

The Guardian: “Biden launches ‘most affordable ever’ student loan repayment plan”

Washington Post: “Biden administration cancels $1.2B in student loans with new repayment plan”

New York Times: “Biden Cancels Another $5 Billion in Student Loan Debt”

President Biden’s plans would address the disproportionate debt burden on Black and Latino borrowers  and other vulnerable borrowers.

USA Today: “Student debt relief blocked, potentially hurting Black and Latino families the most”

CNBC: “In October, when the Biden administration turns the $1.7 trillion federal student loan system — dormant for more than three years — back on, millions of people are expected to struggle financially. But the problems may be especially severe and long-lasting among Latino borrowers, who tend to earn less than non-Hispanic whites and fall behind on their loans at a higher rate, consumer advocates say.”

Forbes: “How Biden Forgiving Another $9 Billion In Student Loan Debt Helps Close The Racial Wealth Gap”

Meanwhile, Donald Trump failed to deliver on student loan debt forgiveness, and he has taken credit for his hand-picked Supreme Court justices striking down President Biden’s student loan debt forgiveness plan. 

Daily Mail: “Former President Donald Trump … went after President Joe Biden for his student loan forgiveness plan. ‘Joe Biden and the Radical Left Democrats have just orchestrated another election enhancing money grab, this time to the tune of $300,000,000,000 – and just like I predicted, it’s coming right out of the pocket of the working-class Americans who are struggling the most!’ Trump said in a statement released Thursday morning.”

CNBC: “Former President Donald Trump … has a long record of opposing student loan forgiveness.

“‘Today, the Supreme Court also ruled that President Biden cannot wipe out hundreds of billions, perhaps trillions of dollars, in student loan debt, which would have been very unfair to the millions and millions of people who paid their debt through hard work and diligence; very unfair,’ Trump said at a campaign event in June.”

Trump campaign press release: “Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down massive wins for the American people— halting Joe Biden’s unconstitutional student loan gimmick, restoring fairness to the college admissions process, and applying the strongest safeguards to First Amendment rights in a generation. One thing is clear: these wins were only made possible through President Trump’s strong nomination of three distinguished and courageous jurists to the Supreme Court.”

Associated Press: “Education advocates say President Donald Trump’s budget contradicts his campaign pledge to make college more affordable with its proposed elimination of subsidized student loans and cuts in other programs that help students pay tuition. … When he accepted the Republican presidential nomination last year, Trump had said, ‘We’re going to work with all of our students who are drowning in debt to take the pressure off these people just starting out in their adult lives. Tremendous problem.’”

NBC News: “Trump also attempted to cut billions from the department’s budget that would have ended subsidized student loans and the public service loan forgiveness program.”

Politico: “[Trump’s] Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Friday finalized rules that make it more difficult for federal student loan borrowers to cancel their debt on the grounds that their college defrauded them, scaling back an Obama-era policy aimed at abuses by for-profit colleges.”

Politico: “Trump and DeVos fuel a for-profit college comeback”

New York Times: “A DeVos System Allowed 12 Minutes to Decide Student Loan Forgiveness”
“[Trump’s] former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos made no secret of her disdain for a program intended to forgive the federal student loans of borrowers who were ripped off by schools that defrauded their students. She called it a ‘free money’ giveaway, let hundreds of thousands of claims languish for years and slashed the amount of relief granted to some successful applicants to $0. … In Ms. DeVos’s final year in office, her agency denied nearly 130,000 claims — far surpassing the 9,000 rejections in the prior five years — with a system that pressured workers to speed through applications in a matter of minutes, according to internal Education Department documents filed in federal court.”

The post NEW: President Biden is Taking Action to Cut Student Loan Debt For Millions After Trump Left Student Borrowers Behind appeared first on Democrats.

Over the past few days, the country has gotten a front-row seat to peek inside the flaming dumpster fire that is the Republican National Committee, with some of the worst news coverage Republicans could ask for. Some of the highlights from the RNC under ultra-MAGA extremists Lara Trump and Michael Whatley so far: The committee has rehired many of the 60 former staffers who were recently fired, planned to cut minority community centers and an early voting program, suggested the RNC might pay Trump’s legal bills, and asked job applicants whether they believe the 2020 election was stolen.

Key Point: “Donald Trump’s allies installed to run the Republican National Committee have faced a tumultuous first month in charge, buffeted by staffing problems and operational headaches as they attempt to bring the party apparatus under the control of the Trump campaign before the 2024 election.”

The Guardian: Trump’s RNC takeover triggers strife and staff exits as purge partly backfires

By: Hugo Lowell

• Donald Trump’s allies installed to run the Republican National Committee have faced a tumultuous first month in charge, buffeted by staffing problems and operational headaches as they attempt to bring the party apparatus under the control of the Trump campaign before the 2024 election.

• The internal strife at the RNC has prompted the Trump campaign to privately admonish its new leaders in recent weeks. And the move to orchestrate a purge may have partly backfired with far-reaching consequences for the RNC, multiple sources familiar with the matter said.

• The Trump takeover of the RNC arrived with a show of force just days after the new chair, Michael Whatley, and the new co-chair Lara Trump were elected, when emails went out to entire teams at the organization informing them they could resign and reapply for their jobs, or be terminated.

• But the threats of termination and the rumored loyalty tests – which turned out to be accurate when staffers were asked in job interviews if they thought the 2020 election was stolen from Trump, though there has been no evidence of election fraud – may have been too aggressive.

• The prospect of loyalty tests also appears to have unnerved some RNC staffers who declined to return to their old jobs. RNC staffers have long known the way to answer the question of whether the 2020 election was stolen is to say there were “irregularities”, the fact that they were being quizzed made them think the Trump campaign inherently distrusted people from the RNC, and they would always have a target on their backs.

Axios: Trump’s team shows growing pains in pivot to general election

By: Sophia Cai and Alex Thompson

• Since former President Trump’s smooth ride to become the GOP’s presumptive nominee last month, his team’s pivot to a general election campaign has been more chaotic, with backtracking and second-guessing.

• Many of the hiccups have revolved around Trump’s takeover of the Republican National Committee. His team now has rehired many of the 60 staffers who were fired when Trump took control last month.

• The team’s growing pains were evident from the start of Trump’s takeover of the RNC. On his first day, new chief operating officer Sean Cairncross alerted the 60 staffers that they were being asked to resign and reapply, in an email that misspelled his name.

• Lara Trump initially said she hoped to hire conservative activist and conspiracy theorist Scott Presler, who called the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol “the largest civil rights protest in American history.”

• The RNC got more unwanted attention for asking job candidates whether they thought the 2020 election was stolen.

• And after Lara Trump suggested the RNC might pay Donald Trump’s legal bills, the team rushed to reassure RNC members that it wouldn’t. Instead, a pro-Trump PAC is paying the legal fees.

• The headlines about Trump’s bumpy takeover of the RNC caused concern at the highest levels of his campaign. On March 15, Trump co-campaign manager Susie Wiles told senior staffers that the new RNC’s first week had gotten awful media coverage and things had to change, Axios has learned.

Washington Examiner: You’re rehired: Trump’s RNC chaos continues with reversal of 60 firings and high-level frustration

By: Misty Severi

• Former President Donald Trump‘s team recently rehired 60 former Republican National Committee staffers who were asked to resign when Trump took over the party‘s financing arm, marking the latest twist for the committee.

• The 60 staffers, which include regional political directors, members of the data and state strategy teams, and most of the RNC’s state directors, were initially asked to resign and reapply for their positions during the first day of Trump’s takeover.

• The reversal is the latest in a string of issues for the RNC since Trump and his allies took power last month. Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump, and Michael Whatley are now RNC co-chairs after former RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel’s was ousted.

• Other issues include backlash over a reported plan to cut community centers and an early voting program, backlash over Lara Trump suggesting the RNC might pay the former president’s legal bills, and asking job applicants whether they believe the 2020 election was stolen.

• All the bad press had top leaders, including co-campaign manager for Trump, Susie Wiles, concerned. On March 15, Wiles told staffers that things had to change, according to Axios. The reversal also highlights the committee’s need to expand its operations in order to be fully operational and effective.

The post ICYMI: Chaos, Headaches, Backtracking, and Second-Guessing: Welcome to Trump’s RNC! appeared first on Democrats.

Donald Trump surrounds himself with the most out-of-touch extremists he can find – and is already planning to fill his Cabinet with far-right MAGA fanatics ready to push his dangerous agenda. As Trump floats MAGA extremist Tom Cotton for secretary of defense, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement:

“Tom Cotton wants to side with dictators over our allies, put anti-choice extremism ahead of our military readiness, and use military force against protestors – all of which have made him a favorite of Donald Trump to run the Pentagon. Cotton and Trump share the same dangerous and unpopular platform that would put America’s interests last. The American people know how reckless Trump’s MAGA foreign policy agenda would be, and have no interest in letting a far-right extremist like Cotton be in charge of our national defense.”

MAGA extremist Tom Cotton is reportedly being considered to be Trump’s pick for secretary of defense.

Axios: “Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas … would be considered to head the Pentagon.”

Semafor: “Cotton … is expected to be a candidate for secretary of defense.”

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: “Cotton endorses Donald Trump’s presidential reelection bid.”

Cotton has defended Trump’s shameful comments encouraging Russia to attack our NATO allies, and both Cotton and Trump are siding with Putin over supporting Ukraine.

The Guardian: “Republicans say Trump call for Russia to attack Nato allies was just fine, actually”

“Tom Cotton echoes fellow GOP senators, saying former president was ‘simply ringing the warning bell’”

Cotton: “NATO countries that don’t spend enough on defense, like Germany, are already encouraging Russian aggression and President Trump is simply ringing the warning bell.”

Semafor: “​​In recent months, Senators Hagerty, Cotton and Rubio have also backed Trump’s public skepticism towards funding Ukraine.”

Cotton is an anti-abortion extremist who supported Tommy Tuberville’s monthslong blockade of military nominations and promotions.

Yellowhammer: “Cotton defends Tuberville military holds”

The Hill: “Cotton: Women in military should take leave if they want an abortion where it is banned”

2021: Cotton cosponsored a national abortion ban.

2022: Cotton voted against the omnibus spending bill that included reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

With Trump’s support, Cotton called for using military force against protestors.

Axios: “Trump backs Tom Cotton’s call to deploy military to quell protests”

USA Today: “’Abhorrent’ and ‘dangerous’: Sen. Cotton’s call for military response to protests receives criticism”

“In the op-ed, Cotton, a veteran Republican from Arkansas, calls on President Donald Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act and send the military into cities.”

Business Insider: “GOP Sen. Tom Cotton calls for the US Army’s toughest soldiers to quell ‘domestic terrorism’ and suggests protesters should be shown no mercy”

Washington Post: “After staff uproar, New York Times says Sen. Tom Cotton op-ed urging military incursion into U.S. cities ‘did not meet our standards’”

The post Trump’s Cabinet 2025: MAGA Extremist Tom Cotton in Charge of the Pentagon appeared first on Democrats.

In response to today’s strong March jobs report, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement:

“Thanks to President Biden, America’s economy is booming — and today’s jobs record proves it. After Donald Trump left office with the worst jobs record since the Great Depression, President Biden brought America back, helping to create over 15 million new jobs and overseeing an unemployment rate under 4% for the longest stretch in more than 50 years. Now, Trump is running on a disastrous MAGAnomics agenda to gift tax cuts to billionaires while he roots for our economy to crash for his own political gain. President Biden is fighting every day to grow the economy from the bottom up and the middle out and give working people a fair shot, while Donald Trump is plotting to help his billionaire buddies pay even less in taxes. This November, the American people will reelect President Biden because his economic agenda is delivering for them, while Trump is only focused on himself and his ultra-rich friends.”

NEW: Thanks to President Biden, the American economy added 303,000 jobs in March, while the unemployment rate remained under 4% for the 26th consecutive month.

NBC News: “The U.S. economy rolls on, adds 303,000 jobs in March”

“The U.S. economy added 303,000 jobs in March, blowing past expectations and indicating that growth remains on a firm footing.

“The reading represents the largest one-month boost in payrolls since May 2023 and is a significant increase from the 270,000 added in February and the 256,000 in January.

“Economists had forecast that about 200,000 jobs would be added for March.

“The unemployment rate declined slightly to 3.8%, and wage growth came in at 4.1% over the last 12 months, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said.”

CNN: “March jobs report comes in hot: The US economy added 303,000 positions last month”

“The US job market is also one of the strongest, historically: The economy has added jobs for 39 consecutive months, marking the fifth-longest period of job expansion on record, BLS data shows. The unemployment rate has been below 4% for 26 months in a row, the longest streak since the late 1960s.”

USA Today: “Today’s jobs report shows economy added booming 303K jobs in March, unemployment at 3.8%”

The Guardian: “US workforce adds 303,000 jobs in March – far more than expected.”

Reuters: “US job growth blows past expectations; unemployment rate falls to 3.8%”

Reminder: America has the world’s best economic recovery under President Biden’s watch.

Washington Post: “Falling inflation, rising growth give U.S. the world’s best recovery”

“Since 2020, the United States has powered through a once-in-a-century pandemic, the highest inflation in 40 years and fallout from two foreign wars. Now, after posting faster annual growth last year than in 2022, the U.S. economy is quashing fears of a recession while offering lessons for future crisis-fighting.

“On Friday, President Biden hailed fresh government data showing that annual inflation over the second half of 2023 fell back to the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target. Coupled with Thursday’s news that the economy grew by 3.1 percent over the past 12 months, the Commerce Department report showed that the United States appears to have achieved an economic soft landing.”

Axios: “U.S. winning world economic war”

“The United States economy grew faster than any other large advanced economy last year — by a wide margin — and is on track to do so again in 2024.”

Associated Press: “American consumers feeling more confident than they have in two years”

Forbes: “U.S. Economy Grew 2.5% Last Year, Defying Recession Calls”

Politico: “US growth shatters expectations, boosting Biden’s economic pitch”

Meanwhile, Donald Trump owns the worst jobs record in modern American history.

Fortune: “Trump to leave office with the worst jobs record since Herbert Hoover”

Washington Post: “President Trump took office at the crest of the longest economic expansion in U.S. history. He leaves presiding over the worst labor market in modern U.S. history, as an already-sputtering economic recovery has turned negative.”

Bloomberg: “Trump’s Jobs Record Fell Short of Promises Even Before the Virus”

Trump’s MAGAnomics tax scam gifted handouts to the ultra-rich and big corporations while leaving working families behind.

Forbes: “Trump Tax Cuts Helped Billionaires Pay Less Taxes Than The Working Class In 2018”

CBS News: “Two years after Trump tax cuts, middle-class Americans are falling behind”

The Guardian: “They were billed as a ‘middle-class miracle’ but according to a new book Donald Trump’s $1.5tn tax cuts have helped billionaires pay a lower rate than the working class for the first time in history.”

Washington Post Analysis: “One of President Donald Trump’s lesser-known but profoundly damaging legacies will be the explosive rise in the national debt that occurred on his watch. The financial burden that he’s inflicted on our government will wreak havoc for decades, saddling our kids and grandkids with debt. The national debt has risen by almost $7.8 trillion during Trump’s time in office.”

Washington Post Analysis: “The growth in the annual deficit under Trump ranks as the third-biggest increase, relative to the size of the economy, of any U.S. presidential administration, according to a calculation by Eugene Steuerle, co-founder of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.”

Politico: “The nation’s fiscal outlook looks ever bleaker, thanks in part to deficit spending during President Donald Trump’s first term, Congress’ nonpartisan budget scorekeeper projected Tuesday.”

Trump is now rooting for the economy to crash to help his political standing.

Trump: “And when there’s a crash — I hope it’s going to be during this next 12 months because I don’t want to be Herbert Hoover. The one president I just don’t want to be, Herbert Hoover.”

Daily Beast: “Donald Trump admitted Monday that he wants a severe economic downturn to happen during the next year, because it will help his odds of winning the presidential election.”

The post NEW: President Biden’s Economy Added More than 15 Million Jobs While Trump Left Office With the Worst Jobs Record Since the Great Depression appeared first on Democrats.