In response to reports that Donald Trump plans to hire far-right extremist Laura Loomer to support his 2024 presidential bid, DNC National Press Secretary and Rapid Response Director Ammar Moussa released the following statement:
“It should come as no surprise that the same Donald Trump who defends white supremacists wants to formally bring on a self-described white nationalist to support his campaign — but it is no less vile. In a normal world, Republicans would immediately condemn this, but after they’ve spent years making countless excuses for Donald Trump, we won’t hold our breath.”
Echoing calls from Trump and fellow MAGA Republicans, Ron DeSantis is threatening to defund the DOJ and the FBI— embracing the latest salvo in the race for the MAGA base.
Last night, DeSantis revealed the latest piece of his MAGA agenda: threatening the funding of federal law enforcement.
DeSantis: “They’re never using that number one constitutional power they have — the power of the purse — to rein in these administrative agencies. And so you have something like DOJ and FBI — well, if you never hold them accountable through the legislative process, either through law, or through budget, of course power is going to accumulate there.”
And just this week, Trump called to defund law enforcement after attempting to cut funding for law enforcement programs EVERY SINGLE YEAR he was in office.
NBC News: “Former President Donald Trump is egging on Republicans in Congress to ‘defund’ federal law enforcement ahead of a government funding deadline this fall.
“‘Republicans in Congress should defund the DOJ and FBI until they come to their senses,’ he posted on his social media platform, writing in all-caps. ‘The Democrats have totally weaponized law enforcement in our country and are viciously using this abuse of power to interfere with our already under siege elections!’”
Jonathan Allen, NBC News: “When Trump was president, he proposed slashing federal funding for local police forces.”
This follows repeated calls from MAGA Republicans in Congress to cut funding for law enforcement in their budget.
Insider: “Far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says she won’t vote for a budget without cuts to DOJ and FBI.”
MSNBC: “House Republican calls for defunding Homeland Security department”Punchbowl: “According to Biden administration estimates … Roughly 11,000 FBI personnel could be laid off.”
As Florida Republicans prepare to send yet another extreme abortion ban to Ron DeSantis’s desk for signature at his urging, Americans are rejecting DeSantis and Republicans’ dangerous anti-choice agenda.
As he races to out-MAGA the rest of the 2024 GOP field, DeSantis is pushing to fulfill his 2018 campaign pledge to sign legislation banning abortion before many women know they’re pregnant.
Associated Press: “Florida Senate passes 6-week abortion ban backed by DeSantis”
Tallahassee Democrat: “DeSantis in his 2018 campaign for governor said during the Republican primary that he would support a law banning abortion when a fetal heartbeat is thought to be detected, usually around six weeks.”
This comes on the heels of an abortion ban signed in his first term, with NO exceptions for rape or incest.
NPR: “The new 15-week ban does not make exceptions for cases of incest, rape or human trafficking.”
Under the abortion ban DeSantis signed into law last year, a child incest victim and women across Florida have already been forced to leave the state to access care.
Orlando Weekly: “Middle school-aged incest victim was turned away from Florida abortion clinics under 15-week ban”
Washington Post: “But when the Florida resident tried to get an abortion last July, she was stonewalled by a state law that had gone into effect days earlier banning most abortions after 15 weeks. After she couldn’t find a doctor who would give her a medical exemption in fear of a potential lawsuit, Lopes said she was forced to fly more than 1,000 miles from South Florida to Washington, D.C., to get an abortion when she was 16 weeks and three days.”
Washington Post: “Nobody expected things to happen the way they did when halfway through their planned and seemingly healthy pregnancy, a routine ultrasound revealed the fetus had devastating abnormalities, pitching the dazed couple into the uncharted landscape of Florida’s new abortion law … Even though medical experts expect their baby to survive only 20 minutes to a couple of hours, the Dorberts say their doctors told them that because of the new legislation, they could not terminate the pregnancy.”
But DeSantis’s extreme, anti-choice agenda is unpopular in Florida — and the rest of the country.
Joining with MAGA Republicans in the House, Donald Trump is calling to defund the FBI and Department of Justice. This is far from Trump’s first attempt to undermine and defund law enforcement — he repeatedly attempted to slash their funding while in office.
Trump showed his unabashed support for defunding law enforcement, echoing calls from his MAGA supporters in Congress.
Sahil Kapur: “Donald Trump pressures Republicans to defund the (federal) police.”
MAGA Republicans in Congress have repeatedly called to defund law enforcement.
Insider: “Far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says she won’t vote for a budget without cuts to DOJ and FBI.”
MSNBC: “House Republican calls for defunding Homeland Security department”
Punchbowl: “According to Biden administration estimates … Roughly 11,000 FBI personnel could be laid off.”
Let’s not forget that EVERY SINGLE YEAR he was in office, Trump proposed cuts to law enforcement in his federal budget.
Jonathan Allen, NBC News: “When Trump was president, he proposed slashing federal funding for local police forces.”
Trump’s budget plans would have cut funding to the Community Oriented Policing Services program, which provides funding to state and local law enforcement agencies.
Wall Street Journal: “The [Trump] administration’s 2021 budget, like all its previous budgets, recommended eliminating the Community Relations Services and Community Oriented Policing Services and placing their functions under other parts of the department to ‘improve efficiency.’ Both … would retain limited funding if moved.”
And let’s not forget that Trump has spread lies about the 2020 election, and on January 6, 2021, incited a mob that violently attacked police officers who were heroically defending the Capitol.
CNN: “Roughly 114 US Capitol Police officers reported injuries as a result of the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, a government watchdog said in a new report Monday, well above the previously widely reported estimate of around 80 injured officers.”
In the states this week, local news featured President Biden kicking off his administration’s “Investing in America” tour in North Carolina, which over the next few weeks will highlight how the president’s economic policies are benefiting hard-working Americans across the country and reinforce what’s at stake if MAGA Republicans in Congress get their way, repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and slash funding for manufacturing, research, and innovation.
Here’s what they’re saying about President Biden’s visit to the Tar Heel State:
The Biden-Harris administration and Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act is continuing to deliver historic investments to working families. Here is just some of the recent coverage on Democrats’ investments across the country:
While President Biden and Democrats remain focused on delivering for the American people, Republicans around the country continue to prioritize their extreme MAGA agenda. In the wake of the tragic school shooting in Nashville, Florida Republicans sent a permitless carry bill to Ron DeSantis’ desk on Thursday at his urging. This legislation could make it easier for criminals to carry guns, and DeSantis has gone even further by expressing support for open carry legislation.
DeSantis also held a book tour event at a gun store in Georgia just days after the horrific school shooting in Nashville, prompting backlash for his attempt to boost his national profile and win over the MAGA base by standing with the gun lobby over children’s lives.
Despite Ron DeSantis calling President Biden and Democrats’ American Rescue Plan “Washington at its worst,” DeSantis took credit for the funding it provided to hand out bonuses to law enforcement in Florida. But the truth is: If DeSantis had his way, Florida wouldn’t have had these resources to deliver for law enforcement and first responders.
DeSantis criticized President Biden’s American Rescue Plan time and time again, even calling it “Washington at its worst.”
Tallahassee Democrat: “DeSantis also said of the American Rescue Plan, ‘… It’s Washington at its worst.’”
Rolling Stone: “DeSantis Brags About Florida Budget That Includes Billions in Federal Funds He Opposed”
In a stunning display of hypocrisy, though, DeSantis has made a production of taking credit for the funding he criticized.
The Palm Beach Post: “The federal dollars that will fund the bonuses came courtesy of the Biden administration and congressional Democrats – and were steadfastly opposed by Capitol Hill Republicans.”
Tallahassee Democrat: “In addition, the $1,000 bonuses spread among teachers, law enforcement and first responders that the governor wants lawmakers to approve is financed with the federal aid.”
In the latest 2024 MAGA salvo, Donald Trump is doubling down on saying he would “get rid of the Department of Education.” Trump’s efforts to gut public education at the expense of America’s kids is anything but new. As president, Trump put Betsy DeVos in charge and worked alongside her to try and gut public education funding every single year he was in office — all while pushing to move billions in taxpayer money to support private schools.
Donald Trump proposed slashing billions in funding from the Department of Education — every single year he was in office.
Inside Higher Education: “President Trump called for a $7.1 billion cut to funding at the Education Department with a proposed budget that retreads familiar higher education ideas for this White House…
The proposal marks the third straight year that President Trump has asked Congress for major cuts to education spending — the proposal would mean a 12 percent cut for the Education Department from fiscal year 2019 — and to overall discretionary expenditures.”
New York Times: “[Trump’s FY21] budget proposes cutting the Education Department’s funding by 7.8 percent, to $66.6 billion.”
Donald Trump appointed extreme, conservative mega-donor Betsy DeVos to head up the Department of Education during his administration.
Washington Post: “Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for education secretary, is not just a prospective Cabinet member seeking confirmation from the U.S. Senate.
She is also a billionaire Republican donor whose family’s donations have funded the campaigns of many of the senators now tasked with voting on her nomination, including members of the committee overseeing her confirmation hearing, scheduled for Wednesday.”
Donald Trump and DeVos worked to undermine America’s public schools and push billions in taxpayer money to support private education.
Washington Post: “More than $1 billion would be spent on private school vouchers and other school choice plans under the budget proposal released Monday by President Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. The proposal also calls for slashing the Education Department’s budget and devoting more resources to career training, at the expense of four-year colleges and universities.”
Republican Glenn Youngkin joins the likes of Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, Tim Scott, and other 2024 hopefuls who haven’t named a single policy difference between themselves and Donald Trump.
Glenn Youngkin refused to name any policy differences between his and Trump’s MAGA agenda and disastrous record.
Politico: “As for former president Donald Trump, who will surely in due course have cutting words for Youngkin if the Virginian decides to compete for the Republican nomination, ‘I think there were many things that Donald Trump progressed on a policy standpoint that were extremely good.’”
Youngkin was spoon fed an opportunity to distance himself from Trump’s extremism – and still refused to break away.
Politico: “Any criticism at all of those tumultuous Trump years? ‘Well, I think what you say and how you say it,’ Youngkin offered delicately. ‘I think there is a chance to disagree with people without being disagreeable. I don’t call people names. [Avoiding insults] is just one of the things I believe is appropriate. We just have different styles.’”
It seems no one in the race for the MAGA base can name a single policy difference between themselves and Trump – even when they’re pressed for an answer on national television.
Sean Hannity: “What are differences in terms of policy positions that, for example, you may have with President Trump?”
Tim Scott: “Probably not very many at all. I am so thankful that we had President Trump in office.”
Sean Hannity: “Where would you be different on issues than President Trump?”
Pence: “Well, I said early on that the only thing I had decided was that I wasn’t gonna let anybody else make the decision for me. So whether it’s the former president or any other candidate, we’ll make a decision based on what I and my family feel called to do in this moment in the life of the nation.”
Newsweek: “Presidential hopeful Nikki Haley failed to give a clear answer on how her policies differ from former President Donald Trump’s while being quizzed by Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Wednesday.”
IN THE STATES: ACA Anniversary Highlights Health Care Contrast
In the states this week, on the 13th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, local news highlighted how President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership in building on the law has resulted in health care premiums at near record lows, enrollment at an all time high, and prescription drug costs coming down. This progress comes as MAGA Republicans continue to push to repeal the ACA and gut Medicaid, which would devastate working families.
On Thursday, legislators in North Carolina marked the ACA anniversary by passing Medicaid expansion after more than a decade of advocacy to expand health care for North Carolinians. It now heads to Governor Roy Cooper’s desk for his signature. Here’s what North Carolinians are reading about this historic move:
Also this week, President Biden designated two national monuments: Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in Nevada and Castner Range National Monument in Texas. Together, these new national monuments protect nearly 514,000 acres of public lands and honor Tribal Nations and military veterans. With these new actions, President Biden is delivering on the most ambitious land and water conservation agenda in American history. Here’s what they’re reading in Nevada and Texas:
While President Biden and Democrats remain focused on delivering for working families, Republicans around the country are continuing to prioritize their extreme agenda of banning abortion.
