Politics, Parties, Candidates
Here's a look at documents from politicians, candidates and interested parties
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STATEMENT: Ahead of NCGOP Convention, Reminder That Republicans Are Disgusted Whatley Knowingly Elevated a Child Predator
RALEIGH, North Carolina, June 10 -- The North Carolina Democratic Party posted the following news:
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STATEMENT: Ahead of NCGOP Convention, Reminder That Republicans Are Disgusted Whatley Knowingly Elevated a Child Predator
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As DC insider Michael Whatley is set to speak at the NCGOP Convention that starts tomorrow, here's a reminder that he will face a base enraged by the fact that he knowingly appointed convicted child sex predator Harvey West to NCGOP leadership multiple times:
Michele Woodhouse, a Republican activist: "There's really nothing Michael Whatley could do that would get
... Show Full Article
RALEIGH, North Carolina, June 10 -- The North Carolina Democratic Party posted the following news:
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STATEMENT: Ahead of NCGOP Convention, Reminder That Republicans Are Disgusted Whatley Knowingly Elevated a Child Predator
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As DC insider Michael Whatley is set to speak at the NCGOP Convention that starts tomorrow, here's a reminder that he will face a base enraged by the fact that he knowingly appointed convicted child sex predator Harvey West to NCGOP leadership multiple times:
Michele Woodhouse, a Republican activist: "There's really nothing Michael Whatley could do that would getme to vote for him."
Woodhouse: "There have been quite a few of us who have been ringing the bell on this for years," she told Secrets. "We were just met with kind of 'the good old boys network' resistance and told it was no big deal. 'Nothing to see here.'" [...] "And you know, Michael Whatley has not denounced this at all," she added.
Margaret Ackiss, a member of the NCGOP's 11th Congressional District executive committee : "I'm not making excuses for the sec [sic] offender and Whatley. There have been warnings for years."
David A. Williams, a "lifelong" Republican: "Aside from any forgiveness owed him, he is unfit for public office. As a lifelong republican, who still upholds in principle the current platform of the Republican Party, I am aghast. As a Christian, I am supremely disappointed to know that Whatley has no more integrity, no more judgment than to place politics over the public welfare."
The conservative Daily Haymaker: "Meanwhile, Republican US Senate candidate Michael Whatley - while state GOP chairman -had an interesting relationship with a fellow named Harvey West, which is now national news"
Nearly three months since Whatley was exposed for knowingly elevating a convicted child sex predator, he continues to dodge questions at all costs - even by straight up lying.
"DC insider Michael Whatley knowingly elevated a convicted child sex offender multiple times - and even his own party knows that is disgusting and disqualifying," said Mallory Payne, senior communications advisor for the North Carolina Democratic Party. "It's past time for Whatley to break his three months of silence and finally explain why he protected a child predator. Whatley has proven he will put his political allies ahead of the safety of North Carolina families and that he can't be trusted in the U.S. Senate."
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Original text here: https://www.ncdp.org/media/statement-ahead-of-ncgop-convention-reminder-that-republicans-are-disgusted-whatley-knowingly-elevated-a-child-predator/
Randy Villegas Added to DCCC's Coveted 'Red to Blue' Program
WASHINGTON, June 10 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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Randy Villegas Added to DCCC's Coveted 'Red to Blue' Program
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Villegas will flip CA-22 blue and help take back the House majority
Today, the DCCC announced that Randy Villegas has been added to the committee's highly competitive 'Red to Blue' program, signaling that the DCCC is invested in providing Villegas, a top-tier candidate, with the support needed to continue building a winning campaign as he runs for California's 22nd Congressional District.
"Randy Villegas is a son
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, June 10 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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Randy Villegas Added to DCCC's Coveted 'Red to Blue' Program
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Villegas will flip CA-22 blue and help take back the House majority
Today, the DCCC announced that Randy Villegas has been added to the committee's highly competitive 'Red to Blue' program, signaling that the DCCC is invested in providing Villegas, a top-tier candidate, with the support needed to continue building a winning campaign as he runs for California's 22nd Congressional District.
"Randy Villegas is a sonof the Valley and has spent his career fighting for working families left behind by David Valadao's failed representation, votes to gut health care, and history of selling out the Valley to his party bosses and billionaires. Randy is a people-first leader capable of energizing voters and winning this seat, and we are all in to elect him and flip this seat," said DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene.
The son of Mexican immigrants, Randy Villegas is a Central Valley native, auto repair shop owner, and educator who has spent his life fighting for his community. He attended Bakersfield public schools and grew up in a working-class family that relied on Medi-Cal and WIC to make ends meet - the same programs now under threat because of David Valadao's votes to gut health care and SNAP. Through hard work and education, Randy worked his way out of poverty and went on to serve students and families on his local school board. Randy is a working-class leader fighting to ensure Valley families have the representation they deserve - someone who will work to lower costs, increase access to affordable health care and medicine, and ensure government works for working people, not special interests and billionaires. In this increasingly competitive Trump +2 seat, Valadao has made himself more vulnerable by turning his back on the Valley, gutting the very health care programs Randy grew up on, and putting party politics ahead of his constituents.
Following the overwhelming passage of Proposition 50, CA-22 shifted from a Trump +6 district to an increasingly competitive Trump +2, and is now rated a toss-up by national race raters. In this predominantly Latino district, David Valadao is hemorrhaging support among Latino and all voters over his broken promises.
Red to Blue is a highly competitive and battle-tested DCCC program that arms top-tier candidates with organizational and fundraising support to help them continue building winning campaigns. Additionally, through Red to Blue the DCCC provides strategic guidance, staff resources, candidate trainings, fundraising support, and more.
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Original text here: https://dccc.org/randy-villegas-added-to-dcccs-coveted-red-to-blue-program/
ICYMI: Cook Political Report: "Ohio Poll Could Portend Trouble for Republicans"
COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 10 -- The Ohio Democratic Party posted the following news:
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ICYMI: Cook Political Report: "Ohio Poll Could Portend Trouble for Republicans"
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COLUMBUS, OH - With Donald Trump's disastrous economic policies - like the tariffs that are raising the price of goods, the reckless war with Iran that is raising gas prices, and the healthcare cuts that are ripping care away from Ohio families and putting hospitals at risk - new polling could indicate that "his political problems had metastasized and spread to infect Republican candidates on the November ballot in swing states
... Show Full Article
COLUMBUS, Ohio, June 10 -- The Ohio Democratic Party posted the following news:
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ICYMI: Cook Political Report: "Ohio Poll Could Portend Trouble for Republicans"
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COLUMBUS, OH - With Donald Trump's disastrous economic policies - like the tariffs that are raising the price of goods, the reckless war with Iran that is raising gas prices, and the healthcare cuts that are ripping care away from Ohio families and putting hospitals at risk - new polling could indicate that "his political problems had metastasized and spread to infect Republican candidates on the November ballot in swing statesand districts." As the Cook Political Report emphasizes, this new Fox News poll "is the first to make clear that, with his many controversial moves, Trump may have politically 'jumped the shark.'"
"While Donald Trump campaigned on the promise to lower costs 'on day one,' his devastating economic policies like his tariffs, reckless war with Iran, and healthcare cuts are doing the opposite - and Ohio Republicans up and down the ballot are now left to own the ways that these policies are raising costs and devastating Ohio families of all political backgrounds," said Ohio Democratic Party Communications Director Marisa Nahem. "As Ohio Republicans are on defense doing backflips to try to justify their party's extreme and unpopular economic agenda, Ohio Democrats will continue to connect with Ohioans of all political backgrounds to share their winning message to lower costs and get our state back on track in November."
Read more from the Cook Political Report about how this new polling suggests "far greater danger for Republicans in November than was previously evident."
Cook Political Report: Ohio Poll Could Portend Trouble for Republicans
* A Fox News poll of 1,015 registered voters in Ohio, released on Thursday, could well be the canary in the midterm coal mine, suggesting far greater danger for Republicans in November than was previously evident. The analysis by Dana Blanton, who heads the Fox polling unit, as well as the poll's topline results and crosstabs, are all worth reading. When reading the numbers that follow, you should know that unreleased, private, high-quality polls conducted for both sides show similar results; this poll is not an outlier. And while Fox News has its fans and detractors, its polling is first-rate.
* In the U.S. Senate and gubernatorial race matchups, the Fox News survey showed Democrats more unified behind their nominees, but importantly, running much stronger among independents. Democratic voters also placed greater emphasis on their party winning a Senate majority than Republicans did, usually a sign of a likely turnout disparity. Favorability ratings, not just for the Republican Senate and gubernatorial nominees, but for term-limited GOP Gov. Mike DeWine, Trump, and native son Vice President J.D. Vance, were lower than one might have expected, more evidence of problems for Republicans. Underwhelming numbers for Republicans in Ohio suggest that other GOP-leaning states could face similar problems.
* The poll showed former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown leading Sen. Jon Husted by 8 points, 53 to 45 percent. Brown was first elected to the Senate in 2006, President George W. Bush's second-term midterm election, a tough year for the GOP. He was reelected in 2012 and 2018 before losing his bid for a third term in 2024 to Bernie Moreno, a wealthy automobile dealer.
* In the Fox poll, Brown led Husted among fellow Democrats, 98 percent to 2 percent. Husted led among Republicans, 86 to 13 percent, with independents giving Brown an 18-point lead, 53 to 35 percent.
* The gubernatorial race is effectively tied. Amy Acton, who ran the state Department of Health during the COVID pandemic and is now the Democratic nominee, ran ahead of technology entrepreneur and 2024 GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy by 1 point, 50 to 49 percent. Acton prevails among Democrats, 93 to 7 percent, while Ramaswamy wins among Republicans, 89 to 10 percent. Independents give Acton an 8-point edge, 51 to 43 percent.
* The favorability ratings are instructive. In the Fox News 2024 Election Voter Analysis poll (what we used to call exit polls) in Ohio, Trump was at 52 percent favorable and 46 percent unfavorable for a net + 6; in this new survey, he is at 42 percent favorable and 57 percent unfavorable, a net -15. In 2024, Vance was at 48 percent favorable and 43 percent unfavorable, for a net +5; now it's 45 percent favorable and 52 percent unfavorable, for a net -7. DeWine won reelection in 2022 with 62 percent of the vote and in 2024 was at 53 percent favorable and 41 percent unfavorable, for a net +12; now it's dead even at 48-48. Husted is at 41 percent favorable and 50 percent unfavorable, for a net -9.
* While Trump's national numbers have been bad for some time, until now there haven't been many indications that his political problems had metastasized and spread to infect Republican candidates on the November ballot in swing states and districts. The recipe for midterm disaster has long been diminished enthusiasm among those in a president's party, a hyper-energized opposition-party base, and true independents moving disproportionately against candidates of the incumbent's party. This Fox poll is the first to make clear that, with his many controversial moves, Trump may have politically "jumped the shark."
* While Trump's problems will simply knock a few points off of the victory margins for most Republicans in ruby-red, solidly Republican states and districts, they threaten to put those GOP candidates with constituencies closer to the edge into untenable positions.
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Original text here: https://ohiodems.org/icymi-cook-political-report-ohio-poll-could-portend-trouble-for-republicans/
Democratic Governors Association: Like Burt Jones, Rick Jackson Says He Would Ban Abortion With No Exceptions for Rape
WASHINGTON, June 10 -- The Democratic Governors Association posted the following news on June 9, 2026:
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Like Burt Jones, Rick Jackson Says He Would Ban Abortion With No Exceptions for Rape
New reporting from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reveals Rick Jackson would push Georgia's extreme abortion ban even further, and would pursue an abortion ban without exceptions for rape.
He was also caught saying rape victims need to "prove it" before accessing abortion, Georgia should "tighten up" access to abortion pills, which are used in a vast majority of abortions statewide, and that he would
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, June 10 -- The Democratic Governors Association posted the following news on June 9, 2026:
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Like Burt Jones, Rick Jackson Says He Would Ban Abortion With No Exceptions for Rape
New reporting from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reveals Rick Jackson would push Georgia's extreme abortion ban even further, and would pursue an abortion ban without exceptions for rape.
He was also caught saying rape victims need to "prove it" before accessing abortion, Georgia should "tighten up" access to abortion pills, which are used in a vast majority of abortions statewide, and that he wouldbe open to criminalizing doctors who provide reproductive healthcare.
Jackson has already promised to enforce even stricter limits on abortion if elected governor, despite the state's current ban being so extreme that it resulted in the deaths of at least two women.
In the GOP runoff on Tuesday, Jackson will face Burt Jones, who supports a total abortion ban without exceptions for rape or the life of the mother - proof that no matter who wins next week, Georgians will be left with a GOP nominee with an extreme and dangerous record on reproductive rights.
Read more below:
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/06/georgia-leaders-press-marta-on-safety-ahead-of-world-cup/): "Abortion Law"
* Jackson supports Georgia's anti-abortion law, which bans the procedure as early as six weeks and includes exceptions for rape and incest.
* But at a recent campaign stop in east Georgia, he appeared open to new limits pressed by a voter who worried doctors could "fudge" records to claim a pregnancy was earlier than it was.
* "What do you think you could do as governor to go after doctors who just do something like that?" asked the voter at a Walton County barbecue in audio obtained by the AJC.
* "Well, you basically make it against the law, No. 1," Jackson said. "No. 2, they have to have evidence to prove in order to not have liability themselves. They need to be able to prove it."
* He added: "If you implement that, doctors are not going to risk their license."
* The voter responded: "I think you know that you could make an example of one or two doctors."
* Jackson: "Absolutely."
* The same voter also pressed him on the law's rape exception, which she said she opposes, saying "two wrongs don't make a right."
* Jackson responded: "You've still got life."
* The voter continued: "It seems to me that, if a woman is saying she was raped, she needs to prove it. You know?"
HuffPost (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/leaked-audio-shows-gop-candidate-agreeing-that-women-should-prove-rape-to-access-abortion_n_6a0f1637e4b0bb04cec3cc88): Leaked Audio Shows GOP Candidate Agreeing That Women Should 'Prove' Rape To Access Abortion
* Rick Jackson, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Georgia, appears to believe women should have to prove they were raped before being eligible for an abortion exception under the state's six-week ban, according to leaked audio reviewed by HuffPost.
* While speaking with a community member at an annual barbecue event in April, Jackson discussed his views on abortion, including the state's current six-week abortion ban. The law only allows exceptions for victims of rape and incest, when the fetus is not able to survive outside of the womb, and when the life or health of a pregnant person is at risk.
* Jackson, a billionaire Republican political donor, agreed with the community member who said "two wrongs don't make a right" regarding rape victims accessing abortion care.
* When the community member said she wanted to see "babies born no matter how they were conceived," referring to rape, Jackson replied: "You still got life, it's still a life." He then agreed with her when she said a woman who says she was raped "needs to prove it" to be eligible for an exception under the state's already-extreme abortion ban. The support to "prove" rape is a sentiment widely shared in anti-abortion circles, which believe unfounded claims that women use rape exceptions as loopholes to access abortion care.
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Original text here: https://democraticgovernors.org/updates/like-burt-jones-rick-jackson-says-he-would-ban-abortion-with-no-exceptions-for-rape/
DNC: Shot/Chaser - Nearly 100 Days Ago, JD Vance Said Trump's War With Iran Wouldn't Last Long
WASHINGTON, June 10 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on June 9, 2026:
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Shot/Chaser: Nearly 100 Days Ago, JD Vance Said Trump's War with Iran Wouldn't Last Long
SHOT: JD Vance said his and Donald Trump's deadly and costly war with Iran would not last long.
JD Vance: "There's just no way Donald Trump is going to allow this country to get into a multi-year conflict with no clear end in sight and no clear objective."
CHASER: Three months later, Trump and Vance's war with Iran is still raging on with no end in sight.
Last night on Fox News, Vance offered
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, June 10 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on June 9, 2026:
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Shot/Chaser: Nearly 100 Days Ago, JD Vance Said Trump's War with Iran Wouldn't Last Long
SHOT: JD Vance said his and Donald Trump's deadly and costly war with Iran would not last long.
JD Vance: "There's just no way Donald Trump is going to allow this country to get into a multi-year conflict with no clear end in sight and no clear objective."
CHASER: Three months later, Trump and Vance's war with Iran is still raging on with no end in sight.
Last night on Fox News, Vance offeredno clarity on the status of the negotiations to end the war and no clear timeline for the war after he failed to negotiate an end to the war earlier this year.
The Trump administration continues to push the timeline for the war with Iran as Americans are struggling to get by under even higher prices as a result of the war.
Since the war began, global fuel stockpiles are nearing the lowest levels on record, and analysts warn that if the Strait of Hormuz does not reopen imminently, prices at the pump will continue to soar. The average price of gas has already climbed to $4.16 per gallon, and the average U.S. household has spent an additional $450 on energy costs since the war started.
In response, DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer released the following statement:
"JD Vance is a coward. After campaigning with Donald Trump on 'no new wars,' he's now grasping at straws to defend the deadly and costly war he and Trump started. Americans are bearing the cost and they have made it abundantly clear that they don't want this war -- but it's dragging on as prices at home continue to soar and Trump and Vance don't seem to know how to bring it to an end and don't care enough to bring relief to working families."
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Original text here: https://democrats.org/news/shot-chaser-nearly-100-days-ago-jd-vance-said-trumps-war-with-iran-wouldnt-last-long/
DNC: Dr. Oz Calls Medicaid Expansion a "Great Danger"
WASHINGTON, June 10 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on June 9, 2026:
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Dr. Oz Calls Medicaid Expansion a "Great Danger"
In an interview this morning, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz said, "We created a program with great danger when we allowed the expansion of Medicaid."
Donald Trump and Republicans already made the single largest cut to Medicaid in history with their "One, Big Beautiful Bill," and Trump has consistently opposed providing additional funds to this critical program that helps tens of millions of Americans
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, June 10 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on June 9, 2026:
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Dr. Oz Calls Medicaid Expansion a "Great Danger"
In an interview this morning, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz said, "We created a program with great danger when we allowed the expansion of Medicaid."
Donald Trump and Republicans already made the single largest cut to Medicaid in history with their "One, Big Beautiful Bill," and Trump has consistently opposed providing additional funds to this critical program that helps tens of millions of Americansget healthcare.
Nearly 21 million Americans are enrolled in Medicaid expansion programs across 40 states. These programs have dramatically lowered uninsured rates in rural communities, helped rural hospitals and health clinics keep their doors open, helped reduce new and unpaid medical debt, and lowered overall healthcare costs.
In response, DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer released the following statement:
"Donald Trump and Republicans already made massive cuts to Medicaid, and they've been clear that they won't stop there. Again and again, Republicans admit it: they're coming after Americans' healthcare, food assistance, and retirement programs. Trump and Republicans have no qualms spending billions of taxpayer dollars on foreign wars and tax cuts for the rich, but won't hesitate to slash critical programs working families rely on."
Oz's comments come just one day after House Speaker Mike Johnson said programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid "have to be adjusted and fixed" and that Republicans have a plan to make additional cuts. Earlier this year, Trump admitted, "We're fighting wars... It's not possible for us to take care of daycare. Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things, they can do it on a state basis."
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Original text here: https://democrats.org/news/dr-oz-calls-medicaid-expansion-a-great-danger/
CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Rob Wittman Fakes Phone Call to Avoid Answering for Plan to Cut Social Security
WASHINGTON, June 10 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Rob Wittman Fakes Phone Call to Avoid Answering for Plan to Cut Social Security
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Wittman refuses to answer questions about his party bosses' reported plans to slash Social Security
Vulnerable Congressman Rob Wittman just got caught in 4K.
When asked yesterday about his D.C. party bosses' reported plan to cut Social Security, Wittman "was caught red-handed" pretending to take a phone call... while his screen visibly showed that he was faking it.
The video
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, June 10 -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee posted the following news release:
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CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Rob Wittman Fakes Phone Call to Avoid Answering for Plan to Cut Social Security
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Wittman refuses to answer questions about his party bosses' reported plans to slash Social Security
Vulnerable Congressman Rob Wittman just got caught in 4K.
When asked yesterday about his D.C. party bosses' reported plan to cut Social Security, Wittman "was caught red-handed" pretending to take a phone call... while his screen visibly showed that he was faking it.
The videohas racked up nearly 3 million views on X alone.
WATCH IT FOR YOURSELF:
DCCC Spokesperson Eli Cousin:
"Career politician Rob Wittman has spent nearly 20 years in Washington hurting Virginians while looking out for himself. He can't answer for his own record of supporting cuts to Social Security that would devastate Virginia seniors. Wittman has become the ultimate swamp creature and that's exactly why voters will fire him in November." Wittman has a record of going after Social Security. He has voted for an amendment that would have forced deep cuts to Social Security, and also voted to privatize Social Security.
Read the coverage:
Wittman continues to fake the call for some 70 seconds as the reporter repeatedly asks for details of Johnson's plan to cut Social Security without receiving a response...
The interaction came a day after a radio appearance in which Johnson said that he had a plan to "adjust and fix" programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) was caught red-handed on Tuesday after a reporter questioned him about a plan to cut Social Security, and the congressman took drastic action to dodge him.
The phone, however, remained lit and visible, showing a screen that was clearly not one for a phone call. The screen flips and changes a few times throughout the course of the "call," seemingly due to accidental taps from the congressman's ear. When the "call" concludes, Wittman does not visibly hang up the call, merely swiping out of the non-phone call screen back to home.
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Original text here: https://dccc.org/caught-on-camera-rob-wittman-fakes-phone-call-to-avoid-answering-for-plan-to-cut-social-security/
