Politics, Parties, Candidates
Here's a look at documents from politicians, candidates and interested parties
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Mike Rogers Touted Early Involvement With DOGE, Advised Its Leaders on Legislation to Make Michigan Cuts Permanent
LANSING, Michigan, May 19 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release on May 18, 2026:
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Mike Rogers Touted Early Involvement with DOGE, Advised Its Leaders on Legislation to Make Michigan Cuts Permanent
New reporting from MeidasTouch News reveals GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers has claimed at recent campaign events that he was involved in early discussions with DOGE leaders, told them he "loved" the cuts they were making, and advised DOGE leaders on "making [their cuts] permanent" through legislation.
As the report notes, "the DOGE cuts that Rogers praised directly
... Show Full Article
LANSING, Michigan, May 19 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release on May 18, 2026:
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Mike Rogers Touted Early Involvement with DOGE, Advised Its Leaders on Legislation to Make Michigan Cuts Permanent
New reporting from MeidasTouch News reveals GOP Senate candidate Mike Rogers has claimed at recent campaign events that he was involved in early discussions with DOGE leaders, told them he "loved" the cuts they were making, and advised DOGE leaders on "making [their cuts] permanent" through legislation.
As the report notes, "the DOGE cuts that Rogers praised directlyharmed Michiganders," causing residents to "lose access to healthcare, social security, veterans benefits, and even childhood reading programs."
Read more:
MeidasTouch News (https://meidasnews.com/news/mike-rogers-said-he-loved-doge-after-michigan-families-were-hurt-by-funding-cuts): Mike Rogers Said He Loved DOGE After Michigan Families Were Hurt By Funding Cuts
* At recent campaign stops, Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers praised the work of Elon Musk's DOGE, taking an axe to federal funding and laying off hundreds of thousands of federal workers, saying that he "loved it," and advised making them permanent, using technology to replace fired workers.
* Key programs for Michiganders were cut as a direct result of DOGE that caused residents to lose access to healthcare, social security, veterans benefits, and even childhood reading programs.
* In March, Rogers said, "I tried to tell the DOGE people, been here, done that, here's what you got to do, you got to actually tell them [to] limit the number of people. Like you have to use technology to counter it, and you can't have 100 people anymore, you got to have 60 or whatever it is, because there's these big, old, antiquated systems."
* In April, Rogers said, "Like I would go back on all the DOGE cuts and try to make sure you legislate on those cuts to make sure that two years later they can't go, 'oh, well, we just need to refill that. We're just going to fill that back up in the top.' That's the way--and that was the mistake I learned. I tried to talk to them earlier, and I kept saying, you're going to cut it, and that's great, and I love it. But if you don't legislate that they can't grow after this, then we're going to be right back in the same boat."
* The DOGE cuts that Rogers praised directly harmed Michiganders in multiple ways:
* DOGE cuts to the Social Security Administration harmed more than 1.8 million seniors in Michigan. DOGE jeopardized the distribution of social security checks, and risked the leaking of personal banking information for more than 99% of Michigan's beneficiaries.
* DOGE threatened more than 435,000 veterans in Michigan by cutting staff and contracts at the Department of Veterans Affairs. [...] As of January 2026, the Department of Veterans Affairs had lost more than 40,000 employees, with 88% from the Veterans Health Administration, leading to "drastic impacts on veterans." DOGE cuts included employees at the Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Healthcare System.
* 434,124 Michigan households benefited from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program [...] The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program especially helped children, seniors, and people with a disability, preventing deaths, and keeping families for food secure. In April of 2025, DOGE cuts resulted in the entire program staff being laid off and the program being shut down.
* From 2024 to 2025, more than 7,900 AmeriCorps volunteers and members worked across more than 1,300 service sites in Michigan. The agency invested more than $31.6 million in Michigan, and programming generated more than $17.5 million in outside resources in Michigan. DOGE cuts to AmeriCorps in Michigan resulted in a $15 million loss to grant funding in Michigan that was used to help seniors and teach children to read.
* In March 2025, DOGE cut $394 million from Michigan's Health and Human Services and $93 million in federal funding for drug treatment and recovery programs. Most of the money DOGE cut went to local health departments throughout Michigan for vaccinations, behavioral health services, helping people with addiction, and monitoring wastewater for infectious diseases.
* Mike Rogers is fully behind Elon Musk's cuts to basic public programs and supports making them permanent. The cuts to these services are directly hurting Michiganders, while Donald Trump spends billions of taxpayer dollars on war and building a ballroom.
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Original text here: https://michigandems.com/new-mike-rogers-touted-early-involvement-with-doge-advised-its-leaders-on-legislation-to-make-michigan-cuts-permanent/
Mich. Democratic Party: Statement - Duggan Lashes Out at UAW Forum
LANSING, Michigan, May 19 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news statement on May 18, 2026:
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STATEMENT: Duggan Lashes Out at UAW Forum
Tonight, at the UAW's gubernatorial candidate forum in Dearborn, MAGA-funded candidate Mike Duggan lashed out and struggled to answer questions about his harmful record of busting unions, his cozy relationships with corporations that are jacking up costs, and him bending the knee to Donald Trump.
In response, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel released the following statement:
"Tonight on stage, voters saw Mike Duggan repeatedly
... Show Full Article
LANSING, Michigan, May 19 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news statement on May 18, 2026:
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STATEMENT: Duggan Lashes Out at UAW Forum
Tonight, at the UAW's gubernatorial candidate forum in Dearborn, MAGA-funded candidate Mike Duggan lashed out and struggled to answer questions about his harmful record of busting unions, his cozy relationships with corporations that are jacking up costs, and him bending the knee to Donald Trump.
In response, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel released the following statement:
"Tonight on stage, voters saw Mike Duggan repeatedlylash out, push falsehoods, and angrily stumble through answers--including on his union-busting record at the Detroit Medical Center and the campaign contributions he's received from right-to-work advocate Ron Weiser.
"Duggan's poor forum performance comes as his campaign sinks in the polls, including in one paid for by his allies at the Detroit Regional Chamber.
"Mike Duggan has taken MAGA cash, busted unions, and cozied up to corporations that are jacking up our costs. Tonight's performance from Duggan made clear that he can't be trusted to lead Michigan."
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Original text here: https://michigandems.com/statement-duggan-lashes-out-at-uaw-forum/
Mich. Democratic Party: Mike Duggan Made Millions While Busting Unions
LANSING, Michigan, May 19 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release on May 18, 2026:
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Mike Duggan Made Millions While Busting Unions
As CEO of the Detroit Medical Center, MAGA-funded candidate for governor Mike Duggan oversaw his own salary increase from $545,000 to more than $2.41 million--all while Duggan led aggressive union-busting against nurses and hospital workers that were organizing for better pay and safer working conditions.
The Detroit Metro Times previously reported that when Duggan started at DMC in 2004, he made $545,000 a year. By 2008, Duggan was
... Show Full Article
LANSING, Michigan, May 19 -- The Michigan Democratic Party issued the following news release on May 18, 2026:
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Mike Duggan Made Millions While Busting Unions
As CEO of the Detroit Medical Center, MAGA-funded candidate for governor Mike Duggan oversaw his own salary increase from $545,000 to more than $2.41 million--all while Duggan led aggressive union-busting against nurses and hospital workers that were organizing for better pay and safer working conditions.
The Detroit Metro Times previously reported that when Duggan started at DMC in 2004, he made $545,000 a year. By 2008, Duggan wasmaking $1 million a year. And by the end of 2012, as Duggan was leaving DMC, his salary had reached $2.41 million.
The Metro Times also uncovered documents showing that "DMC laid off an entire class of unionized hospital workers and replaced them with non-union employees in 2012, prompting a federal labor complaint. The dispute centered on Hutzel Hospital in Detroit, where AFSCME Council 25, Local 3695 accused DMC of violating federal labor law after 17 unionized hospital aides known as 'nurse extenders' were laid off and their work transferred to non-union staff."
Last fall, Michigan Advance reported on how Duggan led aggressive union-busting efforts, particularly targeting nurses who were attempting to organize with the Michigan Nurses Association in 2007 and 2008. Several former employees or those working with them on the effort told the Advance that "Duggan's administration at the hospital system suppressed organizing activity through surveillance, retaliation, interrogations, banning pro-union literature, and attempts to reclassify nurses as supervisors to disqualify them from the union vote."
"While Mike Duggan oversaw his own pay dramatically increase, he was firing unionized staff and fighting tooth-and-nail against workers who were organizing for better pay and safer working conditions," said Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel. "The egregious union-busting, worker intimidation, and pay discrimination that took place under Duggan is shameful--and it came all while Duggan was lining his own pockets. It's more important than ever that Michiganders have a governor who can be trusted to stand up for workers and their rights, and it's clear that is not Mike Duggan."
Read more on Duggan's history of union-busting below.
Michigan Advance (https://michiganadvance.com/2025/11/13/union-battles-at-detroit-medical-center-may-shadow-duggans-2026-bid-for-michigan-governor/): Union battles at Detroit Medical Center may shadow Duggan's 2026 bid for Michigan governor
Detroit Metro Times (https://www.metrotimes.com/news/politics-elections/mike-duggan-made-millions-while-dmc-workers-accused-hospital-system-of-union-busting/): Mike Duggan made millions while DMC workers accused hospital system of union busting
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Original text here: https://michigandems.com/mike-duggan-made-millions-while-busting-unions/
ICYMI: Republicans "Underwater in All Seven [Senate] Battleground States" as Cratering Approval Ratings Signal Rejection of Toxic GOP Agenda
WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following news release on May 18, 2026:
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ICYMI: Republicans "Underwater in all Seven [Senate] Battleground States" as Cratering Approval Ratings Signal Rejection of Toxic GOP Agenda
In case you missed it, Republicans are on "rocky political footing heading into the midterm elections" as new polls show cratering approval ratings for the GOP and a majority of voters reporting that they "held deeply pessimistic views about the economy."
Republicans are facing "political headwinds" as the President's approval rating
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following news release on May 18, 2026:
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ICYMI: Republicans "Underwater in all Seven [Senate] Battleground States" as Cratering Approval Ratings Signal Rejection of Toxic GOP Agenda
In case you missed it, Republicans are on "rocky political footing heading into the midterm elections" as new polls show cratering approval ratings for the GOP and a majority of voters reporting that they "held deeply pessimistic views about the economy."
Republicans are facing "political headwinds" as the President's approval rating"is negative in all Senate battleground states" and "early signs point to greater enthusiasm among Democratic voters" heading into November. Meanwhile, as Trump boasts that he "[doesn't] think about Americans' financial situation," Republican Senate candidates continue to dismiss Americans' affordability concerns and even blame working people for their own financial hardship.
See for yourself:
New York Times: Trump's Approval Sinks Amid Unpopular War, Darkening G.O.P. Prospects
* Most voters think President Trump made the wrong decision to go to war with Iran, a New York Times/Siena poll found, leaving the Republican Party on rocky political footing heading into the midterm elections as his approval rating sinks and economic concerns rise.
* Majorities of voters said that the war was not worth the costs and held deeply pessimistic views about the economy.
* Mr. Trump's approval rating -- a key historical predictor of how a president's party will fare in an election -- has sunk to a second-term low in Times/Siena polls of 37 percent [...]
* [...] voters showed serious skepticism of [Trump's] leadership on other top issues, including the economy and the cost of living. Sixty-four percent of all voters disapproved of his handling of the economy, long a strength for him, and majorities expressed negative views of how he was managing the cost of living [...]
* Independent voters in particular have become unhappier with Mr. Trump. Sixty-nine percent disapproved of his job performance, up from 62 percent in a January Times/Siena poll. Forty-seven percent of independents said his policies had hurt them, up from 41 percent in fall 2025.
* Overall, 44 percent of voters said Mr. Trump's policies had hurt them personally, up from 36 percent last fall.
* "He's not doing what he said he was going to do," said Brent Klein Jr., a Republican who voted for Mr. Trump in 2020 and 2024. "That's my biggest frustration with him."
* "I just want my family to live a good, healthy life," he added, and to not have to "constantly pay more and more and more for food products and stuff."
* Still, [...] the survey suggests that Republican candidates are entering their general-election races with stark political liabilities.
* In a hypothetical question about this year's midterm elections, Democrats held an advantage of 10 percentage points among registered voters, with 50 percent saying they would back the party's candidate if the elections were held today [...] The Democratic edge among independent voters was 18 points, [...]
* Even as many Americans have yet to fully tune into the midterms, early signs point to greater enthusiasm among Democratic voters. Democrats were eight points more likely to say they were "almost certain" they would vote.
* Views of the economy have darkened since Mr. Trump began to bomb Iran in late February. Since the start of the war, the average cost of a gallon of gasoline has surged to more than $4.50 a gallon, according to the AAA motor club. In recent weeks, several economic indicators, including consumer confidence, prices and household debt, have worsened.
* The survey results reflect a growing sense of financial anxiety across the country. The share of voters who rate the economy as "poor" has risen by 11 percentage points since January, up to nearly half of all voters giving the worst rating for the economy. Even Republicans were evenly split, with roughly half saying the economy was only fair or poor.
* The share of voters saying the country was on the right track fell by five points, from 37 percent in January to 32 percent in the latest poll. The decline was driven largely by a drop of 12 points among Republicans.
* Approval of the president on economic issues has also notably declined from the beginning of the year.
* Only 28 percent of voters in the poll believed he had handled the issue of the cost of living well, a drop of six points from January.
* Among Republicans, there was a drop of 14 points since January.
* Ms. Alfano, who owns a food truck in Vineland, N.J., said higher costs for gas and food had hurt her business.
* "It's terrible," she said. "Everything's terrible. It's totally affected me."
* In recent days, Mr. Trump has brushed off such economic concerns. As the poll was being conducted last week, he told reporters that the financial situation of Americans did not motivate him -- "even a little bit" -- to end the war with Iran.
* "I don't think about Americans' financial situation," he added. "I don't think about anybody. I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon."
Newsweek: Trump Approval Rating Underwater in Every Critical 2026 Senate Race State
* With roughly six months until the pivotal midterm elections, the battle for control of the Senate is intensifying as a new survey shows President Donald Trump's approval rating underwater in all seven battleground states expected to decide which party holds the majority in the upper chamber of Congress.
* While Trump remains at the top of the Republican Party, the Morning Consult survey indicated that GOP candidates may face political headwinds heading into the 2026 elections as the president's sliding approval ratings in battleground states could make party hopefuls more vulnerable.
* Alex Patton, principal of Ozean Media, told Newsweek in an email: "President Trump and his policy outcomes are a drag on the ticket," adding that, "on almost any measure other than blind partisanship and affective partisanship, the President and the GOP are in a poor position."
* The party in the White House historically loses seats in midterm elections, and Democrats have overperformed in special and state elections over the past year, fueling optimism that they can make gains in the Senate. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to flip control of the chamber.
* During Trump's first term in office, a blue wave swept Democrats back into power in the House, picking up more than 40 seats.
* A Morning Consult found that Trump's net approval rating is negative in all Senate battleground states, with the biggest hit in Maine at -17 points.
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Original text here: https://www.dscc.org/article/icymi-republicans-underwater-in-all-seven-senate-battleground-states-as-cratering-approval-ratings-signal-rejection-of-toxic-gop-agenda/
ICYMI: "Sour Political Feud" in Texas GOP Senate Primary Grows "Increasingly Personal" as Republicans Worry About Ability to Unify in General Election
WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following news release on May 18, 2026:
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ICYMI: "Sour Political Feud" in Texas GOP Senate Primary Grows "Increasingly Personal" as Republicans Worry About Ability to Unify in General Election
In case you missed it, new reporting from across Texas is highlighting how the "bitter" and "costly intraparty war" in the state's GOP Senate primary has reached "a fever pitch" and has "curdled into a sour political feud," with Republicans admitting they will "face a challenge unifying behind the eventual nominee given the
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee posted the following news release on May 18, 2026:
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ICYMI: "Sour Political Feud" in Texas GOP Senate Primary Grows "Increasingly Personal" as Republicans Worry About Ability to Unify in General Election
In case you missed it, new reporting from across Texas is highlighting how the "bitter" and "costly intraparty war" in the state's GOP Senate primary has reached "a fever pitch" and has "curdled into a sour political feud," with Republicans admitting they will "face a challenge unifying behind the eventual nominee given thetone of the campaign."
After spending tens of millions of dollars since the March primary, floundering incumbent John Cornyn and scandal-plagued Ken Paxton "aren't letting up" ahead of the looming runoff. Meanwhile, James Talarico "has spent the spring preparing for November" as he "stockpile[s] campaign cash [...] and court[s] independents and moderate Republicans."
Dallas Morning News: Cornyn-Paxton Senate race turns personal, exposes Texas GOP rift
* The final stretch of the Senate runoff between Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton has curdled into a sour political feud, marked by adultery attacks, corruption accusations and competing claims over who truly represents today's Texas Republicans.
* As early voting begins Monday ahead of the May 26 runoff, the clash has deepened a split inside the party between pro-business conservatism and MAGA-style confrontation. That's alarmed some Republicans who fear the bitterness could outlast Election Day.
* With the candidates embracing many of the same conservative priorities, the race has grown increasingly personal in recent days.
* Cornyn has called Paxton unfit for office. On social media, he said Paxton has "repeatedly lied to Texans, his leadership team and his own family."
* "Character still matters," Cornyn told The Dallas Morning News. "Ken Paxton's lack of good moral character is very well documented."
* Paxton, meanwhile, has slammed Cornyn as an out-of-touch Washington fixture.
* "Let's let John run in Rhode Island," Paxton said during an event in Grapevine. "He's had his chance. It's time for change."
* While Cornyn and Paxton blister each other in their costly intraparty war, Democrat James Talarico is regrouping after a hard-fought primary win [...]
* He's using the lull to stockpile campaign cash [...] and court independents and moderate Republicans.
* "My top priority as the Democratic nominee is to bring the coalition together," Talarico told The News.
* "We have to keep doing the work of bringing Texans together across these divisions," he said.
* "If Ken Paxton is the nominee, you could have a Republican wipeout of down-ballot candidates," [Former Dallas County Republican Party Chairman Jonathan Neerman] said.
* Cornyn and his allies have centered much of their advertising around a blunt message: Paxton's years of scandal have disqualified him from higher office.
* Paxton, a former state legislator who was elected AG in 2014, also has tried to cast doubt on Cornyn's ties to President Donald Trump.
* In one TV ad, Paxton accused Cornyn of failing to support Trump's border wall push and highlighted past comments suggesting Trump's political moment had passed [...]
* As Cornyn and Paxton batter each other in the runoff, Talarico has spent the spring preparing for November. He raised $27 million in the first three months of 2026, including $10 million after his primary victory, and has met with key party constituencies.
* Talarico also has made several trips to North Texas and expanded his profile beyond the Democratic base. Last week, he appeared alongside former President Barack Obama in Austin, a viral moment Democrats hope helps consolidate support heading into the fall campaign.
Houston Chronicle: Cornyn, Paxton ramp up ads, stops in final days of campaign
* The barrage of TV ads titled "Cheater," "Failed" and "Bad for Texas" probably tells you everything you need to know about the tenor of the U.S. Senate showdown heading into the start of early voting on Monday.
* U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, Attorney General Ken Paxton and their allies aren't letting up, with so much on the line in the May 26 GOP primary runoff. Already, $23 million has been spent on ads in the race since the March 3 primary, when neither candidate reached the 50% threshold needed to win. That money has translated into over 100 different TV ads in every media market in Texas.
* The seat they are battling for is critical for national Republicans if they want to maintain control of the U.S. Senate.
* Cornyn has argued that if Paxton becomes the nominee, Democrat James Talarico would have a better chance in November because of Paxton's past legal issues -- especially in a midterm cycle in which Democrats have been winning in heavily Republican areas across the country.
Houston Public Media: After 'bitter' primary runoff, can GOP voters unite behind their party's Senate nominee?
* What remains an open question is whether the supporters of the candidate who loses the Republican primary runoff will swallow their displeasure and close ranks behind the winner. A recent analysis by a Republican polling firm, Ragnar Research Partners, suggests a large number of voters who participated in the past four Texas GOP primaries are sitting this one out.
* Whomever the party chooses as its nominee will have less than five months before the start of early voting for the general election to make the case why he, and not Austin state Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee, should be the next U.S. senator from Texas.
* Attack ads in the Republican Senate contest began flooding the airwaves and social media well before the first round of primary voting in March. But they seem to have reached a fever pitch over the past few weeks.
* Commercials for Cornyn have highlighted Paxton's alleged corruption in office [...] as well as his marital infidelity and ongoing messy divorce from state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, as evidence he is not worthy of the party's nomination.
* Commercials for Paxton have accused Cornyn of lackluster support for President Donald Trump, weakness on border security and immigration, and fostering ties with groups promoting "radical Islamic terror," [...]
* Cindy Siegel, chair of the Harris County Republican Party, acknowledged Republicans will face a challenge unifying behind the eventual nominee given the tone of the campaign.
* "It's been a very difficult and, in some cases, probably somewhat bitter primary," Siegel said.
* Mark Jones of Rice University's Baker Institute, who coauthored the April Hobby School survey [...] said the fact that both Cornyn and Paxton have such high unfavorable ratings suggests supporters of the losing Republican candidate may not back the party's nominee in the fall.
* "While I think most Republicans are likely to hold their nose and vote for the rival if they are the GOP nominee in November, the fact that 43% of these Republican primary voters have an unfavorable opinion of Paxton and 49% have an unfavorable opinion of Cornyn, suggest that perhaps not all of them will do it -- that some may not vote, cast a protest vote for libertarian Ted Brown, and in a few cases even choose James Talarico over the GOP nominee," Jones said.
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Original text here: https://www.dscc.org/article/icymi-sour-political-feud-in-texas-gop-senate-primary-grows-increasingly-personal-as-republicans-worry-about-ability-to-unify-in-general-election/
DNC: Trump-Vance Economy Sheds Manufacturing Jobs as Vance Visits MO Manufacturing Facility
WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on May 18, 2026:
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Trump-Vance Economy Sheds Manufacturing Jobs as Vance Visits MO Manufacturing Facility
JD Vance traveled to Missouri today on his desperate road show to sell his and Donald Trump's failed economic agenda that has devastated Americans and small businesses. Despite Vance's weak spin, the U.S. manufacturing sector has been shedding jobs, breaking Trump and JD Vance's promises of a "manufacturing renaissance." Manufacturers lost 2,000 jobs last month alone, and in Trump's first year,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on May 18, 2026:
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Trump-Vance Economy Sheds Manufacturing Jobs as Vance Visits MO Manufacturing Facility
JD Vance traveled to Missouri today on his desperate road show to sell his and Donald Trump's failed economic agenda that has devastated Americans and small businesses. Despite Vance's weak spin, the U.S. manufacturing sector has been shedding jobs, breaking Trump and JD Vance's promises of a "manufacturing renaissance." Manufacturers lost 2,000 jobs last month alone, and in Trump's first year,the economy lost 83,000 manufacturing jobs largely due to Trump's disastrous trade war.
On top of major manufacturing job losses, prices on everyday necessities from groceries to gas to housing continue to skyrocket because of Trump and Vance's disastrous trade war and deadly and costly war with Iran. In Missouri, the average price of a gallon of gasoline soared to $4.16, and the price of diesel is at a whopping $5.28 per gallon. Trump and Vance's inflation surged to 3.8% in April, the highest in nearly three years, as Americans' hard-earned paychecks continue to be eaten up by high prices.
Meanwhile, just last week, Trump openly admitted that he doesn't "think about Americans' financial situations." Vance desperately tried to downplay Trump's comments, but Trump doubled down, saying it was " a perfect statement."
In response, DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer released the following statement:
"Donald Trump and JD Vance trashed the economy, tanked the job market, and plunged the U.S. into a deadly and costly war with Iran, while they turn a blind eye to everyday Americans struggling to make ends meet. Meanwhile, the manufacturing sector is in shambles, as Trump's trade war pushes prices higher and forces businesses to cut jobs. Working families are burning through their savings and taking on record debt to keep up with surging prices -- and what are Trump and Vance doing? Doubling down on the same failed policies and prioritizing tax breaks and favors for their billionaire donors."
It's no wonder new polling today shows Trump's approval deeply underwater on the cost of living (-42) and the economy (-31), as voters strongly disapprove of his war with Iran by nearly 35 points. Meanwhile, the poll also shows a 14-point drop in Republicans' approval of Trump on the cost of living.
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Original text here: https://democrats.org/news/trump-vance-economy-sheds-manufacturing-jobs-as-vance-visits-mo-manufacturing-facility/
DNC: Trump Takes $1.8 Billion From Taxpayers For Payouts to His Allies and Supporters
WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on May 18, 2026:
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Trump Takes $1.8 Billion From Taxpayers For Payouts to His Allies and Supporters
American taxpayers are already being forced to pay for massive tax cuts for the ultra-rich, Trump's unpopular war of choice with Iran, and his White House ballroom
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Today, Donald Trump's Department of Justice announced a $1.776 billion slush fund for payouts to Trump's allies and supporters, including January 6th rioters pardoned by Trump, paid for by American taxpayers.
The announcement comes after
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 19 -- The Democratic National Committee posted the following news release on May 18, 2026:
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Trump Takes $1.8 Billion From Taxpayers For Payouts to His Allies and Supporters
American taxpayers are already being forced to pay for massive tax cuts for the ultra-rich, Trump's unpopular war of choice with Iran, and his White House ballroom
*
Today, Donald Trump's Department of Justice announced a $1.776 billion slush fund for payouts to Trump's allies and supporters, including January 6th rioters pardoned by Trump, paid for by American taxpayers.
The announcement comes afterTrump attempted to extort $10 billion from taxpayers for his frivolous lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service.
In response, DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer released the following statement:
"Donald Trump never hesitates to sell out the American people to enrich himself and his family or line the pockets of his inner circle. Meanwhile, as prices soar, jobs disappear, and programs they rely on get slashed, working families are dipping further into their savings and taking on more debt just to get by. Trump has already stuck taxpayers with the bill for his massive tax cuts for the ultra-rich, his deadly and costly war with Iran, and his White House ballroom -- and now he wants even more of their hard-earned money to give his allies and supporters another kickback."
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Original text here: https://democrats.org/news/trump-takes-1-8-billion-from-taxpayers-for-payouts-to-his-allies-and-supporters/