Latest news with #Democratic-aligned
The Hill
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Poll shows Trump's clash with courts puts Senate GOP on defense
New polling of likely voters in Senate battleground states has found that President Trump's frequent clashes with federal courts are becoming a hot issue that could put Senate Republican candidates on the defensive in 2026. A poll of 1,000 likely voters in 2026 Senate battlegrounds, obtained exclusively by The Hill, found that 53 percent disapprove of Trump's handling of the courts, including 89 percent of Democrats, 55 percent of independents and 39 percent of self-identified non-MAGA Republicans. The poll was conducted by Global Strategy Group, a Democratic-aligned polling firm, on behalf of Demand Justice, a Democratic-aligned judicial advocacy group. The survey found that more than two-thirds of voters, 72 percent, said they are concerned about Trump's response to court orders and 48 percent said they were extremely concerned by what they saw as the president's refusal to obey court orders. The poll found that 68 percent of voters surveyed said they viewed congressional Republicans as helping Trump evade legal norms, and 44 percent said they viewed that dynamic as extremely concerning. It surveyed voters in Colorado, Georgia, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio and Texas. The Senate's two most vulnerable Republican incumbents are Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) is the chamber's most vulnerable Democrat. 'The data is clear: Americans increasingly reject Donald Trump's attacks on the rule of law and the courts. Over two-thirds are concerned about this blatant disregard for court orders and the threat that it poses to the rights of every person in this country,' said Maggie Jo Buchanan, the interim executive director of Demand Justice.'When Trump treats judicial rulings as mere suggestions instead of legally binding obligations, it sends a chilling message that our legal protections are meaningless,' Buchanan added. 'An overwhelming majority of Americans across the political spectrum are concerned that this calculated defiance sets a precedent where individuals may face unfair trials, see their rights disregarded without consequence, and find themselves powerless to seek justice,' she added. U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia James Boasberg criticized the Trump administration earlier this year for disregarding his order to stop the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador. The administration argued that the deportation flights had already departed the United States at the time Boasberg issued his order and asserted they later complied with a written order. The Trump White House has also come under criticism for barring a reporter and photographer from The Associated Press from the Oval Office in April despite a court order from U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia Trevor McFadden ruling that the government could not retaliate against the news agency for refusing to follow Trump's order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. The poll also found that 70 percent of voters that Trump's allies in Congress will help him pick judges who will do what he wants instead of acting independently, with 43 percent of respondents saying they're 'extremely' concerned. The poll's sample included 44 percent of self-identified Democrats, 44 percent of self-identified Republicans and 12 percent of self-identified Democrats. It was conducted between May 28 and June 1 and had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3.1 percent.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump can't resist a dig at Gov. Tim Walz during conversation about Minnesota lawmaker assassinations
Donald Trump couldn't resist taking a partisan potshot at Minnesota's Democratic governor when he responded to a reporter who asked if he'd speak with Tim Walz in the wake of a deadly targeted assassination of a Democratic lawmaker and the attempted politically motivated murder of another in the state. Trump was asked by ABC's Rachel Scott over the weekend if he would speak on the phone with Walz, who condemned violent political rhetoric and 'mean tweets' after a Democratic lawmaker and her husband were murdered by a man who police say was impersonating a member of law enforcement as he carried out a sick campaign of revenge against his political enemies. In the attacks, Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed at home. A state senator and his wife were also shot and wounded at their home. On Sunday, Walz announced the capture of a suspect, Vance Boelter, whom police describe as having made a hit list of Democratic-aligned politicians and activists — including members of the state congressional delegation. The Republican president meanwhile could not muster harsher condemnation for the suspected shooter or even the attack itself than he could for Walz, his former opponent. Trump instead revealed his continued grudge against Walz, who was Kamala Harris's running mate in the 2024 election, on Sunday. Of the attack, he said: 'Well, it's a terrible thing.' Then, he immediately continued: 'I think he's a terrible governor. I think he's a grossly incompetent person.' Trump said he 'may' call Walz and 'other people, too' as he continues stubbornly to direct his administration in a bitter effort to provoke turf wars with state-level Democratic leaders, largely centered around his mass deportation plan. His comments follow what Minnesota law enforcement officials called the 'largest man-hunt in state history.' Sheriffs deputies called Boelter 'the face of evil' in a social media post upon his capture. Boelter, 57, is accused of dressing as a police officer and entering the homes of the two elected officials before opening fire in cold blood. Hortman and her husband had two children. But a Rolling Stone investigation this month revealed that the GOP president was itching for a fight with Democratic governors and mayors at least as far back as January, when he took over the White House. The magazine reported that Trump privately discussed with aides how quickly they could justify sending in federal law enforcement or even members of the armed forces to suppress dissent or conduct Trump's feud with Walz comes as the Minnesota governor remains one of his most vocal critics among elected Democrats and governors nationwide. The governor condemned political violence in much more coherent terms than the president in his own remarks Sunday evening. 'This cannot be the norm,' said Walz. 'It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences…It's not about hatred. It's not about mean tweets. It's not about demeaning someone. It's leading with grace and compassion and vision and compromise and decency.' Axios reported Monday morning that Walz had still not received a call from the president. As of noon Monday, there wasn't a statement on the White House website condemning the attack. The suspected shooter's apparent vendetta against Democrats sparked a predictable wave of conspiracies on the American far right, once again desperate to wash away any links to the suspect's ideology. Numerous right-wing figures including Donald Trump's own newest confidante, Laura Loomer, falsely claimed that the suspect was a participant or organizer of 'No Kings' protests that broke out concurrently this weekend around the country against the Trump administration. The president has long been critized for what many see as a pattern of refusal to condemn political violence outright when it is committed by the far-right — as well as for jumping at the chance to paint his enemies as violent, even less than human. After the Charlottesville 'Unite the Right' rally in 2017, Trump was roundly condemned for rhetoric his critics saw as supportive of the overtly racist groups that made up the event. His reaction to the January 6 attack on Congress was equally scrutinized as Democratic leaders still point to his refusal to send in National Guard troops to protect lawmakers and a seemingly callous response to reports of death threats against Mike Pence, his vice president as their evidence for the theory.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gen Z-led group launches $3M in youth voter mobilization
A Generation Z-led group aligned with Democrats is launching a $3 million youth voter mobilization effort ahead of next year's midterms. The group Voters of Tomorrow said the effort, shared first with The Hill, will target 18 competitive House districts across the country. The push is aimed at providing 'training, stipends, and support to empower campus organizers to engage their peers directly in districts where young voters have the power to decide the outcome,' according to a press release from the group. Among the House districts being targeted are Colorado's 8th Congressional District; Nebraska's 2nd District; New York's 1st District; and California's 13th, 45th and 47th districts. Most of the districts are rated as a 'toss-up' by election forecasters at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. The effort shows how some Democratic-aligned organizations are already making early investments to win back some of the young voters the party lost to President Trump in the November election. A report from the Democratic data firm Catalist found the Democratic Party last year saw a 6-point drop in support among voters ages 18 to 29 compared to 2020, decreasing from 61 percent to 55 percent. Among young men, the decline was 9 points. The House's slim majority offers Democrats their best chance at flipping one of the chambers, with the Senate map offering a more challenging terrain. 'To stop Trump's dangerous agenda, we need to take back the House. Student voters have the numbers to flip key races, yet too often we're overlooked by major funders,' Kaya Jones, programming director at Voters of Tomorrow, said in a statement. 'We're proud to be making this necessary investment in young people, and we urge others to follow our lead. The future is on the ballot and so are we.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Gen Z-led group launches $3M in youth voter mobilization
A Gen Z-led group aligned with Democrats is launching a $3 million youth voter mobilization effort ahead of next year's midterms. The group Voters of Tomorrow said the effort, shared first with The Hill, will target 18 competitive House districts across the country. The push is aimed at providing 'training, stipends, and support to empower campus organizers to engage their peers directly in districts where young voters have the power to decide the outcome,' according to a press release from the group. Among the House districts being targeted are California's 13th, 45th and 47th Congressional Districts; Nebraska's 2nd District; New York's 1st District; and Colorado's 8th District, among others. Most of the districts are rated as 'toss-up' by election forecasters at the non-partisan Cook Political Report. The effort shows how some Democratic-aligned organizations are already making early investments to win back some of the young voters the party lost to President Trump in the November election. A report from the Democratic data firm Catalist found the Democratic Party last year saw a 6-point drop in support among voters ages 18 to 29 compared to 2020, from 61 percent to 55 percent. Among young men, the decline was 9 points. The House's slim majority offers Democrats their best chance at flipping one of the chambers, with the Senate map offering a more challenging terrain. 'To stop Trump's dangerous agenda, we need to take back the House. Student voters have the numbers to flip key races, yet too often we're overlooked by major funders,' said Kaya Jones, programming director at Voters of Tomorrow, in a statement. 'We're proud to be making this necessary investment in young people, and we urge others to follow our lead. The future is on the ballot and so are we.'
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Democrats' online problem: They're not doing enough year-round
It turns out, Democrats aren't online enough. Conservative organizations spend more than left-leaning ones on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram in non-election years, capturing a large audience while those Democratic-aligned groups go more dormant in the digital space. And it's making Democrats' election-year persuasion game that much harder. That's the warning of a new report from Tech for Campaigns, a political nonprofit focused on using digital marketing and data techniques to support Democrats, that argues one of the party's major problems is that its communication falters in non-election years. While Democratic spending and presence online surged leading up to the election, for example, Republicans quickly regained the spending advantage this year. Democrats, in other words, aren't putting in the work online during 'off years.' The report, shared first with POLITICO, comes as Democratic donors and officials have grappled with how online personalities and social media content boosted President Donald Trump in 2024, and openly acknowledged Democrats need to fix their brand. 'The Right, especially Trump, recognized that persuasion is no longer about last-minute convincing, but about shaping beliefs continuously — building trust, shifting opinions, and staying visible through frequent engagement — just like commercial brand building,' the report's authors wrote. 'Democrats may acknowledge this shift but continue treating digital communication as a campaign-season sprint.' Republicans' audience advantage spans from podcasts, where Democrats have fretted about the influence of hosts like Joe Rogan, to social media and digital sites. On Facebook and Instagram, for example, Republican-aligned pages outspent those associated with Democrats throughout former President Joe Biden's term, the report found. The only exception of the fourth quarter of 2024, when Democratic-aligned spending surged ahead of the November election. Republicans regained the spending advantage in the first quarter of 2025, suggesting Democrats are not making up ground. 'Democrats have a brand and customers who require consistent and constant communication,' said Jessica Alter, co-founder of Tech for Campaigns. 'And ads … 3-6 months before an election can certainly supplement that strategy, but they can't be the main strategy, not when Republicans never stop talking to their audience.' The online spending gap is not coming from political parties or campaigns. Instead, Republicans' digital advantage largely stems from allied groups and digital media companies, such as PragerU and the Daily Wire. Those sites and other similar ones are not focused strictly on electoral politics. But they have cultivated broad audiences, and spent years sharing content about issues — such as transgender students' participation in sports and opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion programs — that are electorally potent. And Republican candidates are primed to take advantage of those large, sympathetic audiences when an election draws near. While there are newer left-leaning media competitors, such as Courier Newsroom and NowThis Impact, the conservative pages and websites still have a larger audience and spend more on to boost their content across the platforms. When it comes to campaigns, Democrats do have a financial advantage. But although Democratic campaigns consistently outspend Republicans on digital platforms, that's often more focused on fundraising than persuasion and mobilization ads. That's a mistake, Tech for Campaigns argues. While former Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign spent nearly three times as much as Trump's across Facebook, Google and CTV after she entered the presidential race in July 2024, only a small share, 8 percent, was devoted to mobilization, the report finds. That allowed Trump and his allies to close much of the gap when it came to digital content designed to get voters to the polls. But the report cautions against simply trying to recreate what Republicans have done well — for instance, by trying to find a Democratic equivalent of Rogan or even assuming that podcasts will be the most important medium for 2028. Instead, it argues, Democrats need to be willing to try different formats, testing what works and adapting as needed. 'Simply increasing funding to replicate Republican tactics from the last cycle won't be sufficient — nor will continuing to rely primarily on the same networks of talent,' the report concludes. 'Successful right-wing influencers emerged largely organically outside party structures, not through top-down creation.'
