Lawrence: Trump's budget bill has created a 'legislative suicide pact' for House Republicans
MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell details how House Republicans are hiding debate on a massive tax cut bill that Donald Trump is urging them to vote for 'because they know what a betrayal it is to their own campaign promises … apparently not realizing that if Republicans do pass this bill, they will lose the House of Representatives in the next election.'
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CNBC
11 minutes ago
- CNBC
Elon Musk's favorability among Republicans dropped 16 points since March, Quinnipiac says
Elon Musk's official role in the Trump administration recently came to an end. Many Republicans won't be sad to see less of him, according to the results of Quinnipiac University's latest public opinion survey. While a majority of Republicans still hold a favorable view of Musk, the number fell to 62% in the poll out Wednesday, down from 78% in March, Quinnipiac said. Overall, the Quinnipiac poll found that 30% of self-identified voters surveyed in the U.S. hold a favorable opinion of Musk, according to polling from June 5 to June 9. Republican and Democratic voters remain deeply divided in their views of the world's richest man, who contributed nearly $300 million to propel President Donald Trump back to the White House. Only 3% of Democrats surveyed said they held a favorable of view of the Tesla CEO, who was once seen as an environmental leader appealing to liberal values. Musk didn't respond to a request for comment. Musk and Trump had a very public falling out last week that started with Musk's disapproval of the president's spending bill and escalated into an all-out war of words that played out on social media. Musk said on Wednesday that he regretted some of the posts he made about Trump last week, adding that "they went too far." Even with a slide in his favorability, Musk is still popular among Republicans after his time running the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), an effort to dramatically slash the size of the federal government. Among the Republican respondents to the early June poll, 80% rated Musk and DOGE's work as either excellent or good, while 13% said it was either not so good or poor. In the March poll, 82% of Republicans surveyed said they thought Musk and DOGE were helping the country. Read the full survey results here.
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Democrats react to Trump's push for Texas redistricting
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — After reports of President Donald Trump convening a meeting Monday with members of the Texas congressional delegation, Texas Democrats say it shows the party is worried about potential losses in 2026. A report in the New York Times detailed a White House meeting in which the president pushed Texas congressmen to pursue a mid-decade redistricting effort. Republicans who spoke to both the Times and the Texas Tribune did not seem keen on the idea, which would require Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session of the legislature. None of the 25 Republicans who represent Texas in the U.S. House responded to requests for comment, but a source close to the situation confirmed to KXAN that a meeting at the White House will take place Thursday. Changing the congressional map to advantage the GOP would likely require splitting up districts which currently lean heavily toward one party to create more competitive seats, a move that could backfire if Democrats have a good year in 2026. However, changes to the congressional districts in large metro areas like Houston or Dallas could net Republicans some seats without throwing any of their own into jeopardy. And even without redistricting, Republicans have clear pickup opportunities in Texas' 28th and 34th congressional districts — two south Texas districts which swung heavily to Trump in 2024. The current Texas congressional map is already overwhelmingly Republican, with 25 Republicans to 12 Democrats, though one heavily-Democratic seat is vacant. That leaves Republicans with nearly 66% of seats in a state in which Trump received 56% of the vote. Democrats say that the current map is already unfair, and a mid-decade redraw would be a sign of desperation for Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterms. State Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, said that Republicans' policies have been unpopular and that the GOP is trying to minimize losses in next year's House races. 'Donald Trump is desperate to cling on to the power that he's had, and he knows just how upset people are about what the Republicans have done in just a few months that they've been in office,' Wu said. 'People are pissed, and they know what's coming.' Wu cited policies passed out of the legislature in Texas, including a ban on all hemp-derived THC products as well as the school voucher program, championed by Abbott, as ways lawmakers have ignored voters. He attributed this to the safe districts which exist under the current maps. The congressional districts drawn in Texas currently do not favor competition — just two House races were decided by fewer than 14 points in the 2024 elections. The current maps — including for the state legislature — are undergoing litigation in El Paso over allegations that the maps were drawn to disadvantage Black and Latino voters. The Supreme Court has shown opposition to racial gerrymandering in recent years, striking down maps in Alabama and Louisiana for disadvantaging Black voters in those states. Wu described the current map as a 'racial gerrymander' and said that if Republicans want to draw an even more favorable map, they will likely succeed in doing so. This would not be the first time Republicans have attempted mid-decade redistricting in Texas. Back in 2003, as Texas was quickly changing from Democratic to Republican, the legislature redrew the maps to heavily advantage the GOP. Democrats lost five seats in the 2004 elections as a result. Democrats then walked out to try and prevent Republicans from meeting quorum and being able to vote on the maps. When asked what should be done about it in the event Republicans try it again, Wu did not give a clear answer, but accused Republicans of playing politics. 'Anytime you hear them talk about redistricting, especially if it's in the middle of the cycle, all this is about political games and trying to destroy our democracy,' Wu said. Congressman Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, also did not give a clear strategy, but said he has faith in the Austin-area Democrats. 'I hope they will do everything they can to protect the interest of our neighbors in Central Texas and not let some radical gerrymandering occur just because President Trump is desperate to be protected,' Doggett said. Any attempt by Republicans to redraw the maps would need to happen soon, with the filing deadline for the 2026 primary elections coming up at the end of the year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'No Kings' Detroit rally: What to know about the anti-Trump rally
The Brief Protests against the Trump administration are planned nationwide for Saturday, June 14. The protests coincide with President Donald Trump's birthday, Flag Day, and the U.S. Army's 250th birthday celebration. A protest at Clark Park in Detroit is one of dozens planned in Michigan. Hundreds of "No Kings Day" protests are planned across the U.S. - including in Michigan - on Saturday, June 14 to protest the Trump administration's policies. The 'No Kings' rally takes place nationwide on Saturday, June 14 and coincides with Flag Day and a massive military parade in Washington, D.C. to honor the 250th birthday of the Army and the 79th birthday of President Donald Trump. The parade will feature approximately 6,600 soldiers, 150 military vehicles, and 50 helicopters, according to the Associated Press. While the government plans the celebration, opponents of Trump and his administration are planning what they call a "nationwide day of defiance." What they're saying "In America, we don't put up with would-be kings." According to organizers, NO KINGS is a national day of action and mobilization in response to "increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption from Trump and his allies." Several grassroots political organizations — including 50501, Indivisible and Stand Up America — are joining forces June 14 "to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings," the site said. The Detroit rally is schedule for June 14 at 1 p.m. at Clark Park but there are dozens of other planned protests across Michigan, which are all listed on the organization's site here. The backstory The protests are in affiliation with the national coalition "50 Protest, 50 States, One Movement (50501)" and dozens of grassroots groups including Indivisible, American Federation of Teachers, Black Voters Matter, National Action Network, and Social Security Works. The movement is inspired by the "Hands Off!" and May Day demonstrations across the U.S. Organizers said action is being taken to reject the notion the country is ruled by a "king" and to show what democracy looks like: "people, united, refusing to be ruled." "This country doesn't belong to a king — and we're not letting him throw himself a parade funded by tens of millions of our taxpayer dollars while stealing from us and stripping away our rights, our freedoms, and the programs our families rely on," the release stated. The other side While speaking at Fort Bragg this week, Trump said Saturday would be a "big day" and noted "we want to show off a little bit." "We're going to celebrate our greatness and our achievements," he said. "This week, we honor 250 years of valor and glory and triumph by the greatest fighting force ever to walk the face of the Earth: the United States Army." Dig deeper Veterans are divided over the Army's big parade. Christopher Purdy, an Army veteran who served in Iraq, called the parade a facade that paints over some of the Republican president's policies that have targeted military veterans and current service members, including cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs and a ban on transgender troops. "It's embarrassing," said Purdy, 40, of Atlanta. "It's expensive. And whatever his reasons are for doing it, I think it's entirely unnecessary." Joe Plenzler, a retired Marine who fought in Iraq, said Trump wants to see troops saluting him on his birthday as tanks roll past. "It's just suspicious," the 53-year-old from Middletown, Virginia, said of the timing. "I absolutely love the Army from the bottom of my cold black Marine heart," he said. "But if the Army's birthday was a day later, we probably wouldn't be doing it. I'd rather see that $50 million take care of the men and women who went off to war and came back with missing arms, legs and eyeballs, and with damaged brains." For Gulf War Army veteran Paul Sullivan, Trump and the parade are inextricably linked. "This Trump tank travesty is all about stroking Trump's ego," said Sullivan, 62, who lives outside Charlottesville, Virginia. "If Trump truly cared about our service members, he would sit down with them quietly and say, 'What can we do with $50 million or $100 million to make your lives better?' He's not." The Source Information for this story was provided by the No Kings website and the Associated Press.
