Editorial: Illinois Supreme Court's refusal to hear gerrymandering case is a blow to democracy
That leaves intact legislative maps that badly undermine democracy in Illinois. Any reasonable, non-partisan person looking at the facts would arrive at that conclusion. State House districts are so distorted that GOP candidates won 45% of the total vote for the Illinois House of Representatives in 2024 and just 34% of the seats.
That's plain wrong, and the justices ought to be ashamed.
After multiple failed attempts in the past two decades to get a fair hearing before the Supreme Court, the GOP thought this time might be different. A lawsuit led by House Minority Leader Tony McCombie presented hard data, strong arguments that numerous bizarrely shaped districts violate the state Constitution, and even responded to court decisions in the past that had tossed GOP litigation because it was filed too close to an election.
Nothing doing.
The court refused to take up this latest case, not based on its merits but because the majority of justices said the plaintiffs waited too long to act. There's no winning with this bunch, which appears content to oversee a judicial version of Joseph Heller's Catch-22.
While Illinois' high court declined to intervene, our neighbors to the north took a different, more encouraging path. Wisconsin's Supreme Court contest between conservative Brad Schimel and liberal Susan Crawford recently garnered intense national attention as a referendum of sorts on the early months of the Trump administration. Crawford prevailed, which cheered Democrats and worried Republicans.
But even before that contest, Wisconsin's high court had thrown out the Badger State's gerrymandered maps, ruling in December 2023 that similarly distorted district boundaries favoring the GOP in that state were unconstitutional.
Equally as important, and to the surprise of many, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers in February 2024 compromised with the GOP-run legislature on new maps that are said to slightly favor the Republicans but are far fairer than the districts the court rejected. 'Wisconsin, when I promised I wanted fair maps — not maps that are better for one party or another — I damn well meant it,' Evers said.
In Illinois, Gov. JB Pritzker said much the same when he first ran for office in 2019. But he most definitely didn't mean it. And the Supreme Court has been happy to play along.
'Plaintiffs could have brought their argument years ago,' the majority wrote in an unsigned decision. 'Their claim that waiting multiple election cycles is necessary to reveal the effects of redistricting is unpersuasive.'
That's the court's take. To us, the proof is undeniable. Illinois' political maps don't yield results that represent the will of the people. The justices missed a golden opportunity to emulate our neighbors to the north and instead have left too many voters dispirited and feeling like nothing can ever change.
As lawmakers in Wisconsin and Illinois have demonstrated, partisan gerrymandering is a bipartisan pursuit when the party in power has carte blanche to pick its own voters. When that happens, the judiciary — an equal branch of government — is tasked with upholding the Constitution, not aiding and abetting its partisan friends.
Illinois' Supreme Court justices failed that most basic test.
Nationally, the Democratic Party in November failed to connect with independent and centrist voters who usually determine the outcome of elections in a relatively evenly divided country. Democratic hegemony in Illinois hasn't produced a thriving state; to the contrary, Illinois isn't growing, and its economic performance lags the nation as a whole.
A political party that has no fear of losing power too often is a political party that refuses to entertain new ideas or reconsider its own orthodoxies.
The path to Democratic renewal is not through disenfranchising voters. This was a highly unfortunate missed opportunity.
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Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Republican Party of Texas sets stage to censure members who stepped out of line in likely bid to block them from primary ballot
This article was adapted from our premium politics newsletter, The Blast, which delivers exclusive reporting, nonpartisan analysis and the first word on political moves across the state. Subscribe today. The executive committee of the Republican Party of Texas was in Austin on Saturday to finalize its first-ever legislative review, outlining a list of censurable offenses that some within the Texas GOP want to use to block certain House Republicans from the 2026 primary ballot. Those Republicans, made up of delegates chosen by county parties, want to use the list to hold their elected officials to the state party's priorities. But others see it as an illegal effort to deny officials from the primary ballot if they don't follow the most fervent conservative activists' aims 100% of the time. Texas GOP Chair Abraham George told The Blast that he and House Speaker Dustin Burrows, who spoke to members of the SREC at a separate meeting with Gov. Greg Abbott earlier Saturday morning, have not discussed the party's censure effort, a new 'accountability' mechanism the state party approved at its 2024 convention. Still, Burrows likely knew the SREC members would be approving a hit list that could be used to keep 'RINOs' from the ballot. Earlier this year Burrows and the state party were at odds with one another. The Texas GOP has spent money in Burrows' district with ads opposing his speakership. At the time, Burrows dismissed George's critiques that the House was letting GOP priority bills stall in the House in an interview with Spectrum News' James Barragán published May 7. 'I don't respond to him. He's not worth responding to,' Burrows said of George. But the political environment in Texas has shifted drastically since then. George told The Blast on Saturday that Democrats breaking quorum has brought every Republican together in a way that's been good for the party and the 'grassroots,' referring to the Texas GOP's leadership and activists. 'We have an open line with the speaker,' George said. 'You don't have to agree all the time. We probably are still going to have some disagreements. That's part of the process.' State Rep. Mitch Little, R-Lewisville, who has previously been critical of Burrows, likened it to 'a new day of mutual respect and courtesy and cooperation between the party and the speaker.' List of Grievances The State Republican Executive Committee, or SREC, hunkered down in the Capitol auditorium and outlined censurable offenses that would apply to a majority of the GOP caucus, particularly Burrows' top committee chairs. The report itself doesn't censure lawmakers. It's a list of transgressions that county parties can use to censure their representatives and ask to bar them from the March primary ballot. State Affairs Chair Ken King of Canadian, whose committee was a bottleneck for several GOP priority bills, was the subject of numerous censurable offenses. Even Public Education Chair Brad Buckley of Salado — who quarterbacked Gov. Greg Abbott's No. 1 priority, school vouchers, across the finish line — was mentioned for not advancing a bill to deny public education to K-12 students who are in the country illegally, House Bill 4707. The list of offenses include bills that failed to pass in the regular session that Abbott has added to the call for the special session. A common theme throughout the meeting was that the report needs to be airtight because they may have to defend it in court, as George noted. Eric Opiela, an attorney helping several House Republicans with pending censures, was in the audience. 'We are talking about providing grounds for possibly keeping an office holder off the primary ballot,' said Rolando Garcia, an SREC member for Senate District 15 in Harris County. 'If it looks like we're really being shady and squirrely and multiplying violations just to provide grounds for keeping people off the ballot, that is very damaging to RPT.' Perhaps the most contentious part of the meeting came when the SREC took up the Legislative Review Task Force report on Republicans' effort to ban Democrats from House committee chairmanships, a top priority of the Texas GOP. The House voted to reserve committee chairs for Republicans, but they left vice chairmanships for Democrats when it approved the rules package back in February. A majority of the House, including a majority of Republicans, voted to prematurely close debate and amendments on the rules and ultimately approved them. Deborah Kelting-Fite, an SREC member for Senate District 7 in Harris and Montgomery counties, called the rules a 'Trojan horse designed to give Democrats more control.' Steve Evans, an SREC member for Senate District 28 in Burrows' hometown of Lubbock and West Texas, tried to strip the entire Democratic chairs section from the report, pointing out that it named 51 members — a majority of the GOP caucus' 88 members. Censuring that many Republicans felt like it would create too many unnecessary enemies, he said. 'This is pretty huge to name this many members when we have so many things going on,' Evans said. 'We've got the messaging that's going on from the White House to redistrict, we have the House trying to restore a quorum, and then we're going to come in here, in their house, and do this?' Burrows himself wasn't completely absolved by everyone on the SREC. Some members tried to add an item that would have made voting in favor of Burrows as speaker to the list of political sins, arguing it was the culmination of a conspiracy to give Democrats more power. Before the legislative session started, the RPT opposed Burrows for House speaker, throwing its support behind his opponent Rep. David Cook, R-Mansfield. George shot down that effort, saying the speaker election was not a legislative priority. Only violations of legislative priorities were to be considered censurable offenses. The SREC voted to delay the final report by a couple days to allow lawmakers an opportunity to try to explain some of their censurable acts to the committee by Monday. The committee will distribute the final report to county parties on Wednesday. Shape the future of Texas at the 15th annual , happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin! We bring together Texas' most inspiring thinkers, leaders and innovators to discuss the issues that matter to you. Get tickets now and join us this November. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
The Hill
27 minutes ago
- The Hill
Morning Report — Trump puts DC on high alert
Trump puts FBI crime fighters on D.C. streets Ukraine fights for spot at Trump-Putin summit Netanyahu on defensive with Gaza takeover Experts go to school on elementary students President Trump today will explain what he sees as a role for FBI law enforcers on Washington, D.C., streets as part of his crackdown against violent crime. The FBI began over the weekend to dispatch about 120 agents to work overnight shifts to help local law enforcement prevent carjackings and violence as Trump scheduled a news conference for this morning. He said he wants to 'stop violent crime' and tackle homeless encampments in the nation's capital after signing an order last month making it easier to arrest homeless people. 'The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY, ' the president wrote on Truth Social on Sunday. 'We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don't have to move out. We're going to put you in jail where you belong.' Last week the president began wielding crime statistics to make his case, including data that Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) disputed on Sunday. 'If the priority is to show force in an American city, we know he can do that here,' Bowser, who initially offered no public comments as the president vowed to federalize the city, told MSNBC on Sunday. 'But it won't be because there's a spike in crime.' Describing himself as 'no 'MR. NICE GUY,'' Trump said on social media over the weekend that federal action will 'immediately clear out the city's homeless population and take swift action against crime.' The president's aggressive approach echoes his focus on border security and migrant criminals, themes during his campaign and in the first six months of his second term. In Los Angeles in June, Trump deployed active-duty troops to bolster federal arrests of migrants while rejecting the opposition of Gov. Gavin Newsom (D). FBI agents also were used during that operation before Trump withdrew the troops in mid-July. His presidential action in California will be scrutinized during a federal trial that begins today as part of a challenge brought by the governor. Violent crime rates in Washington dropped 35 percent from 2023 to 2024, marking the lowest rates recorded in more than 30 years, according to a January report by the Justice Department. ▪ The Washington Post: Here's what D.C.'s crime statistics show. But Trump reacted last week to social media and news accounts of car jackings and melees involving teenage attackers while continuing to describe the nation's capital as unsafe, unsightly and poorly managed by Democratic politicians. He and advisers say D.C. police and prosecutors are too lenient. He called for juvenile suspects to be charged in the adult justice system. Trump has long been critical of conditions in Washington and in other major U.S. cities governed by Democrats, including New York, his hometown. 'We want our Capital BACK,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. The deployment of FBI agents to deal with local crime puts federal agents from the bureau's counterintelligence, public corruption and other divisions with minimal training in traffic stops out on the streets, The Washington Post reported. In the nation's capital, suspects as young as 15 can be charged as adults. 'Young people are coddled, and they don't need to be coddled anymore,' U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the city's new prosecutor appointed by Trump, said last week. ' They need to be held accountable.' Smart Take with Blake Burman will return on Wednesday. 3 THINGS TO KNOW TODAY ▪ The share of moms with young children in the workforce fell this year, as return-to-office measures and government layoffs take an outsize toll on women. ▪ Trump hasn't applied to the National Capital Planning Commission for approval of his planned 90,000 square foot White House ballroom. It's a statutory requirement and a review can take years. ▪ U.S. companies are repurchasing their stock shares at a record pace. It's boosting their balance sheets and fueling a rally in financial markets. LEADING THE DAY ALASKA SUMMIT: As the war in Ukraine rages on, Trump will meet Friday in Alaska with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It will mark the first meeting between a U.S. president and the Russian leader since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. As of Monday, major logistical components, including a venue, remained up in the air, as White House officials raced to lock down details. In his first few months back in office, Trump and his administration have pushed for an end to the war in Ukraine, with no luck. Trump said last week he is going to meet with Putin in Alaska to speak about an end to the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has not been invited to the summit, raising concern among Kyiv's allies across the globe. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Sunday that he hopes Zelensky will be involved in the summit. Vice President Vance, interviewed Sunday on 'Fox News,' said the U.S. is working to set up a separate meeting that also includesZelensky. Vance said he did not think it would be a good idea for Putin and Zelensky to meet before Trump's meeting on Friday with the Russian president. Vance said he wants peace and to stop funding the Ukraine war. 'We're done with the funding of the Ukraine war business,' he said on Fox News. 'We want to bring about a peaceful settlement to this thing.' LAND DISPUTE: Putin's reported proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine, which would require Kyiv to cede regions in the east, sparked a firm response from European leaders on Saturday. They welcomed Trump's efforts to negotiate a ceasefire as part of an effort to permanently end the nearly three-and-a-half-year war but argued that 'only' an approach that mixes support for Ukraine, 'active' diplomacy and additional pressure on Moscow can lead to peace on the front lines. Zelensky said Sunday that his country will not let Russia 'deceive' the U.S. 'Of course, our team is working with the United States — not a single day goes by without communication on how to ensure real peace,' Zelensky said in an address, according to a translation released by his office. 'We understand Russia's intention to try to deceive America — we will not allow this. I greatly value the determination with which President Trump is committed to bringing an end to the killings in this war.' ▪ The Hill: NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the alliance is 'making sure that Ukraine has what it needs to stay in the fight' ahead of the summit. ▪ The New York Times: Washington's push to negotiate an end to the war has raised concerns the Trump administration will make concessions to Moscow that Kyiv finds unacceptable. NO CONCESSIONS: Russian officials and commentators crowed about landing a summit between Putin and Trump, which apparently came without the Kremlin having made any clear concessions over its war in Ukraine. Russia's special economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev said the decision to hold the summit in Alaska was symbolically important for the U.S.-Russian partnership. The U.S. purchased the territory from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million, or about 2 cents per acre. 'Trump has chosen to host Putin in a part of the former Russian Empire,' Michael McFaul, an Obama-era U.S. ambassador to Russia, wrote on the social platform X. 'Wonder if he knows that Russian nationalists claim that losing Alaska, like Ukraine, was a raw deal for Moscow that needs to be corrected.' ▪ The Hill: Trump critic John Bolton, a former national security adviser during Trump's first term, criticized the upcoming U.S.-Russia meeting in Alaska, arguing Trump's actions have not changed foreign policy. Bolton asserted Trump is motivated by a desire to capture a Nobel Peace Prize. ▪ The Hill: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) says that peace negotiations in Alaska could be 'a positive step forward' if 'an agreement can be negotiated which does not compromise what the Ukrainians feel that they need.' GAZA: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday defended his plans to take over additional areas of Gaza, despite widespread international criticism. Netanyahu said Israeli forces would 'quickly' evacuate and then seize Gaza City, as well as a cluster of refugee camps in the enclave's middle region. But critics said the proposed new military offensive is likely to worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and further endanger the hostages still being held by Hamas. Thousands protested across Israel over the weekend, renewing calls for an immediate ceasefire. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres criticized Israel's plan, saying in a statement that the plan 'marks a dangerous escalation' and 'risks deepening the already catastrophic consequences for millions of Palestinians.' Trump is giving a tacit green light for Netanyahu's military push, framing the move as an Israeli-owned decision amid a global outcry. A defiant Netanyahu on Sunday insisted there is no starvation in Gaza. Netanyahu only conceded there was 'deprivation' in the enclave, but he said 'no one in Gaza would have survived after two years of war' if Israel was implementing a 'starvation policy.' ▪ CNN analysis: Netanyahu's Gaza takeover plan satisfies no one but himself. ▪ Politico: The 'day after' plan for Gaza that Netanyahu doesn't want to talk about. © The Hill | Greg Nash COURTING ENDORSEMENTS: Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is leaning heavily into the Texas redistricting battle as he seeks to fend off an uphill, conservative primary challenge from state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R). Last Tuesday, Cornyn publicly called for FBI Director Kash Patel to assist in tracking down Texas state Legislature Democrats who fled the state in protest of the GOP's proposed congressional maps, which could net them five seats in Congress. Two days later, the senator and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) separately confirmed that the FBI was assisting in the effort. The move to get out in front of the redistricting battle allows Cornyn to ingratiate himself with the state's deeply conservative base, writes The Hill's Julia Manchester, as they have distanced themselves from the incumbent senator in his uphill primary battle against Paxton. 'I think this is a good opportunity for Cornyn to show that he's a fighter and that's willing to take on an issue that's a red meat issue that resonates with the base,' said Brendan Steinhauser, Cornyn's former campaign manager and a Texas-based GOP strategist. 'When you see those opportunities, you have to take them.' Former Attorney General Eric Holder said Sunday the FBI does not have jurisdiction to return Texas Democratic lawmakers who fled their state. 'You're asking the FBI to get involved, to find these legislators who are in the process of trying to defend democracy in Texas,' Holder said on NBC News's 'Meet the Press.' 'And they're not hard to find, but the question after that is, 'Well, what's the federal jurisdiction? What federal statute has potentially been violated? What's the basis for any federal government interaction?' And I would say that there is none.' ▪ NBC News: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) slammed Trump as a 'cheater' and Abbott as a 'joke' days after welcoming Texas Democrats who fled their state. LONE STAR EXAMPLE: States across the country are looking to follow Texas's lead in redrawing their congressional district lines ahead of the 2026 midterms. Multiple Democratic and Republican governors are seeking to add as many seats as they can for their parties and increase the chances that their party can win control of the House next year. The Hill's Jared Gans breaks down which states are most likely to make the next redistricting moves. ▪ The Hill: These are the top House Democrats at risk from GOP redistricting. ▪ The New York Times: The independent body that redraws California's political maps isn't perfect, many Republicans say. But they prefer it to the gerrymander Newsom is proposing to offset the one in Texas. FLORIDA: When Miami-Dade County turned red in November, after nearly three decades of being solidly blue, Democratic political operatives in Florida had their worst fears realized: The Sunshine State was in fact red. The signs of a flip from purple had been there for several cycles and further cemented by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's 2022 win, when he won the metropolitan county for the GOP for the first time in 20 years. But Florida Democrats say they haven't given up on trying to move their state back into purple-state-territory. In fact, they say, they're doubling down on their efforts. 'We're still rebuilding, but we've had a lot of success,' Nikki Fried, the chair of the Florida Democratic Party, told The Hill's Amie Parnes, although she acknowledged there is 'a lot of work to be done and resources we've brought into the state to do that work.' ▪ The Hill: Republicans are waging a multipronged campaign against abortion shield laws in blue states, hoping to force the federal government to ultimately ban them. Legal experts say the effort will be difficult — as some states have already learned. INFLATION: The rising costs of goods and inflation are a growing political problem for Republicans as Trump's latest round of tariffs are scheduled to kick in. Democrats see high costs as their best issue heading into the midterm election. But Republicans have yet to come up with a clearly defined strategy to address the problem of high prices, which they highlighted repeatedly in the 2024 election ahead of their sweeping victories in the presidential, Senate and House races. 'That's why Trump's beating that Fed rate cut like a dead horse,' one Republican strategist told The Hill's Alexander Bolton, referring to the immense pressure the president has put on the Federal Reserve to cut rates. © The Associated Press | Sophie Park LOCKDOWNS AND LEARNING: Children attending preschool and kindergarten this fall may prove to be tiny teachers among researchers who plan to study whether babies born during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic differ from their predecessors as new classroom learners, possibly because of factors that include school and societal adaptations amid the nation's first brush with lockdowns and a new virus. Educators say they worry about cognitive and social delays, such as difficulties sharing and following directions, among 4- and 5-year-olds who entered the world beginning in 2020. ▪ CBS News: Meanwhile, the COVID-19 virus is on the rise again, especially in the West, according to state and government data. COMPUTER CHIPS: Companies Nvidia and AMD are expected to kick 15 percent of what they make in China sales of artificial-intelligence chips to the U.S. government in a highly unusual arrangement crafted by Trump. The agreement follows Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang 's meeting with Trump last week. FEDERAL DATA: The Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics will soon get a new leader after Trump fired the last commissioner following the release this month of a weak jobs report. E.J. Antoni, the chief economist at the Heritage Foundation, is among those under consideration and has been a longtime critic of the agency's approach to collecting jobs data, The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday. ▪ The Hill: Some advocates for higher education fear potential repercussions of Trump's order to colleges and universities to turn over more college admissions data. ▪ The Hill: ■ A risky peace gamble in Alaska, by The Washington Post editorial board. ■ Dangerous nostalgia: Trump wants to turn back time, by A. Scott Bolden, opinion contributor, The Hill. © The Associated Press | Markus Schreiber And finally … What are Labubu dolls and why did they land in national headlines last week when thieves stole a store's inventory of the pricey collectibles? Answer: The haul near Los Angeles of toothy little monsters created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung was valued at $7,000. 'We are still in shock, ' One Stop Sales, the store that was robbed, said in a social media post while urging people to help locate the burglars. The current craze for the colorful adornments, which have been described as ' creepy but cute,' is being driven by social media, natch. Labubus, which are manufactured by Pop Mart, a Chinese toy company based in Beijing, are hard to come by and are subject to U.S. tariffs. The popularity of the petite gremlins has spawned fakes. Stay Engaged
The Hill
27 minutes ago
- The Hill
High costs after tariffs pose threat to Trump and GOP
The cost of living in America is projected to rise because of President Trump's latest round of tariffs and that's a political problem for the president and Republican lawmakers in Washington, who campaigned in 2024 on bringing down the cost of groceries and other staples, a message that resonated with strongly with voters. More than six months into Trump's second term, however, the costs of groceries, and other essential goods, such as cars, have continued to rise, corresponding with a drop in Trump's job approval rating and a souring public view of Trump's handling of the economy. The cost of even 'cheap' eats is become fodder for debate on social media, as people grumble about everything from the price of McDonald's hash browns to Coca-Cola. The price of eggs has come down in recent months, but a dozen are still, on average, 64 cents more expensive than a year ago, while the price of chicken, ground beef and orange juice were more expensive last month compared to a year ago. While inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index has stabilized at 2.7 percent, policymakers fear the prices of goods and services could spike up again, which is a big reason the Federal Reserve is hesitant to cut interest rates, a major point of tension between Fed Chair Jerome Powell and Trump. Trump's tariffs are expected to put upward pressure on costs. Experts project that higher fees on goods from Canada, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and other major trading partners could cost the average family of four an additional $2,400 or more in annual expenses. A Republican strategist who requested anonymity said Republicans need to be careful that inflation and costs don't become an anchor on their candidates in next year's election. 'That's why Trump's beating that Fed rate cut like a dead horse,' the strategist quipped, referring to the immense pressure the president has put on the Fed to cut rates. The strategist explained that while spurring the economy by making money cheaper to borrow might increase inflation over the long term, it will give voters a sense that the economy and their income-earning ability is on the rise. Vin Weber, a Republican strategist and former member of the House GOP leadership, said while some voters might hope to see prices come down, he warned that is extremely difficult for any president to accomplish. 'I think that we've made a mistake as Republicans a little bit, in talking about bringing down costs. Bringing an end to inflation but actually reducing prices is a lot more difficult,' he said. 'We can do that with some things, like certain commodities like gasoline. But broadly speaking, to say we're going to bring down prices, it's very, very difficult and not necessarily desirable. In traditional economic terms, prices coming down is deflation and is usually identified with a recession,' he said. Republican strategists say the 'jury is still out' on what the economy will look like a year from now when the battle for control of Congress heats up, but they warn that Republicans' political fortunes will ride on how voters view their own ability to keep up in a world that gets more expensive every month. 'The two most important reasons why Donald Trump won the presidency in 2024 were to bring down inflation and juice the economy. The progress on those two efforts will go a long way toward determining the president's job approval and the fortunes of Republicans going forward,' said Whit Ayres, a leading Republican pollster. 'There's been a tremendous amount of attention paid to the [Jeffrey] Epstein case, but progress on inflation and economic growth will be far more important than the Epstein case to the vast majority of Americans,' he added. Ayres said that polls show voters increasingly view the economy as Trump's economy, a perception that took hold after Trump announced sweeping reciprocal tariffs on most countries on April 2, 'Liberation Day.' 'Polls show increasingly that the status of the economy is due to policies adopted during the Trump administration rather than those adopted in the Biden administration. That has been the case ever since Liberation Day on April 2 with the tariff announcement,' he said. A Gallup poll of 1,002 adults nationwide last month found that Trump's job approval rating has dipped to 37 percent and that his approval rating on the economy has dropped from 41 percent in March to 37 percent last month. A University of Massachusetts Amherst poll of 1,000 respondents conducted from July 25-30 also found Trump with a 38 percent job approval rating and a 58 percent disapproval rating. Respondents in that poll gave Trump a 37 percent approval rating on 'jobs' and a 31 percent approval rating on 'tariffs.' That has Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill feeling nervous about the latest round of tariffs Trump imposed on foreign trading partners last week. A new analysis by the Yale Budget Lab projects Trump's tariffs could increase prices by 1.8 percent in the short term and cost the average American household $2,400 a year. The nonpartisan research group calculates that consumers face an average effective tariff rate of 18.6 percent, the highest since 1933. This has some Republicans in Congress worried about a political backlash. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) late last month unveiled a proposal to send a $600 rebate check to every American — man, woman and child — to help offset higher costs from tariffs. His bill would allow for higher rebates if tariff revenues exceed projections. A family of four would receive $2,400 in economic assistance under his plan. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) warned colleagues in April that the enactment of the 1930 Smoot-Hawley act, which raised tariffs substantially, led to the defeat of the Republican authors of the legislation in the 1932 election, and lost Republicans control of Congress for decades. 'The economics of tariffs are bad, the politics, if anything, are worse,' he warned at the time. Congressional Democrats, who are struggling with their own dismal job approval ratings, see the high costs of daily living as an issue that can help them win back control of the Senate and House. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) traveled across upstate New York on Tuesday to highlight how the administration is raising costs and hurting the economy. Appearing at an event in Niagara Falls, he called Trump's 35 percent tariff rate on Canada 'destructive' and tariffs more generally as 'a dagger aimed at the heart of Upstate New York.' Democrats are hoping to flip several Republican-held seats in New York, and state lawmakers are discussing legislation to allow New York to redraw its congressional lines mid-decade. A group of Democratic senators from New England sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin on Thursday slamming him over rising energy prices after Trump signed into law the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, which drastically cut tax incentives for renewable energy. 'While energy demand surges, your policies are strangling America's cheapest and quickest-to-deploy sources of energy — solar and wind — by hiking costs, creating insurmountable permitting hurdles and injecting uncertainty into the market,' they wrote. The signatories included Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Angus King (Maine), an independent who caucuses with Democrats. Ron Bonjean, a GOP strategist and former Senate and House leadership aide, said 'voters vote with their wallets and that's why they voted Trump in.' But he questioned whether Democrats will have credibility on the issue of the economy and inflation after voters came away from Biden's four years in office with a strongly negative view of his handling of those issues. 'The Democrats are having a really difficult time seizing on a number of opportunities because they lack the organization and the message,' he said. 'They just seem so disorganized. 'We're 15 months out' from the election and 'while historically the Republicans would likely lose the House, it doesn't feel that way. It feels it could go in any direction,' he added. 'We'll see what the economy is looking like a few months before the election,' Bonjean said.
