Medicaid cuts at center of debate over Trump megabill
Demonstrators are marching in Washington, D.C. against President Trump's tax and spending package. Executive Director of Repairers of the Breach, the non-profit leading the demonstration, Reverend Kazimir Brown joins Chris Jansing to speak out against the Republican spending plan, which includes cuts to crucial programs like Medicaid.
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Axios
21 minutes ago
- Axios
MAGA's blue-collar base waits patiently for populist payoff
President Trump 's second term has been a payday for the powerful, exposing a disconnect in his promise to deliver for "the forgotten man" of America's working class. Why it matters: The populist paradox at the heart of MAGA — a movement fueled by economic grievance and championed by a New York billionaire — has never been more pronounced. Trump's blue-collar base remains fiercely loyal, energized by his hardline stances on immigration, trade and culture — and patient that his economic "Golden Age" will materialize. But so far, the clearest financial rewards of Trump's tenure are flowing upward — to wealthy donors, family members, insiders and the president himself. The big picture: Trump's inner circle has shattered norms around profiting from the presidency, dulling public outrage to the point where even the most brazen access schemes draw only fleeting scrutiny. Take crypto: The top holders of Trump's meme coin were granted an exclusive dinner last month at the president's Virginia golf club, where some paid millions for access. The White House refused to release the guest list, but wealthy foreigners — including a Chinese billionaire who faced SEC charges under the Biden administration — were among those revealed to be in attendance. Trump's sons, meanwhile, are spearheading a family crypto venture that has raked in hundreds of millions of dollars. Trump Media, the parent company of Truth Social, is raising $2.5 billion to buy Bitcoin. All of this — plus a flurry of lucrative real estate deals overseas — is playing out as Trump presides over U.S. foreign policy and the fate of crypto regulation. Zoom in: Now take Trump's relationship with his donors. His Cabinet is the wealthiest in American history, stocked with mega-donors whose combined net worth reaches well into the billions — even discounting estranged former adviser Elon Musk. Trump has granted pardons or clemency to a stream of white-collar criminals and wealthy tax cheats, many of whom hired lobbyists, donated to the president or raised money on his behalf. The Wall Street Journal found that the biggest corporate and individual donors to Trump's inauguration later received relief from investigations, U.S. market access and plum postings in the administration. The other side: Trump officials wholly reject the premise that the administration's policies don't benefit the working-class Americans who voted for the president en masse. The White House points to cooling inflation, plummeting border crossings, and the tariff-driven re-shoring of manufacturing as evidence of Trump delivering on his core promises. They frame his crypto push, AI acceleration and deregulatory agenda as driving forces behind a pro-growth tide that will lift all boats — including for middle- and working-class Americans. Reality check: Inflation may remain benign for now, but there are growing signs businesses are experiencing higher prices and passing some or all of those costs directly through to consumers, Axios managing editor for business Ben Berkowitz notes. While companies have made encouraging public statements about re-shoring, in almost all of those cases it's too soon for any shovels to be in the ground. What to watch: Trump's "One, Big, Beautiful Bill" is packed with populist red meat, including the extension of his first-term tax cuts, the elimination of taxes on tips and overtime, and $1,000 " Trump Accounts" for newborns. "All his hopes and dreams on that front are pinned to that reconciliation bill," one MAGA operative told Axios, characterizing it as "the bulk" of Trump's legislative agenda for the middle class. "The president expects the Senate to quickly pass the One, Big, Beautiful Bill, codifying huge tax cuts that will mean permanent savings for hardworking Americans," White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said. Between the lines: Several independent analyses project that the wealthiest Americans would benefit most from the bill. A Penn Wharton study that found the top 10% of earners would reap 70% of the legislation's total value. The Congressional Budget Office projects that Medicaid work requirements and other health care cuts would leave about 11 million people uninsured by 2034. Millions could also be forced off of food stamps. "Medicaid, you gotta be careful," former Trump adviser Steve Bannon said on his "War Room" podcast in February. "Because a lot of MAGAs are on Medicaid, I'm telling you. If you don't think so, you are dead wrong." Factory investments in red districts are expected to suffer most from the bill's rollback of clean energy credits included in President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act. The bottom line: Inside the MAGA movement, there's little concern about who's getting rich as long as Trump keeps fighting the culture wars, deporting immigrants and tearing down liberal institutions.
Axios
21 minutes ago
- Axios
San Antonio City Council election results show changing politics
San Antonio City Council District 1 incumbent Sukh Kaur held on to her seat in Saturday's runoff election, in which three new city councilmembers were also elected in a political shakeup. Why it matters: A new generation of councilmembers can help shape a range of transformative city plans as they work with new mayor Gina Ortiz Jones over the next four years — but they'll also have to contend with a possible budget deficit and cuts to services. By the numbers: Kaur beat out conservative neighborhood leader Patty Gibbons 65% to 35% in the downtown area district, which now also includes some neighborhoods north of Loop 410. The big picture: The San Antonio City Council could have a starker political divide. It'sgaining one more progressive and one more conservative member, who are taking over seats previously held by business-friendly and moderate Democrats. Ortiz Jones is expected to lead as a progressive. The latest: In District 6 on the Far West Side, Ric Galvan (50.1%) beat Kelly Ann Gonzalez (49.9%) by just 25 votes. Both have progressive backgrounds running in a district that has previously elected Republicans and business-friendly Democrats. In District 8 on the Northwest Side, Ivalis Meza Gonzalez (57%) beat Paula McGee (43%). Meza Gonzalez is the former chief of staff to Mayor Ron Nirenberg, while McGee had experience on city boards and support from the Republican Party of Bexar County. In District 9 on the North Side, Misty Spears (57%) beat Angi Taylor Aramburu (43%), putting this more conservative district back in Republican hands for the first time in eight years. Spears has been the director of constituent services for Republican Bexar County Commissioner Grant Moody. Flashback: The four districts headed to the June runoff after no one earned more than 50% of the vote in the May 3 election. District 4 on the Southwest Side is newly represented by Edward Mungia, a former staff member in the office. He won outright in the May election.
Axios
21 minutes ago
- Axios
San Antonio mayor live election results: Gina Ortiz Jones wins race
San Antonio on Saturday elected Gina Ortiz Jones as its next mayor, choosing a Democrat instead of Republican Rolando Pablos for a nonpartisan race that became distinctly about politics. Why it matters: The mayoral election, the city's first in 16 years without an incumbent on the ballot, drew money and influence from across the state and nation. Neither Ortiz Jones nor Pablos have held elected office before, and San Antonio has not elected a mayor who hasn't served on the City Council since Phil Hardberger in 2005. The latest: Unofficial vote results showed Ortiz Jones with 54% of the vote compared to 46% for Pablos. All precincts were counted. What they're saying: Ortiz Jones told supporters at a watch party at The Dakota East Side Ice House that voters "reminded folks what San Antonio stands for," adding "that our city is about compassion and it's about leading with everybody in mind." "But you know what, our country — I think we're going through a blip right now, but San Antonio has had the opportunity to say, you know what? We're going to move past this," she added. Pablos conceded at his watch party, per KSAT. "We tried. I want to thank everybody for your support. It was a tough race, and I'm just happy that everybody came together for this community," he said. State of play: Ortiz Jones, who is believed to be the first openly gay woman elected San Antonio mayor, served as an Air Force undersecretary in the Biden administration and was twice the Democratic nominee for the 23rd Congressional District. During the runoff campaign, both candidates leaned into their families' immigrant backgrounds. Ortiz Jones spoke of being raised by a single mother who immigrated from the Philippines and Pablos of his family moving from Mexico to El Paso when he was 8 years old. Pablos is a former Texas secretary of state who has served as a senior adviser to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. Follow the money: Pablos and his supporters appeared to both outraise and outspend Ortiz Jones in the runoff election, campaign finance reports show. Pablos raised nearly $333,000 and spent more than $275,000 from late April through May 28. He got a big boost from the Texas Economic Fund, a political action committee run by Abbott's former political director, which raised $1.35 million and spent over $623,000 during that time. Ortiz Jones raised nearly $249,000 and spent over $133,000 in the same period. She had help from Fields of Change, a national Democratic PAC, which spent more than $160,000 for her campaign. The big picture: The new mayor will lead San Antonio at a pivotal time, as officials seek to gain public support for a new downtown Spurs arena that could be surrounded by a sports and entertainment district. They will also lead the city through the remaining years of the Trump administration, under which San Antonio has lost millions of dollars in federal funding. The city is also expecting a budget deficit. Catch up quick: Mayor Ron Nirenberg reached his term limits after eight years in office, making him the city's longest-serving mayor since Henry Cisneros in the 1980s. San Antonio's next mayor will serve for four years after voters approved increasing term length from two years. They will work alongside several new city councilmembers members. Flashback: Nirenberg's departure left a rare opening that drew a crowded 27-candidate field to replace him. Four sitting city councilmembers struggled to break through the noise as traditional backers in local elections, like the police union, sat out the first round of voting. By the numbers: Voters showed low enthusiasm for the May 3 election, which overlapped with Fiesta, at 9.26%. In the runoff, turnout rose to nearly 17%.
