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Arizona's attorney general and her gang want to beat Trump at his game

Arizona's attorney general and her gang want to beat Trump at his game

Yahoo07-03-2025

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and attorney general pals from other states scored another victory in court this week over King Donald when a federal judge blocked a Trump administration funding freeze on federal grants.
Mayes released a statement saying, 'This was an illegal and reckless attempt to withhold critical funding that states rely on to serve their communities. This ruling is a victory for Arizonans and millions of Americans who depend on these essential federal funds.
'I won't stand by while the Trump administration puts itself above Congress and withholds resources that families, public safety, and healthcare providers depend on.'
That's good. But it is not good enough, and Mayes knows it.
In addition to being a very fine attorney, Mayes understands politics.
She knows that it in addition to winning in court, you have to win in the court of public opinion, just as Trump has done. He has managed to convince Americans that he is working in their best interest while doing just the opposite.
Mayes and her gang of Democratic attorneys general want to reach out to those people, hear from those feeling the pain of Elon Musk's chainsaw approach to downsizing. To do that, they are taking their show on the road.
Mayes, along with Attorneys General Keith Ellison of Minnesota, Dan Rayfield of Oregon and Raul Torrez of New Mexico held what they called a Community Impact Hearing before a crowd of about 400 people on Wednesday at Central High School.
They're planning other stops in other states.
The idea is to let regular people tell their stories, to let them vent about the impact that unchecked funding cuts and layoffs are having on people Trump courted before the election.
For example, veterans.
At the AGs' town hall in Phoenix, a veteran named Tim Cox, who works at the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, said he expects to be laid off sometime soon, along with 90% of the office's workforce, and added, 'OFCC is the only federal agency that takes complaints of discrimination from veterans, and this is reducing our agency down to nothing. In less than two months, this administration has proven itself to be the most anti-veteran administration.'
Lawsuits aimed at protecting those who are harmed by unjustified cuts are important. In fact, Mayes announced on Thursday that she and her associate attorneys general filed another lawsuit, this one against the mass layoffs of federal probationary employees.
Opinion: Musk should cut his own handouts before Social Security
Also important, however, is hearing from the people harmed and spreading the word.
As Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said, 'We believe the public doesn't like a lot of things that have been happening from Washington. You have a chance to tell your truth, to listen to your neighbors.'
This is particularly important since Republican members of Congress are being told not to hold town halls after GOP representatives who did so recently were confronted by constituents furious over the Trump administration cuts.
Mayes gets this.
It's why at the town hall with other AGs, she took a shot at a couple of Arizona's Republican members of Congress, saying, 'Where is (Rep.) David Schweikert? Where is (Rep.) Juan Ciscomani? If I have to, I'll go hold the town hall in David Schweikert's district, or Juan Ciscomani's district, if that's what it takes to give his constituents the right to speak out about this.'
The AGs are doing what Democrats in Washington should be doing. They're going on the offensive, daring Trump's sycophants in Congress to explain their fealty in light of the misery and confusion and chaos it's causing.
Because there's an old saying in politics: If you're explaining, you're losing.
Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Trump funding cuts are unpopular, and Democrat AGs know it | Opinion

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Protests intensify in Los Angeles after Trump deploys National Guard troops
Protests intensify in Los Angeles after Trump deploys National Guard troops

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Protests intensify in Los Angeles after Trump deploys National Guard troops

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Newsom says California will sue Trump over National Guard, dares Homan to arrest him
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Newsom says California will sue Trump over National Guard, dares Homan to arrest him

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Newsom plans to sue Trump admin over National Guard deployment to LA even as LAPD chief admits cops are ‘overwhelmed' by violent anti-ICE riots
Newsom plans to sue Trump admin over National Guard deployment to LA even as LAPD chief admits cops are ‘overwhelmed' by violent anti-ICE riots

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Newsom plans to sue Trump admin over National Guard deployment to LA even as LAPD chief admits cops are ‘overwhelmed' by violent anti-ICE riots

California Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration early Monday morning over the president's deployment of 300 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, even as the LAPD chief admitted Sunday his cops 'are overwhelmed' by the violent anti-ICE riots taking over the city. Newsom announced he'll be suing the admin after he sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Sunday, formally requesting that he rescind the 'unlawful' deployment of troops and return them to state control, as there was 'currently no need' for the Guardsmen. 8 California Gov. Gavin Newsom requested the Trump administration pull back the National Guard from the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles. 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LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell called the barbarity 'disgusting' during a news conference, where he said the protests have gotten 'increasingly worse and more violent.' 'We are overwhelmed,' McDonnell said, according to NBC Los Angeles. 'Tonight, we had individuals out there shooting commercial-grade fireworks at our officers. That can kill you.' 8 Police cleared demonstrators after they blocked a street with a barricade during a protest against federal immigration sweeps. REUTERS Newsom blamed the chaos and violence on Trump's involvement. 'We didn't have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty — inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they're actually needed,' Newsom wrote on X. 'Rescind the order. Return control to California.' 8 A demonstrator waved a Mexico flag in front of burning dumpsters in Los Angeles on Sunday night. REUTERS Newsom debuted his soon-to-be-filed lawsuit against the Trump administration later Sunday evening and accused the president of being 'a stone-cold liar.' In his announcement, he claimed that Trump 'never once' mentioned the National Guard when the two talked on Friday. 'It was a very civil conversation. I've always wanted to approach engagement with the President of the United States in a respectful and responsible way. But there's no working with the president, there's only working for him. And I will never work for Donald Trump,' Newsom said. President Trump on Saturday ordered 2,000 National Guard troops to be dispatched to the protests. As of Sunday, roughly 300 had arrived, with 1,700 waiting in the wings. 8 Demonstrators partially shut down the 101 Freeway near downtown Los Angeles. ALLISON DINNER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Still, some Trump officials decided even that wasn't enough to cap the 2,000-man protests. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the Pentagon has an additional 500 Marines on standby nearby Camp Pendleton in LA. Earlier today, a protest including many veterans gathered outside the camp's grounds in opposition to military use in civil demonstrations, CBS 8 reported. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is also offering rewards up to $50,000 for information on protesters who allegedly assaulted a police officer at the protests on Sunday. One of the men was even added to the FBI's 'Most Wanted' list. 8 It is unclear how many people were arrested. Newsom is on the ground in LA meeting with the LA police and sheriffs to figure out next steps for quelling the protests sparked 'by chaos from Washington,' he wrote on X. 'We're here to keep the peace — not play into Trump's political games,' he wrote. LA Mayor Karen Bass echoed Newsom's sentiments, arguing the presence of the National Guard would only make things worse. 8 As of Sunday, roughly 300 members of the National Guard were in Los Angeles. Getty Images 'Deploying federalized troops on the heels of these raids is a chaotic escalation,' she said in a statement. 'If you want there to be chaos, then have troops on the ground when there is absolutely no need for that to happen,' she later added. Trump slammed both Newsom and Bass in a Truth Social post late Sunday night and claimed 'paid insurrectionists' were responsible for the riots. 'Governor Gavin Newscum and 'Mayor' Bass should apologize to the people of Los Angeles for the absolutely horrible job that they have done, and this now includes the ongoing L.A. riots,' he wrote. 'These are not protesters, they are troublemakers and insurrectionists.' 'Looking really bad L.A. BRING IN THE TROOPS!!!' Trump later posted.

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