Latest news with #Trump-won
Newsweek
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Gavin Newsom's Warning to Donald Trump Over Plan for Texas Republicans
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a warning to President Donald Trump and Texas Republicans amid growing attempts at redrawing Texas's congressional districts to further favor Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterms. A spokesperson for Newsom told Newsweek his office is "closely tracking what Texas does" and "exploring potential options." Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email. Why It Matters Democrats are increasingly optimistic about their chances of retaking control of the House of Representatives next November. Trump's approval rating has struggled in many recent polls, and the party in the White House historically loses seats during the midterms. Texas Republicans, however, are eyeing a plan to limit losses by redrawing the state's Congressional boundaries to benefit the party. Trump on Tuesday said he would like to see five new GOP seats in Texas, according to reporting by Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News. If Republicans move forward with that plan, it could cost Democrats seats in Congress, fueling calls for Democrats to do the same in their states. What to Know Newsom on Tuesday responded to a post on X from Sherman about the Texas plan by simply writing, "Two can play this game." Currently, Democrats hold 43 of California's Congressional seats, while Republicans hold only nine seats. Trump, meanwhile, received 38 percent of the state's votes. On the other hand, in Texas, Republicans currently hold 25 seats compared to Democrats' 13 seats. Texas is closer than California, with Harris receiving 42 percent of the vote last November. California Governor Gavin Newsom attends a campaign event on July 4, 2024 in South Haven, Michigan. California Governor Gavin Newsom attends a campaign event on July 4, 2024 in South Haven, Texas, there are currently two Democrats representing Trump-won districts in the southernmost part of the state, a Hispanic-heavy area that shifted toward Republicans over the past decade. They may also target Democratic seats in suburbs of cities like Dallas and Houston. Meanwhile, in California, there are four GOP-held seats that Trump only narrowly carried, and two Democrats representing Trump-won districts, which could see new boundaries. Notably, California has an independent redistricting commission that could be a roadblock to redrawing the state's maps. When reached by Newsweek, a state GOP spokesperson pointed to an X post from commentator Rob Pyers that noted the potential legal challenge. "California's congressional maps are drawn by an independent redistricting commission that was enshrined in the state's constitution by voters in a 2010 proposition that passed by over 20%, so any changes to this will require first going to voters to abolish the commission," Pyers wrote. Newsom told The Tennessee Holler last week that Republicans are playing by a "totally different set of rules," and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, calling for a special session for redistricting made him question "that entire program," referring to the independent commission. What People Are Saying Trump told reporters on Tuesday: "No, no. just a very simple redrawing. We pick up five seats. But we have a couple of other states where we will pick up seats also." Representative Laura Friedman, a California Democrat, wrote to X: "Absolutely. California can lead the nation in fighting back against their crass & selfish strategy to undermine democracy. They are publicly putting their partisan fingers on the scale and overriding the wishes of the public. California can balance those scales." Sara Sadhwani, a commissioner on the independent redistricting board, told The San Francisco Chronicle: "In this national context, I can understand the governor's inclination to want to retaliate. However the people of California have made it clear at the ballot that the governor does not have that power." What Happens Next The Texas legislature will meet on July 21 to begin its special session and address redistricting. Whether California or other Democratic states respond will be seen over the coming years. There are other ongoing redistricting battles in states like Ohio and Utah that could have key implications for the midterms.
NBC News
01-07-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Republican-led states advance Trump's agenda with new laws taking effect Tuesday
While Congress scrambles to pass President Donald Trump 's massive domestic policy bill, many red states are already implementing key aspects of his agenda through new laws this week. For most states, Tuesday is the start of a new fiscal year, when numerous laws take effect. Some of the statutes in Trump-won states this year mirror executive orders and other directives he signed early in his second term. Here's a sampling of the new laws set to be enforced. Targeting gender identity Indiana and Georgia are instituting bans on transgender women's participation in women's sports. Georgia's law is called the Riley Gaines Act, after the former collegiate swimmer who was a surrogate for the Trump campaign last year and has become an advocate for banning transgender athletes from women's sports. The issue of banning trans women from women's sports was a leading one for Trump, who campaigned on it and subsequently signed an executive order establishing the policy. Ohio will now allow parents to remove their children from lessons that include content about 'sexual concepts or gender ideology.' Teachers will also be required to inform parents if their children ask to be identified by genders different from their biological sexes at school. Iowa, meanwhile, is removing gender identity from its civil rights code, rendering it no longer a protected class. It is the first state to do so. Recognizing 'Gulf of America' Florida is enacting two laws officially recognizing the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America.' State agencies will be required to implement the name change, and schools must do the same in educational materials, including K-12 textbooks. Florida is the first state to officially recognize the 'Gulf of America' after Trump signed an executive order seeking to make the change official. Implementing MAHA priorities Florida is also taking a page out of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s 'Make America Healthy Again' playbook. The Legislature passed an omnibus agriculture bill that, among other provisions, ends the addition of fluoride to tap water, a move mirroring Kennedy's plan to tell the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop recommending fluoridation in drinking water, long considered one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century. Florida is the second state to ban fluoride in its water, following Utah, where a ban took effect in May. Coordinating with ICE Indiana is enacting a law requiring county jails to report people they have probable cause to believe do not have legal status to the relevant federal authorities, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The law applies to people arrested on allegations of felonies or misdemeanors. Georgia implemented a similar law Dec. 31, followed by Utah on May 7. Trump signed an executive order about local and state governments' cooperating with immigration enforcement. Rolling back DEI measures Laws in two states to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives take effect Tuesday. Indiana is banning DEI from colleges and state agencies, prohibiting employers or colleges from offering jobs or student aid because of identity-based characteristics such as race, sex or religion. The law also will prohibit using state funds for campus activities that 'promote or engage in social activism.' Mississippi is banning DEI in schools. A new state law prohibits programs and teachings in the classroom and in school offices that it describes as engaging in 'divisive concepts,' further adding that schools cannot make hires based on 'race, sex, color' or 'national origin.' A federal judge is weighing whether to stop the law from going into effect. Trump signed an anti-DEI executive order in January banning such programs and activities at federal agencies and businesses with government contracts, also encouraging the private sector to end DEI practices. Gutting funding for NPR and PBS
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Whitmer Gets ‘Trump Bump' for Cozying Up to President
Governor Gretchen Whitmer faced a fierce backlash for cozying up to Donald Trump in her effort to deliver for Michigan, but her gamble could be paying off. The Michigan Democrat is one of the many floated as a potential 2028 presidential contender who has had to grapple with how to navigate dealing with the president as part of their job. But new polling shows Americans appear to back how she's been handling the complicated relationship. Impact Research found the governor has a 63 percent positive job rating, the highest the poll has ever seen. What could be a backhanded Trump bump comes after Whitmer put politics aside and headed to Washington. Whitmer's first cringe moment came when she found herself standing awkwardly on the sidelines inside the Oval Office while Trump spoke with reporters last month. The governor looked uncomfortable and at one point even covered her face with folders, which ended up being captured on camera. She said she didn't want her picture taken, but defended showing up at the White House. Weeks later, Whitmer said she had secured a new fighter mission at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County and showed up for the announcement event with Trump, where she spoke alongside the president. The two shared a hug when Whitmer greeted Trump at the airport. During his speech, the president praised her for bringing the issue to his attention and for doing a 'good job.' The reaction to the speech was fast and furious. Some Democrats blasted the governor for accommodating Trump in any capacity, as they see him as a threat to the country and democracy. Whitmer pushed back that she had not abandoned her values but was putting 'service above self.' She has also been critical of the president's chaotic tariff plans. Turns out, Michiganders in the Trump-won state support her approach. 90 percent of Democrats have a positive view of her, Impact Research found, while 66 percent of Independents do. Even 35 percent of Republicans have a positive view of the governor. 'Michiganders want her to continue her approach of working with President Trump when it's good for Michigan while standing up to him when she disagrees,' the polling memo read. It found that given two choices, 60 percent support her approach to working with the president, where she could and pushing back at other points, while only 27 percent said she should stand up to Trump more. Overall, 58 percent said she is taking the right approach to working with Trump, 61 percent said she was focused on the right problems, and 63 percent viewed her favorably for getting things done. Whitmer might be one of the few Democrats who never got a nasty Trump nickname, but she's not the only Democratic state leader and potential 2028 hopeful who has had to find a way to deal with Trump. California Governor Gavin Newsom met Trump on the tarmac in California in January when he came to tour areas devastated by wildfires. The following month, Newsom met with the president to press for further aid at the White House. Their California meeting resulted in a tenser picture with a firm handshake, an exchange of words on the runway, and a kiss for First Lady Melania. There weren't images from the White House visit. But Newsom, who Trump has frequently blasted as 'Newscum' has not avoided the wrath of some Democrats for his approach to the president, as he too has signaled a willingness to find areas where he can work with the president.
Axios
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Scoop: Kemp plans secret White House sortie for Georgia Senate pick
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is planning a White House sitdown with President Trump to get on the same page for supporting the best Republican candidate in the swing state's 2026 Senate race, sources tell Axios. Why it matters: The race for the seat, held by Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, will be one of the nation's most competitive and most expensive because it's one of the best pickup opportunities for the GOP in a Trump-won state. Republicans only have a three-seat advantage in the 100-member U.S. Senate. The big picture: Kemp and Trump had a falling out in 2020 —after which the GOP lost both of its Peach State Senate seats — and only made peace last year. Neither wants a repeat. So Kemp in the coming weeks is planning to fly up to meet the president to get on the same page. "The president, like the governor, wants someone who can win," said a White House adviser. The intrigue: In both the White House and the governor's mansion, there's concern with polling that shows firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene would win a Republican primary but lose to Ossoff. One poll conducted by a Republican group shows her getting "smoked," said one person who had reviewed the numbers. "The president loves MTG. He doesn't love her chances in a general," the Trump adviser said. Greene has not ruled out a race, but those familiar with her thinking say she's aware of the perception that she could not win a general election. They also note she's a more savvy operator than publicly perceived and knows how to read a poll. 🔫 The race unofficially began Thursday morning when Republican Rep. Buddy Carter — who has been eyeing a Senate bid for years, according to someone who has spoken to him — announced his bid for the office. Trump and Kemp insiders say Carter's not a preferred candidate. Three names have been in circulation the most in the White House and this weekend at the governor's Sea Island retreat on the Georgia coast: Rep. Brian Jack. A longtime Trump adviser, Jack won his congressional seat last year and has signaled that he'd prefer to keep it. Many see him as being on the leadership track, and he could run the National Republican Congressional Committee next cycle. But if Trump demands he run, he'll likely do it. Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler. A former senator who lost her race in 2021 to Sen. Raphael Warnock, Loeffler is another Trump favorite because she knows what the job entails and she has run statewide before. But an adviser said she would prefer to run for governor. Rep. Mike Collins. He has been a Trump supporter since 2016 and sponsored the Laken Riley Act, cracking down on undocumented immigrants who commit serious crimes. It was the first act Trump signed into law this year. Collins has been traveling outside his district to drum up support and hosted a political event this past weekend that drew hundreds of people. Other potential GOP candidates include Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (a Trump foe), state Insurance Commissioner John King and Rep. Rich McCormick. Kemp may also advocate for a state legislator. The early default favorite is Collins: "He lines up on the Venn diagram," said a top Georgia Republican strategist. "He's at every [Trump] rally. He's a trucker, so he has a blue-collar business background and would be the firebrand, workhorse candidate." Zoom in: Kemp, who declined to run for Senate, is keenly focused on making sure his party fields a strong top-of-the-ticket candidate so that it makes it easier for Republican state legislators to win their races down ballot. The GOP has a 10-seat majority in the state House, but seven of those seats are held by Republicans in districts Trump lost or he only won by a single point. "If we have a candidate who loses by more than 6 points statewide, it can drag everyone down and we lose the House," said a Republican who has discussed the dynamics and upcoming White House trip with Kemp. Zoom out: There's a keen awareness in Kemp's orbit of the need to balance conservatism with pragmatic electability, which helped Kemp win his 2022 reelection at the same time Warnock was elected to a full Senate term. "Whoever we pick has to be able to win Kemp-Warnock voters and the Buckhead wine moms," the Georgia Republican strategist said.
Newsweek
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Actually Electable?
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. "Impossible is nothing," Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told a cheering crowd of more than 12,000 in deep-red Idaho. The crowd was 20,000 strong in Utah the day before, and the New York Democrat would help draw over 30,000 to a rally in a Trump-won California district the day after, as she crisscrosses the U.S. with Senator Bernie Sanders on his "Fighting Oligarchy Tour." "Don't let them trick us into thinking we are enemies," Ocasio-Cortez told the packed Ford Idaho Center in Nampa. "We are one." The rousing message made it into a 90‑second video of the event—shared on X last week—which pulled in 8.5 million views and reignited an old question: Could the youngest woman ever elected to Congress become the youngest person ever elected president? Ocasio-Cortez, who has represented New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, told reporters it was "just a video," but 2028 noise is already buzzing among social media pundits and political analysts. Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Actually Electable? Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Actually Electable? Photo Illustration"She is running and she is going to be more formidable than some Democrats seem to think," said media commentator Chris Cillizza in a post responding to the viral X video. With more than three years until the next presidential election, announcements for 2028 contenders are still distant, and Democrats must reflect on their 2024 defeat to President Donald Trump. Whether Ocasio-Cortez could emerge as the next leader of the Democratic Party, and go on to win a general election, however, depends on internal party divisions and competition from other candidates as well as the extent to which America can stomach a progressive candidate. Newsweek contacted representatives for Ocasio-Cortez by email to comment on this story. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Grows in the Polls If the former bartender from the Bronx does decide to run, she will first have to convince Democratic voters in what is likely to be a crowded primary. Pollster Nate Silver, founder of FiveThirtyEight, argued earlier in April that Ocasio-Cortez's youth and media savvy could make her a strong 2028 candidate, although he cautioned that she might choose not to run. Ocasio-Cortez is 35 years old now, the minimum age required to be eligible for president. Recent polls reflect a growing appetite among Democrats for Ocasio-Cortez's candidacy. A Quantus Insights survey of 700 Democrats found her to be the second-choice candidate for 2028 with 14 percent support. She was behind former Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump in November and got 30 percent in the Quantus poll. The poll was conducted between April 21 and April 23 and has a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez speaking at the Fighting the Oligarchy Los Angeles. 36 thousand people attended the event. Grand Park, Los Angeles, CA., USA April 12, 2025 Alexandria Ocasio Cortez speaking at the Fighting the Oligarchy Los Angeles. 36 thousand people attended the event. Grand Park, Los Angeles, CA., USA April 12, 2025 Photo by Ted Soqui/SIPA USA)(Sipa via AP Images William F. Hall, adjunct professor at Webster University, told Newsweek that Ocasio-Cortez poses a "serious threat" for the nomination, citing her "huge rally turnouts" and strong poll numbers. Jacob Neiheisel, an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University at Buffalo noted that her prospects hinge on how Democrats interpret their 2024 defeat—whether they believe Harris being "too moderate" hurt the party or not. "In the wake of a loss, parties tend to 'double down' on whatever strategy they had in the previous campaign," he said. "Typically, this means being more conservative or more liberal if the perception among insiders is that they weren't sufficiently 'pure' enough to excite the base. It's not clear what Democrats are thinking on this dimension. If the internal narrative is that Harris tried to be too moderate, then someone like AOC might have some appeal. I simply don't know where the party is in terms of the narrative that they are constructing surrounding Harris' loss." AOC Faces Same Challenges as Bernie Sanders While there has been much soul-searching and analysis about Harris' election defeat, according to polling conducted after the election by J.L. Partners for the two main reasons the then-vice president lost was because of voter's reticence to elect a woman and because of economic concerns. Thomas Gift, a political scientist who runs the Centre on U.S. Politics at University College London (UCL) agreed and said Ocasio-Cortez was likely to come up against opposition similar to the opposition Sanders faced when he ran for the Democratic nomination. In 2016, the Independent from Vermont garnered around 19 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary. He dropped out in 2020 after receiving over 1,000 delegates. "AOC is a celebrity with a near cult following," Gift told Newsweek. "However, the same problem that Bernie Sanders ran into is the one AOC will run into if she aspires for the White House. It's hard for a quasi-avowed socialist to win a national election in the U.S. America remains a center-right country, and that's not changing anytime soon. "While AOC clearly speaks to the populist, left-wing base of her party, it remains unclear whether she widen her circle of support and pick off a certain fraction of former Trump voters and moderate Democrats. In a Democratic primary, she'll be picked apart for fringe views on a litany of cultural issues and her big government approach to policymaking." Ocasio-Cortez would likely be up against a host of moderate Democrats, including several prominent state governors, such as Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and Andy Beshear of Kentucky. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) walks on the floor of United Center ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on August 18, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois. AOC addressed supporters and politicians on night one of... Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) walks on the floor of United Center ahead of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on August 18, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois. AOC addressed supporters and politicians on night one of the DNC Monday. MoreIf Ocasio-Cortez wins the Democratic nomination, she will then face the electorate at large and run for president against the Republican nominee—likely to be Vice President JD Vance. A Siena College poll of 802 New York state voters found that 21 percent of Republicans now view her favorably—up from just six percent in 2019. Neiheisel said this "could just be a reflection of greater familiarity with her in the state" or because New Yorkers might "see her as one of the more reasonable" members of the so-called "squad", a group of progressives in Congress. And a Gallup poll in January suggested she had a net favorability rating of -10 percent among Americans, suggesting her popularity is far from assured. Thomas Whalen, an associate professor who teaches U.S. politics at Boston University, told Newsweek Ocasio-Cortez was too progressive to win over the electorate. "AOC has as much chance of winning the White House as the Las Vegas Raiders have in winning the Super Bowl, which is to say none at all," he said. "Her progressive stances on the economy, women's reproductive rights, immigration and healthcare will not appeal to swing voters in the battleground states, especially more traditionally conservative suburbanites. "Also, as two of the last three presidential elections have shown, slightly left of center female nominees are not electable due to traditional culturally biased attitudes against women in positions of high authority. "It's the last political frontier or, to be more precise, the last glass ceiling to be overcome. 'Do Not Underestimate AOC,' Republicans Warn Mark Shanahan, an expert in American politics at the University of Surrey in the U.K., said Ocasio-Cortez doesn't play as well with "older, more centrist Democrats" and is seen as radical by some states where "Democrats have to appeal to the center-right as much as the center-left." "The USA is an inherently conservative capitalist country and therefore it will always be hard for a true progressive to win the middle ground to a necessary extent to win the White House," he told Newsweek. Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-New York) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) share a moment onstage during a rally on March 21 at Civic Center Park in Denver, Colorado. Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-New York) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) share a moment onstage during a rally on March 21 at Civic Center Park in Denver, some conservative voices are sounding alarms about Ocasio-Cortez's potential. "Just a word of warning to the Republicans, to my party, do not underestimate AOC, she's young, she's vibrant, she's attractive," former Trump Treasury official Monica Crowley told Fox News last November. "I think she's wrong on everything, but she does have real grassroot support. And all the energy and activism in the Democrat party remains with the revolutionary left, of which she is a part." "She's going to run and her message of economic populism is more powerful than people are giving her credit for," conservative political commentator Meghan McCain predicted earlier this month. Money could tip the scales. Ocasio-Cortez raised approximately $15.16 million during the 2023–2024 election cycle for her 2024 congressional reelection campaign, according to Federal Election Commission data. The average for House members that year was $3.31 million, according to OpenSecrets. And in the first quarter of 2025, Ocasio-Cortez achieved her strongest fundraising quarter to date, bringing in $9.6 million from 266,000 individual donors, with an average contribution of $21. If successful, she would become the first female president of the United States, and the youngest ever person to hold the office. A President Ocasio-Cortez would also beat the record for the U.S. president with the longest surname in history. That polysyllabic distinction currently belongs to former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who served in office between 1953 and 1961, and whose last name contains 10 letters. Two fewer than Ocasio-Cortez.
