Latest news with #Trump-won
Yahoo
5 days ago
- 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.
Newsweek
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Sees Popularity With New York Republicans Surge
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. Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has been traveling the country in opposition of President Donald Trump and his administration's policies. She's even more popular now among New York Republicans than she was six years ago. Why It Matters Ocasio-Cortez is one of the Democratic Party's most influential lawmakers. She's been viewed by members of both major parties as both a lightning rod and an advocate for change, in a similar vein to Trump himself. She and progressive firebrand Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders have traveled the country in recent weeks as part of their "Fighting Oligarchy" tour, which has attracted huge crowds in both red and blue states—including over 30,000 attendees in a Trump-won California district and over 12,000 in Idaho. What To Know Ocasio-Cortez, who has served New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, is drawing more appeal from members of the political opposition, according to new polling. A survey of 802 New York State voters conducted by the Siena College Research Institute between April 14-16 shows that 21 percent of statewide Republicans view her in a "favorable" light. About 60 percent of Republicans said the opposite, while 19 percent weren't sure or offered no opinion on her. U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) smiles as she enters to a full auditorium as part of the "Fighting Oligarchy" tour on April 14, 2025, in Nampa, Idaho. U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) smiles as she enters to a full auditorium as part of the "Fighting Oligarchy" tour on April 14, 2025, in Nampa, a dramatic shift from when she was first elected. A Siena survey of 700 statewide voters in March 2019 showed that just 6 percent of New York Republicans viewed her favorably, while 51 percent viewed her unfavorably. The same poll from six years ago asked if Ocasio-Cortez was a "hero" or "villain," to which just 2 percent of Republicans at the time viewed her as a "hero." The question was not asked in the most recent survey. About 64 percent Democrats viewed her in a favorable manner in the most recent poll, up from 47 percent in March 2019. Ocasio-Cortez is also more popular statewide in the most recent Siena survey than her Democratic counterpart, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Schumer's 39 percent favorable and 49 percent unfavorable ratings pale in comparison to Ocasio-Cortez's 47 percent favorable and 33 percent unfavorable ratings. The fourth-term congresswoman is the most well-liked New York elected official of anyone per the poll, topping Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, Democratic Representative Richie Torres, Republican Representative Mike Lawler, and Trump. What People Are Saying Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at a recent rally in Los Angeles: "I heard that someone was flying a plane with a banner that said this is Trump country... It sure don't look like it today. I don't think this is Trump country. This is our country." Former 538 staffer Galen Druke: "I think there's a lot of points in her favor at this very moment. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has broad appeal across the Democratic Party." What Happens Next While speculation has surrounded former Senator and Vice President Kamala Harris as it pertains to the Democratic nominees in 2028, a new poll from Data for Progress found that her popularity may be dwindling in favor of other candidates, including Ocasio-Cortez, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey.
New York Times
13-04-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Democrats Widely Blast Trump's Tariffs, but Not Necessarily Tariffs
As Democrats push back against the policies of the second Trump administration, they are struggling to convey a clear stance on tariffs, with many walking a political tightrope amid the rapid shifts in President Trump's trade agenda. While most Democrats have criticized Mr. Trump's on-again, off-again approach as 'chaotic' and 'reckless,' they have displayed little consensus about embracing tariffs themselves as a policy tool. Their divisions were on display on Sunday morning, as Democratic lawmakers were grilled by talk show hosts about whether their party was taking the right approach by objecting to Mr. Trump's tariffs while embracing tariffs in principle as a policy tool. When pressed by NBC's Kristen Welker, Senator Cory Booker, Democrat of New Jersey, denounced Mr. Trump's trade strategy but declined to weigh in on whether he thought others in his party were taking the right approach by offering a more nuanced criticism. Ms. Welker pointed out that former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. had maintained and even expanded some of the tariffs that Mr. Trump enacted in his first term, a move that some progressive Democrats had applauded at the time. 'I just want to, for myself, tell you a full-throated, unequivocal condemnation of the Trump tariffs,' Mr. Booker said, blaming the trade barriers for roiling the economy and tanking Americans' savings. 'It is all just wrong. It should be condemned.' A few Democrats have even aligned themselves with Mr. Trump's tariffs. Representative Jared Golden of Maine, a Democrat who has consistently won re-election in a Trump-won district, has embraced a 10 percent blanket tariff on imports and twice introduced a bill that would codify such levies. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
