All posts tagged: GOP

Questions swirl over Trump’s pledge to give ,000 payouts if GOP wins

Questions swirl over Trump’s pledge to give $5,000 payouts if GOP wins

Published by Sam Flores

WASHINGTON — President Trump’s pledge to give every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retain control of Congress in November is drawing scrutiny over its legality, the price tag and whether he truly intends to follow through on such a spectacular promise. Speaking at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas on Wednesday night, Trump told the crowd that if the GOP wins, Americans will “win with us” and get paid. He added: “It will be called the Trump Dividend.” But the proposal — which would need congressional approval — raised immediate questions about whether the president can legally promise voters a payout contingent on his party’s success at the polls and drew criticism from both sides of the aisle, including some GOP donors, who saw the idea as a potential bribe. “I am hugely in favor of winning the midterms, and love much about this admin, but am strongly against bread and circus bribes,” Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of technology firm Palantir and a Republican donor, said on X. Legal experts, meanwhile, say the pledge — however unusual — …

Do no harm? Not these GOP doctor-politicians

Do no harm? Not these GOP doctor-politicians

Published by Sam Flores

Those of us who went through the Obamacare wars will recall that one of the most clarifying moments came during a Republican presidential primary debate in 2011. When one of the candidates, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, was asked if an uninsured 30-year-old patient should just be left to die if they needed life-saving medical care, members of the audience cheered and applauded. The congressman, who had served as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force before becoming an obstetrician-gynecologist, responded that people should take responsibility for themselves.  Most people already understood that this was essentially the right’s philosophy about healthcare, but it had rarely ever been expressed so honestly. Republicans believe that healthcare is a commodity, and if you can’t afford it, or if you fail to buy it, you’re simply out of luck.  Needless to say, part of what made Paul’s comment so startling was the fact that he was a medical doctor himself, a man who took an oath to first do no harm. Allowing someone to die for lack of insurance …

Trump pledges ,000 ‘dividend’ to Americans if GOP wins midterms

Trump pledges $5,000 ‘dividend’ to Americans if GOP wins midterms

Published by Sam Flores

DALLAS, TEXAS – SEPTEMBER 09: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks on stage on the first day of the 2026 Republican National Convention at the American Airlines Center on September 09, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. U.S. President Donald Trump will headline the Republican National Committee’s first-ever midterm convention as he aims to highlight his administration’s achievements and rally support for GOP candidates just two months before the upcoming elections being held on November 3. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Justin Sullivan | Getty Images News | Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump has promised every adult American citizen a $5,000 “dividend” if the Republicans are victorious at the upcoming midterm elections. Americans will vote in the midterms in early November, with the Democrats currently projected to win control of the House of Representatives. Such a result would likely create barriers to Trump’s legislative agenda and send a signal about public opinion on the president’s policy mix throughout his second presidential term. “Here is my promise: if the Republicans win the House of Representatives and the United …

Live updates: Trump closes out Day 1 of GOP convention in Dallas with ‘Trump dividend’ announcement

Live updates: Trump closes out Day 1 of GOP convention in Dallas with ‘Trump dividend’ announcement

Published by Sam Flores

President Trump took the stage in Dallas to close out the first day of the Republican National Committee (RNC) midterm convention. “I’m asking you to pretend that I’m on the ballot,” he said, adding, “Just one more time, because if we lose, you’re going to lose your border. You’re going to lose your tax cuts.… Source link

John Fetterman makes surprise video for GOP convention : NPR

John Fetterman makes surprise video for GOP convention : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., is displayed on a screen as he delivers a video message during the Republican National Midterm Convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on Wednesday. Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman made a surprise appearance via video at the Republican midterm convention Wednesday evening. In the 64-second video, Fetterman introduced Pennsylvania’s Republican senator, Dave McCormick, with whom Fetterman has grown quite close. Fetterman described McCormick as “the kind of senator that gets the job done,” and said he was “proud to count him as my friend.” Before the video aired, there were reports that Fetterman would openly praise President Trump, but ultimately, he didn’t go that far. Standing in front of an industrial site in Pennsylvania in his trademark black hoodie, Fetterman spoke about preserving the region’s steel jobs. “That’s the iconic U.S. Steel mill and that’s exactly the kind of thing that we’ll work on together,” he said. “We’ll work with President Trump to fight and …

Sen. John Fetterman makes surprise appearance at GOP midterm convention

Sen. John Fetterman makes surprise appearance at GOP midterm convention

Published by Sam Flores

US Senator John Fetterman, Democrat from Pennsylvania, is displayed on a screen as he delivers a video message during the Republican National Midterm Convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on Sept. 9, 2026. Kent Nishimura | AFP | Getty Images Democratic Sen. John Fetterman on Wednesday night made a surprise appearance at the Republican midterm convention, an astonishing move that is bound to invite even more scrutiny about his party loyalty. “Yes, I’m a Democrat,” Fetterman, the first-term senator from Pennsylvania, said in a video played on the first night of the event nicknamed “Trumpapalooza” for its focus on President Donald Trump. “Why am I here talking to you today? Because, well, I’m a common sense Democrat,” Fetterman said in the video recorded outside U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson plant in Braddock, Pennsylvania. “I’m always going to stand with America. I’m always going to reject the extremes and socialism and that anti-American way of life,” he said. Fetterman’s video introduced Pennsylvania’s other U.S. senator, Republican Dave McCormick, by praising him as “the kind …

House GOP leaders use convention speeches to take aim at ‘crazy communists’

House GOP leaders use convention speeches to take aim at ‘crazy communists’

Published by Sam Flores

House Republican leaders are sharpening their attacks on Democratic progressives and socialists as the party looks to hold its narrow majority, using the GOP midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, to frame the 2026 midterms as an existential fight for the country. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said Wednesday in remarks to the crowd at… Source link

GOP lawmaker says Paxton must debate Talarico to win Texas

GOP lawmaker says Paxton must debate Talarico to win Texas

Published by Sam Flores

Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) said Wednesday that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) must debate his opponent, Democratic nominee James Talarico, to win the state’s Senate election. In an interview with Nexstar, which owns The Hill, Sessions was asked whether he supported Paxton’s bid for Senate.  “Of course I do,” the lawmaker said. “He’s running… Source link

Here’s who’s speaking at the GOP midterm convention in Dallas

Here’s who’s speaking at the GOP midterm convention in Dallas

Published by Sam Flores

A sign is posted in front of the American Airlines Center ahead of the 2026 Republican National Committee (RNC) Midterm Convention on Sept. 8, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images The Republican midterm convention kicked off Wednesday, with fewer than half of the candidates in the most competitive congressional races due to speak at the event that’s intended to give the party’s candidates a boost ahead of the November election. A CNBC analysis of the 45 most competitive House and Senate races this year found 19 of the candidates are slated for speaking spots at the two-day convention in Dallas. Among those who are due to precede President Donald Trump’s keynotes both nights are GOP Senate candidates Michael Whatley from North Carolina and Ken Paxton from Texas, Sen. John Husted from Ohio and Rep. Mike Collins from Georgia are scheduled to speak Wednesday. All four candidates are either locked in tight races or trailing their Democratic opponents in the polls. Texas Republican Senate candidate, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton attends the first day …

GOP touts stock-trading ban as Trump accounts keep trading

GOP touts stock-trading ban as Trump accounts keep trading

Published by Sam Flores

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., attends the House Oversight Subcommittee in the Rayburn Building, June 30, 2026. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images Republicans are using their midterm convention to make a congressional stock-trading ban part of their anti-corruption pitch — even as President Donald Trump’s own investment accounts continue actively trading millions of dollars. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is one of at least two speakers expected to call for restrictions on congressional stock trading during the Dallas convention’s opening day Wednesday, which includes a focus on “Government Integrity.” Since returning to office, Trump has maintained an unusually large and active investment portfolio. Across eight accounts, he disclosed at least $858 million in assets and more than 21,000 trades in 2025, according to an earlier CNBC analysis of his annual financial disclosure. During his entire first term, he reported roughly 500 trades. The activity has continued this year. Trump disclosed 1,051 transactions in June alone, totaling between $78.1 million and $263.1 million. His accounts bought and sold stocks, bonds and exchange-traded …