Sanders backs progressive challenger to Thanedar
Sanders announced his support for Michigan state Rep. Donavan McKinney (D) on Tuesday, giving him his second congressional endorsement after Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) endorsed him last month. Sanders said in a statement that McKinney understands the struggles that working class communities are facing in Detroit and across the country because he's experienced them himself.
'A former union leader, he has dedicated his life to standing with working people, and is ready to lead the struggle against Donald Trump, the oligarchy, and the corporate interests who prioritize profits over people,' Sanders said. 'I'm urging all Michiganders to join me in supporting Donavan's campaign.'
Progressives are targeting Thanedar after he fended off a primary challenge last year despite facing heightened scrutiny from the left. But they're hoping to be successful this time in Michigan's 13th Congressional District.
McKinney has gone after Thanedar over his significant wealth and is seeking to depict him as an out-of-touch millionaire. He compared the two-term congressman to President Trump and Elon Musk in his campaign launch video and slammed the large amounts of money he lent himself during his last campaign.
'Senator Sanders has long been a progressive champion for working class Americans, and I am honored to receive his endorsement,' McKinney said in a statement. 'His political courage and his commitment to doing the right thing — even when it's unpopular, even when it's hard, even if he's alone — are a true inspiration to me, as is his commitment to fighting for a more just, more equal America.'
Thanedar initially ran as a progressive for his House seat in 2022 but has faced attacks from the left over his self-funding and other issues. He's maintained that he hasn't changed politically and remains popular in his district.
McKinney has also received support from the progressive group Justice Democrats.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Buzz Feed
28 minutes ago
- Buzz Feed
18 Trump Supporters Share Thoughts On Epstein Files
Tension surrounding the Trump administration's handling of information about Jeffrey Epstein and his crimes has been bubbling over the past couple of weeks — and it looks like it's not settling anytime soon. Between US Attorney General Pam Bondi claiming the Epstein files were sitting on her desk awaiting review (and then suddenly backtracking), the House GOP blocking an amendment that would force the Justice Department to release additional information about Epstein, and most recently, The Wall Street Journal reporting that Bondi told Trump back in May that his name appeared "multiple times" in the Epstein files, Donald Trump has, once again, found himself in hot water. But does Trump's potential connection to Jeffrey Epstein and his sex trafficking crimes have Trump supporters second-guessing their vote? Recently, Redditor u/Effective-Cream492 asked Reddit community members to share what their MAGA family members think about the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files, and I'm disappointed but not entirely shocked: "I heard one of my MAGA uncles claim that Obama is actually the one in the files, and Trump is trying to preserve the dignity of the presidency by not releasing them. He said that Obama should be thanking Trump! Not sure why my uncle didn't say Clinton instead, but it's not my conspiracy." —TogarSucks "They're suddenly very quiet for people who used to scream about 'the list.'" "My dad doesn't care. He still think that it's Democrats trying to make Trump look bad." "'I don't love how they're handling the files, but overall, I stand by my vote.' Cue the eye roll." —grippysockgang "I have three MAGA family members who've touched on the subject. The first one didn't want to talk about it, the second one was like, 'Man, I don't know, we'll see,' and the third was like, 'Just put Vance in." So, out of a very narrow sample pool, I'd say they know how it all looks, even if they won't admit it." "They don't think it's a big deal. Like, they genuinely don't care." "They've been rather quiet lately." "'We were tricked, but so were you about Harris.' I'm not going to spend any time with Aunt Sherri anytime soon." —DarrenEdwards "My uncle won't call me back. Every time I call them, they refuse to answer. I told him I just want to talk about the Epstein case, but won't. That says it all." "Most of them are desperately trying to bury their heads in the sand. A few are in agreement that the list should come out, and that proven pedos should be buried under the prison, party be damned. But there are a few that don't know what's even going on since it's not an election year and they've already pulled the ladder up behind themselves." "My family believes Trump. They think all the Epstein stuff is a Democratic hoax. I try to provide facts and evidence, but any source I provide to them is either 'fake news' or 'out to get Trump.' It's exhausting." "They don't care. Trust me, Trump supporters don't care about anything — including each other." —indefilade "Some have come to their senses. Others are trying to make sense of it, but can't make the leap. I'm waiting to engage with others so that I can corner them into 'panic mode' and catch them saying some dumb shit they have to live with. I honestly spend way too much mental bandwidth having fictitious debates that never materialize. It's not healthy, but I need to find some way to productively contribute to slowing the collapse of our culture." "A person I know says that Trump is still better than a Democratic president. He doesn't really care about Trump scandals, including this one. I choose not to talk about this at all because they're clearly delusional." "I was told to leave Trump alone and 'let him have his four years' because 'they didn't pick on Biden this bad.' I'm fucking over these people." —nimrod823 "They're doing what they always do: turning their attention toward Obama/Clinton/Biden at the behest of the current administration and its allies in the media. They're taking the bait because it's a great opportunity for them to distract themselves from the actual controversy that may implicate their beloved president in heinous crimes." "My MAGA parents are suddenly acting like they don't watch the news; my MAGA husband suddenly doesn't care about politics and thinks that ALL the news channels reporting anything bad about Trump are compromised; my MAGA in-laws haven't said a word online, though we aren't speaking anyway, so I don't know. I thought this would be a wake-up call, but I guess it needs to get worse for some people to actually wake up." Lastly: "My dad believes that Trump is covering up for other people, not himself. He believes that Trump could be on the list, but that he never actually did anything. Like, Trump may have known what was going on, but never agreed with it or participated. And, according to my dad, if he never agreed, then it's fine." —cantyoukeepasecret If you have Trump-supporting family members, what do they think about how the Trump administration is handling the Epstein case? Let us know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit your response using the form below.
The Hill
28 minutes ago
- The Hill
House panel approves subpoenas of DOJ for Epstein files
A House Oversight subcommittee on Wednesday approved several subpoenas, including one directing the Department of Justice to turn over materials relating to the Epstein files. The federal law enforcement subcommittee also approved a motion to subpoena several high-profile Democratic officials, including former President Clinton, for their testimony. The panel approved the Epstein motion, offered by Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.), in an 8-2 vote, with Republican Reps. Nancy Mace (S.C.), Scott Perry (Pa.), and Brian Jack (Ga.) joining Democrats in favor. 'Today, Oversight Democrats fought for transparency and accountability on the Epstein files and won. House Republicans didn't make it easy, but the motion was finally passed to force the Department of Justice to release the Epstein files,' Rep. Robert Garcia, ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said in a statement. 'Let's be clear: this is a huge win for the American people. The public deserves to know who was complicit in Epstein's heinous crimes, including people with immense power in our government. Today's vote was just the first step toward accountability, and we will continue pushing for the truth.' An amendment to Lee's motion from Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) to include the release of all communications between President Biden or Biden Administration officials and the Department of Justice related to Jeffrey Epstein was adopted by voice vote. And an amendment from Mace to redacting the names of victims and any personally identifiable information of victims, as well as any possible material depicting child abuse, was also adopted by voice vote. The committee also approved by voice vote a motion from Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) to 'expand the full committee's investigation' into the Epstein matter by also issuing subpoenas to a number of high profile former Democratic officials: Former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former FBI Director James Comey, former Attorney General Loretta Lynch, former Attorney General Eric Holder, former Attorney General Merrick Garland, former FBI Director and Special Counsel Robert Meuller. Perry's motion also called to subpoena three former GOP officials: Attorney General Bill Barr and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who served under Trump; and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who was appointed by former President George W. Bush. The motions for subpoenas come after the full Oversight committee on Tuesday approved a subpoena for Epstein's ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who is in prison for aiding Epstein in child sex trafficking. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) officially issued that subpoena on Wednesday. The flurry of subpoenas come as House GOP leaders moved to send members home for August recess a day early after disputes about the Epstein matter — and an unwillingness to face Democratic votes trying to squeeze Republicans on the Epstein issue in the House Rules Committee — stymied the House. But Democrats are seeing success in getting Republican support for their Epstein-related amendments in the Oversight panel.
The Hill
28 minutes ago
- The Hill
Warren: Colbert ‘may have been canceled in order to curry favor' with Trump
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) said in a Wednesday opinion piece for Variety that comedian Stephen Colbert's show may have been canceled by CBS 'to curry favor' with President Trump. CBS announced the cancelation on Friday, days after Colbert, a frequent critic of Trump, had criticized a merger between Skydance and Paramount, CBS's parent company. The approval of federal regulatory agencies is necessary for the merger to go through. While CBS said the cancelation was strictly a financial issue and there have been reports that Colbert's show was losing money, a number of observers and Colbert himself have raised the possibility of politics. 'In the coming weeks, months, and years, all of us must show Trump that we see his march toward authoritarianism and we will not be silenced. Democrats need to embrace the fight against corruption as a top priority. Republicans need to grow a spine and get behind common-sense anti-corruption measures,' Warren said in her piece. 'All Americans need to speak up. Because yes, it's a shame that CBS canceled 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,' but it is a threat to all of us that the top late-night show in the country may have been canceled in order to curry favor with a wannabe king,' she added. Colbert tore into his own network and its parent company, Paramount Global, due to a decision to end 'The Late Show,' an action CBS said last week is financially required but is resulting in widespread criticism. The late-night host accused his network of leaking financial figures to the press, alleging 'The Late Show' was losing upward of $40 million each year as a reason for getting rid of the 'Late Show' franchise. Colbert stated that $40 million 'is a big number.' 'I could see us losing $24 million,' he added. 'But where could Paramount possibly have spent the other $16 million … oh wait.' Colbert was referencing a settlement Paramount agreed to pay Trump earlier this month to subdue a lawsuit the president filed targeting CBS over a '60 Minutes' interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. 'Instead of fighting Trump on his 'meritless' lawsuit, Paramount settled, handing $16 million to Trump's presidential library. This looks like bribery in plain sight, and that's exactly what Stephen Colbert said on his show: '[T]his kind of complicated financial settlement with a sitting government official has a technical name in legal circles: it's 'big, fat bribe.'' Warren said in her Variety article. 'Three days later, Paramount-owned CBS canceled Colbert's show. And Trump didn't waste a moment before celebrating the news,' she added.
