Latest news with #politicalagenda
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Democrats rally in Texas over Trump order to redraw districts: ‘The only way they can keep power is to cheat'
The battle over a hastily orchestrated attempt to redraw Texas congressional districts at the urging of Donald Trump kicked off its first hearing on Thursday – but it was Democrats who did most of the talking before Republicans cut the public session short. Several of the state's most prominent Democratic politicians and progressive activists rallied in front of the capitol ahead of the first of three public hearings to gather public comment on the proposed redistricting plan. Speaking through a bullhorn to a crowd of perhaps 150 activists waving signs with slogans such as 'prevent floods, not votes', they took turns excoriating Texas Republicans for prioritizing redistricting over helping victims of the devastating Hill country floods during the legislature's special session and for bowing to Trump's pressure to redistrict several years ahead of schedule. 'We gotta tell Greg Abbott to cut the bullshit,' said Leonard Aguilar, the secretary-treasurer of the Texas AFL-CIO. 'He's blatantly using this special session to push Trump's political agenda.' 'They're trying to suppress,' Aguilar added. 'It is what it is. They're trying to stop Black and brown voters… They know they're in trouble and the only way they can control and keep the power is to cheat.' Beto O'Rourke, the former US representative, echoed his previous calls for Democrats to beat Republicans at their own game, by more aggressively gerrymandering blue states like California, New York or Illinois. 'What if, instead of waiting for the punch thrown by the other side, we punch first?' O'Rourke asked the crowd, drawing cheers. The GOP holds solid majorities in both chambers of the Texas legislature as well as the governorship, giving Democrats few tools to block Republicans from redrawing the map. But both O'Rourke and Gina Hinojosa, a Texas state representative, raised the possibility of denying Republicans the minimum number of lawmakers needed to pass a redistricting bill – a nuclear option that Texas Democrats have used in the past. 'So what do we do?' Hinojosa asked the crowd. 'We protest. We rally. We testify. And most importantly, we organize. And yes, with my colleagues, I am prepared to break quorum.' The White House's push to more aggressively gerrymander the Lone Star state to protect Trump's slim House majority from crumbling in the 2026 midterm election has put Republicans locally in an awkward position. The map that the GOP-dominated legislature approved back in 2021 already strongly favors Republicans, who hold two-thirds of congressional seats despite winning only 55% of the vote. Tweaking it in an attempt to create new GOP-friendly districts could easily put seats the GOP currently holds at risk. At Thursday's hearing, Republican members of the House committee on redistricting remained largely silent as a parade of Democratic elected officials, voting rights activists and frustrated voters overwhelmed public testimony. 'I think it's telling that there's not a single Republican member of Congress to say, 'I think this is a good thing,'' said Joaquin Castro, a Democratic representative of San Antonio, at the hearing. 'I think that's very strange.' The Department of Justice sent a letter to Texas officials on 7 July raising 'serious concerns' that four districts, three in Houston and one Dallas-Fort Worth, were racially gerrymandered. Texas Republicans have maintained since 2021 that they were not – including in an ongoing voting rights act trial in federal court in El Paso. Despite broad concerns from Texas Republicans, Abbott added the item earlier this month to a previously scheduled 30-day special session of the legislature after speaking by phone with Trump, according to The Texas Tribune. Cody Vasut, the committee's Republican chairman, appeared unfamiliar with the justice department letter and said he did not himself feel concerned the 2021 map raised constitutional problems or violated federal law. 'The chair's position is that every map he's ever voted for complies with the constitution,' Vasut said. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion A line snaked out the door of the hearing, which the committee held in a room with a capacity to seat 50 people. Most who came to testify watched a livestream of the hearing in one of three overflow rooms. There weren't many specifics for the public to comment on, because lawmakers have yet to propose new district maps. But many raised concerns that state legislators would further dilute the black and brown electorate in a state where Republicans already control two-thirds of the congressional seats while winning only about 55% of the vote. And critics repeatedly portrayed Republicans as tools of a president that didn't have their best interests in mind. 'If there's anything I don't like, it's being played,' said Angela Valenzuela, a professor of education who testified on behalf of the League of United Latin American Citizens. 'And y'all are being played big time. Have some self-respect.' Democrats moved to a separate room to continue informal public testimony after Vasut denied a request to prolong the hearing. Opponents continued to register their opposition for more than an hour. The following day, House Democrats sent two delegations out of state – one to California and the other to Illinois – to strategize While Texas Democrats worry that Trump plans to use their state as a staging ground for a broader gerrymandering push, the effort could help fortify the party locally, according to Mark Jones, a professor in the department of political science at Rice University. It brings the party together, while leaving Republicans struggling to respond and potentially losing seats in a midterm election. Presidents often face setbacks in midterm elections. A poll Jones helped conduct in May asked Texas voters who cast a ballot in 2020 who they would vote for if the election were held today. Trump's margin of victory over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris had dwindled six points from 14 to 8% – perhaps an early indication that Trump's gamble may wind up working against him. 'Virtually all Republicans know this is a bad idea – it's far more likely to hurt Texas Republican political power than to help it,' Jones said. 'But no one wants to say 'no' to President Trump – because we've learned what happens when you say 'no' to President Trump.'
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Democrats rally in Texas over Trump order to redraw districts: ‘The only way they can keep power is to cheat'
The battle over a hastily orchestrated attempt to redraw Texas congressional districts at the urging of Donald Trump kicked off its first hearing on Thursday – but it was Democrats who did most of the talking before Republicans cut the public session short. Several of the state's most prominent Democratic politicians and progressive activists rallied in front of the capitol ahead of the first of three public hearings to gather public comment on the proposed redistricting plan. Speaking through a bullhorn to a crowd of perhaps 150 activists waving signs with slogans such as 'prevent floods, not votes', they took turns excoriating Texas Republicans for prioritizing redistricting over helping victims of the devastating Hill country floods during the legislature's special session and for bowing to Trump's pressure to redistrict several years ahead of schedule. 'We gotta tell Greg Abbott to cut the bullshit,' said Leonard Aguilar, the secretary-treasurer of the Texas AFL-CIO. 'He's blatantly using this special session to push Trump's political agenda.' 'They're trying to suppress,' Aguilar added. 'It is what it is. They're trying to stop Black and brown voters… They know they're in trouble and the only way they can control and keep the power is to cheat.' Beto O'Rourke, the former US representative, echoed his previous calls for Democrats to beat Republicans at their own game, by more aggressively gerrymandering blue states like California, New York or Illinois. 'What if, instead of waiting for the punch thrown by the other side, we punch first?' O'Rourke asked the crowd, drawing cheers. The GOP holds solid majorities in both chambers of the Texas legislature as well as the governorship, giving Democrats few tools to block Republicans from redrawing the map. But both O'Rourke and Gina Hinojosa, a Texas state representative, raised the possibility of denying Republicans the minimum number of lawmakers needed to pass a redistricting bill – a nuclear option that Texas Democrats have used in the past. 'So what do we do?' Hinojosa asked the crowd. 'We protest. We rally. We testify. And most importantly, we organize. And yes, with my colleagues, I am prepared to break quorum.' The White House's push to more aggressively gerrymander the Lone Star state to protect Trump's slim House majority from crumbling in the 2026 midterm election has put Republicans locally in an awkward position. The map that the GOP-dominated legislature approved back in 2021 already strongly favors Republicans, who hold two-thirds of congressional seats despite winning only 55% of the vote. Tweaking it in an attempt to create new GOP-friendly districts could easily put seats the GOP currently holds at risk. At Thursday's hearing, Republican members of the House committee on redistricting remained largely silent as a parade of Democratic elected officials, voting rights activists and frustrated voters overwhelmed public testimony. 'I think it's telling that there's not a single Republican member of Congress to say, 'I think this is a good thing,'' said Joaquin Castro, a Democratic representative of San Antonio, at the hearing. 'I think that's very strange.' The Department of Justice sent a letter to Texas officials on 7 July raising 'serious concerns' that four districts, three in Houston and one Dallas-Fort Worth, were racially gerrymandered. Texas Republicans have maintained since 2021 that they were not – including in an ongoing voting rights act trial in federal court in El Paso. Despite broad concerns from Texas Republicans, Abbott added the item earlier this month to a previously scheduled 30-day special session of the legislature after speaking by phone with Trump, according to The Texas Tribune. Cody Vasut, the committee's Republican chairman, appeared unfamiliar with the justice department letter and said he did not himself feel concerned the 2021 map raised constitutional problems or violated federal law. 'The chair's position is that every map he's ever voted for complies with the constitution,' Vasut said. Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion A line snaked out the door of the hearing, which the committee held in a room with a capacity to seat 50 people. Most who came to testify watched a livestream of the hearing in one of three overflow rooms. There weren't many specifics for the public to comment on, because lawmakers have yet to propose new district maps. But many raised concerns that state legislators would further dilute the black and brown electorate in a state where Republicans already control two-thirds of the congressional seats while winning only about 55% of the vote. And critics repeatedly portrayed Republicans as tools of a president that didn't have their best interests in mind. 'If there's anything I don't like, it's being played,' said Angela Valenzuela, a professor of education who testified on behalf of the League of United Latin American Citizens. 'And y'all are being played big time. Have some self-respect.' Democrats moved to a separate room to continue informal public testimony after Vasut denied a request to prolong the hearing. Opponents continued to register their opposition for more than an hour. The following day, House Democrats sent two delegations out of state – one to California and the other to Illinois – to strategize While Texas Democrats worry that Trump plans to use their state as a staging ground for a broader gerrymandering push, the effort could help fortify the party locally, according to Mark Jones, a professor in the department of political science at Rice University. It brings the party together, while leaving Republicans struggling to respond and potentially losing seats in a midterm election. Presidents often face setbacks in midterm elections. A poll Jones helped conduct in May asked Texas voters who cast a ballot in 2020 who they would vote for if the election were held today. Trump's margin of victory over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris had dwindled six points from 14 to 8% – perhaps an early indication that Trump's gamble may wind up working against him. 'Virtually all Republicans know this is a bad idea – it's far more likely to hurt Texas Republican political power than to help it,' Jones said. 'But no one wants to say 'no' to President Trump – because we've learned what happens when you say 'no' to President Trump.'
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Saved for a reason': How Trump's second term is full of assassination attempt reminders
A painting hangs in a prominent spot in the White House of his iconic fist pump. He says his right ear still throbs. Of late, President Donald Trump has been talking about being "saved by God" to carry out his political agenda. Trump's second term is full of reminders of the would-be assassin who shot the Republican in Butler, Pennsylvania, one year ago, killing a supporter at the rally before a Secret Service sniper shot and killed the gunman. It's a tragic event that lives on in his rhetoric, his approach to leading the country again and how his followers now see him. Many embrace the idea that Trump was spared for a higher purpose, and one even took the chance to recently remind him of it. "It is very hard not see the hand of Providence on his life, and on the life of our nation," said Ralph Reed, a prominent religious conservative who recounted to USA TODAY that he texted Trump after the U.S. military bombed Iran last month to share his view that the president's life was saved for that historic foreign policy moment. Trump has embarked on one of the most consequential and controversial opening stretches of any presidential term in modern memory – striking Iran's nuclear facilities, overhauling the federal government and pursuing mass deportations. Allies believe his near-death experience on July 13, 2024, has colored this approach to the presidency and made him even more motivated than the last time Trump ran the country. "When you have one of these moments, you realize every day counts … and that you need to have a profound, lasting impact," said Sean Spicer, who was the White House press secretary during Trump's first term. "And I think that's why he is so mission-driven right now." The assassination attempt wasn't just a pivotal moment for Trump. Historians say the shooting continues to reverberate nationwide a year later. "I think it was a dramatic turning point," said presidential historian Douglas Brinkley, who described Butler as "extremely important in U.S. presidential history." He noted Trump quickly gained new support after the shooting, expanding his coalition. Trump got a political boost in the immediate aftermath of Butler, which came shortly after a disastrous debate for then-President Joe Biden, which helped force the Democratic incumbent – then 81 years old – out of the race. Republicans rallied around their wounded standard-bearer, who famously appeared at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee two days later with a large white bandage on his ear. It quickly caught on at the GOP gathering as attendees donned ear bandages in solidarity. The shooting added to a sense among Trump supporters that he is a persecuted figure, which was fueled by the four criminal cases filed against him during the campaign. 'It sort of suddenly rang true, like, 'Holy smokes, they really are trying to get him,'" Spicer said. Billionaire Elon Musk endorsed Trump on the day of the assassination attempt, and later he appeared onstage with him when the Republican defiantly returned to Butler in October for a rally about a month before Election Day. Musk spent nearly $290 million on the 2024 campaign to help Trump and other Republican candidates, which made him the largest donor, by far, of the election cycle. Reed, founder and chairman of the Faith & Freedom Coalition, called the Butler shooting "an inflection point in the campaign." 'It made a real difference in his own supporters feeling like they needed to go the extra mile for him and leave it all on the field after he had been willing to step into the arena at the risk of his own life," Reed said. A year later, Butler has become part of Trump's "lore," Brinkley said. It will be featured in his presidential library someday. Its physical effects still linger for Trump, who talks about still experiencing a "throbbing feeling" in his ear. Another reminder of that day went on display in April on the White House State Floor. The presidential residence now features a large painting of Trump pumping his right fist in the air with blood streaked across his face after being shot. The scene captures Trump as he stood onstage, wounded, and defiantly shouted 'fight, fight, fight' into the mic before being whisked away by Secret Service agents. It instantly became an iconic image, emblazoned on T-shirts and "indelibly sealed in the American imagination forever," Brinkley said. There also is a statue depicting the moment in the Oval Office. As lawmakers and other dignitaries gathered in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda to launch a new administration, Trump recalled how "an assassin's bullet ripped through my ear," imbuing him with a sense of divinely ordained purpose. "I felt then, and believe even more so now, that my life was saved for a reason," Trump said in his inaugural address in January. 'I was saved by God to make America great again.' The first five months that followed in Trump's second administration have been a tumultuous time. The president has moved aggressively by pushing legal boundaries and testing the limits of executive power. Many conservatives have cheered his actions. Opponents have protested and accused Trump of acting like an authoritarian. In a statement to USA TODAY on the anniversary of the assassination attempt, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted foremost the death of Corey Comperatore, the 50-year-old volunteer firefighter at the Butler rally "who selflessly laid down his life to protect those around him." "President Trump will never forget Corey and his beautiful family," Leavitt wrote, adding: "On that dark day, God spared President Trump's life by a miraculous millimeter. Now one year later, President Trump is standing stronger than ever as he continues to 'fight, fight, fight' for the American people.' Trump's rhetoric about being saved by God to carry out his agenda plays into what Jennifer Mercieca, an expert on political rhetoric who teaches at Texas A&M University, describes as a narrative the Republican reality-TV-star-turned-politician has cultivated for years. Kings once ruled by "divine right," the professor noted, a claim that meant they were 'placed in the world by God to rule over others, as God's ambassador on Earth." "Trump has been creating his own 'Divine Right' narrative since 2015, but has especially leaned into it since the assassination attempt," Mercieca wrote in an email response to questions from USA TODAY. As he works to expand the power of the presidency in his second term, she said, "Trump's embrace of a mandate from God is rhetorical framing that, if accepted, gives Trump unlimited power." Evangelical Christians have always been an important part of Trump's base. The shooting in Butler, and Trump's deeper embrace of religious language in its aftermath, may also have special resonance for them. Politically, Brinkley said, that has allowed Trump "to be seen as some kind of avenging angel by the Evangelicals who wanted to drain Sodom and Gomorrah." Trump's allies see a leader grappling with a near-death experience − and changed by it. 'I believe it has forever impacted him," Spicer said, "in a very personal way.' Contributing: Joey Garrison This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump assassination attempt still reverberates one year later
Telegraph
05-07-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
UK private hospital group bans staff from wearing pro-Palestine pins
Private healthcare chiefs have banned employees from displaying pro-Palestine symbols after a complaint from a 'distressed' Jewish patient. HCA Healthcare UK, which runs some of the country's most prestigious private hospitals, has instructed its senior executives to 'ensure that our dress code policy is applied' across the company's sites. It came after a Jewish patient said she was left 'extremely distressed' after seeing two of the three reception staff at the Devonshire Diagnostic Centre, part of HCA Healthcare's Harley Street Clinic, wearing large badges decorated with the Palestinian flag. It later emerged that a rucksack decorated with a visible Palestine flag badge, thought to belong to a member of the Harley Street Clinic's pharmacy staff, had also been left in full view of patients. The patient interpreted the badges not only as a statement of support for Palestinians during the conflict in Gaza, but as a condemnation of Israel's actions in the region. 'Doesn't feel safe to be overtly Jewish' She told The Telegraph: 'It is an utterly inappropriate use of a healthcare setting to push a specific and highly divisive political agenda. It creates an environment in which it does not feel safe to be overtly Jewish, let alone associated with Israel in any way. 'It felt like a punch to the guts to be honest. They weren't being worn in a private setting in a personal capacity, they were being worn in a work setting where people like me are already feeling vulnerable because of their condition. 'I was very relieved I wasn't wearing any overtly Jewish symbols, such as the Star of David, or have an obviously Jewish name because I was left feeling that anything could have happened if they had noticed that.' The patients notified the legal campaign group UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI), who then complained to HCA Healthcare UK's president and chief executive officer John Reay about the incident. UKLFI warned that wearing the badges in a public setting could 'indicate support for Hamas' actions on 7 October 2023,' when more than 1,200 people were murdered and 250 people were taken hostage. The group also warned HCA Healthcare, whose hospitals include The Wellington, The Portland and The Lister, that such badges could be interpreted as harassing Jewish and Israeli customers and are therefore in breach of the Equality Act. Caroline Turner, the director of UKLFI, told HCA Healthcare: 'It is inevitable that your Jewish or Israeli patients, or indeed other visitors, will be intimidated by seeing a Palestine badge, apparently authorised by HCA, and will consider it a hostile act towards themselves. 'This is the flag that appears in the 'hate marches' that have occurred on most Saturdays since 7 October 2023. Furthermore, patients visiting your hospital are particularly vulnerable, and are likely to be distressed by seeing these political images that conjure up such hatred towards themselves and their people.' The complaint follows a similar incident at HCA Harborne Hospital in Birmingham in February this year. Mr Reay replied to UKLFI, stating: 'I will remind all our senior executives to ensure that our dress code policy is applied to all our sites.' HCA Healthcare told The Telegraph it had a 'very clear uniform policy that prohibits the wearing of any badges on uniforms that are not issued by the hospital' and that this rule applies across all of its hospitals.' A spokesperson said: 'Our uniform policy is clear that only insignia, badges, pins and stickers issued by HCA UK should be worn while working.' UKLFI said: 'We are pleased that HCA will remind staff at all sites not to wear these badges. They can make Jewish patients very distressed at a time when they are feeling at their most vulnerable, in a clinic or hospital.' Earlier this year, staff at some of London's biggest NHS hospitals were banned from wearing pro-Palestine symbols after complaints they were 'upsetting and intimidating' vulnerable patients. Barts Health NHS Trust introduced the ban across its five hospitals: St Bart's, Mile End, Newham, Royal London and Whipps Cross, after UKLFI raised the case of a young Jewish woman who attended Whipps Cross for a caesarean and encountered three members of staff wearing pro-Palestine badges in a 24-hour period.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
MAGA Sen. Mocked for Absurdly Calling Dem Assassin ‘Marxist'
Republican Senator Mike Lee faced ridicule for calling the suspect of fatal shootings in Minnesota a 'Marxist.' 'This is what happens ... When Marxists don't get their way,' the Utah senator captioned a photo of alleged gunman Vance Boelter wearing a latex face mask. The Utah senator also shared another post of Boelter with the caption, 'Nightmare on Waltz Street.' Other MAGA figures, including Elon Musk, have also portrayed Boelter as a violent leftist. Boelter allegedly killed Democratic state Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband and allegedly shot and wounded state Senator John Hoffman and his wife on Saturday. Police later found a target list featuring the names of dozens of Democrats and abortion providers. Boelter is still at large. Lee was roundly criticized on X for sharing the posts, with many commentators noting that the evidence contradicts his claims. 'Using this tragedy to push your own political agenda is disgraceful, people are dead,' Democratic activist Nina Turner replied on X. 'Even for MikeLee, this is beyond disgusting,' political scientist Norman Ornstein wrote on X. 'Disinformation, beneath contempt.' 'What the hell is Mike Lee doing? Has he completely lost it?' conservative journalist Brad Polumbo also wrote on X. 'It's Father's Day, and you're spending your time tweeting lies about a tragedy to run cover for a right-wing domestic terrorist,' the Democratic Party's X account posted. 'Pathetic.' Lee's office did not respond to an immediate request for comment. Boelter's roommate, David Carlson, told reporters on Saturday that the alleged gunman was a 'strong' Trump supporter. Boelter and his wife, who was detained for questioning on Saturday, were also registered Republicans while living in Oklahoma in the early 2000s, according to public records. However, Minnesota does not require people to select a party when registering to vote. Lee didn't seem bothered by the attacks, instead engaging with those who supported his unsubstantiated claims. He eventually posted a Father's Day post more than two hours after his posts about Marxism.
