Thanks Denise. Many would agree with that. My thought was once he was invited they could have used the opportunity to speak more forcefully against the administration's attacks on freedom of the press.
The man is a moron, disgusting, a criminal ……what possible outcome can there be? Would you invite him to an event? Any event? A yes, a sentencing for his crimes. I will join you.
The Senate emphasis and new report tying corruption to affordability: Some further resources & suggestions and groups/activities to tie into—good for all Dem candidates across the board. See links to pieces at bottom of this message.
Today’s Punchbowl News: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is looking to put a spotlight on Democrats’ case that President Donald Trump is making billions of dollars personally off his office while the cost-of-living climbs for average Americans. The effort ties right in with a central part of Democrats’ campaign messaging. Senate Democrats argue that Trump and administration officials have served themselves in ways that have contributed to rising prices. Here’s Schumer in a statement on the effort: “Trump has betrayed the American people by using our highest office not for the good of country, but to pad his own bank account, at the expense of working families. Senate Democrats are launching this effort to expose the corruption, show Americans exactly what it is costing them, and build the reforms needed to stop any president from using public office for personal profit.”
1 The Senate Report
Tours, messaging plans, and reports promoting the corruption-affordability connection:
2 'Kick Out Corruption' Tour Links Trump Grift to Affordability Crisis
Eric Lee/Reuters: A Democrat-aligned group is pushing party leadership to link affordability and corruption through a 3 Cost of Corruption - Defend The Vote messaging plan. “You have to marry the overwhelming and excessive costs that Americans are facing — you have to marry that with corruption in government,” Defend the Vote executive director Brian Lemek said. This week, the group briefed the party’s campaign arm and purple-district candidates on a poll of 1,000 voters in battleground districts from mid-May and focus groups from April on the issue. Although the polling found voters viewed both parties unfavorably, and about a quarter of voters said they trusted neither party to tackle corruption, respondents still ranked the cost of living and corruption in Washington as their top two issues. That has some Democrats hoping they can fill the trust vacuum and ride it to midterm gains.
• The American Economic Liberties Project and Groundwork Collaborative released a joint 4 report detailing how President Donald Trump’s unprecedented corruption is padding his own pockets at the expense of US taxpayers. The report—titled “The Price of Corruption: How Trump’s Pay-to-Play Administration is Driving Up Costs for Working Families. In other words, it is not just unfair that the rich are benefitting while others are hurting. It is that in many cases the corruption itself is causing the hurting. Great examples here to highlight.
Four comprehensive proposals regarding affordability to work from:
• 5 Chamber of Progress: Steps Democrats Can Take to Tackle the Cost of Living in 2025 and Beyond: 025 and Beyond 025 and Beyond: A Roadmap for Policymakers
• 6 New Democrat Coalition: New Dems Unveil Affordability Agenda, the Coalition’s Answer to the Cost of Living Crisis | New Democrat Coalition.
• 7 The Real Affordability Agenda - Google Docs
• 8 CPC New Affordability Agenda - 4-29-26 - Google Docs
Thanks Denise. Many would agree with that. My thought was once he was invited they could have used the opportunity to speak more forcefully against the administration's attacks on freedom of the press.
The man is a moron, disgusting, a criminal ……what possible outcome can there be? Would you invite him to an event? Any event? A yes, a sentencing for his crimes. I will join you.
Great article, Lisa. Kudos to you for standing up for the first amendment! ❤️
Lauren thanks for your kind words. There are many people standing right with me. Thanks to all individuals and groups who are fighting back.
He should never have been invited.
The Senate emphasis and new report tying corruption to affordability: Some further resources & suggestions and groups/activities to tie into—good for all Dem candidates across the board. See links to pieces at bottom of this message.
Today’s Punchbowl News: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is looking to put a spotlight on Democrats’ case that President Donald Trump is making billions of dollars personally off his office while the cost-of-living climbs for average Americans. The effort ties right in with a central part of Democrats’ campaign messaging. Senate Democrats argue that Trump and administration officials have served themselves in ways that have contributed to rising prices. Here’s Schumer in a statement on the effort: “Trump has betrayed the American people by using our highest office not for the good of country, but to pad his own bank account, at the expense of working families. Senate Democrats are launching this effort to expose the corruption, show Americans exactly what it is costing them, and build the reforms needed to stop any president from using public office for personal profit.”
1 The Senate Report
Tours, messaging plans, and reports promoting the corruption-affordability connection:
2 'Kick Out Corruption' Tour Links Trump Grift to Affordability Crisis
Eric Lee/Reuters: A Democrat-aligned group is pushing party leadership to link affordability and corruption through a 3 Cost of Corruption - Defend The Vote messaging plan. “You have to marry the overwhelming and excessive costs that Americans are facing — you have to marry that with corruption in government,” Defend the Vote executive director Brian Lemek said. This week, the group briefed the party’s campaign arm and purple-district candidates on a poll of 1,000 voters in battleground districts from mid-May and focus groups from April on the issue. Although the polling found voters viewed both parties unfavorably, and about a quarter of voters said they trusted neither party to tackle corruption, respondents still ranked the cost of living and corruption in Washington as their top two issues. That has some Democrats hoping they can fill the trust vacuum and ride it to midterm gains.
• The American Economic Liberties Project and Groundwork Collaborative released a joint 4 report detailing how President Donald Trump’s unprecedented corruption is padding his own pockets at the expense of US taxpayers. The report—titled “The Price of Corruption: How Trump’s Pay-to-Play Administration is Driving Up Costs for Working Families. In other words, it is not just unfair that the rich are benefitting while others are hurting. It is that in many cases the corruption itself is causing the hurting. Great examples here to highlight.
Four comprehensive proposals regarding affordability to work from:
• 5 Chamber of Progress: Steps Democrats Can Take to Tackle the Cost of Living in 2025 and Beyond: 025 and Beyond 025 and Beyond: A Roadmap for Policymakers
• 6 New Democrat Coalition: New Dems Unveil Affordability Agenda, the Coalition’s Answer to the Cost of Living Crisis | New Democrat Coalition.
• 7 The Real Affordability Agenda - Google Docs
• 8 CPC New Affordability Agenda - 4-29-26 - Google Docs
1 https://punchbowl.news/senate_democrats_trump_corruption_report/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=7/20/26%20AM:&utm_term=Punchbowl%20AM%20and%20Active%20Subscribers%20from%20Memberful%20Combined
2 https://btlonline.org/kick-out-corruption-tour-links-trump-grift-to-affordability-crisis-2/
3 https://wedefendthevote.org/cost-of-corruption-2/
4 https://www.economicliberties.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/The-Price-of-Corruption.pdf
5 https://progresschamber.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/ChoP_Cost-of-Living-Roadmap-for-Democrats.pdf
6 https://newdemocratcoalition.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/new-dems-unveil-affordability-agenda-the-coalitions-answer-to-the-cost-of-living-crisis
7 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SfAChwy667waf5M9ox3SOiBphzLOFNuBDIe8XgNMCcI/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.97ksfglids8p
8 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JTJG5viBybX-b_7-W7b6pdG-P_uY0ISZ7nCaQfaIyfY/edit?tab=t.0