Jackie Scheller is a real estate broker in Stockbridge, Michigan. After Trump’s election, she saw the challenges ahead—rising interest rates and loss of assistance for homebuyers—and decided it wasn’t worth the uphill battle. After 15 years, she was forced to make the difficult choice to close her doors and let her staff go.
Julie Robbins is a small business owner in Akron, Ohio. Together with her husband, she runs a guitar pedal business that’s worked with some of the nation’s biggest musical acts. Now, thanks to Trump, she says, “my company has paid more than $60,000 in tariffs”—with no end to the pain in sight.
Mike Carberry is a farmer who lives in Iowa City, Iowa. He serves on the board of the Iowa Farmers Union, and he says, “the American family farmer is just getting hit over and over again with Trump’s trade policies, his tariff policies. And I just don’t know when we’re going to learn that he really doesn’t have our best interests in mind.”
Trump won all three of these states—Michigan, Ohio, and Iowa—on the promise of delivering “a brand new Trump economic boom” and a new “golden age.” Then, once in office, he implemented across-the-board tariffs and launched an ill-conceived war on Iran that has sent global energy prices skyrocketing. The result: Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of his economic record, and most feel that the economy is worse than the day he took office.
Up and down the ballot, Trump’s hand-picked Republican candidates have bought into his economic policies, giving lip service to them and acting as a rubber stamp in Congress. This includes Republicans running in those very states that Trump won, and whose citizens are now suffering the consequences of his economic illiteracy.
Here are Trump’s flunkies in their own words: In Michigan, Mike Rogers has said “tariffs are necessary.” In Ohio, Jon Husted has said tariffs “haven’t affected the economy negatively.” And in Iowa, Ashley Hinson has called Trump’s trade policies “really good for Iowa producers.”
These people need to be held accountable for betraying their constituents. That’s why, from now through Election Day, Home of the Brave is spending $1 million to put up more than 225 new billboards in these states reminding voters who is to blame for the dumpster-fire economy we are living through. This comes on top of the $1.25 million we spent last month bringing similar messages to these states:
These ads are running statewide, including in competitive House districts where vulnerable Republicans are up for election. The goal is—in these final, critical weeks—to make sure voters know that Trump and his MAGA Republicans are to blame. Voters are angry, and it’s critical that they don’t buy into MAGA lies that the current economy is somehow the fault of the previous administration. Trump and MAGA Republicans own this, full stop.
Trump has said that he wants his supporters to “pretend I’m on the ballot” this November. We agree, and this campaign is aimed at doing just that. The historic unpopularity of this administration has created an opening for Democrats to take back the Senate and exert a check on the president. By driving the message that Trump and his hand-picked candidates are failing the voters of these states, we are ensuring accountability for those currently in power.
To support our work, consider becoming a paid subscriber, or donate to Home of the Brave today:
Home of the Brave exists to show Americans the real-world consequences of this administration’s policies, and to highlight what bravery looks like in defense of American democracy.
Love the billboards!
Outside Money is driving their elections. https://gregconners.substack.com/p/mike-rogers-and-his-filtered-funds?r=2yz13s