American Bridge 21st Century Weekly Recap: October 13, 2023

Our top moments of the week

Another week of Republicans showing they are unfit, unserious, and unbelievably callous.

Here are their biggest moments of the week:

1. Republicans Praise Terrorists and Call Terrorism a “Great Opportunity”

Amid the horrific terrorist attacks in the Middle East, Republicans are using this tragedy to push their extremist talking points, conspiracy theories, and to praise terrorists who are targeting women, children, and innocent civilians in the region.

• RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel disgustingly called the attacks in Israel a “great opportunity” for her GOP primary candidates to attack President Biden.
• Donald Trump’s response to this tragedy was to call terrorists “smart.”
• Nikki Haley used the opportunity to attack President Biden and say China will take advantage of him.
• Ron DeSantis is using these acts of terrorism as an opportunity to fearmonger about the U.S. southern border and push his MAGA talking points.
• Tim Scott is going full-on tin-foil hat and saying that the president actually wants a terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

2. Is Daniel Cameron Flip-Flopping on His Plan to Gut Medicaid?

In a gubernatorial campaign defined by Daniel Cameron’s constant flip-flops on his support of the state’s near-total abortion ban, it would seem the Kentucky GOP nominee is now flip-flopping on his plan to gut Medicaid.

At a Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Forum, Cameron, who in April said he would prioritize gutting Medicaid on “Day One,” did not mention this as a priority for his first 100 days in office. Previously, in another April interview, when pressed that his plan to gut Medicaid sounded “very similar to something Governor Matt Bevin tried,” Cameron said, “Well, absolutely.”

If Cameron enacts his Bevin-style plan to gut Medicaid, more than 95,000 Kentuckians could lose their health care, and the plan itself would cost the commonwealth more than $270 million.

3. Kari Lake: Running for U.S. Senate

Following a disastrous gubernatorial campaign, Arizona MAGA Republican Kari Lake is jumping into the U.S. Senate race. In case you missed it, here is what members of Lake’s own party had to say after her embarrassing defeat just last year:

• Washington Post: “It was both a collapse and, now in hindsight, it was a failed campaign from the beginning,” said a high-ranking Arizona Republican. “I don’t really know what to say beyond outrageous arrogance and never getting out of primary mode. This election wasn’t stolen. It was given away.”
• The Hill: “I don’t really think she’s got a future in terms of her own electoral space here in Arizona.”
• Newsweek: “She just ran a terrible campaign”
• Washington Post: “Majority of Arizonans don’t want to vote for Trump or Trump-affiliated candidates.”

American Bridge’s research was decisive in Kari Lake’s loss and will play a key role in 2024. During the midterms, AB21 notched hits that appeared in outlets across the state:

• The Arizona Republic: Ariz. governor candidate Kari Lake echoes call by some conservatives to put cameras in classrooms
• Daily Beast: GOP Candidate’s Staffer Has a Murder-for-Hire Past
• Phoenix New Times: Kari Lake Says She’s Taking Hydroxychloroquine to Ward Off COVID-19
• Arizona Republic: Democratic group files IRS complaint against Turning Point USA over ties to Kari Lake’s campaign
• Mother Jones: Arizona GOP Candidate Kari Lake Airs an Ad Featuring a Homophobic and Extremist Pastor
• Tucson Weekly: GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Kari Lake: Arizona First Unless It’s Cheaper To Get T-Shirts from Honduras

4. Donald Trump Forgets Who is President Not Once, Not Twice, but Three Times

In an off-the-rails interview with FOX News’ Brian Kilmeade yesterday, Donald Trump insulted the U.S. intelligence community, questioned the intelligence of primary rival Nikki Haley, and claimed Obama was actually president three separate times — prompting Kilmeade to correct the GOP front-runner.

Five of the most head-scratching moments from Trump’s interview with Kilmeade:

1) Trump is either incredibly confused on who is president, or he really, really wants you to somehow believe Barack Obama is still running the country.

• He mentioned President Obama or the Obama administration not once. Not twice. But three times. (Spoiler: Obama is no longer president)

2) Trump expressed outright disrespect of the U.S. intelligence community stating that “we don’t have much intelligence in our country anymore” and that U.S. intelligence is “highly overrated.”

3) The Republican Party stalwart offered zero solutions to end the chaos in the House of Representatives and said Rep. Steve Scalise’s “very, very serious cancer therapy” was why he couldn’t be the next Speaker of the House.

• Before pulling out of the race for Speaker late last night, Scalise forcefully expressed he was seeing progress with his health.

4) Trump questioned the intelligence of Republican primary rival, and his former Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, while defending calling her “birdbrain” on social media, in media interviews, and at rallies.

5) Trump also claimed, without evidence, a terror attack inside the United States was certain.

5. This F*cking Guy: Trump is a Sexual Predator

This week in 2016, footage of Donald Trump talking with Access Hollywood host Billy Bush about his pattern of sexually assaulting women surfaced. The footage showed Trump joking about assaulting women, grabbing them “by the pussy,” kissing women before they could stop him, and having “moved on” a married woman “like a bitch.”

In response to this anniversary, American Bridge spokesperson Monica Venzke released the following statement:

“Donald Trump’s history of being a disgusting sexual predator is long and well-documented — and adjudicated. This kind of rhetoric should have been disqualifying for the office of the presidency, yet Trump is once again the front-runner in the Republican Party — except now he has been found liable for sexual abuse. We cannot send this fucking guy back to the White House.”