American Bridge 21st Century Weekly Recap: September 29, 2023
Our top moments of the week
To paraphrase Nikki Haley, every time we heard GOP candidates speak this week, we felt dumber for what they said.
Here are our biggest moments of the week:
1. AB21’s Airplane Above Trump’s Michigan Event
Donald Trump spent the entirety of his time in the White House pushing an anti-worker agenda that hurt American auto workers. And yet — in the lead-up to Trump’s potential visit to Michigan, Trump was hailing himself as a pro-union hero.
Not so fast.
Before and during Trump’s event in Detroit, during the ongoing UAW strike, American Bridge 21st Century flew a plane above the venue with the message, “TRUMP SOLD US OUT” and the website TrumpHatesWorkers.com. The website directs viewers to our Trump Research Book — which contains hundreds of pages of research on Trump’s abysmal record, including his anti-worker agenda.
2. The GOP’s Dumpster Fire of a Debate
The second Republican primary debate promised a chance for a candidate to break out as a true alternative to Donald Trump. Instead, viewers were treated to two hours of yelling, cross-talk, and in-fighting.
We watched so you didn’t have to and here’s what you need to know:
1) Republican candidates are desperate to shred the social safety net.
- PENCE: Said cuts to entitlements and raising the retirement age should be “on the table” as part of his 2024 presidential platform.
- HALEY: Said she wanted to raise the age of retirement for her kids and those in their 20s.
- DESANTIS: Voted at least three times to raise Social Security’s full retirement and eligibility age to 70.
- SCOTT: Voted for trillions in cuts to social services.
2) There are no moderate Republican ideas on reproductive health care.
- HALEY: Said she would sign a federal abortion ban.
- PENCE: Nominated three anti-abortion judges to the Supreme Court that overturned Roe v. Wade.
- DESANTIS: Signed a six-week abortion ban as governor of Florida.
- SCOTT: Supported efforts to defund and antagonize Planned Parenthood.
3) A Republican president would aim to wage war with Mexico on day one.
- DESANTIS: Pledged to use the military to strike Mexico starting “on day one.”
- PENCE: Said he would send U.S. special forces in partnership with Mexican forces.
- HALEY & SCOTT: Proposed sending special forces into Mexican territory & vowed to complete Trump’s border wall.
3. Daniel Cameron Flip-Flops on Abortion…Again
A new report from the Lexington Herald-Leader shows Daniel Cameron flip-flopping on abortion rights yet again, now saying he would only sign a bill that made exceptions for abortion in cases of rape and incest “if the courts made us.”
This comes following a disastrous week for Cameron, where he found himself trying to convince voters on the issue of abortion that “if the legislature were to bring me a bill with exceptions [for rape and incest] I would sign it.” Cameron has campaigned on defending the state’s near-total abortion ban, which makes no exceptions for rape and incest. He has also signed a questionnaire agreeing that the morning-after pill and other forms of birth control should be banned.
4. Frank LaRose Backs Tuberville’s National Security Obstruction
As Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville continues to block military appointments and promotions, hurting our country’s military readiness, Republican Ohio U.S. Senate candidate and veteran Frank LaRose is backing Tuberville’s use of servicemembers as political pawns.
According to a new report from Politico, LaRose “told Huddle that he’s on Team Tuberville.” He’s all-in on Tuberville even as the Secretaries of the Navy, Army, and Air Force condemned the blockade and said that Tuberville is “putting our national security at risk.”
5. Right-Wing Activists Are Trying to Take Over Virginia’s Schools
A new report from Rolling Stone details how several Virginia school board candidates have aligned themselves with hate groups like Moms for Liberty, want to ban books, are anti-vax, and are pushing an anti-LGBTQ+ agenda.
“Across the commonwealth, dozens of [so-called] ‘parents’ rights advocates’ are running for school board seats. Many support book bans, espouse anti-LGBTQ+ views, have ties to either Moms for Liberty or 1776 Project PAC, a group which says it ‘works to insert conservative ideology into school boards nationwide.’”
