How Trump's war on Democratic states could backfire
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President Donald Trump wants to hurt Democratic-controlled states by withholding infrastructure funds, but ironically, his moves could sink Republicans in key races in this year’s midterm elections. On Monday, Trump went on yet another diatribe against thHow Trump's war on Democratic states could backfire
President Donald Trump wants to hurt Democratic-controlled states by withholding infrastructure funds, but ironically, his moves could sink Republicans in key races in this year’s midterm elections. On Monday, Trump went on yet another diatribe against the critical Gateway project, which will expand the rail systems between New Jersey and New York, reducing delays that have plagued the nation’s busiest rail corridor. Trump had been withholding the project’s funding for months, leading to a work stoppage as well as the need to lay off more than 1,000 construction workers. Withholding those funds already hurt Republicans last November in New Jersey’s gubernatorial election, which Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill won easily after making the project a top issue in the race. A tunnel is under construction in Manhattan that will connect New York and New Jersey. Last week, a federal judge forced Trump to finally release some of the funds. Yet the president still raged against the project, writing on Truth Social on Monday, “I am opposed to the future boondoggle known as ‘Gateway,’ in New York/New Jersey, because it will cost many BILLIONS OF DOLLARS more than projected or anticipated.” Those comments raise questions about whether Trump will try again to delay Gateway funds. However, ending train delays under the Hudson River are important to millions of voters in the New York and New Jersey suburbs, which are home to vulnerable GOP lawmakers. New Jersey GOP Rep. Tom Kean's district has thousands of commuters who are desperate to see the end of tunnel-related New Jersey transit delays. If the Gateway project is delayed further due to Trump's «unhinged» behavior—as Democratic Sen. Andy Kim of New Jersey described it—it could sink Kean's already tough odds in November. In January, Kean, who claims to support the tunnel, refused to sign on to a letter from New Jersey’s congressional delegation that urged Trump to release the funds Congress had appropriated for the project. Here’s how the New Jersey Globe described Kean’s political peril over Trump’s tunnel drama: Kean’s many Democratic opponents, hoping to take him down in this year’s competitive election for the 7th congressional district, see an opening. Rebecca Bennett called Kean’s response “lots of words, and zero spine,” Brian Varela said he’s “Trump’s puppet,” and Tina Shah said the district needs “someone in Congress who will actually stand up for what we need here in the district. Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, who represents a toss-up district with many commuters, also faces electoral risk if the project stalls due to Trump. When reports emerged that Trump was withholding the funds in an attempt to get Penn Station, as well as Virginia’s Dulles Airport, named after himself, Lawler refused to condemn Trump, leading to attacks from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. x x YouTube Video “Mike Lawler is once again choosing blind loyalty to Trump, even when it means screwing over New York commuters and tanking the regional economy,” the DCCC said in a statement. “If Lawler actually cared about getting Gateway done, he’d be calling out Trump’s reckless obstruction instead of defending it on national television.” It's not just New York and New Jersey being targeted by Trump's revenge tour. Michigan is also in Trump's crosshairs. He said he would refuse to allow a nearly complete bridge that connects the state to Canada to open unless Canada met some arbitrary demand to treat «the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve.» Michigan is a swing state where Republicans are seeking to pick up a U.S. Senate seat and the state's governor's mansion, and defend a handful of House seats. If he vindictively stops the bridge from opening, it could hamper the GOP's chances in those races. Former Republican Gov. Rick Snyder of Michigan, shown in 2016. Even the state's Republican former governor slammed Trump over his latest extortionist threat. «The threat to block the bridge’s opening as 'leverage' for broader trade disputes—whether over dairy, liquor, or Canada’s engagement with China—is not a course of action that I believe is appropriate,» former Gov. Rick Snyder wrote in an op-ed in the Toronto Star. «Every day that the Gordie Howe bridge isn’t open raises costs for both businesses and consumers on both sides of the border. Connecting infrastructure of this scale and importance needs to be protected and prioritized, not put at risk.» And in July, Trump pulled funding for a high-speed rail project in California, a state where the GOP is already nearly extinct but could go the way of the Dodo even faster thanks to Trump's actions. Ultimately, Democrats need to net just three seats to win control of the House in November. By targeting infrastructure projects that impact some of the most competitive House contests on the map, he could help ensure Democrats take control of the chamber and functionally make him a lame duck for the last two years of his presidency. Read more
