Trump and Johnson hand Democrats an 11th-hour lifeline
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
House Speaker Mike Johnson at a Trump campaign office in Bethlehem, Pa., on Oct. 28. Photo: Samuel Corum/AFP via Getty Images
House Democrats are turning President Trump's controversial Madison Square Garden rally and House Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) comments about the Affordable Care Act into their de facto closing message.
Why it matters: The 2024 election is heading for a photo finish, and Democrats believe their foes just gave them a critical leg up.
Driving the news: Democrats running in districts with large Puerto Rican populations were quick to jump on comedian Tony Hinchcliffe's comparison of Puerto Rico to an "island of garbage" at Trump's rally on Sunday.
- Reps. Susan Wild (D-Pa.) and Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), former Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) and New York Democratic candidate Laura Gillen all swiftly put out statements condemning the joke.
- Gillen's opponent, Rep. Anthony D'Esposito (R-N.Y.), condemned Hinchcliffe's rhetoric — with the Trump campaign also backing away from it – but Gillen, in a statement to Axios, tied him to it anyway.
- "Anthony D'Esposito has given Trump a full-throated endorsement, cheered him on at every turn, and even rode in the motorcade with him this past weekend," she said.
What they're saying: Wild, who is facing one of the most competitive reelection battles of the cycle, told Axios that the comment has resonated considerably in her district and could have a real impact on her race.
- "In the two days since offensive comments were made against Puerto Rico, I have heard from people across my community about how motivated they are to get out and vote," she said Wednesday.
- Wild added: "Voters in PA-07 pay attention to things like that, and I believe it will make a real difference in the election."
Zoom in: Johnson, campaigning for Wild's opponent Ryan Mackenzie, handed Democrats another cudgel by appearing to criticize the Affordable Care Act.
- "No Obamacare. The ACA is so deeply ingrained, we need massive reform to make this work, and we got a lot of ideas on how to do that," the speaker said, according to video reported by NBC News.
- Democrats quickly seized on those comments, with House Majority PAC blasting out a series of press releases pushing Republicans in key races to denounce or disinvite Johnson over the comments.
The other side: "Despite the dishonest characterizations from the Harris campaign, the audio and transcript make clear that I offered no such promise to end Obamacare, and in fact acknowledged that the policy is 'deeply ingrained' in our health care system," Johnson said in a statement.
- He added that House Republicans "will always seek to reduce the costs and improve the quality and availability of health care for all Americans."
Yes, but: Democrats are facing their own headwinds in the final stretch of the campaign, most notably a dispute over whether President Biden called Trump supporters "garbage" in response to Hinchcliffe's comments.
- Several Democratic lawmakers vented to Axios that the fracas has drawn attention from their party's closing message and illustrates why Biden has largely been sidelined from the campaign trail.
- A handful of Democrats running in key races, such as Reps. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Jared Golden (D-Maine), publicly denounced the remark.
