Key Point: “With less than 60 days until Election Day, Republicans are putting on a dog-and-pony show to massage Trump’s fragile ego while Democrats are out on the campaign trail, registering new voters, talking to voters, listening to their concerns and earning the support necessary to win. … While Republicans agonize over their plummeting approval numbers, Democrats will keep organizing. While they desperately try to hang onto power, we’ll keep making sure we deliver on our promises. And while Republicans sink lower and lower with their failed agenda, Democrats will fight to lower costs and make life more affordable so that every American has the chance to build a better life.”
Houston Chronicle: In 2024, Republicans promised to ‘make America affordable again.’ Well… it’s 2026.
By Ken Martin
What a difference two years makes. In 2024, Republicans held their convention in Milwaukee and made huge promises to “make America affordable again.” This week, they’re holding another convention in Dallas — this time to celebrate Donald Trump — where their complete failure to deliver on those promises is on full display.
With less than 60 days until Election Day, Republicans are putting on a dog-and-pony show to massage Trump’s fragile ego while Democrats are out on the campaign trail, registering new voters, talking to voters, listening to their concerns and earning the support necessary to win. An overpriced and underattended convention might be Republicans’ idea of how to unite their party, but Democrats are united around a clear vision and concrete track record to bring down costs, expand affordable healthcare, clean up corruption and end the chaos that Trump has created.
After all, despite Republican promises to “end inflation” starting on “Day One,” inflation is higher now than it was when Trump took office. Prices are rising faster than wages, meaning that with each passing month, Americans are working hard and earning less. Trump’s war with Iran caused the average price of gas to rise above $4 per gallon for the entire month of August — and with the price of oil now soaring, gas prices may go higher still. And whether it’s parents spending more for back-to-school supplies, farmers struggling to break even or small businesses fighting to keep their doors open, Trump’s trade war is punishing hardworking Americans and saddling them with higher costs.
Republicans have also been a disaster on healthcare, one of the largest monthly expenses for families after their mortgage or rent, while refusing to extend Affordable Care Act premium tax credits. Over the past year alone, following the massive cuts in Trump’s budget bill, 5 million Americans have lost Medicaid coverage, and 3 million Americans have dropped their ACA insurance entirely. To make matters worse, there’s little relief on the horizon as premiums are expected to increase by 15% next year.
Even Texas hospitals aren’t spared from higher costs and funding cuts. As of Sept. 1, the Trump administration began withholding $9.8 billion in Medicaid funding. Hospitals in the state are losing $27 million a day.
Amid all of this, the Republican National Committee is asking upwards of $25,000 a ticket to attend their Dallas convention. No wonder some Republicans are skipping their “Trump-a-palooza,” with one member of Congress reportedly calling it a “waste of time” and many others now desperately trying to busy themselves far away. Americans are paying more but getting less and are rightfully angry at the Republicans in power, who have not only failed to deliver on their promises but have actively made life less affordable.
Across the country, Democrats have been filling that leadership void with actual, concrete proposals to make stuff cost less. According to the calculations by the Democratic National Committee, which I chair, during Trump’s second term Democrats have won or overperformed in nearly 90% of key elections, and have flipped 31 state legislative seats — including here in Texas. How? They’re combining on-the-ground organizing with a focus on the top issue that families are facing: the economy.
For instance, in the House, minority leader Hakeem Jeffries announced that if there’s a Democratic majority after midterms, their first bill will focus on lowering costs for everyday Americans. He wants to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits that Republicans allowed to expire. He wants to restore congressional oversight of tariffs, which are raising prices on all sorts of goods. And he says, decisively, that we should end “Donald Trump’s reckless and costly war of choice in the Middle East.”
Republican candidates who wrapped their arms around Trump for years are now groveling for his approval with a pointless convention in Dallas. But they should remember one thing this week — when you anchor yourself to a sinking ship, you can’t act surprised when you end up underwater.
While Republicans agonize over their plummeting approval numbers, Democrats will keep organizing. While they desperately try to hang onto power, we’ll keep making sure we deliver on our promises. And while Republicans sink lower and lower with their failed agenda, Democrats will fight to lower costs and make life more affordable so that every American has the chance to build a better life.
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