Free Republic

Democrats need a positive platform - not just anti-Trump sentiment - to win in this fall's midterm elections, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday. "You cannot just run against Donald Trump," the New York Democrat said. "It is the job of we Democrats to put together a strong, cohesive economic group of proposals aimed at the middle class and those struggling to get there." It was Trump's ability to connect with those voters, particularly working- and middle-class whites in the industrial midwest, that delivered him the presidency in 2016. But the president's poor approval ratings, Democrats' ability to flip...

President Donald Trump unveiled his $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan on Monday at the White House, criticizing the amount of money wasted in the Middle East before he was presdient. He estimated that the United States had spent $7 trillion in the Middle East, calling it a “mistake.” “It’s crazy… $7 trillion in the Middle East, and the Middle East is far worse now than it was 17 years ago when they went in,” Trump said. “And not so intelligently, I have to say, went in. I’m being nice.” As part of his plan, Trump said that the administration would accelerate...

President Trump on Monday rolled out a White House budget that includes deep cuts to some federal agencies, an increase in funding for the Pentagon and $18 billion for a wall on the Mexican border. It includes proposals to cut deficits by more than $3 trillion over a decade and lower debt levels as a percentage of the gross domestic product, but does not balance by doing away with annual deficits.

President Trump's newly proposed budget includes a proposal to end federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), part of a package that includes $300 billion in new spending overall. CPB provides federal funding for PBS and National Public Radio stations. "The Budget proposes to eliminate Federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) over a two year period," according to the proposal. "CPB grants represent a small share of the total funding for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR), which primarily rely on private donations to fund their operations," it continues. "To conduct...

The Education Department has told BuzzFeed News it won't investigate or take action on any complaints filed by transgender students who are banned from restrooms that match their gender identity, charting new ground in the Trump administration's year-long broadside against LGBT rights. It’s the first time officials have asserted this position publicly as an interpretation of law. No formal announcement has been made. For nearly a year, the Trump administration took a less clear stance, with officials saying they were studying the issue ...