DSCC FRIDAY TAKEAWAYS: NEW POLL SHOWS REPUBLICAN AGENDA UNPOPULAR – TRUMP DRIVES CHAOS IN GOP PRIMARIES – HERSCHEL CAN’T KEEP HIS STORY STRAIGHT

“THIS POLLS INCREDIBLY BADLY” – NEW DSCC POLL SHOWS SENATE REPUBLICANS’ TAX-HIKE PLAN IS UNPOPULAR WITH VOTERS. News coverage is highlighting the DSCC’s new polling memo that shows that Senate Republicans’ agenda to raise taxes, end Social Security and Medicare, and overturn the Affordable Care Act “polls incredibly badly” and “would hurt voter support for [the] GOP” – even among Republicans.

• NBC News: Democrats field test how to make Rick Scott’s agenda backfire on GOP. “The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee recently field-tested Scott’s plan with swing state voters and found strong aversion to the tax increase language as well as the idea of sunsetting all federally funded programs in five years, which would mean ending Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.”

• The Hill: Democratic poll: Ending Medicare, Social Security would hurt voter support with GOP.  “A poll conducted on behalf of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee found that a majority of battleground state voters would be less likely to support Republicans if the GOP moved to end Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. Sixty-five percent of respondents said they would be less likely to support the GOP “If Senate Republicans have a new plan that would end Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security in five years,” according to the poll, which was conducted by Blue Rose Research.”

• MSNBC Morning Joe (WATCH): “When this is poll tested in various ways… they find that this polls incredibly badly. Even Republicans don’t like it, the elderly don’t like it. I think in the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s research they found that 65% of people said it would make them less likely to support Republicans if they knew Republicans supported this plan to raise this amount of taxes.”

APRIL SHOWERS – TRUMP POURS MORE CHAOS INTO GOP SENATE PRIMARIES. Trump continued to spur chaos in GOP Senate primaries this weekend – “taking a swipe” at McCory during a North Carolina rally, endorsing Oz in Pennsylvania where “the infighting only intensified,” and leaving Republicans “nervous” in Colorado after the party nominated a Trump-aligned election denier to appear on their primary ballot.

• CO – Associated Press: Colorado Republicans back election denier for Senate primary. “Colorado Republicans on Saturday voted to place on their U.S. Senate primary ballot a state representative who attended the Jan. 6 rally that preceded the attack on the U.S. Capitol and is a supporter of former President Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 presidential election.”

• NC – WTVD: Former president Donald Trump holds rally in Selma Saturday endorsing NC lawmakers. “Last June, Trump publicly endorsed Budd at an NCGOP event in Greenville; Saturday, he continued to do so, taking a swipe at one of his key challengers, former Governor Pat McCrory.”

• PA – The Daily Beast: Trumpworld Goes Into Meltdown After Trump Endorses Dr. Oz. “The infighting only intensified as more conservative commentators and politicos lined up to take shots at Trump’s endorsement.”

MCCONNELL’S OWN WORDS: “BIZARRE” AND “UNACCEPTABLE” NOMINEES WILL BE AN ISSUE FOR THE GOP. Mitch McConnell acknowledged “unacceptable” Republican Senate candidates are a problem for the GOP. Even a broken clock is right twice a day – and even Mitch McConnell knows that Republicans’ deeply flawed Senate candidates will be rejected by voters in November.  

• MSNBC: McConnell is right to worry about ‘bizarre’ GOP Senate candidates. “What McConnell neglected to mention, however, is that some of his party’s likely nominees this year might also be described as ‘bizarre.’”

• Washington Post (Opinion): After appealing to con men, the GOP now complains about the hucksters. “Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned Republicans on Tuesday… ‘you can’t nominate somebody who’s just sort of unacceptable to a broader group of people and win. We had that experience in 2010 and 2012.’”

• The Hill: McConnell: ‘Actually possible’ for GOP to screw up midterms with ‘unacceptable’ candidates. “Former President Trump over the weekend irked some allies when he endorsed Mehmet Oz in the Pennsylvania Senate race. There’s also been running high-profile tension in the North Carolina GOP primary, where Trump has endorsed Rep. Ted Budd. … Republicans in previous cycles have watched GOP nominees win the party’s primary only to lose the Senate seat in the general election.”

💰”RAKING IN HUGE SUMS,” “BACKED BY BIG FUNDRAISING HAULS” – MORE MONEY IN THE BANK FOR SENATE DEMOCRATS 💰

Senate Democrats are “raking in huge sums for their re-election campaigns” and “touting record first-quarter fundraising hauls” – using their resources to get “a head start on general-election messaging while some Republican challengers focus on advancing from their primaries.”

• The Hill: Senate Democrats report record fundraising hauls in first quarter. “The trend leaves their incumbents in a strong position as their Republican challengers work to get through crowded primary fields.”

• Bloomberg: Democratic Senators Hit Airwaves Backed by Big Fundraising Hauls. “Democratic incumbent senators are raking in huge sums for their re-election campaigns, led by Georgia’s Raphael Warnock, who is on pace to bring in a record first-quarter haul… They’re getting a head start on general-election messaging while some Republican challengers focus on advancing from their primaries. ”

”NO RESEMBLANCE TO REALITY WHATSOEVER” – DISHONEST HERSCHEL CAUGHT IN ANOTHER WEB OF LIES. New reporting this week from the Daily Beast and Georgia Public Radio revealed that Herschel Walker’”claims to own companies that don’t exist” and that Ethics experts raised “red flags” about potential “conflicts of interests” in his federal personal financial disclosure.

• Daily Beast: Herschel Walker Claims to Own Companies That Don’t Exist. “The Republican Senate hopeful… has, for whatever reason, chosen to dramatically inflate his business record, according to a Daily Beast investigation. In doing so, Walker has established a parallel record of demonstrably false claims, many of which appear to bear no resemblance to reality whatsoever.”

• Georgia Public Broadcasting: Ethics experts say Herschel Walker’s U.S. Senate financial disclosure bears further scrutiny. “Georgia Republican U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker’s personal financial disclosure is missing key information that could help voters spot potential conflicts of interests if elected, several campaign finance experts say.”

SELF-SERVING JOHNSON ADMITS HE PUSHED FOR TAX CUTS FOR HIMSELF AND HIS DONORS. This week Senator Ron Johnson was caught on tape admitting that his company and his “prominent donors” benefitted from a key provision that he pushed for in Trump’s tax law – and how he has doubled his wealth in office.

• WQOW ABC News (VIDEO): Sen. Johnson’s Company Benefited From Trump’s 2017 Tax Bill. “Ron Johnson told backers…that his plastics company benefited from a key provision he pushed for in former President Donald Trump’s tax bill.”

• Associated Press: Johnson acknowledges his company, others benefited from law. “Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson told backers at a recent event in Wisconsin that his plastics company benefited from a key provision he pushed for in former President Donald Trump’s tax bill in 2017.”

• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Ron Johnson says his Oshkosh firm and many others benefited from 2017 business tax cut he championed. “In August, an investigation from ProPublica found that the tax provision Johnson championed delivered millions in tax savings to key donors of his campaigns, Dick and Liz Uihlein of Pleasant Prairie-based Uline and Diane Hendricks of Beloit-based ABC Supply.”

• UpNorthNews: Ron Johnson Addresses Criticism About His Wealth Doubling and His Tax Break Helping His Business—Saying Both Are True.  “Answering a constituent question last Friday in Medford, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson acknowledged the truthfulness of political ads that reported he has doubled his wealth while in office and that he personally benefited from a significant tax break he demanded be part of a 2017 tax bill…‘The top 1% of Americans by income have reaped nearly 60% of the billions in tax savings created by the provision. And most of that amount went to the top 0.1%. That’s because even though there are many small pass-through businesses, most of the pass-through profits in the country flow to the wealthy owners of a limited group of large companies,’ the economists said.”

TRUMP’S OZ ENDORSEMENT ESCALATES PA GOP PRIMARY AS CANDIDATES “TRADE JABS.” Over the weekend Donald Trump poured gasoline on the garbage fire that is the PA GOP primary by endorsing New Jersey daytime TV host Mehmet Oz, bringing a new level of chaos to one of the country’s nastiest and most expensive races.

• Fox News: Following Trump endorsement, Oz and McCormick trade jabs in Pennsylvania GOP Senate primary battle. “The two candidates have traded fire for months over a host of issues, including who is tougher or softer on China, charges that McCormick outsourced Pennsylvania jobs, Oz’s dual citizenship in Turkey, and most recently, over fracking. And outside groups backing each candidate have spent tens of millions of dollars in recent months to launch attack ads against McCormick and Oz in a race that’s become the most expensive Senate showdown in the country.”

• New York Magazine: Trump Endorses Oz in Pennsylvania’s Battle of the MAGA Carpetbaggers. “If the entire field goes medieval on Oz, it could get interesting… One thing is certain: If the Republican primary does get even more divisive, the beneficiaries will be the… Democrats running for the Senate.”

• POLITICO: Trumpworld scrambles to contain Oz endorsement fallout. “Trump’s intervention in the Pennsylvania GOP primary… is the latest example of how the former president’s endorsements have often added more chaos to already contentious fights to define the Republican Party during his post-presidency.”

• DSCC Statement On Trump’s Endorsement:“The Republican Senate primary in Pennsylvania was already nasty, expensive and brutal. Now Trump’s endorsement will only intensify this intra-party fight, just like it has in GOP Senate primaries across the country – leaving their ultimate nominee badly damaged and out of step with the voters who will decide the general election.”

TAR HEEL TAKEOVER – DSCC LAUNCHES DIGITAL ADS IN NC CALLING OUT GOP AGENDA. Ahead of President Biden’s visit to the Tar Heel State, the DSCC launched a digital homepage ad takeover of the Greensboro News & Record calling out the Republican agenda that would raise costs for North Carolinians. Read more here.

… AND CHERI BEASLEY GOES UP WITH FIRST AD OF CAMPAIGN TOUTING HER BIO.

While North Carolina’s GOP Senate candidates attack each other in a vicious and expensive primary, Cheri Beasley is launching her first ad of the campaign cycle – highlighting her work as a judge and letting North Carolinians know she’ll fight for them in the Senate.

• NBC News: Cheri Beasley launches first TV ad of North Carolina Senate race. “Democrat Cheri Beasley is launching her first TV ad of the North Carolina Senate race, highlighting her legal career as she focuses on the general election. ‘This is the road I used to take to the Fayetteville courthouse,’ Beasley says as she drives a white S.U.V. in the ad, shared first with NBC News.”

LAXALT SLAMMED FOR “CAREER-LONG ATTACK” ON LGBTQ COMMUNITY. Adam Laxalt is getting called out for his “career-long attack” on LGBTQ rights, putting him out-of-step with Nevada voters.  

• Las Vegas Review-Journal: Activists target Laxalt for ‘career-long attack’ on LGBTQ community. “Republican U.S. Senate candidate Adam Laxalt was targeted Monday for a ‘career-long attack’ on the LGBTQ community, as activists urged voters to reject the former state attorney general at the polls. LGBTQ advocacy groups view Laxalt as part of a broader threat amid an increase in legislation across the U.S. that they fear would roll back recent gains toward equality.”
• KSNV: Las Vegas area LGBTQ activists say Adam Laxalt is wrong for Nevada.
• Nevada Current: LGBTQ groups denounce Laxalt amid growing animosity, attacks on rights
• Nevada Public Radio: Southern Nevada LGBTQ leaders speak against Laxalt’s ‘career-long attack’ on community.

JUST THIS WEEK, THANKS TO SENATE DEMOCRATS

 → Senate Dems Work To Lower Costs, Cap Prescription Drug Prices. Senate Democrats are fighting to tackle Americans’ most pressing priorities – like lowering costs and holding big corporations accountable for getting rich while spiking costs on working-families.

• Arizona Republic: Arizonans are skipping medications because of cost. Sen. Kelly is advocating to change that. “Kelly advocated for a bill he’s backing to cap the out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35 a month for most Americans, which recently passed the House of Representatives.He also advocated for other legislative proposals he’s working on, including allowing Medicare to negotiate prices of certain high-cost drugs, stopping drug companies from raising prices faster than inflation and redesigning Medicare Part D to cap out-of-pocket costs at $2,000 per year.”

• NH Union Leader: Sen. Hassan seeks probe into gas price gouging. “Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., is leading three other Democratic senators calling upon the Federal Trade Commission to investigate whether oil and gas companies have illegally been cranking up prices at the pump. Hassan’s new bill would require the FTC to report back in six months on a probe into whether there has been price gouging. ‘As Big Oil continues to rake in record profits, Granite Staters are paying the price every time they fill up their tank,’ Hassan said in a statement.”

IN THE STATES

CO – Colorado Times Recorder: “I’m Not Talking To Democrats,” Says GOP Senate Candidate O’Dea Who Has Donated to Multiple Dems Since 2010. “‘I’m not talking to Democrats,’ O’Dea said when approached for an interview. The Colorado Times Recorder is a nonpartisan news outlet whose coverage reflects a progressive perspective, as explained on our website. But O’Dea, who owns a construction company and an event center in Denver, has let his money talk to Democrats.”

FL – Orlando Sentinel (Opinion): Venezolanos en Orlando critican expresiones de Marco Rubio: “son más demócratas que venezolanos”. “Posturas como las de Rubio resultarían en que las personas con TPS no reciben protecciones permanentes y eventualmente deben ser enviadas de regreso a Venezuela.”

GA – Atlanta Journal Constitution (Opinion): Herschel Walker’s Velvet Rope Campaign. “Walker’s strategy so far has actually been less dark basement and more velvet rope — an invitation-only campaign with access granted mostly to friendly conservative media and a schedule full of curated church events, GOP meetings and Republican fundraisers that you’re welcome to attend — if you can find them or fork over the cash to get in.”

NH – Seacoast Online (Opinion): New Hampshire’s GOP U.S. Senate candidates doing the bidding of ‘Big Oil’. “When Chuck Morse, Kevin Smith, and Don Bolduc go to bat for Big Oil and parrot their talking points, they are selling out Granite Staters. If the GOP Senate candidates were actually interested in bringing down costs, they would have come out and supported Senator Hassan’s proposal to suspend the gas tax.”

NV – Nevada Current: November’s election could yet again mean trouble for the Affordable Care Act. “Adam Laxalt previously called the law the ‘most flawed piece of major legislation America has ever endured.’”

PA – Pennsylvania Capital Star (Opinion): Pa.’s 2022 GOP U.S Senate primary could define future of Social Security, Medicare. “If Mehmet Oz or David McCormick win, advocates for the most successful social welfare programs in American history should be worried.”

TWEET OF THE WEEK

David Bergstein
@DavidABergstein
Amanda Sherman
@asherman89
Pat Burgwinkle
@Burgwinkle
Nora Keefe
@norakatekeefe
Freedom Murphy
@F_AlexanderM
Eli Cousin
@elicousin
Claire Berry
@claireliseberry

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