At an event for the signing of the NDAA that the taxpayers are paying for, Trump gave an endorsement to Arizona Senate candidate Martha McSally as the president illegally used taxpayer funds for partisan political purposes.
Video:
Trump said, “There’s another member of Congress here today who is not only an air force veteran but the first woman ever to fly a fighter jet in combat in U.S. History and I’ve gotten to know her very well and she is terrific. Congresswoman Martha McSally. Congresswoman. Thank you, Martha.”
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The event took place at Fort Drum, NY. Rep. Martha McSally is a member of Congress from Arizona. Why was a member of Congress from Arizona in New York, and getting a shout out from Trump? The answer is that McSally is running for Senate in her home state, and Republicans have been pressuring Trump to help her. McSally is a difficult Senate primary with two unelectable candidates. Both Kelli Ward and Joe Arpaio are running for the Republican Senate nomination. If McSally loses, Republicans can probably kiss the Senate seat in Arizona goodbye.
Trump used a taxpayer-funded event at a military base to illegally give an endorsement to McSally.
As Deputy Washington Editor for The New York Times, Jonathan Wiseman tweeted:
I get why @realDonaldTrump has @EliseStefanik on stage in her district, but that @RepMcSally shoutout seems like pure politics ahead of the Arizona primary. The @GOP should be paying for this event at Fort Drum, not the U.S. taxpayer.
— (((JonathanWeisman))) (@jonathanweisman) August 13, 2018
What Trump did is against the law. He did something similar to help the Republican Missouri Senate candidate running against Sen. Claire McCaskill in July. Trump is using taxpayer-funded trips to campaign for Republicans, and it needs to stop.
One of the areas that Democrats have a keen interest in examining is Trump’s use of taxpayer funds for travel.
The graft and lawbreaking seem endless, but the way to check Trump’s corruption is to elect a Democratic Congress in November.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
