June 6, 2025

Permission to republish original opeds and cartoons granted.

77 Million Americans Reelected President Donald Trump, Not Elon Musk Or Any Single Man 

By Robert Romano 

“Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate.” 

That was former White House Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head, Tesla and SpaceX CEO and X owner Elon Musk’s take on June 5 on the outcome of the 2024 election, single-handedly taking credit for President Donald Trump and Republicans’ upset wins for the White House, House and Senate. It’s not true.  

President Trump was leading national polls throughout the entire presidential cycle when other Republicans foolishly told him to stand aside and long before Musk endorsed him. Trump had so much momentum he knocked former President Joe Biden out of the race. All by himself. Musk didn’t do that.  

Yes, Musk did spend about $291 million on the 2024 election, but Republicans all told spent $7.6 billion on the presidential and Congressional elections, according to Open Secrets. So, Musk, although the single largest single GOP donor in the 2024 cycle, accounted for about 3.8 percent of Republicans’ overall spending on the election. 

Musk also appeared in several rallies and town halls throughout the campaign, and lent his voice on X to his 200 million followers, pushing the election. Musk endorsed Trump after an assassin almost took the President’s head off on July 13 at the Butler, Pa. rally.  

But so did Robert Kennedy, Jr., who left the campaign trail and threw his weight behind Trump, at a time when he was polling 9 percent in national polls. In November, Kennedy only received 0.5 percent of the vote, at about 750,000. But if he had remained in the race, he might have been on pace to receive more like 13 million votes, which could have certainly made a difference in the election. Now, maybe Musk urged Kennedy to leave the race, but he wasn’t the only one doing so, and ultimately, it was Kennedy who made that final, fateful decision and Trump who had to make it worth his while.  

So did Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic Congresswoman from Hawaii and many other independents and former Democrats, who all signaled nationally that it was time for a change of leadership. 

Both men’s faith was rewarded, with Kennedy being made Secretary of Health and Human Services and Musk being put in charge of DOGE. Gabbard similarly was made the National Director of Intelligence.  

As one of the world’s wealthiest men and certainly the top donor of the victorious party, Musk’s self-centered view on the election’s outcome is understandable but to be honest, money isn’t everything. Democrats spent about $7 billion on the elections, too, first attempting to prop up the enfeebled former President Joe Biden and then former Vice President Kamala Harris — and they lost! 

But what a thing to say, that somehow money is everything in politics. That one man, Musk, could “buy” the election. Is he affirming the view of former President Biden, who warned in his farewell address of “an oligarchy… taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead”? 

Maybe Biden was right. Now, Musk is threatening to take down Republicans’ signature legislation to extend and expand the 2017 Trump tax cuts, including no taxes on tips and overtime, and tax relief for seniors, expensing for factories to make products in America and finally gets Congress in on the act of securing the border, providing $46 billion to finish the border wall that Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell failed to provide in 2017 and billions more to see to the deportation of millions of illegal aliens Musk had rightly warned in 2024 were being used to create a Democratic-one-party-rule state.  

Why, those were all the things Trump consistently promised at his rallies, appealing to the American people. Now, Musk wants Republican Congress to break the promises that were made on the campaign bill in his push to “kill the bill”. 

Of course, the only reason Trump truly won was because 77.3 million Americans voted for Trump, the first Republican to win the popular vote since 2004, and he won a majority in the Electoral College, and they voted for Republican majorities in the House and Senate.  

These are the very 77.3 million voters Musk unbelievably now seeks to disenfranchise by defeating the legislation Trump and Republicans promised to deliver with their majorities — which are fleeting — over disagreements about the tax legislation, who should head NASA and how DOGE’s proposed $180 billion of spending cuts were received by Trump cabinet members and Congress. But we have a government elected by the people, not chosen or anointed by the wealthy.  

For somebody who appeared genuinely concerned about the fate of democracy in the election, Musk at the moment appears frightfully unconcerned about disenfranchising the American people who voted in 2024 to extend and expand the tax cuts and secure the border. Yes, Congress can do more to cut spending. That’s always true.  

So, lobby Congress to cut spending, but don’t expect to get 100 percent of what you want with three-seat majorities in the House and Senate. That’s not how legislatures work. 

President Trump promised in the campaign to cut taxes and regulations, to put America first on trade with tariffs, to secure the border and deport the millions of illegal aliens here and not to cut Social Security and Medicare.  

Trump also promised to use DOGE to cut spending, and Trump has done some of that, spending lots of political capital in the process. Congress should enact the DOGE savings by lowering baseline spending to departments and agencies. Get as much in there as possible, within the constraints of achieving the majority threshold for passage. Congress has the power of the purse. And some of the promises made may appear to be at odds with one another. To get more done, Republicans might need larger majorities.  

2024 was not a landslide in Congress, so Republicans do not necessarily get landslide-like policies. Sorry.  

Pass the tax bill, and then after that, do more! Work with Democrats if you have to. If the debt ceiling is removed from the tax bill, that could be an opportunity to address the fiscal trajectory of the nation. Or not, it could just be a chance for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to extract concessions.  

There’s always the appropriations process, which ultimately will be done with appropriations bills, an omnibus spending bill or a continuing resolution. Choose your poison. But don’t expect to get everything you want. Because that’s not the way republics work.  

Or “kill the bill,” as Musk suggests Republicans join a political suicide pact. Pass no significant legislation. Let taxes increase. Don’t build the wall like Trump promised. Do nothing to incentivize production in the U.S. And go start a third party that won’t get elected dogcatcher. 

Musk has made great sacrifices to participate in politics, including perhaps the good will of some of the public in his companies Tesla, SpaceX and X. This might not be helping the bottom line. As Trump reminds everyone, Musk didn’t need this. But you know what? Neither did Americans who were getting beat up or removed from restaurants the past decade for wearing Make America Great Again hats and being threatened with political violence that almost claimed the lives of President Trump and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.). 

Does Musk think he’s the only person who has made sacrifices to get to this point? He still just one man.   

Republicans now have a choice, to uphold the will of the 77.3 million people who voted for them and pass the legislation they promised over and over again to enact — or to cater to the temper tantrum of one man who is now proposing to destroy their party because the bill is not perfect. This is madness.  

With Republican majorities, voters are expecting Trump’s legislative agenda to be enacted. The concerns over the unsustainable $36 trillion national debt are very legitimate and could hurt Republicans in upcoming elections, too. So, put more spending cuts in there. Republicans promised to do that, too. Is it that hard?  

But at the end of the day, get the job you were elected to do.  

Under the Constitution, the legitimacy of the federal government does not come from the whims of a single man, it is derived from the consent of the governed, which means elections have consequences. Make a promise, keep a promise — or else.  

Robert Romano is the Executive Director of Americans for Limited Government.  

To view online: https://dailytorch.com/2025/06/77-million-americans-reelected-president-donald-trump-not-elon-musk-or-any-single-man/  

New Poll: Democratic Party Seen As Weaker On Leadership, Getting Things Done And Changing The Status Quo Ahead Of 2026 Midterms  

By Manzanita Miller   

The Democratic Party just received another blistering public opinion report card, with the American people saying by double-digit margins Democrats are weak on leadership, struggle to get things done, and are no longer the party of change.  

The survey also shows Americans trust Republicans over Democratics to handle key issues —including crime, immigration, the economy, and taxes — leading into the next election cycle.  

According to the latest CNN survey conducted by SSRS,  Americans say by a strong twenty-four-point margin that they believe the Republican Party, not the Democratic Party, is the party of strong leadership. A full forty percent of Americans say the GOP is the party of strong leadership, while only 16 percent say the same for the Democratic Party.    

On getting things done, Republicans hold another double-digit advantage over Democrats. Americans say by seventeen points that the Republican Party is the party of getting things done, with 36 percent of Americans saying the GOP is the party of getting things done while just nineteen percent say the same for the Democratic Party.   

While in the 2010’s the Democratic Party somewhat successfully branded itself as the party of change for the middle class, the GOP now holds an edge as the party of change. Americans say by seven points — 32 percent to 25 percent — that the Republican Party represents change from the status quo.   

The GOP isn’t just seen as offering stronger leadership, problem-solving skills, and representing political change. On issues like the economy, taxes, immigration and crime that will drive political participation next election cycle, Americans largely align with Republicans.  

The Republican Party holds a seven-point advantage on the economy, with 38 percent of Americans saying the GOP’s views on the economy come closer to their own while 31 percent say the Democratic Party’s views come closer to their own. Voters are more likely to support an America-First approach to the economy and trade, as well as lower taxes.  

Republicans hold a seven-point advantage on taxes, with 37 percent of the country saying their views on taxation align most with Republicans while 30 percent say their views align with Democrats.  

Republicans also hold a six-point advantage on immigration, with 39 percent of Americans aligning with the GOP’s approach to the border while 33 percent align with Democrats.  

The GOP’s largest margin is on the issue of crime and policing. Americans say their view aligns the most with Republicans on crime and policing by thirteen points, 40 percent to 27 percent.  

As the 2026 midterms approach, the Democratic Party faces a stark reality — Americans are increasingly recognizing the GOP as the party of leadership, effectiveness, and a departure from the failing status quo. This shift reflects a broader sentiment that the Democratic Party’s policies have fallen short, particularly on issues like the neglected border, rampant crime, and short-sighted economic policies that leave many Americans behind.   

Voters are hungry for a change from the status quo but are beginning to recognize that it is largely under Democratic leadership that the country has been steered off course. If Democrats continue to prioritize open borders, lawlessness, higher taxes, and an America-last approach to trade, they risk further alienating Americans who are seeking a return to freedom and prosperity.  

Manzanita Miller is the senior political analyst at Americans for Limited Government Foundation.  

To view online: https://dailytorch.com/2025/06/new-poll-democratic-party-seen-as-weaker-on-leadership-getting-things-done-and-changing-the-status-quo-ahead-of-2026-midterms/  

Another 71,000 Unemployed Shows We Need Tax Cuts Extended 

June 6, 2025, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano today issued the following statement on the latest jobs numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics: 

“Unemployment once again increased by another 71,000 in May, reaching 7.2 million, the highest since October 2021. This is what usually happens following peak inflation historically after the American people max out their credit accounts — consumer credit is now down 0.8 percent the past year — and slow down purchases, and is consistent with the slowdown seen in the first quarter. This has been going on for a couple of years now, with unemployment now up 1.49 million since January 2023, with most of the losses, 1.2 million, a relic from the Biden administration. In addition, the number of Americans saying they have jobs decreased by 696,000, worrisome in any month, although the labor market is still at peak employment at 163.2 million.  

“While everyone is hoping for the best economy possible — who doesn’t want that? — the reality is that the inflation under the previous administration left the economy in a fairly weak state, as evidenced by the slow, steady rise of unemployment.  

“That’s usually a great time for Congress to provide some needed stimulus, in this case, by extending and expanding the 2017 Trump tax cuts, including adding no taxes on tips and overtime, providing tax relief to seniors and including 100 percent expensing for domestic manufacturing and factories to bring jobs back to the U.S. These reforms will help blue collar Americans and put the economy in a position for a solid recovery — a boom not seen since the 1980s — but only if Congress keeps its heads. If Congress does not act, taxes will increase on 80 percent of Americans, and why would that help the economy? The American people voted against increasing taxes in the 2024, with 77 million voting for President Donald Trump and Republican majorities in Congress to get the job done and extend and expand the tax cuts. If the economy weakens, and Republicans fail to act, they will have lost their mandate to govern.  

“It is true that more could be done to cut spending, even as the Congressional Budget Office notes about $1.4 trillion of offsets over the next decade in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The President tariff policies also appear poised to bring in an additional $2.8 trillion according to the Congressional Budget Office, including federal interest payments by $500 billion. That’s good news and fully offsets the tax legislation, and show the long-term wisdom of the President’s policies and why they need to be sustained and also the madness of the trade courts who are trying to sabotage the trade policies and kowtow to China.  

“Still, some members also have highly legitimate concerns over voting to increase the debt ceiling. If that means there are not at least 51 votes in the Senate to provide tax relief and boost the economy, then maybe raise the debt ceiling separately, which might provide an opportunity to deal with the long-term fiscal challenges facing the nation, with more than 900,000 Americans retiring every year and not enough Americans being born to pick up the slack. How to shore up the trust funds with entitlements — how’s that sovereign wealth fund coming along? — but also declining fertility are undoubtedly bipartisan questions of where we go as a nation. It may be unreasonable to suggest all of these issues could somehow be addressed on what is expected to be the partisan budget reconciliation process. To do that, Republicans need larger majorities, not razor thin majorities.  

“Sure, it would be nice if Democrats joined in extending tax relief and expensing factories in the U.S., and finishing the border wall, but until they do, Republicans have a simple math problem and a political problem: How to count to 51 and how to keep their promises to extend and expand the Trump tax cuts, including no taxes on tips, overtime and providing tax relief to senior, secure the border wall and incentivize U.S. production. If more spending cuts are needed, then put it in there. If more tax relief is needed, put that in there. Whatever it takes. If Republicans keep their promises, the economy will be in a solid growth position, and then Congress can get to work on better prioritizing U.S. tax dollars via the debt ceiling if necessary and of course appropriations. The American people do not want to raise taxes to pay for our unsustainable $36 trillion debt. The way not to become a debt slave is to lower taxes and urge government to do more with less.” 

To view online: https://getliberty.org/2025/06/another-71000-unemployed-shows-we-need-tax-cuts-extended/