Across the country, GOP candidates ran on Trump’s messages of dishonesty, hatred, division, and fear. For some, their records and lies caught up with them.
We learned that voters really don’t enjoy being lied to—and they really don’t like it when you try to rip away their health care.
Here are seven of the GOP’s worst midterm losers:
Gov. Scott Walker (WI)
- Goodbye, (almost former) Governor Scott Walker. No one will miss you.
- There’s been no bigger enemy of unions, teachers, and working people than Walker.
- Walker repeatedly lied about protecting people with pre-existing conditions and is currently suing to rip those protections away from Wisconsinites.
Secretary of State Kris Kobach (KS)
- Best known as the champion of Trump’s absurd voter fraud narrative, Kobach headed up last year’s sham voter fraud commission.
Sen. Dean Heller (NV)
- Senator Dean Heller was unseated by NV Rep. Jacky Rosen.
- After his millionaire donors threatened him, Heller flip-flopped from his phony emotional stand against ACA repeal and abandoned Nevadans by leading the chard to pass it.
Rep. Jason Lewis (MN-02)
- Lewis lost to businesswoman Angie Craig. Lewis is a documented homophobe and racist.
- He also lamented not being able to call women “sluts” anymore.
Rep. John Faso (NY-19)
- Faso was defeated by Antonio Delgado, against whom Faso repeatedly ran racist ads.
- Faso has been publicly called out for breaking promises to his constituents, specifically promises not to vote to repeal the ACA.
Rep. Dave Brat (VA-07)
- Brat lost to former CIA operative Abigail Spanberger, whom he disgustingly tried to tie to terrorism (and who gave one of the great debate closing statements of the cycle).
- He is yet another GOPer who lied about protecting pre-existing conditions, claimed that the #GOPTaxScam was fully paid for, and told inmates living with addiction that he’s been having a worse time than them.
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (CA-48)
- Though the race hasn’t officially been called, it’s not looking good for Dana Rohrabacher, who was acting like a Putin asset before Trump made it cool.
TRUMP’S WAR ON THE MEDIA CONTIUES.
The American people sent a loud message that Trump needs more checks on his power—Trump has responded by tearing those checks down.
Hours after President Trump verbally attacked CNN’s Jim Acosta, the White House publicly revoked Acosta’s access to the grounds, citing a false claim that Acosta assaulted the White House intern who tried to snatch the microphone from his hand.
Because Trump’s administration runs on brazen lies, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders—who often spars with Acosta and CNN—took to Twitter to circulate doctored footage of the moment from the conspiracy theory website InfoWars.
Acosta’s suspension drew sharp rebukes from his colleagues in the press corps and from the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, who called for the White House to “immediately reverse this weak and misguided action.”
To be clear, Acosta was not suspended because he assaulted anyone. He was suspended because he dared to question the president’s racist, anti-immigrant rhetoric.
What’s to stop the president from denying any reporter access to the White House? Who will be left? It’s a slippery slope.
One way to check this president would be for every major news network to stand together and refuse to air briefings until Jim Acosta is reinstated.
THINKING CAP: MIDTERMS SPECIAL
Results are still rolling in from Tuesday’s elections, and it’s time to start sorting through what it all means. Neera Tanden, the president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, joins Thinking CAP to talk about the electoral rebuke of President Donald Trump, the policy priorities that will shape the upcoming Congress, the success of female candidates this election cycle, and what she’s watching when she’s able to take a rare break from politics. Plus, a bonus reaction to President Trump firing Attorney General Jeff Sessions with multiple races still undecided. Check out the episode for more.