As Democrats finally exhibited a show of solidarity against President Trump on Tuesday, officials across the nation pledged to combat the White House’s directive to halt grants, loans, and other federal financial assistance. Since Mr. Trump’s victory in November, the Democratic party has been debating the intensity of their opposition to the president and his administration. Some have advocated for the kind of comprehensive defiance that marked their response during Trump’s first term. Yet others, including those from regions that saw Trump’s support in 2024, have pushed for areas of collaboration on issues like immigration and inflation. However, on Tuesday, the earliest glimpses of a new strategy emerged, with Democrats across the ideological spectrum accusing Trump of exploiting the nation’s most vulnerable citizens by denying government aid to struggling families and the elderly, and defunding police departments, transportation systems, and hospitals. ‘The Trump administration is misleading you,’ said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker at a Tuesday afternoon news conference in Chicago. ‘The president is attempting to do something illegal.’ Democratic governors, attorneys general, and mayors sounded the alarm about the suspension of funding for programs that would be affected, including childcare centers and food assistance, and pointed out the sudden failure of the online portal through which state Medicaid departments receive federal funding. ‘I will not stand by while the president tries to disrupt vital programs that nourish our children, provide medical care to our families, and support housing and education in our communities,’ said Rob Bonta, California’s attorney general, who was instrumental in organizing a lawsuit to block the order, quickly joined by two dozen Democratic attorneys general.
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