GOP targets progressives as frustration over economy grows

Republicans are increasingly training their fire on democratic socialists and Democratic Party’s progressive wing as they search for a winning message heading into the midterms, amid President Trump’s low approval rating and growing voter frustration over the cost of living.

Republicans argue that recent victories by candidates they describe as “insurgent”  would pull the country too far to the left. They warn that their political opponents would back tax hikes and massive reparations, seize private property and businesses and lead the country to communism — at a time when many Americans are already struggling to make ends meet.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) launched a website earlier this week, dubbed “Contrast for America,” which highlights what Republicans see as the stark differences between the GOP and the Democratic progressive base. 

“The contrast could not be clearer: Republicans are for COMMON SENSE,” Johnson wrote on the social platform X Thursday. “Democrats are proving they are for COMMUNISM, electing Mini-Mamdanis who want to trample American greatness with open borders, insane taxes, and defunding law enforcement. History has proven that communism and socialism ALWAYS end in poverty, despair, and destruction. @HouseGOP is READY FOR THIS FIGHT to protect the greatest nation in the history of the world!”

The attacks, however, come as numerous polls show voters dissatisfied with the GOP’s handling of the economy, putting the party in a precarious position reminiscent of Democrats’ standing in 2024, when voters argued that the Biden administration had mishandled the issue.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll, published earlier this month, found that 37 percent of voters say they prefer Democrats’ approach to handling the economy. Another 36 percent said they........

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