NJDSC CHAIR JONES: DON’T LOSE FOCUS

“I’d like to echo and amplify Governor Mikie Sherrill’s comments thanking the first responders who leapt into action on Saturday night to protect a crowded ballroom from an active shooter.  Their heroism and bravery should be commended by a grateful nation.

Yet, mere hours later, Republicans somehow turned the conversation into the need to have taxpayers fund a grand ballroom at the White House while blaming Democrats for political rhetoric that incites political violence.

The same Democrats who have been labelled ‘traitors’, ‘scum’, enemies of the people’, and even ‘the enemy within’ by Republican President Donald Trump.

The absurdity would be too much to comprehend if not for the simple realization that engaging in those discussions means we are not talking about releasing the Epstein files, or the war in Iran, or skyrocketing gas prices, or the fact that President Trump and MAGA Republicans have no discernible way to fix our affordability issues.

Instead of problem solving we get a misguided assignment of blame to a national talk show host for a monologue joke or, here in New Jersey, an effort on the part of state Republicans to somehow loop Governor Sherrill into this farcical debate.  Again, I would like to echo and amplify our governor when she says, ‘plain and simple, political violence should not be the answer in a democracy.’

In the meantime, while Republicans try and deflect any and all responsibility for the horror show they’ve authored, Trump-lite Governor Ron DeSantis is successfully pushing state lawmakers to redraw Florida’s congressional map.  

Republicans cannot win on their ideas or accomplishments so they will keep trying to rig maps and prevent people from voting and essentially keep tearing at the bedrock of our democracy.

We must remain focused.  We must keep doing the work we’ve been doing to keep achieving successful outcomes at the ballot box.  We must continue to stand in and fight.  That is how we will win in November, and that is how we will defend our democracy.”