“Don’t Listen To Trump”: New SEIU, Courage for America Ad Warns MAGA Not To Heed Former President’s Call For Default

Trump to MAGA Republicans: “Do A Default” 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, SEIU and Courage for America launched a digital ad that highlights how President Trump is pushing MAGA Republicans to force a default in order to gut benefits for veterans, seniors, and children.

The ad, which goes live on digital platforms today and will run through the end of the month, uses Trump’s own words from his volatile CNN town hall directing Republican members of Congress to “do a default” if they don’t get “massive cuts.” The cuts that Trump is rooting for, and that are at the center of McCarthy’s Default on America Act, include slashing veterans’ health care programs, food assistance for children and seniors, and more.

“Trump and MAGA Republicans are threatening to disrupt Social Security and Medicare with a catastrophic default unless they get to slash veterans’, seniors’, and children’s benefits — all while protecting tax loopholes for billionaires and giant corporations,” said Laura Packard, Courage for America spokesperson and executive director of Health Care Voter. “Trump’s call to default makes it clear: the blame for this unprecedented situation lies squarely on the shoulders of every MAGA Republican who has chosen unconditional party loyalty over the economic wellbeing of their constituents.”

“It is devastating to know that Speaker McCarthy and former President Trump are willing to default on our nation’s debt obligations when so many families are struggling to get by. In the event of a default of any kind, our economy would slide into a recession, resulting in massive job losses, increased costs for families, and health risks as people would lose access to Medicaid,” said SEIU President Mary Kay Henry. “Despite Extremist Republicans’ attempts to use the threat of default to sabotage the Biden Administration’s and working people’s progress in building a more inclusive economy, working people will not be fooled. McCarthy and the House Republicans must stop playing political chicken with the lives of real people and get their act together.”

Courage for America has been a consistent leader in the fight to hold MAGA Republicans accountable for using the default crisis as an excuse to cut Americans’ benefits. Our default crisis accountability campaign has included:

• A TV ad in VA-02 targeting Rep. Jen Kiggans for voting to slash veterans’ benefits.
• A press call with Rep. Gallego and Arizona veterans condemning the MAGA default bill’s cuts to veterans’ benefits
• Digital ads in eight Republican-held districts slamming the bill for cutting law enforcement funding
• A creator program, working with social media influencers to explain how the default would impact our communities
• A press call with Officer Michael Fanone and Sheriff Mark Brave condemning cuts to law enforcement funding.
• A 20-day cross-country bus tour ahead of the release of McCarthy’s default bill, calling on House Republicans to promise their constituents they will not cut essential programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, veterans’ benefits, the Affordable Care Act, and SNAP.

Facts About McCarthy’s Demands From The MAGA Default On America Act: 

• Threatens 22% cuts to education, veterans’ health care, child care, and opioids treatment.
• Endangers public safety, cutting funding for over 2,000 Customs and Border Protection Agents, 11,000 FBI personnel, and hundreds of local law enforcement positions.
• Makes traveling harder and less safe, shutting down 125 air traffic control towers, increasing airport security wait times and slashing rail safety inspections.
• Hurts our children’s education, eliminating Pell Grants for 80,000 students and causing 300,000 kids to lose access to Head Start and child care.
• Sends good-paying American manufacturing jobs overseas by repealing clean energy investments from the Inflation Reduction Act.
• Cuts Medicaid for 2 million people, catering to MAGA extremist Rep. Matt Gaetz’s demands to make even harsher Medicaid cuts.
• Evicts hundreds of thousands of families, older adults, veterans and people with disabilities from Section 8 housing and cuts rental assistance.
• Takes away food assistance from more than one million seniors and 1.2 million women, babies, and children.
• Takes away health care access for 2 million people via community health centers, disproportionately impacting rural areas.