Happy Mother's-Day-week, and welcome back to our #TrumpCheck series, the LACDP's weekly newsletter that holds the Trump administration accountable for its lies, deception, and self-serving actions.

With the world distracted by the conclave happening in Rome (or the film 'Conclave'), Donald Trump is taking the time to meet (unsuccessfully) with our foreign partners, both from Canada and China. 

More under the radar is what the Trump administration is doing in regards to funding for maternal health, and children in the United States. For a man with five children by three different mothers (and at least 8 documented mistresses), Donald spends a lot of his time talking about 'family values.'

For a 'pro-life' politician, Trump's policies only seem to be hurting children and families. Today, we decided to unload some of the lies regarding parenting and funding for children that the Trump administration is spreading. 

• Vance has stated that it is "the task of our government to make it easier for young moms and dads to afford to have kids".

FACT: The GOP's Congressional budget plan decimates social services that millions of parents rely on. Cuts to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) will leave millions of children hungry, without food assistance that parents rely on. Budget slashes against the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) programs will eliminate or disrupt childcare services for millions of children. Medicaid, the largest single source of health coverage in the U.S., covering nearly half of all children, is expected to lose hundreds of millions of dollars of funding with the new Republican-backed budget plan. 

• The White House floated the idea of providing $5,000 to mothers after giving birth in order to increase the country's birth rate. The White House press secretary applauded Trump, saying that he is 'restoring hope in the American Dream.'

FACT: The 'baby bonus' is unlikely to make a sustainable difference in the life of any new mother, especially considering the cuts listed above. The average cost of giving birth in the United States is a whopping $18,865, more than three times the amount of the potential 'baby bonus.' 

FACT: In April, the Trump administration gutted funding for research into fertility treatments happening under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Historically low birth-rates in the United States can't be 'solved' by one-time payouts to new mothers. The Trump administration's contradictory praise of people having babies, and simultaneous disinvestment in IVF, healthcare, food, and childcare for those children shows how little the MAGA movement actually cares about Americans. 

The first step in fighting back against the Trump administration is setting the record straight; correcting misinformation is a job for us all. If you had this email forwarded to you, you can sign up for the #TrumpCheck newsletter here. 

We'll be back at defending the truth next week. Until then, stay tuned on our social media channels, linked below for information about the LACDP's fight against Trump.

In Solidarity,  

Team LACDP   

Happy Wednesday, and welcome back to our #TrumpCheck series, the LACDP's weekly newsletter that holds the Trump administration accountable for its lies, deception, and self-serving actions.

A week from today marks Donald Trump's 100th day in office of his second term as president. Since January 20th, life has looked different for the whole world, especially for the people of Ukraine. 

The United States has had long-standing diplomatic relations with Ukraine, establishing a relationship nearly 40 years ago, in 1991, as soon as Ukraine seceded from the Soviet Union. On February 24th, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in what has since been referred to as a "brutal act of war."

Under President Biden, the United States was a strong ally to Ukraine, sending over $175 billion in military and budget aid to help protect hundreds of thousands of civilians. Even then, over 62% of Americans thought that the United States should be doing more to to stop Russian military actions in Ukraine. President Biden has a well-documented, long-standing, terse relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, which added to the tension of the United States supporting Ukraine as it was under siege. 

However, Trump, an outspoken fan of Putin, pulled the rug out from under Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as soon as he came into office, halting military aid. After a notoriously disastrous meeting at the end of February, it is speculated that Trump and Zelenskyy may meet again while they are both in Italy for the funeral of Pope Francis. 

Ahead of any new talks about to go down between the two leaders, today, we are here to break down the lies that Trump and his friends have been spreading about President Zelenskyy and Ukraine. 

• Trump and Vance have been outspokenly critical about President Zelenskyy not being ‘grateful enough,’ including an outright confrontation at the February 28th meeting at the White House in which Vance asked, “Have you said 'thank you' once this entire meeting?"

FACT: Zelenskyy has shown appreciation for the US during Biden and Trump's administrations, dating back to 2022, on an X post thanking Biden for the diplomatic and military assistance. He thanked Biden, Congress, and everyday Americans during a meeting with the President.  He has also publicly thanked Trump over the last few months. 

• Trump has accused President Zelensky of “prolonging the ‘killing field,’“ by damaging peace negotiations, claiming in a recent Truth Social that "nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory."

FACT: JD Vance has called on Ukraine to agree to peace deal conditions that include "the annexation of Crimea by Russia." Crimea was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014 and is recognized as Ukrainian territory by international law. 

• Trump has referred to Zelenskyy as a 'dictator without elections'

FACT: Zelenskyy won his election in 2019 decisively with 73% of the vote, and Ukrainians are still rallying behind Zelenskyy even after Trump's attack. Ukraine is currently under martial law, and under Ukraine's constitution, it is not legal to hold national elections during this time. Zelenskyy has also said multiple times that elections will be held following the end of martial law -- he has never opposed an election or fought to stay in power.  

Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have already been killed or forced to leave their homes. The suffering has gone on long enough, but the Trump administration wants to stand with Russia. Americans aren't having it. The first step in fighting back against the Trump administration is setting the record straight; correcting misinformation is a job for us all. If you had this email forwarded to you, you can sign up for the #TrumpCheck newsletter here. 

We'll be back at defending the truth next week. Until then, stay tuned on our social media channels, linked below for information about the LACDP's fight against Trump.

Congress is now in recess for the next two weeks, which means we might not see a Republican Representative in public until May. It's like a late Groundhog Day, but this time they hide their faces when they don't do their jobs. 

Happy Wednesday, and welcome back to our #TrumpCheck series, the LACDP's weekly newsletter that holds the Trump administration accountable for its lies, deception, and self-serving actions.

An underlying protection as an American citizen is the promise of Social Security payments later in life. Social Security is a 90-year-old institution of the United States, created under President Franklin D. Roosevelt as a part of the New Deal in 1935. Since the Great Depression, Americans have supported our most vulnerable citizens with taxes on workers to fund payments to retirees and disabled individuals. 

With the highest approval rating of any welfare program in the United States, the Social Security Administration is a wildly popular part of American life, with a higher approval rating than Trump has ever achieved in the United States. Trump and his cronies have had their eye on Social Security for a long time, and have implemented early signs of dismantling the program. We are here to set the record straight on Trump's lies and secrets about Social Security. 

• During an interview in March on Fox News, Donald Trump claimed clearly that "I'm not going to touch Social Security," a position in line with his messaging on the campaign trail. 

FACT: Cuts have already been made to Social Security offices all over the nation. Over 7,000 employees have been fired. Field offices are being shuttered, while simultaneously demanding that beneficiaries come in-person to claim benefits they have been claiming online for years, creating disastrous wait times. 

• The Social Security Agency has stated that the cuts and changes to the agency are being done to "prioritize customer service". 

FACT: Cuts to funding are impacting operations, causing staffing shortages that have left remaining Social Security service offices to look like a "Depression-era scene," with hundreds of senior citizens waiting for hours, or being turned away. Offices are unable to purchase paper, pens, or phone headsets due to DOGE cuts, creating 6 hour hold times when trying to get help over the phone. 

• Elon Musk referred to Social Security as the '"biggest Ponzi scheme of all time" and referred to Social Security benefits as "waste and fraud". 

FACT: Nearly 70% of American adults say they will need to rely on Social Security benefits in their retirement. The impacts of the recent cuts have threatened the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Americans. 

Trump and Musk have always been rich. They have no idea, and they never will understand, what it is like to live on a fixed income. They do not care about the havoc that they wreak by creating these problems for everyday Americans, who have worked to earn the protection of Social Security payments. The first step in fighting back against the Trump administration is setting the record straight; correcting misinformation is a job for us all. If you had this email forwarded to you, you can sign up for the #TrumpCheck newsletter here. 

We'll be back at defending the truth next week. Until then, stay tuned on our social media channels, linked below for information about the LACDP's fight against Trump.

In Solidarity,  

Team LACDP   

Happy Wednesday, and welcome back to our #TrumpCheck series, the LACDP's weekly newsletter that holds the Trump administration accountable for its lies, deception, and self-serving actions.

Today, we had planned to write a detailed rundown of the lies about the global 'reciprocal tariffs' that have been cast all over the world, including on an island of penguins and seals. However, in light of the 90-day pause on the tariffs, for all countries but China, we decided to shift gears. Thank goodness for the penguins and seals. 

Due to this last-minute shift, we decided to go back to basics, covering some of the lies that Trump has spread to the American public about the cost of living, and his efforts to combat rising prices. 

• While addressing the National Republican Congressional Committee dinner earlier this week, Donald Trump said that "gas prices are way down," that prices are "$2.50, $2.60, $2.75."

FACT: According to AAA, average gas prices nationally have not gone below $3.00 since Donald Trump took office. In fact, on both the day he claimed that gas prices "are way down" and today, the cost of gas was higher nationally ($3.24, and $3.235, respectively) than it was the day he took office in January ($3.12). 

• In a March 17th press release, the White House claimed that "On January 21, 2025, the wholesale price for eggs was $6.55/dozen; today, it’s $3.45/dozen — a $3.10/dozen (–47.3%) decrease"

FACT: The data linked on the press release does not support these claims, and no available data supports this claim about the cost of eggs. In fact, detailed 3rd-party tracking of grocery costs nationwide by NBC found that the average cost of eggs has not dipped below $5.00 per dozen this year. 

And finally...

• Donald Trump mused on how quaint and 'old-fashioned' the term 'groceries' is. "Groceries. It sort of says a bag with different things in it"

FACT: Donald's previous comment on grocery stores, citing that individuals need ID to buy cereal, or pick up apples from the refrigerator, indicates he hasn't even been to a grocery store. 

We live in a world of pivots - sometimes you plan on covering tariffs, and end up covering eggs. That's how it goes in the second Trump era. For us to fight back and re-establish a country in which we all can afford to fuel our cars and homes and feed our families, we need your help. Correcting misinformation about the state of the world and the actions of the administration is a task for us all. If you had this email forwarded to you, you can sign up for the #TrumpCheck newsletter here. 

We'll be back at defending the truth next week. Until then, stay tuned on our social media channels, linked below for information about the LACDP's fight against Trump.

In Solidarity,  

Team LACDP

With the start of April, brings the beginning of the second quarter of the year; who knows how we're only 25% into 2025. 

Happy Wednesday, and welcome back to our #TrumpCheck series, the LACDP's weekly newsletter that holds the Trump administration accountable for its lies, deception, and self-serving actions.

Mass deportations of immigrants has always been a campaign promise of the Trump administration, racist policy that masquerades as 'securing the border.' Family detention centers are a shame of American history from Trump's first term, a nearly universally condemned practice of ripping children from their mothers and fathers with no way to track whose child is whose. In 2024, the Trump campaign promised to bring back intolerance of immigrants and they have done their best to deliver on that promise. I'm sure that Trump's largest campaign donor, who started his career in the U.S. as an immigrant from South Africa working illegally, or First Lady Melania Trump, who herself violated immigration law before she obtained her green card in 2001, see no irony in their support of making the immigration system more dangerous and difficult. 

Read on for some of the lies that the Trump administration has spread about the practice of deportations in the United States. 

• In January, Trump announced that Guantanamo Bay would be operating as a detention facility for undocumented immigrants, housing over 30,000 migrants. 

FACT: Fewer than 400 detainees were sent to Guantanamo Bay in 2025 - more than half were sent back to the U.S. mainland, and less than 90 remain in custody at the base in Cuba today. The estimated cost of this stunt is over $40 million. Officials and departments who would be responsible for the operation were just as surprised as the public was when the announcement declaring Guantanamo Bay as a detention center was announced; none of the agencies involved had been notified of Trump's plan before the Executive Order. 

• Donald Trump repeatedly promised to deport 'criminal aliens' as a basis of his campaign. 

FACT: Deportations have not been limited to only undocumented immigrants with criminal backgrounds; green card holders and immigrants with protected status have been deported, sometimes to countries they have never been before. This includes a Maryland father with protected status who was sent to a Salvadoran prison due to an "administrative error."

• The White House announced a new app for 'illegal aliens' to 'self-deport voluntarily,' in a way that will allow them to file for citizenship later and return "legally in the future and live the American dream."

FACT: Immigrants rights attorneys are warning people to not use the app. The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) bans those who remained in the U.S. for more than a year from returning for more than 10 years; there is no evidence that the administration will support a path to citizenship for those who report their self-deportations. 

The inhumane treatment of immigrants who are in the custody of the American government is unconscionable and unacceptable. The first step to fighting against it is spreading the truth about what is really happening to our immigrant neighbors. If you had this email forwarded to you, you can sign up for the #TrumpCheck newsletter here. 

We'll be back at defending the truth next week. Until then, stay tuned on our social media channels, linked below for information about the LACDP's fight against Trump.

In Solidarity,  

Team LACDP  

LOS ANGELES COUNTY --

Los Angeles County Democratic Party (LACDP) Chair Mark Ramos has released the following statement in response to DA Nathan Hochman's decision to reinstate the death penalty in Los Angeles County:

Happy Wednesday, and welcome back to our #TrumpCheck series, the LACDP's weekly newsletter that holds the Trump administration accountable for its lies, deception, and self-serving actions.

We are 433 days away from the California primary midterm election, in June 2026. 

That's 433 days to continue the protests, organize, and prepare to keep California blue. Do you know who else is prepping for the midterms? Donald Trump. The Musk administration is doing everything that it can to stick a wrench in the works of the US election system, knowing full well that Americans are sick of the far-right action taken by the government since they have been elected into office. Let's take a look at some of the actions they are taking to ensure that Republicans retain control in the 2026 midterms.

• The White House issued an Executive Order on Tuesday, March 25, that mandates proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections. 

FACT: The Executive Branch does not have the authority to make changes to federal election processes. The Constitution gives the states the power to set "time, places, and manner" for elections. Beyond that, the Supreme Court already ruled in 2012 that Congress has oversight authority over elections. 

• Donald Trump has reassured Republicans everywhere that he has no concern over losing red seats in Congress or the Senate in the 2026 midterm elections. "I think we're going to do great, I think we're really going to increase our margins by a lot."

FACT: Campaign donations show the opposite; early, high-dollar donations reflect low confidence in the ability to win the race, and Elon Musk is opening his pockets wider than ever. He already made the maximum contributions to 7 House Republicans' re-election campaigns and has sunk more than $6.6 million in a Wisconsin judge race in an announced attempt to retain conservative control of a crucial swing state. 

• In the "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections"  Executive Order, the White House specifically outlines a demand for a "voter-verifiable paper record" to ensure election accuracy. 

FACT: Over 98% of voters already vote with a paper ballot, and electronic ballot counting machines have “logic and accuracy” tests performed on them in nearly every state. The biggest threat to accurate election results might be Trump's #1 campaign donor,  Elon Musk, who may have found a new business venture in transmitting election results for foreign countries. 

The next 433 days will be a battle, but we are ready to fight it. Correcting misinformation is a job for us all, and the first step in the push against the Musk-funded overthrow of our values as Americans. 

You can volunteer to phone bank for Wisconsin's Dane County Judge Susan Crawford here or here. More opportunities to get involved will be in our volunteer email, later this week. 

We'll be back at defending the truth next week. Until then, stay tuned on our social media channels, linked below for information about the LACDP's fight against Trump.

In Solidarity,  

Team LACDP

Days are getting longer, temperatures are getting warmer, and new legal battles against the government begin every day - happy spring! Welcome back to our #TrumpCheck series, the LACDP's weekly newsletter that holds the Trump administration accountable for its lies, deception, and self-serving actions.

You may have noticed that this week, we are covering the truth, instead of the lies. Don't worry, the lies will be back next week; with Trump in constant battles in the courts, today we wanted to cover all of the fights he has already lost. Because Donald Trump is not nearly as powerful as he thinks he is. 

• On January, 27th, Trump signed an Executive Order banning transgender people from serving in the United States military.

FACT: Two transgender sergeants filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, and won. A federal judge has blocked this Executive Order, deeming it unconstitutional. 

• Trump has attempted to dismantle the over-sixty-year-old U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). He cancelled government contracts, stopped funding, and closed offices. 

FACT: A federal judge has ruled the destruction of USAID unconstitutional, and mandated restored access for employees. 

• The White House has publicly railed against the size of the federal workforce, and Elon Musk has bizarrely demanded 'progress reports' from federal employees. Thousands of Americans lost their jobs  under Trump, fired from over 18 agencies like Veteran's Affairs, the Pentagon and the Department of Education. 

FACT: 25,000 people got their jobs back when another judge ruled Trump's firings at federal agencies unconstitutional. 

When a new attack is coming from the Trump administration every day, it can feel overwhelming to keep up with the status of every fight. Sometimes, Trump's attempt at power makes headlines and the fight against it doesn't, which is why we are here to remind you that Trump is not winning the fight. 

We'll be back at defending the truth next week. Until then, stay tuned on our social media channels, linked below for information about the LACDP's fight against Trump.

In Solidarity,  

Team LACDP   

Congratulations! Today is the 52nd day of the second Trump administration, which means we are over halfway through the 'first 100 days' marker. If these have felt like the longest 52 days of your life, don't worry, you're not alone.

Welcome back to our #TrumpCheck series, the LACDP's weekly newsletter that holds the Trump administration accountable for its lies, deception, and self-serving actions. Every week, the LACDP will provide updates and fact-checks on actions, claims, or atrocities made by Trump himself, his cronies, or his new employer, Elon Musk.

This week, we're here to correct some of the misinformation being spread about the Department of Education, a wildly popular part of the American government that over 68% of voters want to INCREASE funding to. 

• Trump has widely and frequently claimed that that "I'm going to close the Department of Education." 

FACT: The president does not have the authority to eliminate a Cabinet department. That power lies with Congress, and would then require 60 votes in the Senate, an unlikely outcome with the current Senate cohort. 

• While justifying the dismantling of the education system, Donald Trump reported that the United States is dead last in education rankings."They talk about 40 countries. We’re rated No. 40.”

FACT: There are no metrics in which the U.S. ranks 40th on any list for educational outcomes. The White House has been unable to provide any ranking that aligns with this claim. In fact, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ranked the U.S. 8th out of 41 countries for education.

• While discussing eliminating the Department of Education with Fox & Friends, Trump explained that this will allow them to defund schools whose curriculum they do not like, like teaching about slavery. 

FACT: News flash, Donald - the states already control the curriculum. The U.S. Department of Education does NOT write curriculum or impact curriculum in any way in the United States. 

Education is the foundation of a civilized society, and providing a good education for American children is the first step to building prosperous futures for all. Trying to destroy the basis of education in our country is no more than a power grab, and an unsuccessful one at that. 

Correcting misinformation distributed by the United States government is the first step in the fight and a job for us all. We will keep it up here, and on our social media accounts, linked below.

Well, Trump has officially made his first official address to Congress of his second term. He spoke for over 90 minutes last night, the longest presidential address in over 60 years. More impressive is the record 89 minutes that JD Vance and Mike Johnson spent clapping.

Welcome back to our #TrumpCheck series, the LACDP's weekly newsletter that holds the Trump administration accountable for its lies and self-serving actions. Every week, the LACDP will provide updates and fact-checks on actions, claims, or atrocities made by Trump himself, his cronies, or his boss, Elon Musk. This week, we're here to correct some of the lies that Donald Trump spread in his dizzying speech last night. 

• Announced last week, Trump re-emphasized his plan to create a "gold card" visa for wealthy immigrants. The visa would cost $5 million, and would go on sale "very, very soon." 

FACT: The president does not have the authority to create a new visa.  Congress is the only entity with that power. Even if it’s just an adjustment of the current EB-5 visa, it still requires congressional action. As of now, there has been no current proposal brought forth by the Trump administration, so this plan is currently unclear. 

• In a rant about energy prices, Donald Trump claimed that the Biden administration "closed more than 100 power plants."

FACT: Under the Biden administration, the number of utility-scale electric power plants increased. Only coal-fired power plants, which are increasingly moving out of favor, decreased from to 227 from from 284 during that same time. 

• Donald Trump read aloud a list of 'government waste' that had been cut by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. Among these 'corrupt' expenditures: $3.5 million on "lavish fish monitoring," $20 million on the "Arab Sesame Street" and $8 million on "transgender mice". 

FACT: Trump was referring to 'larval' fish monitoring, which is a typical method for tracking species health and abundance. The "Arab Sesame Street" claim was referring to $20 million that was allocated to an Iraq early childhood development program, over the course of 6 years; none of that money is spent on a TV show, although the program does produce a show with "Sesame Street" characters. The "transgender mice" claim is referring to medical trials conducted on rodents, having to do with thyroid and hormonal care for diseases like cancer and HIV. 

No one is providing gender-affirming care to mice or rats. 

Correcting misinformation distributed by the United States government is the first step in the fight and a job for us all. We will keep it up here, and on our social media accounts, linked below.