{"id":2606259,"date":"2026-05-23T14:39:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T18:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/vulnerable-mike-lawler-embraces-trump-in-high-stakes-campaign-push\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T14:40:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T18:40:23","slug":"vulnerable-mike-lawler-embraces-trump-in-high-stakes-campaign-push","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/vulnerable-mike-lawler-embraces-trump-in-high-stakes-campaign-push\/","title":{"rendered":"Vulnerable Mike Lawler embraces Trump in high-stakes campaign push"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fvulnerable-mike-lawler-embraces-trump-in-high-stakes-campaign-push%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2606259&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Rep.mike Lawler, a Republican from New york\u2019s 17th district, is leaning heavily on President Donald Trump to energize voters and boost his reelection prospects after teh district has recently become more competitive.At a Rockland County event, Lawler highlighted his close relationship with Trump-suggesting Trump\u2019s appearance was partly driven by that partnership-and argued that he has been able to deliver for the Hudson Valley through his influence in Washington.<\/p>\n<p>The approach carries political risk, however. Analysts quoted in the piece say Trump is currently unpopular in the district, with approval ratings \u201cunderwater,\u201d and that campaigning alongside him coudl hurt Lawler\u2019s ability to win over swing voters worried about the economy and U.S. policy related to Iran.even so, GOP strategists describe Lawler as an unusually strong campaigner and imply he has a strategic reason for tying his campaign to Trump.<\/p>\n<p>Much of Lawler\u2019s pitch centers on tax policy, especially efforts to increase the SALT cap. He says he threatened to block a major tax and spending bill unless New York received relief, and the payoff was trump urging House Speaker Mike Johnson to give Lawler what he wanted. Lawler\u2019s Democratic primary challengers, including Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson, criticize the Trump connection-arguing it underscores how closely Lawler is tied to Trump and pointing to alleged negative impacts on the Jewish community, including cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and expired Affordable Care Act subsidies. Despite this, other GOP figures argue the district\u2019s large Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish population will remain supportive and that Lawler has a \u201csymbiotic relationship\u201d with that community.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) is tying his political fortunes to President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a>, betting the president can energize <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republican\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"926\">Republican<\/a> voters in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-york\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"61\">New York\u2019s<\/a> battleground district. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Appearing alongside Trump at an event in Rockland County, Lawler told the crowd he has a \u201cstrong working relationship\u201d with the president, and it was, at least in part, one of the reasons Trump appeared in the district.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4579443\/malliotakis-house-caucus-exit-women-history-museum\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Malliotakis exits House caucus in frustration after Democrats sink American Women\u2019s History Museum<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/4579369\/daylight-saving-time-sunshine-act-trump-buchanan-scott\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             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    <\/div>\n<h3>First House Democrat urges DNC\u2019s Martin to \u2018move on\u2019 after 2024 autopsy<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBecause of that relationship with the president and across the aisle, I\u2019ve delivered for the Hudson Valley in a way that no member of Congress has been able to in generations,\u201d Lawler said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/beltway-confidential\/4555757\/america-done-more-for-human-freedom-than-any-power-in-history\/\"><strong>TOM ROGAN: AMERICA HAS DONE MORE FOR HUMAN FREEDOM THAN ANY POWER IN HISTORY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Lawler, whose district was one of three GOP-held seats to support Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, appearing alongside Trump carries risk as he tries to win over swing voters wary of the president\u2019s handling of the economy and the Iran war, Erin Covey of the <em>Cook Political Report <\/em>explained to the <em>Washington Examiner.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think Trump is certainly unpopular in this district right now,\u201d Covey said. \u201cHis approval rating has certainly been underwater for a long time, and so campaigning with him is certainly going to be a bit of a risky move.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">New York GOP strategist Jay Townsend, however, said even if \u201cothers of us don\u2019t quite understand why\u201d Lawler appeared alongside Trump, \u201cMike is a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >talented political operative<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI would never want to second-guess his political judgment, so I assume there is a method to his madness,\u201d Townsend said. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Covey echoed Townsend\u2019s sentiment, saying that among all of the vulnerable Republican incumbents, Lawler is \u201cone of the strongest campaigners of the bunch.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the event, Lawler emphasized his battle against GOP leadership and Trump to raise the State and Local Tax, or SALT, cap during negotiations on Republicans\u2019 first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/border-infighting-consumes-democrats\/\" title=\"Border Infighting Consumes Democrats\">party-line budget bill<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFrom day one, I made it very clear I was never going to support a tax bill that left New Yorkers behind,\u201d Lawler said. \u201cIn a narrowly divided House, I know my vote matters, and I know how to leverage it for the good of the Hudson Valley.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/national-security\/4570265\/government-trust-cia-gabbard-jfk-joe-concha\/\"><strong>\u2018CAN WE TRUST PEOPLE THAT WORK IN GOVERNMENT?\u2019: JOE CONCHA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lawler claimed he threatened to kill the massive tax and spending bill if he did not get an increase in the SALT cap, causing Trump to tell House Speaker <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mike-johnson\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"7043\">Mike Johnson<\/a> (R-LA) to give Lawler \u201call the SALT he wants.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump, for his part, told the crowd gathered at Rockland Community College that \u201cMike Lawler is fantastic,\u201d and that he calls him \u201cMr. SALT.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe didn\u2019t stop,\u201d Trump said. \u201cHe wouldn\u2019t stop. He was driving us crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rockland County Legislator Beth Davidson, a Jewish woman who is running in the Democratic primary for Lawler\u2019s seat, told the <em>Washington Examiner <\/em>during an interview that Lawler \u201cwanted to show his relevance by bringing the president here,\u201d but that the \u201cflip side of that is that it reminds voters in this district just how tied to the president Mike Lawler is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Containing Hudson Valley, Rockland County, Peekskill, and Cold Spring, New York\u2019s 17th district has gone blue in the last two presidential elections, but shifted towards Republicans in 2024, where Harris only won the district by 2,160 votes in 2024. In 2020, Joe Biden won by 38,887 votes. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <em>Cook Political Report<\/em> rates Lawer\u2019s district as a toss-up, with Covey noting how competitive the general election becomes depends on the outcome of the Democratic primary. Including Davidson, three Democrats have emerged as front-runners in the June 23 primary, with the other two being Army veteran Cait Conley and Tarrytown trustee Effie Phillips-Staley.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Playing into Lawler\u2019s reelection bid is the district\u2019s large Jewish population, which overwhelmingly went for the New York lawmaker in the 2024 election.\u00a0But while Shavuot, a two-day Jewish holiday, was observed on Friday, neither Lawler nor Trump marked the occasion during their remarks, instead focusing on affordability and pitching Trump\u2019s One Big Beautiful Bill. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">National Republican Congressional Committee Spokeswoman Maureen O\u2019Toole said in a statement to the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that \u201cMike Lawler and President Trump have always stood firmly with the Jewish community and Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHudson Valley families know it, they trust Mike Lawler, and they\u2019ll reelect him in November,\u201d O\u2019Toole said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Davidson told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that Trump\u2019s agenda has \u201cdeeply hurt\u201d the Jewish community, citing cuts to Medicaid benefits and SNAP benefits, as well as the expired Affordable Care Act subsidies, and that the president\u2019s visit to the district during the holiday added \u201csalt to the wound.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4460164\/trump-endorsement-tracker-gop-2026-election-primaries\/\">TRUMP ENDORSEMENT TRACKER: HERE\u2019S WHO THE PRESIDENT HAS PICKED IN GOP MIDTERM ELECTION PRIMARIES<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Townsend, the GOP strategist, insisted the districts\u2019 Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish population won\u2019t defect from Lawler, and explained that the population and Lawler have a \u201csymbiotic relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> reached out to Lawler\u2019s campaign for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rep. Mike Lawler bets on Trump to energize voters in New York\u2019s battleground district<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2912,"featured_media":2606260,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26142755311010.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[34465,32319,54621,32504,40558],"class_list":["post-2606259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-campaign-rally","tag-donald-trump","tag-mike-lawler","tag-political-strategy","tag-swing-district"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/AP26142755311010.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2606259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2912"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2606259"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2606259\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2606266,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2606259\/revisions\/2606266"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2606260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2606259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2606259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2606259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}