“That bipartisanship spirit, however, can get tossed out the window when Lawler speaks at partisan gatherings”
Vulnerable New York Republican Mike Lawler prides himself on being bipartisan, but behind closed doors, the “lifelong political operative and lobbyist” is anything but.
At a recent fundraiser for Donald Trump, where he stood behind a Trump-Vance podium, Lawler called Democratic voters part of “a party that hates this country.”
According to LoHud, this is the latest in a trend of Lawler deceiving voters about his allegiance to far-right leadership, which also includes leading a company that earned “$4 million from a Trump-aligned political action committee.”
DCCC Spokesperson Ellie Dougherty:
“No matter how hard he tries to smooth talk voters, Mike Lawler can’t cover up his divisive, harmful rhetoric and record caving to MAGA party bosses. Lower Hudson Valley voters can clearly see Lawler for who he is: a self-serving phony who will always put party over people.”
Rep. Mike Lawler proudly brandishes his bipartisanship while on the stump, reminding voters that he’s ranked the fourth most bipartisan member of Congress by Georgetown University’s Lugar Center, based on all the bills he has co-sponsored with Democrats.
It’s an essential in the 17th Congressional District, where Democrats outnumber Republicans and Conservatives by 71,000 voters.
That bipartisanship spirit, however, can get tossed out the window when Lawler speaks at partisan gatherings, such as a fundraiser for former President Donald Trump in Deal, New Jersey on July 28. There, Lawler, R-Pearl River, was among the Republicans who warmed up the crowd before the GOP candidate for president spoke to a throng of donors.
He spoke before a podium with a Trump-Vance campaign sign, backed by a line of American flags.
“This election is a choice,” said Lawler in a recording of the speech obtained by the USA TODAY Network. “A choice between a candidate for president who loves this country, who cares about this country, who believes in this country, versus a party that hates this country. This is a choice.”
Jones, in an interview said that Lawler’s remarks revealed how the Congressman felt comfortable making such remarks when speaking in his safe space, surrounded by Republicans.
“Mike Lawler finally got to be himself,” said Jones. “He got to be the MAGA extremist that I and others who follow him know him to be. This came out when he thought the cameras were off. He stood in front of a sign for Trump-Vance and said that Democrats hate America.”
“This is a guy who just a few weeks ago, said we need to turn tone down the rhetoric after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump,” said Jones. “But when the cameras are off, Mike Lawler shows that he is the one responsible for turning up the rhetoric and inciting the kind of violence that you could expect from someone saying that an entire political party hates the United States of America.”
At the Croton River rally on Monday, Yorktown Democrat Mark Lieberman said that Lawler, a former political consultant whose company earned $4 million from a Trump-aligned political action committee in 2020, questioned the candidate’s approach at the Deal fundraiser.
