Politics and views in the United States

Lawmakers support new executive order reducing diesel costs, Republicans break from President Trump on several issues, and polls show Americans want Trump and Congress to focus on affordability.

Transcript

Welcome to 2026 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

Right now we're robbing Peter to pay Paul, but again, any relief we could get for our ag communities as we go into harvest season, I'll be behind.

Independent Nebraska Senate candidate Dan Osborne supports President Donald Trump's new executive order waiving restrictions on red-dyed diesel.

Unlike regular diesel, this is untaxed and dyed red because it's only permitted for off-road uses like construction vehicles.

The order aims to offset diesel's high cost, which has risen due to the Iran war.

But Osborne and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are condemning comments Trump made, saying Iran could bomb Los Angeles or San Diego as a, quote, small price to pay for keeping the country safe.

The White House is calling Trump's comments a joke, but New York Governor Kathy Hochul calls it shocking.

I think this is just a continued deterioration of what he stands for, if anything, what his presidency means.

This could be a new law, except every day there's a new law.

Some Republicans are distancing themselves from Trump on issues like Iran, affordability, and data centers.

While Trump believes rejecting data centers' economic impact is bad for small towns, Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate John James says Michiganders get to make that decision, not the White House.

I believe very strongly that Michigan is open for business, but we are not for sale.

And ultimately, if you want a data center, fine, we'll help.

If you don't want a data center, fine, we'll help. but ultimately the control should be dictated by the locals, not Lansing, not by lawyers and lobbyists.

In the lead up to the midterms, PNS is highlighting important polls.

A new Navigator research poll finds 60% of Americans want President Trump in Congress to focus on affordability and the cost of living, but less than a quarter of people say they're doing just that.

A separate Navigator poll finds groceries are the biggest strain on household budgets, causing people to either skip meals or buy fewer high-cost items at the supermarket.

Chris Fleming is with Americans for affordability.

Everyone is talking about how expensive things are and how they're having to make choices on whether or not they're going to buy a certain meal for dinner or are they going to put gas in their car all the way.

While Trump and Republicans won the 2024 election on promises of affordability, the polls show Americans are at a breaking point after the federal megabill cut social programs to fund tax breaks for the wealthy and Trump's tariffs have caused everyday costs to fluctuate.

Trump is reiterating promises to give every American $5,000 if Republicans win in the midterms.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says Americans see through this blatant attempt to buy votes, adding Republicans have lost their way.

Even they know that if they got a run on their record, they're going to lose.

We demand higher wages.

They say, let's do a gilded ballroom.

We demand lower prices.

Best they can do is give out Tom Cotton's cell phone number.

It's been three years since the October 7th attacks, which led to the Israel-Hamas war.

More than 82,000 people have been killed and the war has slowed to sporadic attacks amid a ceasefire brokered by Trump, but little progress has been made in other goals like disarming Hamas or stopping Israeli intrusion into Palestine.

I'm Edwin J. Viera for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.