Trump Illegally Used Arlington Nationwide Cemetery For Photograph-Op

Arlington National Cemetery has confirmed that Trump’s campaign illegally used the location to stage a campaign photo op.

The cemetery released a statement after reports that an Arlington official got into a confrontation with two members of the Trump campaign as the official tried to stop the campaign event.

In a statement to NPR, Arlington National Cemetery said it “can confirm there was an incident, and a report was filed.”

Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign,” according to the statement. “Arlington National Cemetery reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants.”

Trump illegally used a national cemetery for a campaign stunt where he then posed with a gravesite and gave a thumbs up.

Later in the same day, the ex-president appeared to admit calling fallen troops suckers and losers. 

The lawlessness, entitlement, and disrespect never end when it comes to the Trump campaign. Given that the conservative Supreme Court majority has ruled that anything a president deems an official act is above the law, the Trump campaign’s behavior at Arlington is just a tiny sample of what he and a potential successor Trump administration would do as president.

Donald Trump doesn’t respect veterans, fallen troops, the law, and the American people.

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association

Jason EasleyLatest posts by Jason Easley (see all)

2 Lifeless After Airplane Tire Explodes Close to Atlanta Airport

Two people have died, and a third person has reportedly been seriously injured after a Delta plane tire exploded near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

RELATED: Desiigner Charged With Indecent Exposure Following Recent Airplane Incident

More Details On The Delta Plane’s Tire Explosion In Atlanta

According to WSBTV, the incident occurred during the early morning hours of Tuesday, August 27. A tire on a Boeing 757 plane was reportedly being worked on in a maintenance shop near the airport, per The Guardian. Amid the operation, the tire allegedly exploded. Furthermore, it killed “a Delta employee and a contractor.”

Additionally, a third person, who was another Delta employee, allegedly sustained a “major injury.” However, WSBTV notes that the identities of the victims have not been publicly released.

BREAKING: Two workers killed at #Delta maintenance facility near Hartsfield-Jackson – https://t.co/wpd89Exmrs #Atlanta @ajc pic.twitter.com/WMAgrBpf9K

— John Spink (@johnjspink) August 27, 2024

How Has The Airline Responded?

According to the outlet, the airline confirmed the deaths of the two individuals and the second employee’s injury on Tuesday, August 27.

“The Delta family is heartbroken at the loss of two team members and the injury of another following an incident this morning at the Atlanta Technical Operations Maintenance facility (TOC 3),” the airline’s statement reads per the outlet. “We have extended our full support to family members and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time.”

Furthermore, the airline’s statement expressed gratitude for “the quick action of first responders and medical teams on site.”

“We are now working with local authorities and conducting a full investigation to determine what happened,” the statement concluded.

In addition to Delta’s statement, the mayor of Atlanta, Andre Dickens, has also spoken out about the incident.

“I offer my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased Delta employees,” Dickens stated. “My thoughts are also with those who were injured, and I hope for their swift and full recovery. AFRD, APD, and HJAIA teams are on the scene, working diligently to address the situation.”

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased Delta employees. My thoughts are also with those who were injured, and I hope for their swift and full recovery. AFRD, APD, and HJAIA teams are on the scene, working diligently to address the situation.

— Andre Dickens (@andreforatlanta) August 27, 2024

Here’s What Has Been Reported About The Delta Tire Explosion

According to WSBTV, the plane tire has been linked to a Delta flight that arrived from Las Vegas on Sunday, August 25.

As the investigation into the incident unfolds, Delta’s TechOps, or its maintenance and repair sector, has reportedly vowed to “make counselors available” to assist staff members as they work through the tragedy, per CBS News.

“We’re all in this together, and we’ll get through this by supporting each other,” TechOps President and Delta Executive Vice President John Laughter reportedly stated.

RELATED: Woman Accused Of Stabbing Taxi Driver, Police Officer, & Delta Employee At Atlanta Airport

What Do You Think Roomies?

U.S. will provide free at-home kits beginning late September

Images By Tang Ming Tung | DigitalVision | Getty Images

The Biden administration on Friday said it will resume offering free at-home Covid-19 tests to American households in late September as the virus has gained a stronger foothold in the U.S. this summer.

Americans will soon be able to use COVIDtests.gov to request four free tests, administration officials told reporters during a briefing. The tests will be able to detect the Covid variants that are currently circulating, most of which are descendants of the highly contagious omicron variant JN.1. 

“These tests will help keep families and their loved ones safe this fall and winter season,” Dawn O’Connell, an assistant secretary for preparedness and response at the Health and Human Services Department, said during the briefing. “This is the seventh time over the last three years that the Biden-Harris administration has given families the opportunity to order the over-the-counter Covid-19 tests for free” through the government’s website.

The government’s program has provided more than 1.8 billion free over-the-counter Covid tests to Americans since it started in 2021, according to O’Connell.

The government is relaunching the program amid a relatively large spike in Covid cases this summer, and ahead of the fall and winter, when the virus typically spreads at higher levels each year. There is a “high” or “very high” level of Covid being detected in wastewater in almost every U.S. state, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

But the government decided to reopen the program in late September because it’s when more Americans begin to travel and gather indoors with loved ones. 

More CNBC health coverage

“As people start to travel, as they start to get together with friends and family through the holidays, we want them to have those four tests available to them at that time,” David Boucher, director of infectious disease preparedness and response at HHS, told reporters during the briefing.

By then, the latest round of Covid shots from Pfizer and Moderna will be available to most Americans in pharmacies, health clinics and other locations nationwide. The Food and Drug Administration approved those shots, which target a JN.1 offshoot called KP.2, on Thursday.

Testing is a critical tool for protection as Covid infections climb again. But lab PCR tests — the traditional method of detecting Covid — have become more expensive and less accessible for some Americans since the U.S. government ended the public health emergency in May last year. 

Still, certain local health clinics and community sites offer at-home tests to the public at no cost. 

Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO

Edgar Bronfman’s Paramount bid might hold Shari Redstone concerned

Edgar Bronfman, Jr.

Cameron Costa | CNBC

Edgar Bronfman Jr.’s offer for a controlling stake in Paramount Global could keep Shari Redstone close to the company, if his bid is successful.

Bronfman is open to having Redstone, currently non-executive chairman at Paramount, remain involved with the company if the Paramount special committee accepts his consortium’s bid for National Amusements, the controlling shareholder, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Bronfman has raised $6 billion to challenge Skydance Media for ownership of National Amusements, the holding company founded by Sumner Redstone, according to people familiar with the matter. Both Bronfman’s bid and Skydance’s bid would also include money to buy out a percentage of Paramount Global common shareholders.

At $6 billion, Bronfman’s bid would give cash to about 20% of Class B holders at $16 per share. Skydance would pay out about 50% of current Paramount common investors at $15 per share as part of its bid, according to the people familiar.

It’s not clear if Redstone prefers one offer over the other. The Paramount Global special committee will determine if Bronfman’s offer is a superior proposal for shareholders by Aug. 28. If the committee decides Bronfman’s offer is better, Skydance will then have four business days to match. The deadline for the entire process to be concluded is Sept. 5.

Bronfman still has a few more days to raise more money for a competing bid to counter Skydance, which agreed to an $8 billion deal to merge with Paramount Global last month. The special committee earlier this week extended the so-called “go-shop” period — during which it could entertain competing offers — by 15 days to review Bronfman’s initial bid.

One of the individuals who is part of Bronfman’s bid is former AOL CEO Jon Miller, suggesting Redstone could potentially have more control over a future Paramount Global than she’d get with Skydance. Miller, a close ally of Redstone, has been connecting Bronfman with potential capital and would likely take a role with the company if it came under Bronfman’s stewardship — perhaps a board seat and an operational job — according to people familiar with the matter. Bronfman would be CEO of the company if his deal were to be accepted and go through, said the people.

Miller, Redstone and Redstone’s son-in-law, Jason Ostheimer, together run Advancit Capital, a small venture capital firm that invests in media and technology. The trio are the only three people that appear on the firm’s website. Miller has also operated as a de facto strategic advisor to Redstone for many years, according to people familiar with the matter.

Redstone has not spoken with Miller about the bid, according to people familiar with the matter.

While the Redstone family and Bronfman family have run in similar circles, including donating heavily to Jewish foundations, Edgar Bronfman Jr. and Shari Redstone haven’t met many times and don’t have a close preexisting relationship, two of the people said.

Skydance CEO David Ellison and Redstone have had several discussions about the potential for Redstone to stay in as a shareholder of a combined Skydance-Paramount Global, according to people familiar with the matter.

Redstone is taking a wait-and-see approach to any future involvement she may want to have in Paramount Global moving forward regardless of its ownership, according to a person familiar with her thinking.

Spokespeople for Redstone, Bronfman, the Paramount Global special committee and Skydance all declined to comment.

11th hour bid

Bronfman has spent the last few weeks aggregating individuals with interest in owning a piece of Paramount Global, including film producer Steven Paul and Patron cofounder John Paul DeJoria, who had previously considered a bid of their own, according to a person familiar with the process, as well as Fortress Investment Group, the credit arm of private equity firm BC Partners, and former Turner Broadcasting CEO John Martin.

Bronfman’s financing comes from many different sources, which may potentially trigger regulatory concerns if too much of the money is from foreign entities. Having so many different financers may also make Bronfman’s offer riskier than Skydance’s bid, which is backed by private equity firm RedBird Capital and multibillionaire Larry Ellison, the father of David Ellison.

Bronfman is the chairman of Fubo, a sports streaming service, and the former head of Universal and Warner Music.

Skydance’s lawyers sent a letter to the Paramount Global special committee demanding the company stop negotiating with Bronfman, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. Skydance said Paramount Global breached the terms of the go-shop agreement by not alerting Skydance that it planned to extend the window, the report said.

Skydance also argued the special committee didn’t have the right to extend the go-shop because a bid had to “reasonably be expected to lead to a superior proposal.” Skydance argued the Bronfman bid didn’t meet the criteria.

WATCH: Media power struggle: Paramount deal in jeopardy?

Meta says WhatsApp accounts tied to Iran hackers focused Biden, Trump

Meta said Friday that it blocked a “small cluster” of WhatsApp accounts linked to an Iranian hacking group that was targeting officials associated with President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

The company said in a blog post that the bogus WhatsApp accounts appeared to originate from the Iranian threat actor dubbed APT42, which other tech companies like Google previously described as an “Iranian state-sponsored cyber espionage actor.” The group has targeted various activists, non-government organizations, media outlets and others.

Meta said the scheme was intended to exploit “political and diplomatic officials, and other public figures, including some associated with administrations of President Biden and former President Trump.” The campaign also targeted people in Israel, Palestine, Iran and the U.K.

With less than 75 days until the November election, Meta is attracting increased public attention due to ways that Facebook has been exploited and manipulated in the two prior presidential campaigns. The company said it hasn’t seen any evidence that the accounts of any WhatsApp users were compromised, and it’s sharing more information with “law enforcement and our industry peers.”

Meta said its security team was able to spot APT42’s involvement after analyzing suspicious messages that an unspecified number of users reported receiving from the fraudulent WhatsApp accounts.

“These accounts posed as technical support for AOL, Google, Yahoo and Microsoft,” Meta said in the blog post. “Some of the people targeted by APT42 reported these suspicious messages to WhatsApp using our in-app reporting tools.”

The Trump campaign said earlier this month that a foreign actor had compromised its network and illegally obtained internal communications. Microsoft also said at the time that it identified several Iranian hacking groups that were attempting to influence the U.S. presidential election, and that a group  affiliated with APT42 “sent a spear phishing email in June to a high-ranking official on a presidential campaign from the compromised email account of a former senior advisor.”

In 2019, Microsoft said it had identified several hackers linked to the Iranian government who were believed to have targeted an unspecified U.S. presidential campaign in addition to other government officials and media.

WATCH: Big Tech: too big to split

DOJ sues RealPage over alleged landlord hire worth collusion software program

The U.S. Department of Justice and eight states on Friday accused software company RealPage of unlawfully scheming to undermine competition among landlords and create a monopoly that harms millions of renters.

RealPage “allows landlords to manipulate, distort, and subvert market forces,” the Justice Department said in a civil complaint in U.S. District Court in North Carolina.

“At bottom, RealPage is an algorithmic intermediary that collects, combines, and exploits landlords’ competitively sensitive information,” the antitrust lawsuit said.

“And in so doing, it enriches itself and compliant landlords at the expense of renters who pay inflated prices and honest businesses that would otherwise compete,” the DOJ alleged.

Attorney General Merrick Garland in a press conference Friday morning put it more bluntly: “Everybody knows the rent is too damn high, and we allege this is one of the reasons why.”

The lawsuit marks the first time that the government has accused a company of working to systematically subvert the rules of free-market competition using mathematical algorithms.

Read more CNBC politics coverage

“Antitrust law does not become obsolete simply because competitors find new ways to unlawfully act in concert,” Garland said.

“And Americans should not have to pay more in rent simply because a company has found a new way to scheme with landlords to break the law.”

The DOJ is joined in its lawsuit by the attorneys general of North Carolina, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington.

RealPage, which is owned by the private-equity firm Thoma Bravo, in a statement on X vowed to defend itself against the accusations, and called the lawsuit a “distraction” from the real economic and political issues causing inflation.

“We are disappointed that, after multiple years of education and cooperation on the antitrust matters concerning RealPage, the DOJ has chosen this moment to pursue a lawsuit that seeks to scapegoat pro-competitive technology that has been used responsibly for years,” RealPage said.

The company added that its revenue management software “is purposely built to be legally compliant, and we have a long history of working constructively with the DOJ to show that.”

The lawsuit, which Garland said followed a nearly two-year investigation, arrives in the middle of a U.S. presidential election cycle where high housing and rental prices have emerged as a key issue.

Democratic nominee Kamala Harris last week unveiled an economic plan that aims to lower rental costs in part by cracking down on the companies behind price-setting tools that let landlords collude.

The White House declined to comment on the DOJ’s antitrust suit against RealPage.

But it provided a statement from national economic advisor Lael Brainard, who said President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris “know that too many Americans feel squeezed by high rents.”

“The Biden-Harris Administration has made clear that no one should pay higher prices because of corporate lawbreaking and continues to support fair and vigorous enforcement of the antitrust laws to prevent illegal collusion,” Brainard said.

— CNBC’s Eamon Javers contributed to this report.

Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO

Greatest Hair Merchandise for Skinny Hair and High quality Hair

The products featured in this article are from brands that are available in the NBCUniversal Checkout Marketplace. If you purchase something through our links, we get a commission.

If you have thin hair or fine hair, you might find that your hair needs a little help with volume. Dry shampoo can help give your locks that extra oomph, but really it can only do so much. The E! shopping experts have rounded up hair products perfect for thin hair, thinning hair, and fine hair that will work with your hair type, and are designed to instantly add hair volume. 

Our roundup of must-have hair products can help create thicker hair, work with damaged hair, promote hair growth, and add texture to each hair strand, giving your tresses the volume that you’re craving with a top-rated volumizing styling product. 

Just because you have thin or fine hair doesn’t mean your hair doesn’t have its own quirks that also need managing. Our selected products feature ingredients that will work for all kinds of hair, no matter if you have color-treated hair, oily hair, wavy hair, straight hair, or frizzy hair. 

Our selected hair products include thickening shampoo and conditioner, volumizing shampoo and conditioner, hair masks, texture spray and hair volume products for flat hair.  

We’ve found styling products that help create the look of fuller hair, including styling tools, hair products that play nicely with color-treated hair, and will help create a great hair day for any other kind of hair that needs a little extra volume. 

Shop the best hair products for thin hair and fine hair that really pump up the volume, below. 

Eli Lilly weight reduction drug cuts threat of creating diabetes in trial

Eli Lilly’s highly popular weight loss drug reduced the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 94% in obese or overweight adults with prediabetes compared with a placebo, according to initial results from a long-term study released Tuesday. 

The late-stage trial on tirzepatide, the active ingredient in the company’s weight loss injection Zepbound and diabetes drug Mounjaro, also found that patients experienced sustained weight loss over the roughly three-year treatment period. Adults on the highest weekly dose of the drug saw a 22.9% decrease in body weight on average after 176 weeks, compared with 2.1% for those who received a placebo. 

Shares of the pharmaceutical giant gained 3% on Tuesday.

The results suggest that Eli Lilly’s treatment could meaningfully delay a potential diagnosis for people with prediabetes, or those with blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as Type 2 diabetes. 

More than 1 in 3 Americans have prediabetes, according to the latest government data, which health experts say can be reversed with lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise. People who are overweight or have obesity are at a higher risk for prediabetes. 

The new data also shows the potential long-term health benefits of taking a buzzy class of obesity and diabetes medications called GLP-1s, which mimic hormones produced in the gut to tamp down appetite and regulate blood sugar. As Eli Lilly’s Zepbound and Mounjaro and injections from rival Novo Nordisk have skyrocketed in popularity over the last two years, the companies have raced to study other clinical uses for their drugs.

The results are “another reminder of the huge investment which Lilly has made to prove not only do you lose weight but when you do on this medicine, it converts to health benefits. This is our fourth study this year that does such a thing,” Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks told CNBC in an interview, adding that tirzepatide has shown promise as a treatment for heart failure, sleep apnea and fatty liver disease in three other clinical trials.

Eli Lilly tested tirzepatide in more than 1,000 adults over 176 weeks in the phase three trial, followed by a 17-week period where patients stopped treatment. It is the longest completed study on the drug to date, according to the company. 

More CNBC health coverage

The drugmaker will submit the latest results to a peer-reviewed journal and present them at an upcoming medical conference in November. Eli Lilly published 72-week weight loss results on a larger group of patients from the same trial, called SUMOUNT-1, back in 2022. 

Patients in the trial who stopped taking tirzepatide during the 17 weeks began to regain weight and saw an increase in progression to diabetes. But those participants still had an 88% lower risk of developing diabetes compared with a placebo, according to the latest phase three results.

“On the drug, we can keep healthy body weight down for three years and ward off diabetes,” Ricks told CNBC. “When you come of the drug, a percentage of people do begin to gain weight and then…begin the advance again toward diabetes.” 

Still, Ricks noted that patients don’t “snap all the way back as if they were never on the drug.”

The safety data on tirzepatide during the trial was consistent with previous studies on the drug, according to Eli Lilly. The most common side effects were gastrointestinal, such as diarrhea, nausea, constipation and vomiting, and were generally mild to moderate in severity.

Eli Lilly’s Zepbound works by imitating two naturally produced gut hormones called GLP-1 and GIP. 

GLP helps reduce food intake and appetite. GIP, which also suppresses appetite, may also improve how the body breaks down sugar and fat.

Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO

Watch CNBC's full interview with Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks

Mallory McMorrow Brings Out Mission 2025 And Reads It on the Democratic Conference

Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow brought a copy of Project 2025 to the 2024 Democratic convention saying, “Tonight, I want to tell you about just one aspect of project 2025: Its plan to turn Donald Trump into a dictator.”

Video:

Michigan state Sen.Mallory McMorrow brings out all 932 pages of Project 2025 and says, “Whatever you think it might be is so much worse.” McMorrow reads from page 535, which is the plan to turn Trump into a dictator. pic.twitter.com/sZg4jiho4j

— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) August 20, 2024

Transcript: Hello. Oh, I’m Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow. And this, this is project 2025.

Now, over the next four nights, you are going to hear a lot about what is in this 900 page document. Why? Because this is the Republican blueprint for a second Trump

term. That’s right. They went ahead and wrote down all the extreme things that Donald Trump wants to do in the next four years. And then they just tweeted it out, putting it out on the internet for everybody to read.

So we read it. And whatever you think it might be, it is so much worse.

Tonight, I want to tell you about just one aspect of Project 2025. Its plan to turn Donald Trump into a dictator. Ok. Right here on page 535 it says, quote, reissue Trump’s schedule f executive order to permit discharge of non-performing employees.

Now, that doesn’t sound that scary. Right. But here’s what it actually means in plain English. If Donald Trump gets back into the White House, he’s going to fire civil servants like intelligence officers, engineers and even federal prosecutors, if he decides that they don’t serve his personal agenda.

Mallory McMorrow is one of many Democratic talents of a new generation who understand how to communicate. She didn’t get bogged down in legalese or policy explainers. She got right to the meat of the issue and translated it for regular people, including punctuating the point that Donald Trump will be a dictator and that will look like doing things like firing federal prosecutors who do not serve the convicted felon’s personal whims.

Now, you might be asking yourself the next logical question: How can a democracy survive under a convicted felon dictator who has personal beefs not only with federal prosecutors, but judges and their families and juries and witnesses who have told the truth about him? And the answer is: It cannot.

And that is why there is so much at stake in the 2024 election. Make sure you and your loved ones are registered to vote at vote.gov.

Listen to Sarah on the PoliticusUSA Pod on The Daily newsletter podcast here.

Sarah has been credentialed to cover President Barack Obama, then VP Joe Biden, 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and exclusively interviewed Speaker Nancy Pelosi multiple times and exclusively covered her first home appearance after the first impeachment of then President Donald Trump.

Sarah is two-time Telly award winning video producer and a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Connect with Sarah on Post,  Mastodon @PoliticusSarah@Journa.Host, & Twitter.

Sarah JonesLatest posts by Sarah Jones (see all)

It has been an incredible run for Wall Avenue. Major Avenue is feeling overlooked

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images

Between rising costs for groceries and fuel, increased debt levels, and shrinking savings, people are having trouble seeing the overall economic growth reflected in their bank accounts. Our recent research with CNBC showed that the “vibecession” has a hold over many people, and now those sentiments appear to resonate with small business owners as well.

The latest CNBC|SurveyMonkey Small Business Survey for Q2 2024 shows that small business owners are feeling little impact from stock market highs and are worried they will be left behind by policymakers who are more concerned with what happens on Wall Street than on Main Street. 

Inflation has been a top concern for small business owners since the onset of the pandemic. In Q1 2024, small business owners showed cautious signs of optimism over inflation finally letting up. Confidence in the Federal Reserve’s ability to control inflation was at a two-year high, of 35%. But with recent government inflation data showing prices rising again more than expected, small business confidence in the Fed has returned to the previous lows from our quarterly surveying in 2023, at 31%.

The 2024 stock market rally has been plenty good for investors, who benefited from gains in chip stocks like Nvidia, which briefly surpassed a $2 trillion valuation, and AMD, which was valued at over $300 billion for the first time. Even the IPO market slowdown of recent years began to pick up, with Reddit’s successful IPO and Rubrik’s offering both signs of growing optimism. But our research finds that small business owners weren’t among those in on the recent market windfalls.

The majority of small business owners surveyed (64%) say they’ve experienced no benefits from this year’s stock market performance. In fact, few believe that Wall Street has had a positive (17%) or negative (15%) impact on their business. It isn’t that Wall Street harms small businesses. It simply isn’t a presence in their day-to-day lives. 

This CNBC/SurveyMonkey online poll was conducted April 8-12, 2024 among a national sample of 2,130 self-identified small business owners ages 18 and up.

Where Democrat and Republican small business owners agree

Overall, small businesses express little confidence in current business policies and policy-making. Almost three-quarters (73%) believe these policies favor large companies, not small businesses. Small business owners of both political affiliations largely agree on this point: 79% of Republican and 71% of Democrat and independent small business owners agree that business policies favor large companies over small businesses. 

When it comes to business policy-making, most small business owners (86%) agree that they have little say in this. Again, this sentiment is shared across party lines: 91% of Republican business owners are concerned about having no voice in business policy-making, as are 82% of Democrats and 88% of independents. This is even though 99% of all businesses in the United States are small businesses.

In today’s politically polarized environment, having small business owners of opposing parties agree on much of anything is rare. In our study, Republican and Democrat small business owners agreed on very little. For example, 64% of Democrat small business owners claim the economy is “good or excellent,” whereas 60% of Republican small business owners say it is doing “poor.” 

To have these polarized groups express the same concerns underscores the seriousness of the issue. Having a lack of voice in policy-making is not just a partisan concern. Small business owners are the bedrock of the economy. Understanding their priorities and concerns is crucial for policymakers and leaders to make well-informed, data-driven decisions that meet the needs of their constituents.