Speak Up For What Matters

Talking Points 2026

This isn’t about Parties. It’s about Principles.
Use these Talking Points for navigating real conversations in real time.

Corruption

If discussions about any of these issues arise:

Conflicts of Interest
Ethics Violations
Political Profit
Influence
Transparency in Government

Start Here

Cashing in on the presidency

Who is this administration really working for?

This isn’t politics as usual. It’s a systematic use of the presidency as a business opportunity — at the expense of ordinary Americans.

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The Trump family is using the presidency as a family business

Trump doubled his own net worth in 2025 — from $2.3 billion to nearly $5 billion. Eric Trump’s net worth grew tenfold, to an estimated $750 million. Donald Trump Jr.’s grew sixfold, to an estimated $500 million.
Don Jr.’s venture capital firm received at least four federal contracts from his own father’s administration.
Don Jr. and Eric are now investors in a drone company targeting $1.1 billion in Pentagon contracts — in a market their father’s own policies created by banning Chinese drones
Meanwhile the Trump Organization is building luxury resorts in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Vietnam, and the UAE — countries actively involved in U.S. foreign policy negotiations.

HOW TO SAY IT

“Political power and private profit are supposed to stay separate. When they become intertwined at the presidential level, every foreign policy decision becomes suspect. Who is this administration negotiating for — America, or the Trump family?”

Source: https://www.democracynow.org/2026/1/6/trump_family_businesses

The $TRUMP meme coin

Trump launched the $TRUMP meme coin three days before his inauguration. Over half of the top holders are likely foreign buyers — and unlike campaign donations, there are no rules blocking foreign governments from buying in. Trump then offered dinner at the White House to the top 220 coin holders — making the pay-to-play arrangement explicit. A House Judiciary Committee investigation found that Trump’s cryptocurrency policies benefited Trump and his family, adding billions to his net worth through schemes entangled with foreign governments and corporate allies.

HOW TO SAY IT

“Any foreign government can now effectively pay our president — not through a donation, but by buying a coin. No disclosure required. That’s unprecedented.”

Source: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-meme-coin-top-bu-1235333516/

Cabinet members & advisors are enriching themselves while in office

Trump’s cabinet members are personally cashing in on their government roles. Bondi and Duffy traded stocks before tariff announcements tanked the market. Howard Lutnick maintains direct financial ties to industries affected by his own trade and tariff decisions. Energy Secretary Chris Wright received a million-dollar bonus from the fracking company he now regulates. Jared Kushner is raising hundreds of millions from Saudi Arabia while involved in Middle East negotiations. This is personal enrichment — using a government title as a money-making opportunity.

HOW TO SAY IT

“This is exactly the kind of corruption Trump said he was going to Washington to stop.”

Source: https://campaignlegal.org/trump-administration-conflicts-of-interest

Corporate Insiders have taken over agencies meant to protect you

Former chemical industry lobbyists are now running the EPA’s chemical safety office. Former fossil fuel executives are overseeing energy and public lands policy. Elon Musk’s DOGE was handed access to federal payment systems while his companies hold billions in government contracts. Federal agencies have already acted on 80% of regulatory requests submitted by manufacturing groups. This isn’t draining the swamp — it’s handing it to a different set of insiders.

HOW TO SAY IT

“You voted to drain the swamp. Instead, entire industries got handed the keys. That’s not what anyone voted for — left or right.”

Source: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/uncovering-conflicts-interest-and-self-dealing-executive-branch

Abuse of Power

If discussions about any of these issues arise:

Pardoning of Allies
Targeting Critics
Political Appointments
Federal Agency Oversight
Use of Government Powers

Start Here

Abuse of Power

Power without accountability

Abuse of power isn’t one event — it’s a pattern. And the pattern is now clear enough that courts from both parties keep saying the same thing: you can’t do that.

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Removal of watchdogs

In the first week of his second term, Trump fired 18 inspectors general across the most vital cabinet agencies, along with the heads of the Office of Special Counsel and the Office of Government Ethics — the people whose entire job was to catch corruption. The firings violated the 1978 Inspector General Act, which requires 30 days’ notice to Congress. A court later agreed the firings broke the law. You can’t investigate abuse of power if you fire all the investigators first.

HOW TO SAY IT

“The very first thing this administration did was fire everyone whose job was to catch corruption. That’s not a coincidence — that’s a plan.”

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-firings-watchdogs-inspectors-general-60-minutes/

The justice system is now a tool of loyalty and punishment

Trump pardoned nearly 1,600 January 6th participants — including those convicted of violent assault — along with politicians convicted of bribery and fraud and corporate executives facing serious criminal charges. At the same time, the Justice Department has been directed to investigate and prosecute political opponents, critics, and even Federal Reserve officials. An NPR analysis found that in his first 100 days alone, Trump used eleven different federal agencies — including the DOJ, IRS, FCC, and Department of Defense — to retaliate against perceived opponents. Pardons for friends. Prosecution for enemies. The justice system is now a loyalty test — with prison as the punishment for failing it.

HOW TO SAY IT

“When the president can pardon his friends and prosecute his enemies, the justice system stops being about justice. It becomes a weapon — and that weapon can be pointed at anyone, regardless of party.”

Source: https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-investigations/trump-has-granted-clemency-to-16-corrupt-politicians-so-far/

Targeting lawyers, universities, and the press

Trump signed executive orders targeting law firms that represented his political opponents — stripping security clearances and canceling federal contracts with their clients. Four firms fought back in court and won. Others paid nearly $1 billion in free legal services to the Trump administration to avoid punishment. Harvard had $2.2 billion in federal research funding frozen after refusing White House demands to restructure its admissions and curriculum — a federal judge ruled the freeze unconstitutional. Columbia paid $200 million and Brown paid $50 million just to regain access to their own federal research funding. The pattern is the same every time: comply, pay up, or get punished.

HOW TO SAY IT

“When the government can punish a lawyer for representing a client and freeze a university’s funding for teaching the wrong thing — none of us are free. That’s not America First. That’s authoritarianism.”

Source: https://www.npr.org/2026/01/29/nx-s1-5559293/trump-settlements-colleges-universities

Using your tax dollars as a political weapon

The Trump administration has frozen, canceled, or clawed back congressionally approved federal funding to states, universities, cities, and organizations it considers politically hostile — often in direct violation of the law. The administration identified nearly all federal spending going to states that voted against Trump in 2024 with the stated intent to withhold those funds. Courts have repeatedly blocked these moves — but the damage is done. When federal funding can be frozen at any moment for political reasons, states can’t plan, businesses can’t invest, and families can’t trust that the programs they depend on will still be there tomorrow.

HOW TO SAY IT

“Withholding money Congress already approved, from communities that already earned it, because they didn’t vote the right way — that’s not fiscal responsibility. That’s extortion.”

Source: https://www.cbpp.org/blog/the-trump-administration-is-engaging-in-increasingly-blatant-efforts-to-misuse-federal-funds

Economy

If discussions about any of these issues arise:

The Economy
Inflation & Cost of Living
Tariffs
Corporate Profits
Government Spending

Start Here

Economic Policies

Who is paying for these policies?

Tariffs, tax cuts, and spending cuts aren’t abstract — they show up in grocery bills, job losses, and retirement accounts.

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Tariffs are a tax on American consumers, not foreign countries

Broad tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, China and others mean U.S. importers pay the tariff — and pass the cost to you at checkout. Economists across the political spectrum estimate tariffs at 2025–2026 levels could cost the average household $1,500–$2,000 per year.

HOW TO SAY IT

“China doesn’t pay the tariff. The American company importing the goods pays it — and then you pay it when you buy a washing machine, a car part, or groceries.”

Source: https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/federal/trump-tariffs-trade-war/

Tax cuts for the wealthy — paid for by cuts to Medicaid & food stamps

Proposed tax legislation extends and expands cuts that primarily benefit the top 1%, while offsetting costs through reductions to Medicaid, SNAP (food stamps), and other programs that millions of working-class families depend on — including rural Republican voters.

HOW TO SAY IT

“The tax plan gives a millionaire a $70,000 tax break while cutting the food assistance that a single mom in your county depends on. That’s a transfer — upward.”

Source: https://www.cbpp.org/blog/cuts-to-health-care-food-assistance-and-income-support-to-fund-tax-cuts-for-the-wealthy-would

Affordability

Trump’s policy decisions are increasing costs in key areas:

Groceries: Tariffs on imported foods raise prices, while major cuts to the SNAP food assistance program reduce help for over 40 million people.
Health care: Cuts to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act programs, along with expiring tax credits for insurance, could leave about 15 million people without coverage and make care less affordable.
Housing: Proposed cuts to rental assistance could cause hundreds of thousands of households to lose help paying rent, while tariffs on building materials increase housing costs.
Education: Changes to student loan programs could raise payments and lengthen repayment periods, while cuts to financial aid programs would make college harder to afford.
Energy: Cuts to clean energy investments and proposals to eliminate home-energy assistance programs could increase household energy bills.

Lower-income households—who already spend nearly 90% of their income on basic needs—are most affected.

HOW TO SAY IT

“Think about someone you know who is just getting by. These policies hit every single thing they spend money on — their groceries, their doctor, their rent, their kids’ school loans, their heating bill. All at once. How can this administration say costs are going down?”

Source: https://www.americanprogress.org/article/a-year-in-review-how-the-trump-administrations-economic-policies-made-life-less-affordable-for-americans/

Uncertainty is killing small business investment

Erratic tariff announcements, changing trade rules week to week, and mass regulatory shifts make it impossible for small business owners to plan. Large corporations can absorb chaos. Small businesses can’t. Survey after survey shows small business confidence has collapsed.

HOW TO SAY IT

“You can’t sign a lease, hire someone, or order inventory if you don’t know what the rules will be next month. That’s not good for business — it’s chaos.”

Source: https://www.americanprogress.org/article/8-ways-trumps-turbulence-tax-is-costing-the-economy/

Environment

If discussions about any of these issues arise:

Clean Energy
EPA
Oil Prices
Farmers and Ranchers
Climate Changes

Start Here

Environmental Policies

Clean air, clean water — not a political issue

Rolling back environmental protections doesn’t just affect the climate — it affects your water, your health, and who profits from your land.

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Gutting the EPA means polluters pay nothing — you pay instead

Massive EPA budget and staff cuts mean fewer inspections, fewer enforcement actions, and weaker standards for air and water quality. When corporations don’t pay to clean up their pollution, communities downstream do — in healthcare costs, lost property values, and sick children.

HOW TO SAY IT

“Someone always pays for pollution. Either the company that made it pays, or your family does — in asthma inhalers, cancer treatments, and contaminated wells.”

Source: https://apnews.com/article/epa-medical-devices-ethylene-oxide-sterilize-cancer-a3b5f3a0206a43d3cff450a6ae3d1dc9

Public lands opened to drilling — often in your backyard

Executive orders have fast-tracked oil, gas, and mining leases on federal public lands — including areas near national parks, Indigenous sacred sites, and community water sources. Profits go to corporations; the environmental risk stays local.

HOW TO SAY IT

“That national forest you hunt in, fish in, hike in — it was just leased to a drilling company. You don’t get a cut. You get the spill risk.”

Source: https://apnews.com/article/public-lands-mining-drilling-restrictions-repealed-571eef997a5f5c092c0eadd620537259

Killing clean energy kills jobs — including good manufacturing jobs

A 2026 report from the Environmental Defense Fund and Atlas Public Policy found that 2025 saw major declines in U.S. clean energy manufacturing investment, largely due to policy changes and cuts to clean energy tax credits by the Trump administration. More than $29 billion in projects were canceled, eliminating over 39,000 planned jobs, particularly in the battery and electric vehicle industries. Even with some new investments, overall funding for clean energy manufacturing fell by more than $15 billion in 2025.

HOW TO SAY IT

“China is investing hundreds of billions in clean energy manufacturing. We just canceled $29 billion worth and eliminated 39,000 jobs. We’re not just falling behind — we’re choosing to fall behind.”

Source: https://www.edf.org/media/2025-saw-stark-losses-clean-energy-manufacturing-investments-and-jobs-new-report

Farmers and ranchers bear the cost of climate inaction

Record droughts, floods, wildfires, and extreme weather events devastate agricultural communities. USDA climate assistance programs are being cut while the conditions making farming harder get worse. Denying climate change doesn’t make the drought go away — it just means no one’s helping you prepare.

HOW TO SAY IT

“You don’t have to agree on why the weather is changing to agree that it IS changing. And farmers are the ones feeling it first — in failed crops, drought, and rising insurance costs.”

Source: https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-02-09/usda-climate-hubs-midwest

Voting & Democracy

If discussions about any of these issues arise:

Voter ID Laws
Election Oversight
Gerrymandering
The SAVE Act
Voter Registration

Start Here

Voting & Democracy

Your vote is only powerful if you can cast it

Voting restrictions, gerrymandering, and attacks on election infrastructure aren’t about fraud — they’re about power. Here’s what’s actually happening.

TAP A POINT TO EXPAND

Proof of citizenship laws in the SAVE Act

Strict photo ID requirements could make voting harder for millions of eligible Americans, including married women, rural voters, and people of color.

Most driver’s licenses do not show citizenship, and only five states issue enhanced IDs that do.
Military IDs would need additional service records that currently do not include birthplace information.
Only about half of Americans have passport which would count, and obtaining one takes weeks and costs at least $165.
Birth certificates could work, but they must be certified copies. 80% of American women have changed their last name after marriage and could face additional documentation requirements including a marriage license.

HOW TO SAY IT

“A passport costs $165, takes weeks to get, and only half of Americans have one. A birth certificate has to be a certified copy. And if you’re a married woman, you’ll likely need your marriage license too. So, who actually will get to vote?”

Source: https://www.npr.org/2026/02/19/nx-s1-5719252/trump-voting-save-america-act-explainer

Threats to independent election oversight

Since 2025, the Trump administration has tried to increase federal involvement in election oversight by:

issuing an executive order affecting voter registration rules,
demanding state voter data,
filing lawsuits over voter rolls, and
launching investigations related to election records.

Many of the most controversial efforts have been challenged or blocked in court, and states still retain primary authority over how elections are run.

HOW TO SAY IT

“The same administration that says government is too big and too powerful is trying to take control of how you vote. That’s not small government. That’s the biggest power grab of all.”

Source: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/lbj-trump-and-freedom-vote

Gerrymandering means your vote barely counts in your own district

Trump personally ordered Republican-led states to redraw their congressional districts mid-decade — something almost never done outside of census years. Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina have already redrawn their maps at his direction, with more states expected to follow. The goal is explicit: protect the Republican House majority before the 2026 midterms so Congress can’t check his power. By attempting to manipulate election maps, Trump is trying to circumvent the will of voters by eliminating the accountability that elections bring.

HOW TO SAY IT

“In a fair system, voters choose their politicians. Trump is literally redrawing the map so politicians choose their voters — and it’s happening right now, before the 2026 elections.”

Source: https://www.npr.org/2025/12/23/nx-s1-5634001/2025-saw-trump-set-off-a-race-to-redraw-voting-maps

What you can do before November

Voter registration rolls are periodically purged. Polling locations move. Rules change. Don’t assume you’re still registered — check. Volunteer as a poll worker. Help neighbors get to the polls. These actions have more impact than most people realize.

HOW TO SAY IT

“The single most powerful thing any citizen can do right now is make sure everyone they know is registered and has a plan to vote. That’s it. That’s the whole playbook.”

Source: https://vote.gov

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Cornhuskers Countdown: Nebraska and the 2026 Midterms

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