Joe Flacco? Dillon Gabriel? Shedeur Sanders? Handicapping the Browns' QB competition

Joe Flacco? Dillon Gabriel? Shedeur Sanders? Handicapping the Browns' QB competition

The Cleveland Browns are expected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL. They have arguably the worst quarterback situation in the NFL. Yet, we'll all be watching their quarterback competition. The Browns are one of the few NFL teams that will go into training camp without a set QB1, and they have four players vying for the job. Of course, one of those contenders is one of the most-watched rookies in the NFL, Shedeur Sanders. He's probably the highest profile fifth-round rookie we've ever seen after his draft slide. Here's a look at who has the best chance to be the Browns' Week 1 starter as their four-way race takes shape in training camp and preseason: The Browns brought back Flacco, who was the 2023 NFL Comeback Player of the Year when he helped Cleveland to the playoffs, but his deal is worth just $4.25 million with more possible in incentives. That's not starting quarterback money, and the Browns wouldn't feel obligated to start a 40-year-old quarterback in Week 1. However. Flacco is the one QB on the roster with a positive NFL track record, and there are probably still good feelings about how well he played in Cleveland two seasons ago. Flacco wasn't good with the Indianapolis Colts last season and over the past 10 seasons Flacco has rarely played at an above-average level, other than that short stretch with the Browns two seasons ago. It doesn't seem wise for a team with such little expectations to start a 40-year-old quarterback, but the Browns might want to see if Flacco can recapture his 2023 magic to start the season before making a change. Chance of starting:50 percent The Browns' early schedule is brutal. Their first six opponents are the Bengals, Ravens, Packers, Lions, Vikings and Steelers. It doesn't seem like the type of gauntlet the Browns want to expose a rookie starter to. Pickett was an interesting acquisition for the Browns. He cost very little (a fifth-round pick and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson) and was a first-round pick just three seasons ago. Pickett didn't work out with the Pittsburgh Steelers but he did have a few flashes of solid play as a rookie. A recent theme in the NFL has been quarterbacks who were given up on too soon having a career revival with another team (Geno Smith, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield) and Pickett is just 27 years old. Pickett also wastaking the first-team repsduring the most recent OTAs. It would make far more sense for a rebuilding team to start Pickett over a 40-year-old Flacco, but Pickett would have to earn that. Chance of starting:40 percent The notion that draft position doesn't matter is not exactly true. Yes, if Shedeur Sanders definitively outplays Gabriel in August then the Browns coaching staff could go into the season with Sanders over Gabriel on the depth chart. But here's why draft position matters, at least this early in the careers of Gabriel and Sanders: The Browns clearly liked Gabriel better. They drafted the productive yet undersized Oregon quarterback two rounds and 50 picks before Sanders. That's a big difference. A third-round pick, 94th overall, shows how much the Browns valued Gabriel in the draft. While Gabriel has been entirely overlooked due to the attention paid to his famous rookie teammate, Cleveland clearly thought he was the better quarterback on draft weekend. Still, do they want to start a third-round rookie on opening day and against their first six opponents who could all be playoff teams? Probably not. The real question isn't which rookie will start Week 1, because it seems unlikely either beats out Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, but which rookie gets the first shot when the Browns inevitably make a midseason change and want to try out one of their rookies. Gabriel will get a fraction of the attention that Sanders will get, but Sanders has to beat Gabriel in practices and preseason games to get ahead of him on the depth chart. Chance of starting:9 percent How many times in NFL history has a quarterback come into training camp as the fourth-string option and won a starting job by Week 1? That's virtually unheard of. And it's practically inconceivable thata fifth-round rookiewho starts camp as the QB4 ends up starting on opening day. In Sanders' case it can't be totally ruled out because he isn't a normal fifth-round rookie quarterback;reports on him from Browns OTAs have been positiveand the competition isn't that strong. But if Sanders ends up taking the first snaps of the season, it would be one of the wildest training camp/preseason stories we've seen in a long time. Even if Sanders is fantastic in August, the same concerns about throwing a rookie to the wolves in that early-season gauntlet still apply. The Browns presumably don't want to set up either rookie to fail early in the season. Sanders could end up starting at some point late in his rookie season, because the Browns seem like a team that could end up starting four different quarterbacks in a rough season. But make no mistake, Sanders has a long way to go before he gets on the field for the Browns. Chance of starting:1 percent

byMario Satorik

in

June 09, 2025

Joe Flacco? Dillon Gabriel? Shedeur Sanders? Handicapping the Browns' QB competition

Joe Flacco? Dillon Gabriel? Shedeur Sanders? Handicapping the Browns' QB competition The Cleveland Browns are expected to be one of the ...

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The Pacers won't win the NBA Finals without Tyrese Haliburton on his game

The Pacers won't win the NBA Finals without Tyrese Haliburton on his game

WhenTyrese Haliburtonhit what would be the game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds left inGame 1 of the NBA Finals, the flashpoint moment obscured what was otherwise a relatively quiet performance for the Indiana Pacers star, as he finished the opener with 14 points and six assists. In Game 2, which thePacers lost 123-107after trailing by double digits for most of the night, there were no late heroics by Haliburton to save what was another so-so effort. While Haliburton's winner will forever be etched in Finals lore, it also can't be used to hand-wave what's been a significant issue for Indiana, which has trailed for the vast majority of the first 96 minutes of the championship round: Haliburton needs to play much better if the Pacers are going to win the series. In his first two games against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Haliburton is averaging 15.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists. Alarmingly, he's also averaging 4.0 turnovers (compared with 1.6 during the season), and he hasn't attempted a single free throw. On Sunday, he scored only 5 points through the first three quarters on 2-of-7 shooting. Haliburton's scoring and assists are both down compared with the regular season, and especially compared with the rest of the playoffs. And after turning the ball over only 10 times in six games of the Eastern Conference Finals, he's nearly matched that total with eight so far against the Thunder. "Defensively, they have a lot of different guys who can guard the ball, fly around," Haliburton said after Game 2. "They are really physical. I think I've had two really poor first halves. I just have to figure out how to be better earlier in games. But kudos to them. They are a great defensive team, but watch the film and see where I can get better." One issue for Haliburton has been his inability to create for himself and his teammates via driving into the paint. In the regular season, Haliburton averaged nearly 11 drives a night, forays into the teeth of the defense that would often lead to good offense for Indiana. In the conference finals, Haliburton averaged closer to 13 drives per game and shot 57.9% from the field when attempting a field goal on such plays, while also never turning the ball over. Against a long-armed and athletic Thunder defense with fewer weak points to attack, Haliburton is under nine drives a game, with a total of no assists and six turnovers. "They were the best in the league during the year at keeping people out of [the paint]," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Sunday. "They are great at it. We have to find ways to get in the ball in there, and you know, it's just there are so many things that have to go right on a set of two possessions to get the ball into the heart of their defense." While Haliburton is not the kind of takeover scorer say,Shai Gilgeous-Alexanderis for the Thunder, he is unique in the way he is able to create offense for his teammates. But unlike in previous rounds of the playoffs, Haliburton hasn't been able to find mismatches to attack in order to scramble Oklahoma City's defense. In the conference finals, Haliburton averaged 17.3 potential assists a game and created 27.0 points a night on assists. Against the Thunder, he's dropped to 14.0 potential assists while creating only 31 points total through two games. "I feel like in the first half we were just moving the ball on the outside and I don't think we had a single point in the paint in the first quarter, if I'm not mistaken," Haliburton said about Game 2. "Our offense is built from the inside out, and we have to do a better job getting downhill." He added: "We know that the paint is our emphasis and the paint is our friend. The more that we're able to attack the paint, usually better things happen for us."

byMario Satorik

in

June 09, 2025

The Pacers won't win the NBA Finals without Tyrese Haliburton on his game

The Pacers won't win the NBA Finals without Tyrese Haliburton on his game WhenTyrese Haliburtonhit what would be the game-winning shot w...

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'We're suing him': Gov. Newsom challenges Trump on National Guard deployment. Live updates

'We're suing him': Gov. Newsom challenges Trump on National Guard deployment. Live updates

LOS ANGELES − Police on Monday were urging businesses and residents to report any "vandalism, damage or looting" for documentation after protests against Trump administration policiesdeteriorated into destructive clashesbetween officers and protesters. Authorities declared several of the demonstrations Sunday "unlawful assemblies," sweeping in with flash-bangs and tear gas grenades to disperse hundreds of protesters. Somevehicles were set ablaze, protesters blocked the 101 Freeway, and a group of them converged on an overpass and threw objects down at police, video footage showed. Police in riot gear were joined by hundreds of California National Guard troops ordered into action by President Donald Trump. Gov. Gavin Newsom asked Trump to withdraw the Guard and said the state would file suit against the administration. In an overnightsocial media post, Newsom urged Trump to "stop fanning the flames" after a third day of protests. "Let's get this straight: 1) Local law enforcement didn't need help. 2) Trump sent troops anyway — to manufacture chaos and violence. 3) Trump succeeded," Newsom wrote. "4) Now things are destabilized and we need to send in more law enforcement just to clean up Trump's mess." Trump, in asocial media postSunday night, said Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass should "apologize to the people of Los Angeles for the absolutely horrible job that they have done, and this now includes the ongoing L.A. riots. These are not protesters, they are troublemakers and insurrectionists." More:National Guard deployed in Los Angeles during protest clashes A California sheriff running for governor isn't pleased with former Vice PresidentKamala Harris' reaction to the explosive protests. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said in aJune 8 post on Xthat Trump is "not out there lighting cars on fire, hurling projectiles at law enforcement or blocking freeways," The sheriff, whose county is just north of San Diego and the fourth-most populous county in the state, was responding to Harris' earlier statement where she said the deployment of the National Guard was "meant to provoke chaos." Harris, who is mulling a bid for California governor next year, put much of theblame on the Trump administration's ICE raidsand a "cruel, calculated agenda to spread panic and division." Bianco, who is also running for governor in 2026, is a long-standing Trump supporter who gained a bit of attention in 2021 forvowing not to enforce COVID-19 vaccine mandatesin his office. He said Sunday the former VP's comments were "an embarrassment." "The Democrats and their 'leaders' own this," Bianco added. — Phillip M. Bailey Florida state Sen. Ileana Garcia, who co-founded the group Latinas for Trump, criticized his administration's recent immigration enforcement actions as "unacceptable and inhumane"in a post on X.Her remarks come as federal agents have arrested immigrants in courthouses across the U.S., including Florida, stripping them of due process protections, asNBC News reported. "I understand the importance of deporting criminal aliens, but what we are witnessing are arbitrary measures to hunt down people who are complying with their immigration hearings − in many cases, with credible fear of persecution claims − all driven by a Miller-like desire to satisfy a self-fabricated deportation goal,"  shewrote in her post,referring to White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller. She said she stands with Florida Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar, whowrote in a statement June 6that "anyone with a pending asylum case, status-adjustment petition, or similar claim deserves to go through the legal process." — Sudiksha Kochi Trump border czarTom Homanon Monday denied ever calling for the arrest of Newsom. Homan toldFox Newsthat he was asked if Newsom or Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass could be arrested and Homan responded that, if they commit a crime, they could be arrested. "There was no discussion about arresting Newsom," Homan said. Newsom had addressed the issueon social media, saying that "Trump's border czar is threatening to arrest me for speaking out. Come and get me, tough guy. I don't give a damn. It won't stop me from standing up for California." LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell called the outbreak of violence "disgusting" and said it had grown worse Saturday. He said he does not believe the same people who were genuinely protesting immigration policy were involved in the violence. Newsom warned that violent protesters would be arrested and prosecuted. He also kept up his social media attack on Trump, saying California "didn't have a problem until Trump got involved" and that unrest is "exactly" what Trump wanted. "He flamed the fires and illegally acted to federalize the National Guard," Newsom wrote in a post Monday. "The order he signed doesn't just apply to CA. It will allow him to go into ANY STATE and do the same thing. We're suing him." At 8 p.m. local time on Sunday, authorities declared the protest to be an unlawful assembly and moved in aggressively with flash-bangs and tear gas grenades. That sent hundreds of people running, their eyes streaming with tears. Helicopters clattered overhead as protesters fled the area to the honking of car horns and periodic cheers. According to preliminary information, police said at least 10 people have been arrested and three officers were injured during protests on Sunday. California Highway Patrol arrested 17 people on the 101 Freeway, police said. On Saturday, police arrested 29 people. The protests began Friday after Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps in the area resulted in more than 40 arrests. Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, defended the raids and said those arrested by ICE included a Vietnamese man convicted of second-degree murder, an Ecuadoran man convicted of possession of five kilograms of cocaine, and a Filipino man convicted of sexual offenses. "These rioters in Los Angeles are fighting to keep rapists, murderers and other violent criminals loose on Los Angeles streets," McLaughlin said in a statement. "Instead of rioting, they should be thanking ICE officers every single day who wake up and make our communities safer." Protests against immigration enforcement policies were not limited to the Los Angeles area. In San Francisco, a demonstration that drew hundreds ended with violence and about 60 arrests, police said. "Individuals in the group became violent and began to commit crimes ranging from assault to felony vandalism and causing property damage," San Francisco police said in astatement. An unlawful assembly was declared and many left the scene while others vandalized buildings and police cars. Two officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries. "Individuals are always free to exercise their First Amendment rights in San Francisco but violence especially against SFPD officers - will never be tolerated," the statement said. Videos show Waymo cars on fireamid LA protests; service reportedly suspended Photos and videos showseveral Waymo self-driving cars being torchedduring the protests. TheLAPD saidone street had been closed indefinitely after "multiple autonomous vehicles" had been set on fire. Footage shared on social media captured several of Waymo driverless taxis engulfed in flames in the June 8 protests. Others were vandalized with messages against Trump and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, videos show. Waymo suspended service in downtown Los Angeles and "will not be serving any rides in the protest area until it is deemed safe," a company spokesperson toldNBC News. −Melina Khan This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:California challenges Trump on National Guard deployment: Live updates

byMario Satorik

in

June 09, 2025

'We're suing him': Gov. Newsom challenges Trump on National Guard deployment. Live updates

'We're suing him': Gov. Newsom challenges Trump on National Guard deployment. Live updates LOS ANGELES − Police on Monday were u...

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Musk's father says Trump dispute triggered by intense stress, has to end

Musk's father says Trump dispute triggered by intense stress, has to end

By Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW (Reuters) -The dispute between Donald Trump and Elon Musk was triggered by months of intense stress on both sides, and the public battle between the U.S. president and the billionaire donor needs to stop, Musk's father told Reuters on Monday. Trump and Musk began exchanging insults last week on social media, with theTeslaand SpaceX CEO describing the president's sweeping tax and spending bill as a "disgusting abomination". Asked whether he thought his son had made a mistake by engaging in a public clash with the president, Errol Musk said people were sometimes unable to think as clearly as they should "in the heat of the moment." "They've had five months of intense stress," Musk told Reuters at a conference in Moscow organised by conservative Russian tycoons. "With all the opposition cleared and two people left in the arena, all they have ever done is get rid of everything and now they are trying to get rid of each other - well that has to stop." Asked how it would end, he said: "Oh, it will end on a good note - very soon." Neither the White House nor Musk could be reached for comment outside normal U.S. business hours. Trump said on Saturday his relationship with Musk was over and that there would be "serious consequences" if the world's richest man decided to fund U.S. Democrats running against Republicans who vote for the tax and spending bill. Musk bankrolled a large part of Trump's 2024 presidential campaign. Trump named Musk to head an effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending. Musk's father told reporters he was standing by his son. "Elon is sticking to his principles but you cannot always stick to your principles in the real world," Musk's father said. "Sometimes you have to give and take." Speaking beside sanctioned Russian businessman Konstantin Malofeyev, Musk's father praised President Vladimir Putin as a "very stable and pleasant man." He accused "fake media" in the West of projecting "complete nonsense" about Russia and for casting it as an enemy. (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Aidan Lewis and Timothy Heritage)

byMario Satorik

in

June 09, 2025

Musk's father says Trump dispute triggered by intense stress, has to end

Musk's father says Trump dispute triggered by intense stress, has to end By Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW (Reuters) -The dispute between Don...

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LIV golfers at 2025 US Open: Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and more join field

LIV golfers at 2025 US Open: Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and more join field

The PGA Tourand Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) have long been attempting to negotiate a deal to reunify men's professional golf. Thus far,those efforts have fallen short. Because of this, the world's top players remain separated across two circuits – the PGA Tour and LIV Golf – and rarely compete against one another. However, there is notable crossover between the two leagues at most of golf's major events. That will includethe 2025 U.S. Open, where several LIV Golf players have qualified to be a part of the 156-golfer field. LIV Golf is notably sending seven major-winning golfers to compete for the U.S. Open Championship Trophy at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. That includes two-time U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and six-time major champion Phil Mickelson. Here's a look at the full list of LIV Golfers competing at the 2025 U.S. Open: A total of 14 LIV Golf players are set to compete at the 2025 U.S. Open: Jose Luis "Josele" Ballester Richard Bland Bryson DeChambeau Tyrrell Hatton Dustin Johnson Brooks Koepka Jinichiro Kozuma Marc Leishman Phil Mickelson Joaquin Niemann Carlos Ortiz Jon Rahm Patrick Reed Cameron Smith Of the group, three – Kozuma, Leishman and Ortiz – won qualifying tournaments to earn the right to play in the major tournament. Six – DeChambeau, Johnson, Koepka, Mickelson, Rahm and Smith – qualified because they had won a U.S. Open within the last 10 years or another major event within the last five. The remaining five had more unique paths to a spot in the field. Hatton and Reed are both in the top 60 of the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) which got them into the field. Meanwhile, Bland won the 2025 U.S. Senior Open to qualify while Ballester – who recently joined LIV Golf and made his debut atthe circuit's Virginia event– did the same by winning 2024 U.S. Amateur. Finally, Niemann earned a new exemption awarded by the USGA – the governing body of the U.S. Open – "to the top player who is not otherwise exempt and in the top 3 of the 2025 LIV Golf Individual Standings as of May 19, 2025." Niemann earned that honor having won three of seven LIV Golf events in which he participated ahead of the May 19 deadline. The biggest stories, every morning. Stay up-to-date on all the key sports developments bysubscribing to USA TODAY Sports' newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:LIV golfers at 2025 US Open: Bryson DeChambeau highlights 14 in field

byMario Satorik

in

June 09, 2025

LIV golfers at 2025 US Open: Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and more join field

LIV golfers at 2025 US Open: Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and more join field The PGA Tourand Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund ...

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Pacers fail to sweep Games 1 and 2 in a series for the first time in these playoffs

Pacers fail to sweep Games 1 and 2 in a series for the first time in these playoffs

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — For the Indiana Pacers, a chance at being perfect in Games 1 and 2 of these playoffs went awry. They'll have to settle for a mere split of the opening two games in the NBA Finals instead. The Pacers' bid to become the fifth team in NBA history to go 8-0 to open the four playoff rounds — sweeping Games 1 and 2 in all four series — was stopped on Sunday night by the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder took control early andwon Game 2 123-107, tying the championship matchup at a game apiece. "Any time you're the lower seed in a playoff series, you know your job is to go split or go try to get one on the road," Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton said. "We got Game 1, you know, but it felt like we really let the rope slip there in the second quarter." That they did: A 19-2 run in that second quarter put the Thunder in control — and the final margin was 16. The Pacers were trying to join the 1986 Boston Celtics, 1987 Los Angeles Lakers, 1996 Chicago Bulls and 2017 Golden State Warriors as teams that won Games 1 and 2 in all four rounds of a single postseason. All four went on to win the NBA title. Those teams all did it with home-court advantage in every one of those series. The Pacers haven't had home court since Round 1 — taking the first two of that series against Milwaukee, then winning the first two of Round 2 at Cleveland, the first two of the Eastern Conference final at New York, and Game 1 of the finals in Oklahoma City. So, in the end, the Pacers have to settle for going 7-1, tying for the fifth-best record in Games 1 and 2 in a single postseason. They also became the third team to win five of those games on the road in a playoff run. "I think you want to win every game you play," Pacers forward Pascal Siakam said. "So, we are not happy with how the game went today, and that's it." Houston went 5-3 in Games 1 and 2 on the road on its way to the title in 1995 and Miami went 5-3 in road games over the first two games of series in 2023 on its way to the NBA Finals. (The Heat were 6-2 in "road" games in Games 1 and 2 of their series in the 2020 bubble playoffs as well, but those games were all in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.) "I'm not interested in talking about the past," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "Each day, as you are on a playoff run, is like a new day. I find that looking back is a dangerous thing. We've got to keep our eye firmly where it needs to be." If the Pacers had won Sunday, they likely would have been overwhelming favorites heading home with a 2-0 lead. Only two teams — the 1993 Chicago Bulls and 1995 Houston Rockets — won the first two games of a finals on the road, and both went on to win the NBA title in those seasons. And teams that open the finals with a 2-0 lead go on to win the series 86.5% of the time (32 times in 37 chances). "Keep our heads. We know where we're at," Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith said. "We know what we've got to do better and just execute our game plan better." ___ AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

byMario Satorik

in

June 09, 2025

Pacers fail to sweep Games 1 and 2 in a series for the first time in these playoffs

Pacers fail to sweep Games 1 and 2 in a series for the first time in these playoffs OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — For the Indiana Pacers, a chance at...

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Republican lawmaker’s raucous town hall reflects challenges in promoting Trump's bill

Republican lawmaker's raucous town hall reflects challenges in promoting Trump's bill

By Helen Coster MAHOPAC, New York (Reuters) -Democratic voter Joe Mayhew, a union representative living in a New York swing district, was one of several people at a rowdy town hall with Republican Representative Mike Lawler on Sunday keen to point out potential pitfalls with President Donald Trump's budget. He fears proposed changes to Medicaid requirements could have a devastating effect on people unable to work through no fault of their own. "If your cuts to Medicaid pass, a person working in a low-paying job as an individual contractor who falls ill or has work interrupted because it's seasonal, or because it was a job shutdown - something not of any fault of their own - could not make your 80-hour requirement on a particular month," Mayhew, 63, told Lawler at the town hall in Mahopac, New York. Lawler defended the bill's Medicaid provision, which requires recipients age 19-64 who have no dependents to work, volunteer or be in school at least 80 hours a month starting in 2027. "The objective is to help people get into the workforce ultimately," he said. The exchange at the Sunday night event, where boos were more common than cheers, reflects the kinds of issues that are vexing some Republicans as they seek to promote and defend Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill. The two-hour-long town hall, attended by roughly 500 people, was also an indication of how voters in a swing district that narrowly voted for Lawler feel about the bill and Trump's agenda more broadly. Topics ranged from the justification of Trump's June 14 military parade to attacks on higher education, to whether ICE agents should wear masks during raids and how to fund social security in the future. A moderate Republican representing New York's 17th District, Lawler won re-election in November, defeating former Democratic Representative Mondaire Jones with over 52% of votes. He has expressed interest in running for governor. Lawler's district was the scene of one of the 2022 general election's biggest upsets when he beat Democratic Representative Sean Patrick Maloney – who was head of the Democrats' House campaign arm. Lawler has scheduled four public town hall meetings with voters this year, despite guidance from U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who urged fellow Republican lawmakers to avoid them after some events turned into angry confrontations over Trump's moves to fire federal workers and defund government programs. Lawler's two previous town halls were even more raucous events where several attendees were removed by law enforcement. FIELDING JEERS Trump's 1,100-page bill passed in May in a 215-214 vote, and will add about $3.8 trillion to the federal government's $36.2 trillion in debt over the next decade, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. It would extend corporate and individual tax cuts passed in 2017 during Trump's first term in office, cancel many green-energy incentives passed by Democratic former President Joe Biden and tighten eligibility for health and food programs for the poor. Tesla and SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk denounced Trump's bill as a "disgusting abomination" last week, prior to the two men exchanging public insults. Other Republican representatives have also had to field jeers at town halls. During a May 28 town hall in Decorah, Iowa, Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson was booed after she told attendees: "I was also proud to vote for President Trump's 'one big beautiful bill' last week." The previous day, Republican Representative Mike Flood of Nebraska told attendees at his town hall that when he voted for the bill, he was unaware it would limit judges' power to hold people in contempt for violating court orders. The response was met with boos from the crowd, with one attendee calling his behavior "ridiculous." Flood said he would work to ensure the provision isn't in the final version of the bill. That said, such town halls have been few and far between. Lawler said he felt it was important to have this type of forum. "Almost all of my colleagues are not doing it, and I've been asked why I would do it. But this is your right to come and engage in this dialog. So that's why we're here." He also noted his work on pushing for increases in the so-called SALT deduction for state and local tax payments. He and other Republicans from Democratic-led, high-tax states had previously threatened to oppose Trump's legislation unless there were increases. Trump's current bill would allow taxpayers to deduct up to $40,000 for state and local tax (SALT) payments, up from $10,000 now, with benefits phasing out for households that make more than $500,000. A previous version of the bill had a cap of $30,000. Lawmakers next need to pass the bill in the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority and are planning to use a legislative maneuver to bypass the chamber's 60-vote filibuster threshold for most legislation. (Reporting by Helen Coster in Mahopac, New York; Editing by Mary Milliken and Edwina Gibbs)

byMario Satorik

in

June 09, 2025

Republican lawmaker’s raucous town hall reflects challenges in promoting Trump's bill

Republican lawmaker's raucous town hall reflects challenges in promoting Trump's bill By Helen Coster MAHOPAC, New York (Reuters) -D...

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