“President Trump might not realize it, but he just handed Democrats a big weapon to wield against the two Republican senators running in the Georgia runoffs. By abruptly calling for $2,000 stimulus checks on Tuesday night, Trump inadvertently exposed core truths about the consequences of continued GOP control of the Senate – ones that Republicans are working to conceal – and about the post-Trump Republican Party in general. In the video that Trump tweeted, he threatened to wreck the carefully negotiated settlement that led Congress to pass a $900 billion economic rescue package. He insisted that its $600 stimulus checks are insufficient and called on lawmakers to increase the payment to $2,000. Trump’s threat not to sign the deal makes a government shutdown more likely, and it puts congressional Republicans who supported it in a terrible spot. As one GOP observer noted, Trump ‘just pulled down the pants of every Republican who voted for it.'”

“But this also gives Democrats a strong argument against Georgia’s GOP senators, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. It demonstrates, once again, that the only real obstacle to more generous economic assistance is the Republican Party. That’s why Jon Ossoff, Perdue’s Democratic challenger, jumped on Trump’s missive. Ossoff told CNN that Congress absolutely must ‘send $2,000 checks to the American people right now, because people are hurting.’ Ossoff added that Republicans such as Perdue are only now backing $600 stimulus checks, after they ‘obstructed direct relief for the last eight months.’ Top Democrats also declared that it’s time to deliver $2,000, including Nancy Pelosi, who set a House vote on the idea” – Washington Post: