Pennsylvania Gov.Josh Shapiro decried corruption during his primary night address to supporters in Bucks County last month.
And then he did it again.And again.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.By the end of his speech, the Democrat accused President Donald Trump, his administration and his congressional supporters of participating in or enabling corruption no fewer than a dozen times.Pennsylvania Gov.
Josh Shapiro.Emilee Chinn / Getty Images fileThe following day, Rep.Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.
— who represents the battleground House district where Shapiro spoke — told reporters he was working on legislation to block the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund the Justice Department recently announced, which opponents pilloried as a corrupt, taxpayer-funded slush fund for Trump’s allies.“We gotta unpack exactly what it is, what the source of the funding is in order to stop it and/or reverse it,” Fitzpatrick said in an interview.“I don’t support it.
… You can’t do that.” The episode was a striking example of how corruption is increasingly at the center of the 2026 election, with Democrats making it a core tenet of their midterm messaging.Much like Trump — who has aimed his “drain the swamp” mantra at congressional Democrats who reported stock trades or Hunter Biden for his business dealings — Democrats are seeking to take advantage of spiking levels of voter distrust in government and dissatisfaction with the economy by spotlighting examples or allegations of the president, his allies or congressional Republicans enriching themselves or providing friendly industries with special treatment.“We’re doing it in every corner of the country,” said a national Democratic strategist, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“And the idea is it’s an affordability cycle, and so everybody cares about affordability, No.1, when you pair the message with the reason that your...