How Trump's Return Will Impact Rhode Island - What Officials Say

How Trump's Return Will Impact Rhode Island - What Officials Say

Former President Donald Trump is returning to the White House in January.

What does it mean for Rhode Island?

GoLocal reached out to elected officials on that very question — and what does it mean for Republicans and Democrats in the state.

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Here’s what they said. 

 

Democrats' Reset 

“Our Administration is committed to continuing to bring Rhode Islanders together to improve the lives of every resident by growing our clean energy economy, strengthening public education, upgrading our infrastructure, tackling the housing crisis, safeguarding the rights we cherish, and so much more,” said Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee. “Together, we will protect this progress.”

The state’s chief elections officer - Secretary of State Greg Amore - addressed the realities that the state now faces, including federal funding under GOP leadership.

“Republican leadership at the national level will impact the funding Rhode Island gets for our priorities - from rebuilding the Washington Bridge to building more affordable housing to investing in education and workforce development,” he said. "Regardless of the outcome of the election, though, State leaders will still collaborate with our federal partners to deliver everything we can for Rhode Islanders.”

On social issues, Lt. Governor Sabina Matos said it is incumbent upon Democrats to find a way to protect the party’s agenda. 

“With a second Trump administration incoming, we need to work harder than ever at the State House to ensure that our values are enshrined in state law, just as we did when Rhode Island passed the Reproductive Privacy Act during the first Trump administration,” said Matos. “That means proactively affirming the rights of marginalized people, especially women and LGBTQ+ families, into our state laws. We also need to be prepared for federal policies which could negatively affect Rhode Island’s growing wind economy and which could make healthcare less accessible.”

Former Central Falls Mayor and Rhode Island General Treasurer James Diossa on Wednesday that following this year's outcome, Democrats need to expand their reach. 

“The Democratic party has always been a big tent filled with diverse people and ideas. In the coming years, it’s clear that we need to expand that tent,” said Diossa. “To do so, I believe there must be a consolidated effort to listen to the American people – their needs and their priorities – that is met with a corresponding shift in platform. And by embracing these ideas, we will expand our party’s ideological and electoral footprint.”

 

GOP Leaders on Record 

In Rhode Island, the Republican Party came up short in federal races, losing to Democratic incumbents—Patricia Morgan lost to United States Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Allen Waters lost to U.S. Representative Gabe Amo, and Steven Corvi was defeated by U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner. 

Despite the losses, Rhode Island House of Representatives Minority Leader Michael Chippendale was bullish on Trump’s victory - and the GOP’s gains in Congress. 

“This is a chance for the Rhode Island Democratic Party to do a deep self-assessment of where they are right now as a party. [Tuesday] night was a referendum on the policies and priorities of the overall Democratic party. The nation said; no longer will you censor us, no longer will you gaslight us, no longer will you focus on social policies that don’t reflect true American values, no longer will you wantonly seek out wars, no longer will you place our daughters in harm’s way, no longer will you continue to tell us that we are ‘literally Hitler,’” said Chippendale. 

“The Democratic Party of Rhode Island has an opportunity to take inventory and see that the once robust party of JFK (or even Clinton) has been subverted by the most radical wing of their party. They have allowed themselves to be infiltrated by people who openly ally with Socialism and radical policies that are offensive to core American values,” he added. “They have, in the misguided effort to be ‘everything for everyone,’ allowed fiscal and social irresponsibility to erode the very fabric of this nation and state. In short, they have a great opportunity to correct the self-destructive course we are on. Time will tell if they have the ability to understand their current situation.”

As GoLocal first reported on Tuesday, Trump made significant gains in Rhode Island over 2016 and 2020. 

And Kenneth Naylor, the President of the Rhode Island Young Republicans, took notice. 

“Republicans made inroads across Rhode Island. In 2016, Donald Trump received 13.8% in Providence and 15.5% in Central Falls. In 2020, Donald Trump received 17.8% in Providence and 26.1% in Central Falls. In 2024, Trump received 23.1% in Providence and 34.5% in Central Falls, highlighting Republican advances and progress in Democratic strongholds in Rhode Island. I believe we can look to build off this momentum going into 2026.” said Naylor. “If we can get a real candidate with credibility I believe we can also see RI02 back in play as a top national competitive race."

Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz said the GOP will continue to make an Inspector General office a priority. 

"The GOP in Rhode Island must build on the momentum of Trump performing better in our state than in 2016 and 2020 by concentrating on the needs of everyday working-class people who issued a clear mandate on the economy, inflation, and immigration,” said de la Cruz. “It's time for Rhode Island's government to be effective and accountable to its citizens, starting with the establishment of an Office of Inspector General to put an end to the "I know a guy" insider deals that have been the hallmark of this and prior administrations."

 

Looking Ahead 

While the state Republican party as a whole is optimistic about the 2024 results, former GOP gubernatorial candidate and founder of the Rhode Island Moderate Party Ken Block issued a stark warning for the state.

“The GOP is still pinned at 40% statewide support, leaving out President Trump's 42% performance. It is hard to envision that future MAGA messaging yields results substantially different from what we just saw,” said Block. “Unless the GOP figures out a winning message here, they will remain right where they are.”

And while Block echoed Amore’s concerns about Washington Bridge resources under a new administration, he pointed out that the state would find itself in a federal funding shortfall, regardless of who won on Tuesday. 

“The state may not see a lot more federal money to deal with the Washington Bridge fiasco - especially if the RIDOT shares a lot of the blame for the bridge failure. If federal agencies see deep cuts, that might impact jobs in Rhode Island,” said Block. “[The state’s] spending spree with federal Covid dollars has left us with large budget deficits which new federal dollars are now unlikely to fill."

On Wednesday, Speaker of the House Joseph Shekarchi said that the state is anticipating significant budgetary battles ahead. 

“Despite the successful night with every Democratic incumbent in the General Assembly prevailing, the impact of the results at the national level will be felt strongly in Rhode Island. Our federal delegation has brought home tremendous resources that may now be jeopardized by the change in the White House and in Congress,” said Shekarchi. “We were already anticipating a challenging budget year, and the power shift in Washington reinforces the need for tough decisions to be made moving forward.”