And they believe that candidates with military service help the party counter Republican claims that Democrats are weak on national security. Mr. Trump has vigorously claimed that members of the military are among his strongest supporters, and they stood with him on Election Day: 60 percent of veterans voted for Mr. Trump, according to CNN’s exit polls. Earlier this year, Mr. Trump proposed increasing military spending by $54 billion, and last month, he signed legislation intended to improve accountability within the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs. But the Democrats’ game plan to win back the House starts with targeting 23 Republican-held districts that Hillary Clinton won last fall. Most of the veterans serving in Congress are Republicans; of the 13 veterans in this year’s House freshman class, 10 are Republicans.

Source: New York Times July 05, 2017 20:25 UTC