Trump Visit Comes After Cramer’s Disastrous Month and as His Trade War Threatens North Dakota Farmers and the Economy

 

(BISMARCK, ND) — Kevin Cramer was desperate for a lifeline – after all, he’s had a disastrous month of headlines and missteps and his trade war is threatening the livelihood of North Dakota’s farmers and ranchers. That’s not to mention the open FEC complaint that was filed against Cramer yesterday for once again misusing campaign dollars to enrich himself and his family. Read more from the Forum and the Wall Street Journal below:

Forum: McFeely: Cramer hopes to get a needed jolt from Trump

  • From defending a peeping Tom as “a very good man” to saying that all chain-link fences are created equal, whether they are holding children like caged dogs or simply enclosing a playground, it’s been a rough past few weeks for Kevin Cramer.

  • When you defend putting children as young as 3 into cages after they’ve purposely been separated from their parents by the U.S. government because “chain-link fences are around playgrounds all over America, all over North Dakota,” it tends to make headlines.

  • When you pick a fight with the president’s legislative affairs director, suggest Trump gives Heitkamp preferential treatment “because she’s a, you know, a female,” insult the Koch Bros.-fueled Americans For Prosperity because the conservative advocacy group gave money to Heitkamp and generally whine that the president isn’t giving you enough love — as Cramer has done just in the past month — the political world is going to pay attention.

  • His has not exactly been an inspiring campaign thus far.

  • But in deeply conservative North Dakota, the fact that Heitkamp is hanging around is a story in itself. She is personally popular, liked by voters in both parties and has cast herself as a moderating voice in a crazy political atmosphere.

Wall Street Journal: Close North Dakota Senate Race Shadowed by Trump and Trade

  • The Senate race is shadowed by the growing threat of a trade war that could hurt North Dakota’s export-dependent farmers, and Ms. Heitkamp is working to align herself with them.

  • Soybeans are the state’s No. 1 export, generating about $1.1 billion in 2016, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Agriculture Department. China is the number one destination for those soybeans, according to the North Dakota Soybean Council.

  • Tom Campbell, a potato farmer who dropped his own Senate bid and is now a Cramer backer, warned that if the economic fallout of a trade war hits during fall harvest it could hurt Mr. Cramer.

  • Small-state intimacy could help Ms. Heitkamp’s efforts to draw ticket-splitting voters like John Dusek, an insurance agent who voted for Mr. Trump in 2016 but is inclined to support Ms. Heitkamp for reelection.

  • “She’s from a small town. She does what’s best for North Dakota. She’s a good person,” Mr. Dusek said while watching the Grafton parade.

  • Still, it may be risky to go too hard. Mr. Cramer acknowledges in one of his ads, “We all like Heidi.”

Kevin Cramer Faces Open FEC Complaint and Accusations of Corruption as President Trump Visits Fargo

Crooked Kevin Cramer Misused Campaign Donations, Declines to Answer Specific Questions  

(BISMARCK, ND) — As Crooked Kevin Cramer (R-Harold Hamm) finally gets some much-desired attention from the president, it comes as he’s under fire for misusing campaign funds and faces and open FEC complaint. Yesterday, a Grand Forks attorney and candidate for Attorney General, David Thompson, filed the complaint against Crooked Cramer.

It’s not the first time Cramer has been criticized for misusing campaign donations – he’s paid himself and his family more than $375,000 from his campaign account, a practice ethics watchdogs called ‘morally kind of sticky.’ Additionally, as Public Service Commissioner, Cramer was slammed by a judge for taking campaign donations from industries he was supposed to regulate – calling Cramer’s actions “ill-advised, devoid of common sense, and raises legitimate questions as to the appearance of impropriety.”

Read and watch more about Crooked Cramer’s latest scandal:

WDAY: “U.S. Representative Kevin Cramer is being accused of taking money out of his campaign funds for personal reasons.”
Click above to watch WDAY’s report

Forum: AG candidate accuses Rep. Cramer of breaking campaign finance rules

  • David C. Thompson, a Grand Forks Democrat running for state attorney general, has again taken aim at Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., accusing him of “corruption,” specifically improper reimbursements to himself with his Senate campaign funds.

  • Thompson, an attorney by trade, said he’s been concerned about Cramer specifically since Cramer was on the state Public Service Commission, which regulates coal and other industries.

  • Cramer campaign spokesman, Tim Rasmussen, declined to answer specific questions from The Forum.

High Plains Reader: FEC COMPLAINT FILED AGAINST CRAMER

  • Once again, corruption charges were filed against current Congressman Kevin Cramer, who is running for the U.S. Senate.

  • The complaint outlined three points: Cramer is giving himself a stipend to live and eat from campaign funds, he’s reimbursing himself for travel expenses from campaign contributions, and he has missed deadlines for reimbursements, but paid himself back anyway.

  • “Legally murky and morally sticky maneuvers seem to be the norm for Congressman Cramer,” Thompson said. “He has always considered himself above the rules, and cannot be trusted to handle his own campaign finances. Congressman Cramer’s behavior goes to show in my estimation the worst in Washington and goes to show why many North Dakotans have lost faith in politics. He has used his campaign as a get-rich quick scheme, and owes North Dakotans an explanation. He is not above the law, or above the rules.”

Cramer Begs, Then Lashes Out at President Trump

(BISMARCK, ND) — After Congressman Cramer made clear that an out-of-state billionaire– and not the overtures of President Trump – pushed him into the race, Cramer has been busy begging President Trump for his attention on the campaign trail. But when his overtures haven’t worked, or he’s cornered on bad policy, Cramer is prone to throwing clumsy and petulant insults at the White House – and the president himself.

Ahead of President Trump’s visit to North Dakota, here’s a look back at Cramer’s greatest tantrums when he’s forgotten his fidelity to the president and let his emotions get the best of him:

  • When President Trump liked Heidi too much. When Cramer thought President Trump was working with Senator Heidi Heitkamp too much, Cramer seethed and blamed the White House for Republican failures in Congress – delivering what Cramer called a “shot across the bow”:

    “If Marc Short was very good at his job, you know, we’d have a repeal and replacement of Obamacare,” Cramer said in a surprising display of animosity toward a White House official.

  • When he was mad at the president for changing his mind. After President Trump changed his mind on immigration legislation, Cramer vented to the Wall Street Journal, insinuating President Trump was an amateur, inexperienced president:

    “This is one of the consequences of having a commander-in-chief who has never been in politics before. […] It’s difficult sometimes when you get out there on a limb for him on CNN or Fox Business and then have him change his mind the next day or two.”

  • When the president is pushing a trade war that would be devastating for North Dakota. Before Congressman Cramer tweeted – then quickly deleted his “opposition” to President Trump’s trade war – Cramer was on the fence about the harmful policy and lobbed insults about President Trump’s policy judgement, calling the president’s reactions “emotional” and short-sighted before rushing to walk back his attack:

    “So, yes, there are these short-term sort of emotional reactions by the markets and others, and frankly, by the president himself.  And this is one of my concerns again. He tends to have rather emotional responses rather than you know sort of long game more thought out perhaps communication.”

ICYMI: Kevin Cramer (R-Harold Hamm) Doubles Down on Loyalty to Out-of-State Billionaire

Crooked Kevin Cramer Said No to President Trump and North Dakotans, Yes to Out-of-State Billionaire Harold Hamm

(BISMARCK, ND) — Once again, Congressman Kevin Cramer (R-Harold Hamm) is showing where his loyalties lie – and it’s not with North Dakotans. Cramer once again doubled down on his loyalties to an out-of-state billionaire, with E&E reporting that he didn’t get into the Senate campaign after urging from North Dakotans or President Trump – it was because of out-of-state billionaire Harold Hamm who pledged to be his national finance chair and rake in the big bucks.

We’ve got to wonder – is Cramer going to use Hamm’s cash for his campaign, or to line his own pockets? After all, he does have a history of using his campaigns as a get-rich-quick scheme and has an open FEC complaint against him.

Highlights from E&E below:

E&E: The energy executive behind Kevin Cramer’s run

  • Billionaire energy executive Harold Hamm’s fingerprints — and money — are all over North Dakota Republican Rep. Kevin Cramer’s quest for the Senate.

  • Influential and willing to leverage his $18 billion wealth, Hamm has backed Cramer’s political career for years. To hear the congressman tell it, it was Hamm, founder and CEO of Continental Resources Inc. and a fracking industry pioneer, who drove him into the Senate race.

  • For months, the congressman said no. He initially rejected pressure from national Republicans, including President Trump, who were desperate for a solid candidate to take on Heitkamp. It took Hamm’s nudging and pledge of support.

  • “When Harold talked to my wife, Kris, and he said, ‘Kris, if Kevin does this, if you guys get into this, I will be his national finance chairman.’ That was pretty compelling,” Cramer said.

  • Campaign finance documents show Hamm dollars flowing to a number of groups backing Cramer, including $50,000 to the Cramer Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee. These outfits share fundraising costs and divide contributions, allowing donors to write one large check.

Kevin Cramer Violated Numerous FEC Rules, Federal Election Complaint Filed Against Campaign

Cramer Once Again Proves He Can’t Be Trusted; Would Rather Pad His Own Pockets Than Get Results for North Dakota

(BISMARCK, ND) — Today, Attorney General candidate and Grand Forks attorney David Thompson filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) citing numerous violations made by Kevin Cramer and his campaign. Cramer is no stranger to skirting ethics rules – earlier this year, the Dem-NPL filed an ethics complaint for Cramer’s misuse of taxpayer dollars. Additionally, Cramer has faced criticism for having family on campaign payroll and reimbursing himself hundreds of thousands of dollars – a practice ethics watchdogs called ‘morally kind of sticky.’

“What’s clear is that Kevin Cramer is a crooked Washington politician who has used his campaign committee as a get-rich-quick scheme to con North Dakotans,” said Scott McNeil, Executive Director of the Democratic-NPL. “This latest concerning violation is yet another example of Cramer’s unethical behavior, and he owes the voters answers and full transparency. Just because he’s a politician doesn’t mean Cramer is above the rules – we hope the FEC will look into this manner in a timely fashion.”

The recent FEC complaint addresses three potential violations of election rules:

  1. IMPROPER PER DIEM: Congressman Cramer is not allowed to pay himself a stipend from his campaign account. But his pre-primary FEC report showed his campaign’s use of per diems.

    As a federal officeholder, Congressman Cramer is prohibited from receiving any salary or stipend from his campaign. However, the campaign reimbursed him $253.00 for “per diem” meals. The per diem notation suggests that the reimbursement was not for the actual cost of any meals actually paid for, but rather a stipend.  This is impermissible and does not comply with FEC rules.

  2. IMPLAUSIBLE MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENTS TO KEVIN AND KRIS CRAMER: The campaign’s reimbursement of $1,152.75 to Representative Cramer and $531.38 to Kris Cramer for first quarter mileage expenses is highly unusual and almost implausible.

    Using the Internal Revenue Service’s mileage rate of 54.5 cents per mile, Congressman Cramer would have had to have driven more than 2,115 miles during the months of January, Februaryand March of 2018 for the reimbursement to be valid as a campaign-related expense. Additionally, Congressman Cramer’s wife, Kris – who has recently been on campaign payroll – would have had to have driven almost 1,000 miles during the months of January, February and March of 2018.

    It is highly unlikely that Congressman Cramer and his wife drove more than 3,115 miles in the first quarter of 2018 for campaign purposes. 3,115 miles represents a distance further than driving from Bismarck, North Dakota to Corpus Christi, Texas and back.

    Such a distance is especially unusual for Congressman Cramer, given that Congress was in session the overwhelming majority of days during the first quarter of 2018 and given Congressman Cramer’s obligation to attend to his official duties in Washington, D.C. and in North Dakota. As you are likely aware, former Congressman Aaron Schock came under fire for fudging mileage expensive.

  3. IMPROPER TIMING ON REIMBURSEMENTS: Congressman Cramer appears to have failed to report a number of expenses within the required reporting period. He should pay these reimbursements back to the FEC to be in compliance with the rules.

ICYMI: Trade War Impact on North Dakota

“The Administration’s trade war is a self-inflicted wound against three of North Dakota’s largest industries – energy, agriculture, and manufacturing…”

(BISMARCK, ND) – Three of North Dakota’s most important industries stand to lose a great deal in the president’s escalating trade war. According to a recent Bismarck Tribune editorial and Grand Forks Herald article, farmers, manufacturers and the energy industry all stand to lose from the administration’s misguided attempt to get tough on trade. Meanwhile, Congressman Kevin Cramer is leaving them out to dry – and should he continue to endorse the president’s reckless policies, North Dakota’s economy could face some serious consequences.

While farmers back home lament being used as a “bargaining chip” and North Dakota manufacturers say “it’s been pretty difficult lately,” Cramer has been hard at work looking out for himself in Washington. Desperate to align himself with the president no matter how it affects North Dakotans, Cramer has repeatedly dismissed concerns over the impact of a trade was as “hysteria.”

Cramer’s inability to stand up for North Dakota demonstrates a clear truth: If he thinks it will help him climb the ladder in D.C., he’s happy to leave North Dakota’s hardworking men and women by the wayside. Highlights from both articles below:

Bismarck Tribune: North Dakota to lose a lot in trade war

  • President Donald Trump’s insistence on creating balance with the nation’s trading partners could come back and bite North Dakota hard.

  • North Dakota’s economy relies on the export of its agricultural products and the import of many other items. With other countries slapping retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. it could hurt the state’s rebounding economy.

  • Companies operating in North Dakota that will feel the tariffs include Bobcat, a heavy equipment manufacturer employing 3,000 workers in four state cities. The tariffs mean higher steel prices for Bobcat and smaller companies that deal with steel siding and roofing. There’s speculation that higher prices prompted by the tariffs could result in some layoffs by North Dakota businesses.

  • Two-thirds of North Dakota’s soybeans are shipped to China. If the trade conflict intensifies it’s going to be difficult for growers who rely so much on one market.

  • On Thursday, Heitkamp warned the trade war could harm the state’s energy industry. China’s retaliatory tariffs include oil and the Chinese could seek alternative sources of oil.

  • Trump needs to put down his stick and find a better way to resolve trade issues without getting into full-fledged war. If not, North Dakota will suffer.

Grand Forks Herald: North Dakota manufacturers left to weather the uncertainty of trade war

  • Steel and aluminum prices are rising in the region, and that means higher prices for farming equipment, recreational vehicles, motorhomes and more.

  • With tariffs in place on steel and aluminum from U.S. allies since early June and threats of retaliatory tariffs from Canada in July, the North Dakota Trade Office said it already has noticed a 15 to 20 percent increase on base prices for steel and aluminum.

  • The best solution, he said, would be slowing things down and having a candid discussion on real ways the United States can improve trade. Wilson said the country needs to “get the right people from different countries to sit around and hammer out some solutions.”

  • “We’re all about fair trade,” Wilson said of the NDTO, “and fair trade isn’t all these tariffs. It’s letting North Dakota businesses compete on a level playing field.”

Democratic-NPL Plans “Day of Action” in Response to President Trump Visit

Volunteers, Organizers, and Candidates will reach out to 12,000 voters on the day of Trump’s rally

(BISMARCK, ND)  — While President Trump is slated to take the stage at Fargo’s Scheels Center (capacity ~6,000), the North Dakota Democratic-NPL will be pounding the pavement with volunteers and organizers to double the rally’s outreach.

With Day of Action Events planned for Bismarck, Fargo, and Grand Forks on Wednesday, June 27, volunteers will be knocking on doors throughout the day to listen to voters and talk about the issues they care about most.

Interested volunteers can visit demnpl.com to sign up.

“If President Trump and Congressman Cramer think North Dakotans are going to welcome them with open arms after their repeated assaults on North Dakota’s rural economy, they can think again,” said Scott McNeil, Executive Director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “Our base is energized, our volunteers are excited, and our candidates are ready to criss-cross their districts and this state to earn every vote. This campaign will be won on the ground, and the party has the infrastructure to support volunteers in all four corners of the state. While President Trump talks at the 6,000 people in the Scheels Center, the North Dakota Democratic-NPL will be listening to twice as many voters.”

Rep. Mock Attending Rising State Leaders Program in Canada

North Dakota House Minority Leader chosen to participate in the program fostering US-Canada relations
(GRAND FORKS, ND) — North Dakota House Minority Leader Representative Corey Mock (District 18) is one of six American state legislators selected to participate in the Embassy of Canada’s Rising State Leaders program.

The 6-day educational working tour will visit Vancouver and Victoria in British Columbia, Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories, and Calgary in Alberta. During their time in Canada, the delegation will meet with legislators and business leaders to underscore the importance of US-Canada cooperation in the realms of trade, border security, and economic development, with special emphasis in technology, energy, rural development, and agriculture.

“I am humbled by the invitation to participate in the Embassy of Canada’s Rising State Leaders Program,” said Representative Corey Mock. “Canada is our state’s largest trading partners, with over $4 billion worth of North Dakota goods exported to Canadian markets every year. Especially in a time where relations between the two countries seem to be strained, I want to share North Dakota’s perspective on important issues like trade, border security, and energy production. I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in the fact-finding program and I look forward to the opportunity to strengthen the US-Canadian bond.”

The Rising State Leaders program was started in 2006 and has since brought over 80 American legislators to meet with Canadian elected officials and business leaders. The 2018 program runs from June 24 – 30. Other states represented include Alaska, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, and Nebraska.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY: Tale of Two Fact Checks

(BISMARCK, ND) — This week, Congressman Kevin Cramer earned Four Pinocchios from the Washington Post – their worst possible rating, reserved for “whoppers” – for lying about the Washington Republican tax bill’s impact on the national debt. Glenn Kessler, the Post’s fact checker, even called Cramer’s claims “poppycock.” See for yourself below:

Washington Post: N.D. Republican’s Senate campaign ‘fact-checking’ website promotes false claim on CBO estimates

  • Cramer’s website is simply wrong when he claims the deficits projected do not take into account the economic growth in Trump’s agenda. The CBO does take into account the economic feedback from tax cuts. As any mainstream economist will explain, the problem is that tax cuts do not pay for themselves.

  • For a website that proclaims it is providing the truth and nothing but the facts, this line about the tax cuts and economic growth is poppycock. The CBO does take into account the economic effect of tax bills, so Cramer is simply wrong on that score. It’s even worse for a politician to suggest he is a deficit hawk — and ready to take on entitlements — and yet dismiss credible forecasts on future deficits by a respected agency.

  • In the meantime, Cramer earns Four Pinocchios.

On the flip side, Senator Heidi Heitkamp was fact-checked by the Associated Press (AP) about her new ad, “Answer.” The AP found that Heidi was correct about her voting record. Read more below:

Associated Press: AP FACT CHECK: It’s true Heitkamp votes often with Trump

  • In a television ad released last week, Heitkamp speaks directly to viewers and says she’s voted more than half the time with Trump.

  • THE FACTS: It is true that Heitkamp has voted a majority of the time with Trump since he took office on Jan. 20, 2017.

  • The AP reviewed Heitkamp’s voting record on all bills and nominations from Trump’s inauguration to June 1, 2018. During that period, the North Dakota senator supported Trump-backed nominees or legislation more than 68 percent of the time. Presidential nominations for judges, cabinet members and other Trump administration appointees make up a bulk of the voting record.

Just Plain Wrong: Cramer Fights to Cut Food Assistance for Kids While Living Large on Campaign Funds

(BISMARCK, ND) – Kevin Cramer wants struggling American families to “get off the dole,” but he has no problem using campaign funds to bankroll his lavish lifestyle in Washington. Since arriving in Washington, Cramer has been paid nearly $9,000 by his campaign to cover the cost of his personal meals. In Congress, Cramer has supported “enormous cuts” to food assistance programs like SNAP, while savoring luxurious lunches for himself.

Cramer is paid $174,000 per year by taxpayers and has nearly doubled his net-worth since arriving in Congress. Yet, he has repeatedly targeted a program that supports struggling North Dakota families who earn a median household income of just $17,514 per year. Out-of-touch as anyone in Washington, Cramer has no qualms about asking his supporters to fork over almost $20 per meal, but he’s appalled by a program that provides an average of $1.86 per meal to more than 50,000 middle-class and low-income North Dakotans back home.

Of course, Cramer’s shameless inconsistency isn’t breaking news for North Dakotans. Cramer ran on shrinking government spending but he voted for a massive corporate tax giveaway that will add nearly $2 trillion to the national debt. He wants to “drain the swamp,” but he’s used his position to enrich his family – to the tune of more than $375,000. Even the local media and fellow Republicans have taken notice of Cramer’s brazen corruption.

Crooked Cramer’s self-serving and nepotistic ways beg the question: Who is Kevin Cramer really looking out for in Washington, North Dakotans or himself?

“Fortunately for Kevin Cramer, the big-money circle he runs in insulates him from ever having to speak with someone struggling to put food on the table, because I bet they’d like to give him a piece of their mind,” said Scott McNeil, Executive Director of the Democratic-NPL. “Trying to take away a meager safety net — less than $2 per meal — which families with kids depend on isn’t just wrong-headed policy, it’s just plain cruel.”

Double Whammy: Trade War Raises Cost of Doing Business & Shrinks Market for Oil Companies in ND and Beyond

“We want them to understand that the tariffs have a negative impact on US oil and gas industry. […] You can’t be promoting and maximising the production of energy while also imposing tariffs”

(BISMARCK, ND) – The president’s trade war could have unintended consequences for North Dakota’s oil industry, undermining yet another key industry in the Peace Garden State. With the state’s farmers bracing for a painful year and businesses statewide already feeling the pressure, North Dakota’s oil industry appears to be next on the chopping block. Unfortunately for the state’s many energy producers, the effects could be twofold.

Companies in the Bakken rely heavily on imported metals – with the president applying tariffs on imported steel from Canada, Mexico, and the European Union, the cost of doing business could soon be going up.

On top of that, American oil producers are fearful of losing business in one of the fastest growing markets in the world, as oil exports to China – currently totaling nearly $1 billion per month – appear to be the next in line for retribution in administration’s escalating trade war. This “tit-for-tat petroleum diplomacy” could make American oil less competitive than oil from Russia and the Middle East, bringing down profitability for American companies.

Rather than fighting for North Dakota’s most important industries, Kevin Cramer has been fully supportive of the president’s dangerous and misguided trade policies. Making matters worse for Cramer, his finance chair and the reason he decided to run for Senate, Harold Hamm, had to pull out of a meeting with OPEC in the days after China promised retaliation on U.S. oil products.

“From farmers, manufacturers, and energy producers, Kevin Cramer’s support for the administration’s trade war is hitting all sides of North Dakota’s economy,” said Scott McNeil, Executive Director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “Even as our top industries come under fire, Cramer continues to cheerlead a trade war. North Dakotans are already hurting from these policies, but Crooked Cramer continues to double down – but North Dakotans won’t forget that he stood for himself and against North Dakota’s economic interests in November.”

Double Whammy: Trade War Raises Cost of Doing Business & Shrinks Market for Oil Companies in ND and Beyond

“We want them to understand that the tariffs have a negative impact on US oil and gas industry. […] You can’t be promoting and maximising the production of energy while also imposing tariffs”

(BISMARCK, ND) – The president’s trade war could have unintended consequences for North Dakota’s oil industry, undermining yet another key industry in the Peace Garden State. With the state’s farmers bracing for a painful year and businesses statewide already feeling the pressure, North Dakota’s oil industry appears to be next on the chopping block. Unfortunately for the state’s many energy producers, the effects could be twofold.

Companies in the Bakken rely heavily on imported metals – with the president applying tariffs on imported steel from Canada, Mexico, and the European Union, the cost of doing business could soon be going up.

On top of that, American oil producers are fearful of losing business in one of the fastest growing markets in the world, as oil exports to China – currently totaling nearly $1 billion per month – appear to be the next in line for retribution in administration’s escalating trade war. This “tit-for-tat petroleum diplomacy” could make American oil less competitive than oil from Russia and the Middle East, bringing down profitability for American companies.

Rather than fighting for North Dakota’s most important industries, Kevin Cramer has been fully supportive of the president’s dangerous and misguided trade policies. Making matters worse for Cramer, his finance chair and the reason he decided to run for Senate, Harold Hamm, had to pull out of a meeting with OPEC in the days after China promised retaliation on U.S. oil products.

“From farmers, manufacturers, and energy producers, Kevin Cramer’s support for the administration’s trade war is hitting all sides of North Dakota’s economy,” said Scott McNeil, Executive Director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL. “Even as our top industries come under fire, Cramer continues to cheerlead a trade war. North Dakotans are already hurting from these policies, but Crooked Cramer continues to double down – but North Dakotans won’t forget that he stood for himself and against North Dakota’s economic interests in November.”