Capital District Times

Paul Tonko, currently representing New York’s 20th district in the U.S. Congress, has raised several concerns through his tweets regarding actions taken by former President Trump and business magnate Elon Musk. Tonko, who has been in office since replacing Michael McNulty in 2009, has actively voiced his opinions on the potential implications of these decisions.

In a tweet posted on April 2, 2025, Tonko expressed his discontent about the firing of experts involved in crucial medical research. He criticized the actions of Trump and Musk, stating, "Trump and Musk are firing experts behind lifesaving research on cancer, Alzheimer's & now Parkinson's. We successfully enacted the National Plan to End Parkinson's Act last year to drive this kind of research. Where's the outrage from any of the Republicans who backed this law?"

Later that day, on the same date, Tonko addressed the issue of deportation errors admitted by Trump. He detailed the case of Abrego Garcia, a legal U.S. resident who was deported, sharing his perspective, "Abrego Garcia was in the U.S. LEGALLY and his wife and child are both U.S. citizens. Trump has admitted his deportation to a Salvadoran prison was an “administrative error.” The White House must end its cruel targeting of legal immigrants now."

In another tweet made on April 2, 2025, Tonko commented on a new sales tax introduced by Trump, criticizing its economic impact. He shared his views stating, "Trump just slapped a massive sales tax on almost all imports (except Russian ones) without any pro-worker strategy to go along with it. This reckless move will lead to layoffs, lower wages, and higher prices – all while CEOs who ship jobs overseas get trillions in tax breaks."