Chris Salcedo didn’t mince words on his Newsmax program when he scolded conservatives and Republican donors who cozy up to the Left. He made clear that loyalty to the party and to conservative voters isn’t demonstrated by cutting checks to Democrats, and that surrendering to leftist influence is unacceptable from anyone claiming the conservative banner. That kind of plain-speaking is exactly what grassroots Americans expect from their champions.
The story driving Salcedo’s frustration is painfully clear: major food and retail companies have been quietly increasing payments to Democratic lawmakers even as those same Democrats publicly denounce “greedflation” and the price hikes hitting American families. A Reuters analysis found that grocery chains and suppliers have funneled more money to Democrats during the current cycle even while elected Democrats attack their pricing practices. Voters watching the whole spectacle see a theater of hypocrisy where performative outrage meets paycheck politics.
The numbers underscore the point and the outrage. Albertsons’ PAC gave roughly $291,500 this cycle, Kroger’s PAC has stepped up the pace of its giving, and Walmart’s PAC alone contributed at least $441,500 to Democrats, according to reporting. These aren’t casual coffees with a local pol — they are meaningful sums that fund campaigns and greased pathways to influence while everyday Americans pay more at the checkout.
Even more galling is that at least 154 Democratic lawmakers or their fundraising committees accepted contributions from these companies while publicly blasting corporate greed, a fact that should make every honest voter’s jaw drop. The optics are rotten: condemn the industry in one breath, collect the PAC check in the next, and expect the public to applaud. That is the kind of cynical insider behavior that fuels the collapse of trust in Washington.
To be clear, corporate PACs operate legally and can give to both parties — there are limits and rules, but law is not the same as moral clarity. Republicans and conservatives should not confuse legal permissibility with political wisdom, nor should they accept the argument that “everyone does it” as an excuse for disloyalty to voters who demand principled leadership. When lawmakers say they’ll hold companies accountable and then take their money, conservatives must call that out and demand better.
This moment calls for accountability at every level — from senators who posture against price hikes while pocketing PAC checks, to CEOs who think Republican voters are a bank to be mined when convenient. Boycotts, shareholder pressure, and public naming-and-shaming are tools American patriots can use to make sure loyalty and principle mean something in practice, not just press releases. If conservatives want to stop being played, they must stop enabling the players.
Patriotic Americans deserve representatives and institutions that put the country first, not their campaign coffers. Chris Salcedo’s blunt reminder — that there is no excuse for surrendering to leftists, and that donating to the other side is a betrayal of conservative voters — should wake up every donor and elected official who thinks the base will tolerate that kind of sellout. The choice is simple: stand with the people or stand with the swamp.
