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Trump has created a new Democratic superstar: LaMonica McIver

Trump has created a new Democratic superstar: LaMonica McIver
The Justice Department's decision to charge a sitting House lawmaker after a scuffle with ICE officers has launched her on the fast track to stardom in Democratic politics.Why it matters: First-term Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-N.J.), 38, suddenly has a national profile and status among the Democratic base as something of a hero of the anti-Trump resistance.But it has also come at a cost: In addition to the financial burden and risks posed by her legal battle, McIver's office has been deluged by furious calls and messages, including many threats.The vitriol has risen to the point that her office has assigned a staffer to monitor Fox News for segments that will precipitate a new flood of angry calls, a source familiar with the matter told Axios.State of play: The Justice Department has charged McIver with assaulting law enforcement based on a scuffle she and other Democratic lawmakers had with a group of ICE officers.The Department of Homeland Security has pointed to body cam footage of McIver elbowing an officer; McIver has said she was the one who was assaulted and cast the charges as politically motivated.The lawmakers were at the Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark to protest its use as a migrant holding facility.Driving the news: In the days after McIver was charged, she went from a virtually unknown member of Congress to a household name.Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) featured her in fundraising emails. So did the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Pennsylvania Democrats.That dynamic is typically only seen with some of the biggest names in Democratic politics: Think Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi or Jamie Raskin. Fundraising emails from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Screenshot: Andrew SolenderZoom out: Several Democratic lawmakers have fast-tracked their careers by positioning themselves as Trump's most truculent foes in Congress.Such was the case with Raskin, a former Trump impeachment manager and Jan. 6 committee member who now leads Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee.Adam Schiff, another Trump impeachment and Jan. 6 committee veteran, leveraged his anti-Trump bona fides to help him win a U.S. Senate seat.What they're saying: "They've targeted her in a very unprecedented way, and so a lot of people are going to know about her and her story because we're all uplifting her and it's taken over the country," Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) told Axios.Several lawmakers said they believe the move has backfired on the administration by only further encouraging Democrats to visit ICE facilities.Said Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.): "People are doubling down and saying, 'This is the kind of courage we want to see from every single Democrat.'"

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