Among the applicants for loans from the Small Business Administration’s stimulus package is the foundation arm of FreedomWorks, a conservative operation that advocates small government and made its name opposing bailouts.
“I would love someone to give us free cash,” said Adam Brandon, the president of FreedomWorks, expressing frustration over the effects of the crisis on his group, which is working to build support for President Trump’s effort to reopen the economy.
At the other end of the ideological spectrum, liberal groups like the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center and Media Matters for America have also applied for some of the small-business loans, which can be fully forgiven if the recipients use them to keep workers on their payrolls.
The groups on the left may be more comfortable than those on the right with the idea of federal government assistance, but accepting help from an administration they regularly criticize has left them debating how to balance their independence with their ability to keep functioning during an economic crisis.