Democratic lawmakers are reportedly lashing out at their own voters as their left-wing base demands more action to combat President Donald Trump and his Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) cost-cutting efforts.
House Democrats aired grievances about a constellation of resistance 2.0 groups directing their members to flood Democratic lawmakers’ offices with calls during a Monday meeting, according to an Axios report. Democratic lawmakers argue that due to being the minority party in both chambers, their powers are limited to oppose actions the Trump administration is taking.
“There were a lot of people [House Democrats] who were like, ‘We’ve got to stop the groups from doing this’ … people are concerned that they’re saying we’re not doing enough, but we’re not in the majority,” a House Democrat told Axios.
The Democratic Party remains rudderless three weeks into Trump’s second term. With no agreed-upon strategy on how to combat Trump’s agenda, Democratic lawmakers appear divided: some, like Democratic Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy are advocating to resist the entirety of Trump’s agenda while others like Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman are willing to cross the aisle and confirm Trump’s nominees.
“We’re still looking for that national spokesperson,” Democratic Virginia Rep. Don Beyer told Axios.
Democratic leaders and their base’s reported mutual animosity follows an election cycle during which the same lawmakers repeatedly told the party’s voters that Trump was a fascist threat and a danger to democracy.
But with Trump trouncing Harris to win every swing state and the popular vote, Democratic lawmakers are also being forced to confront another uncomfortable fact: Trump is more popular with voters than he’s ever been.
Approximately 53% of voters approve of Trump’s leadership — the president’s highest approval rating across both of his terms — according to a CBS News poll released Sunday. Voters are also giving Department of Government Efficiency chair Elon Musk high marks as he and his team take a wrecking ball to the administrative state.
Musk’s job performance has a 5% net favorability rating, according to a Trafalgar Group and Insider Advantage poll conducted between Feb. 7 to Feb. 9. Conversely, the Democratic Party’s approval rating is nearing historic lows.
With the Democratic Party’s base demanding more action from Democratic lawmakers to obstruct Trump’s legislative agenda, they may soon call on party leaders to use the upcoming government funding deadline to extract concessions from GOP lawmakers in exchange for votes to keep the government open.
A government funding bill will have to overcome the Senate’s 60-vote threshold, requiring the support of seven Democrats assuming all GOP members are present and voting “yes.”
But Schumer signaled in a letter Monday that Democratic lawmakers are willing to work with their Republican colleagues to keep the government open. Future appeals for bipartisanship from Democratic leaders will likely continue to anger and confuse the party’s base who were told that Trump’s reelection was an existential threat.
“Let’s be honest: People are angry, scared, and they want to see more from their lawmakers right now than floor speeches about Elon Musk,” Leah Greenberg, the co-executive director of the left-wing activist group, Indivisible, told Axios in a statement. Voters have widely mocked Democratic lawmakers’ attempts at escalation as they join protests outside of government buildings in Washington, D.C., to rail against DOGE’s cost-cutting efforts.
Schumer appeared to stumble over his words while leading a chant during a protest of Musk’s access to the Treasury Department on Feb 5. House Democrats who sit on the Oversight Committee, including Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett, bungled a chant during a protest on Feb. 6.
Americans largely derided Democratic California Rep. Maxine Waters for her meltdown with a security guard as House Democrats attempted to force their way into the Department of Education building on Friday.
“We have to fuck Trump,” Democratic Oregon Rep. Maxine Dexter shouted Tuesday during a rally protesting DOGE, appearing to botch a part of her speech and leaving many to question the intent of her statement and the Democratic Party’s broader strategy.
Spokespersons for Democratic Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Robin Kelly and Nanette Barragán, the three co-chairs of House Democrats’ Steering and Policy Committee, did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
Featured Image Credit: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America
