As shell-shocked Democrats try to understand why working-class Americans — once the cornerstone of their political base — chose a billionaire over them, progressives argue that the way forward is to defend “popular and populist” economic policies.
Democratic accusations have intensified in the nearly seven days since their devastating election losses, which could yet herald a new era of unified Republican rule in Washington after Donald Trump stormed to a second term as his party easily flipped the Senate and on the on the verge of a second term in office. winning a majority in the House of Representatives. Divisions have widened, with progressives blaming the party’s embrace of corporate America and swing-state Democrats accusing the left of tarnishing its appeal to former urban and rural voters.
“It’s clear that not enough voters knew what Democrats were going to do to improve their lives, especially poor and working-class Americans in this country,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told reporters on Capitol Hill on Monday .
Jayapal rejected criticism that progressive policies cost the party votes. Instead, she blamed party leaders for being “hostage to the interests of big money.” Voters making less than $100,000 favored Republicans as exit polls showed the economy was driving black, Latino and young voters away from Democrats.
“We have to pick some big fights where people can’t be in denial or question whether or not we’re standing up for them or whether we’re standing up for big corporate interests,” the Washington congressman said, adding: “It’s a tough message to convey when you’re trying to get money out of that community.”
During the press conference, Jayapal introduced several new progressive members of the freshman class — including the first openly transgender person to serve in Congress, Sarah McBride of Delaware, and a protégé of Kamala Harris, Lateefah Simon of California. Their elections, the congressman said, were “proof that despite everything we face, progressive power is still growing.”
Jayapal argued that Tuesday’s results were not a rejection of progressive policies and challenged Republicans to try to roll back popular elements of the president’s economic agenda as they had promised. Meanwhile, Jayapal noted, voters in red states like Alaska and Missouri have taken action to raise the minimum wage and provide paid sick leave, two policies that progressives have long championed.
But across the country, Americans were sending mixed signals. In blue states like California and swing states like Arizona, voters approved conservative measures to strengthen law enforcement responses to crime and unlawful immigration, respectively.
With Trump promising to carry out a mass deportation campaign as part of a sweeping right-wing agenda, Jayapal said progressives were once again prepared to lead a “historic resistance” against his presidency. Texas Rep. Greg Casar, the progressive caucus whip, added that it is imperative that Democrats stand up “for regular people, for working people and for civil rights.”
Many Democrats have blamed the emphasis on identity politics for creating the perception that the party is removed from the economic concerns of working-class voters. Trump has spent tens of millions of dollars on anti-trans ads aimed at portraying Harris as an excessive liberal elite. The advertisements mostly went unanswered.
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“Let’s be clear: the party that focused on culture wars, the party that focused on transgender people, was the Republican Party. It was Donald Trump,” said McBride, the congresswoman-elect from Delaware who focused her campaign on the economic pain felt by voters in her state. “I didn’t hunt my identity, but my identity wasn’t a secret.”
McBride said the results required “humility” and “soul searching” across the party, but argued that Democrats should serve as a “check” on a second Trump administration.
“Donald Trump tried to sow division and distract from the fact that he has absolutely no policy solutions to the issues that are actually keeping voters awake, the issues that I heard about during the campaign,” she said.
“And I think going forward, we need to be crystal clear that we are going to call out the hypocrisy of Donald Trump, disingenuously claiming that he is a fighter for working people, when his agenda is pro-higher costs and pro- inflation. That is what we will achieve with his agenda in this administration.”
