The single word encapsulates the primary fissure within the Democratic Party
Democratic strategists are re-evaluating their approach in response to President Donald Trump's actions and the mounting economic concerns of average families.
According to veteran Democratic pollster Celinda Lake, describing Trump's actions as a "distraction" misses the mark. Lake believes that Democrats are at a point where they need to address the underlying issues rather than just focusing on Trump's tactics.
Anna Greenberg, another Democratic pollster, agrees that while there is an electoral logic to the congressional determination to centre economic issues, governors like Gavin Newsom are more accurately reflecting the mounting frustration and anxiety of party activists. Newsom has been vocal in denouncing Trump's threats to deploy the National Guard to cities and has resisted Trump's actions he's portrayed as a threat to democracy through over three dozen lawsuits, speeches, mocking social media posts, and a ballot initiative.
The Democratic consulting firm Blue Rose Research recently argued that the party should pivot away from troop deployments back towards tariffs and Medicaid cuts. This shift in focus is seen by some Democrats as evidence that focusing mostly on the economy offers the best chance of winning back the House next year.
The special election victory last week of an Iowa Democratic state Senate candidate who ran on a message of affordability in a deep red-district is further evidence of this strategy's potential success.
However, there is a significant fissure between the Democratic party's grassroots and its Washington leadership over the use of the word "distraction" to describe Trump's actions. Some argue that soft-pedaling Trump's moves to shatter democratic safeguards is a moral as well as an electoral failure.
Brendan Nyhan, a Dartmouth University political scientist, argues that the Democratic congressional leadership may be underproviding messages that Trump's actions are unraveling the nation's democratic traditions. Many party activists share this view, arguing that Democratic leaders are failing to convey the urgency of the sweeping actions Trump has taken to erode American democracy.
Despite these concerns, Democratic congressional leaders are hesitant about opposing Trump's National Guard deployments due to their links to immigration and crime. Leading congressional Democrats often describe Trump's actions as a "distraction" from other issues.
Brad Todd, a Republican strategist, says Democratic congressional leaders are correct to resist a full-scale confrontation over Trump's domestic troop deployments. Shenker-Osorio, on the other hand, argues that the messaging from party leadership has the wrong goal. Democrats should be trying instead to sharpen public concern about Trump's assault on democratic institutions.
President Trump is considering sending military forces into more American cities, a move that has attracted widespread criticism. Several recent polls have found that more Americans oppose than support Trump's DC deployment, though another poll found most say it's acceptable for the National Guard to "assist" local police.
The 2026 election is being framed by top DC Democrats on familiar partisan grounds, particularly the charge that Trump has failed to bring down the cost of living for average families. However, the ongoing debate within the Democratic party about how to approach Trump's actions and economic concerns could shape the party's strategy in the upcoming elections.
