Internal Democratic tensions erupt after Trump speech
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Congressional Democrats' internal divisions over how to combat President Trump surfaced Wednesday after the president was repeatedly heckled and disrupted during his speech to Congress.
Why it matters: The party is in a rut, stumbling on finding the most effective counterattack to Trump's full-bore assault on the federal bureaucracy. That struggle played out on primetime television Tuesday night.
- Democrats have been bombarded by grassroot activists demanding they scrap norms and traditions in favor of bare-knuckle political brawling.
- But many party leaders and other establishment-oriented Democrats believe that a more narrow, subdued approach remains the most effective.
- A senior House Democrat told Axios that some moderates are angry at progressives for their outbursts, but added that "people are pissed at leadership too. … Everyone is mad at everyone."
What happened: Trump's speech was rocked by disruptions right from the start, with Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) repeatedly heckling the president until Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) ordered Green escorted out of the chamber.
- Democrats held up signs and wore shirts with slogans blasting DOGE and Elon Musk, walked out of the chamber in protest, and heckled Trump throughout his 100-minute speech.
- A large portion of Democrats opted for more traditional, silent forms of protest — color-coordinated outfits or refusing to stand or clap for most of the speech — without resorting to disruptive tactics.
What they're saying: Rep. George Latimer (D-N.Y.) said he felt the disruptions were "inappropriate," telling Axios, "When a president — my president, your president — is speaking, we don't interrupt, we don't pull those stunts."
- "I didn't take that approach myself, so obviously I don't condone it," centrist Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) said of the disruptions.
- Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) told Axios: "I think it was a big mistake ... I'm an old school traditional type guy, I think we should be treating the president with deference. So I think it was inappropriate."
- Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), in a post on X lamented what he called a "sad cavalcade of self owns and unhinged petulance" and told Axios: "I don't think that's the way forward."
Zoom in: It's not just about decorum and norms. Some Democrats argued that the disruptive lawmakers failed on the messaging front as well.
- Golden told Axios: "If anyone is thinking that it was an effective strategy, they're probably in an echo chamber. My take is that the average American thought the optics were pretty bad."
- "It would be a compliment to call it a strategy," said another centrist House Democrat, pointing to online photoshops of the signs members held up.
- The lawmaker also criticized colleagues who refused to applaud even Trump's guests: "Not standing for Trump would have been a fine strategy, but you need to separate him from the kid with cancer."
- Several House Democrats noted that most of the disruptors were mostly progressives from safe districts — arguing that swing-district voters were turned off by their outbursts.
Yes, but: Some progressives are training their fire on leadership, arguing that a lack of top-down coordination left rank-and-file lawmakers to develop their own tactics.
- Even before the speech, "there was definitely frustration about lack of guidance [or a] plan," said one progressive lawmaker.
- Said another: "People are super pissed that we didn't get more direction from leadership."
- Leadership had urged members to attend the speech, bring guests negatively impacted by DOGE and not use props: "I actually believe that what happened yesterday — the leader did not want that," said the centrist Democrat.
What to watch: Some Democrats aren't ruling out voting for Rep. Dan Newhouse's (R-Wash.) resolution to censure Green for "breach of proper conduct" when it comes up Thursday.
- Golden and Rep. Don Davis (D-N.C.) told Axios they are undecided on the measure.
- The centrist House Democrat who spoke on the condition of anonymity told Axios: "What [Green] did was inappropriate — and he became the story, not the price of eggs."
- But other centrists argued there is a partisan double-standard at play: "I will vote against censure because the other side was equally or more misbehaved," said Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas).
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The guy with brain damage is their smartest one
Democrats problem is that for all Trump's bombast and trolling of them, the policies he emphasizes are essentially common sense centrism.
Open borders are bad
Government waste is bad
Borrowing money to fund foreign wars is not a critical American interest
Men should not compete against women in women's sports and men should not violate women's private spaces like locker rooms or bathrooms.
Deporting violent criminals is good
The Government engaging in racism is bad
Democrats are so broken brained that they reflexively support the opposite, no matter how stupid the policy is. It leaves no place for centerists, who just want common sense, moderate government to go if they don't like Trump. Because the alternative is a party led by crazy people who support crazy, extreme left wing policies. And they used Trump's speech as their platform to show just how crazy they are.
And the democrats are fighting to keep it all in place.
Well, it really doesn't matter a whole bunch what Democrats do. Democrats' power resides in the bureaucracy. But Clinton and Gore demonstrated that it won't be easy to rebuild the bureaucracy once it has been dismantled. And some parts of the bureaucracy will be gone forever.
Now that the bureaucrats are disappearing, Democrats have to get their own hands dirty. Good luck with that.
The Democrats need a plan before they do anything
The Democrats need a clear leader before they do anything
Childish behavior like we saw during Trump's speech is the Democrat Party sinking to the low levels of character and decorum displayed by the Republicans in recent years - not a great look if they want to win back power.
Standing and shouting and being persistently disruptive of a speech like we saw Tuesday was dumb. Members of Congress have ample opportunity to be heard. So, what Rep Green did the other day was not just childish, it was unnecessary.
Then we have the silent protests of wearing a color or holding a sign. This is less disruptive, but also pointless for the same reason.
My real issue with the protests, though, is not on the matter of decorum or utility. It’s the fact that this has become the only thing the Democratic Party brings to the table - protests. How about you try governing in a productive, thoughtful way that addresses the big concerns of most people. The party that can do that without blowing the place up will never lose another election.
And it should not be hard. Trump has no fucking idea what he’s doing when it comes to government, and he’s the biggest grifting, lying asshole to ever take up residence in the White House. Defeating that wannabe Hitler should be the easiest thing in the world, but Democrats have not presented themselves as a sensible alternative. Angst is neither a policy nor a plan.
But that's how Democrats chose to operate.
Agree with this one hundred percent.
"Trump has no fucking idea what he’s doing when it comes to government, and he’s the biggest grifting, lying asshole to ever take up residence in the White House. Defeating that wannabe Hitler should be the easiest thing in the world, but Democrats have not presented themselves as a sensible alternative. "
However, this is where things go off the rails. Trump was elected because he was clear during the campaign what he wanted to do, and after only 6 weeks in office, he has either started his promise or already followed through with them. A majority of Americans agree with what he is doing because this is what they wanted. You can't go around and haphazardly call him a wannabe Hitler when more than half of the country agrees with what he is doing, because you are indirectly calling all of them wanna be Hitlers.
Case in point...CBS poll showed more than 70 percent of people were happy with his speech the other night. Why? Because he followed through on what he has promised.
Keep on calling him and more than half of the country wanna be Hitlers. This part of your post "The party that can do that without blowing the place up will never lose another election." is true, however, it looks like it will be the democrats that will be blowing things...and themselves up for a very long time. The antics pulled at the speech the other night is proof positive.
He was clear about what he said he would do. But he is not clear about doing it. When you fire thousands of workers without even understanding what it is they do, you are not clear. You’re an imbecile.
The tariffs are on and then they’re off. Even if you agree with the tariffs - and very few educated people do - either do it or get off the pot. And there’s no reason whatsoever for the ones on Canada. Canada doesn’t even know what the tariffs are supposed to accomplish, and neither does Trump. It’s the most irrational, unnecessary trade war ever.
He was clear he was going to lower prices, but everything he is doing is raising prices.
He has blown up the trade deal with Mexico and Canada that he demanded in 2018.
Theres nothing haphazard about it. You all should know me better than that by now.
He is blowing up NATO and disconnecting us gradually from the UN. He has threatened Panama, Greenland, and Gaza - shit no one asked for and will only lead to war or slaughter. This country now sides with Russia and North Korea.
During the campaign he declared that he wanted generals like Hitler had - loyal to him over the law. To that end, he is firing four stars and JAGs. He and his associates speak of ignoring the courts. Observing parallels to Hitler is reasoned, not haphazard.
There’s the Bullshit! This is what the Right brings to every debate on this - false self-victimization. Whining and moaning about name-calling rather than rebut the accusation with reason and evidence. Conservatives should be made of sterner stuff.
When the ramifications of white nationalism get called out, there is suddenly this retreat into victimhood. I have zero patience or tolerance for that garbage. You don’t get to go around crafting legislation, executive orders, and resolutions that demonize members of our society and then play the victim when people call you on it.
He also lied profusely and most people don’t investigate his lies. The fact that people bought his bullshit about Haitian refugees eating people’s pets tells what you need to know about the relative intelligence and concern for truth in his supporters. Same for the insanely stupid - and easily debunked - notion that millions of people over the age of 115 are getting Social Security benefits. He is claiming to solve problems that don’t exist.
Not sure I know you, but I will say I most definitely agree with this post of yours, as well as most of your post written recently.
What I do find odd, is if i recall correctly, we were opposed directly, on many a subject. Yet as of late in agreement.
So irregardless of disagreements past,
I prefer the enlights more recently cast, for the ability to actually see a light, still very much eludes a very many cheers, cause Im in need of many beers !
He is, however, you have t o understand he has not even been in office 6 weeks yet. To expect miracles after the last 4 years of disaster is not realistic.
"When you fire thousands of workers without even understanding what it is they do, you are not clear."
The cabinet and agency heads of those agencies new what those people did and did not do. There were a few thousand that got back in but the majority will find jobs in the private sector. Government work is not supposed to mean cushy lifetime jobs getting paid from home.
"The tariffs are on and then they’re off. Even if you agree with the tariffs - and very few educated people do - either do it or get off the pot. And there’s no reason whatsoever for the ones on Canada. Canada doesn’t even know what the tariffs are supposed to accomplish, and neither does Trump. It’s the most irrational, unnecessary trade war ever."
I don't care about tariffs nor does the majority of the country. After the disaster and high prices of the past 4 years, what is a couple more percentage points. If the high prices persist, then the American people that voted for him will revolt and not vote an R next time. Remember what that famous guy said a few years ago...elections have consequence.
"but everything he is doing is raising prices"
Tariffs have been in place for a few days. What prices have gone up?
"Theres nothing haphazard about it. You all should know me better than that by now."
No, I was right the first time. When I first came on here, you were one of the true moderates. Now, I don't see that anymore.
"There’s the Bullshit! This is what the Right brings to every debate on this - false self-victimization. Whining and moaning about name-calling rather than rebut the accusation with reason and evidence. Conservatives should be made of sterner stuff.
When the ramifications of white nationalism get called out, there is suddenly this retreat into victimhood. I have zero patience or tolerance for that garbage. You don’t get to go around crafting legislation, executive orders, and resolutions that demonize members of our society and then play the victim when people call you on it."
No I am correct here also. The first thing leftists go to when someone they don't like who is in office, they go to the first thing they know. Name calling. Not just with Trump...with everyone. Trump just happens to be the enemy de juer. White supremacist, nazi, Hitler, etc, are all things that have zero meaning because those on the left have overused it without knowing the context. This is no different.
"He also lied profusely and most people don’t investigate his lies."
Now THAT is bullshit
Every speech, ever question he answers, every statement he makes, some TDS leftist "journalist" needs to stroke their ego and "fact check" him. Turns out every one of those fact checks turn into "I don't like what he said, so I am going to call it false"
"The fact that people bought his bullshit about Haitian refugees eating people’s pets tells what you need to know about the relative intelligence and concern for truth in his supporters. Same for the insanely stupid - and easily debunked - notion that millions of people over the age of 115 are getting Social Security benefits. He is claiming to solve problems that don’t exist."
Hilarious that you leftists feel like miniscule shit like this needs to run your lives. Do what we sane people do. Snicker, blow it off and move on. To make it a major part of your day is not healthy.
Have a great rest of your day.
[✘] You are gonna attempt to tell US All, EVERY time trump is fact checked ""I don't like what he said, so I am going to call it false"
Utterly RIDICULOUS, the "man" LIES while sitting up in bed
Where did he say that? The commentary was they were still on the rolls. PERIOD. That could lead to fraud.
I heard the same thing.
Funny how the left hears things the rest of us critical thinkers don't.
Much like they seem to hear dog whistles no one else does.
No, he said it was probable fraud. Not just that it could lead to it. He said they were being paid. From his speech:
He continued,
No it isn’t. Payments stop automatically at 115 and no one in the country is over 116. But the nonsense continued,
All of that is claiming that money is disappearing, being paid to impossibly old people. It was not just an observation of bad record keeping.
Trump has been making a big deal about this for weeks now. He is clearly trying to push this as fraud. There is no story in basic database errors and omissions. But there is a great story if Trump and Musk can be seen as catching a major fraud scheme in Social Security.
To wit: Trump is trying to spin database errors / omissions into some big success for DOGE. More disgusting lying.
If you can relocate your shoulder after patting yourself on the back, try applying those critical thinking skills to his actual words, posted above.
I actually agree it was a dog whistle. There is zero reason to be seriously upset about the records issue at Social Security, but Trump wants you outraged over it, so he can “solve a big problem on your behalf” that hasn’t yet been shown to be costing us much, if anything.
Is it worth fixing? Oh 100%. Absolutely. It’s just not worth all of the chest beating he’s doing over it. It’s not the smoking gun of a wildly corrupt bureaucracy.
I’m not “the left.” I’m an individual. And I support my claims with evidence, as I have done here, so it doesn’t have zero meaning.
Like you snicker and blow off the things Democrats say and do? Trump has not earned the right to be blown off by this country in as many instances as his supporters want. There are times I would defend him, and I have on this site. But not in all things.
Ben domenach had a good point
democrats support things that are so crazy that their supporters assume they are lies when they get exposed publicly. They can’t even believe how crazy their party is. And like with taxpayer paid trans surgeries for criminals, they’ll pivot from saying there’s no way we’d do something so stupid, to “of course we fund trans surgeries for criminals” just because trump opposes them.