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one A year ago, President Donald Trump began his second non-consecutive term, republican party Controlled both houses of Congress.
explain democrats An epic failure in November 2024 is an understatement. But even allowing for months of licking wounds more than a year later, polls show Democratic lawmakers are now more unpopular than ever.
For much of the past year, Strategists and experts have been saying the opposition needs to change its approach. But not yet, experts say, and action needs to be taken now His tone sounded urgent and panicked.
Susan Del Percio, a Republican political strategist who has never supported Trump, said Democratic lawmakers “divided” And need to start showing a vision of what they will do for voters.
“At the end of the day, people are still trying to figure out … what are the Democrats doing?” Del Percio told The Independent.
“How can you help? What advice do you have? Give me something,” she added.
Here’s why political strategists say the resistance to Trump struggled last year, and why the party needs to change in 2026:
“The best thing Schumer can do is announce he will not seek re-election”
Support among Democratic lawmakers is declining, with some surveys even showing their approval ratings at record lows.
December Gallup poll Showing that congressional Democrats have a job approval rating of just 24%, “lower than any previous Gallup measurement.” Quinnipiac University December poll The organization said support among congressional Democrats was 18 percent, a “record low.”
Democratic political strategist Christy Setzer said independent The public is dissatisfied with lawmakers because they are “not doing enough,” and Democrats may be “demoralized by a lack of action.”
“You know, I think next week there’s going to be a debate over whether to give more money to ICE, and Democrats are probably going to be divided on that,” Setzer said.
“It’s a shock to ordinary people who think they wouldn’t be able to understand America right now if Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries were making these decisions,” she added.
Schumer had Criticized for his leadership last yeareven his fellow Democrats.
In April, Schumer told CNN’s Dana Bash that he sent Trump a “very strong letter… raising eight very strong issues.” Harvard University federal funds frozen – a comment was laughed at at the timeincluding former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki in attendance The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Comedian Jon Stewart also slammed Schumer’s comments, mimicking something the Democratic leader said to Bash in an April episode. daily show.
For many Americans, this image lingers.
“The best thing Schumer can do for Democratic leadership in the Senate is to announce that he will not seek re-election in 2028,” Del Percio said.
independent Schumer and Jeffries have been contacted for comment.
Democrats are also preparing 2026 midterm elections and hopes to control the House and Senate. Historical trends show that The president’s party usually loses in midterm electionsBut it’s unclear how many seats Democrats expect to flip in November.
Recent polls show Democrats running for Congress have a slight advantage over Republicans. new york times‘Poll aggregator. at the same time, cook political report According to an analysis released on January 15, Democrats have won 18 House races.
Democrats, for their part, also touted last year’s electoral victory. on a november memorandum, Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin highlighted the victories of Zoran Mamdani in New York, Abigail Spanberger in Virginia and Mickey Sherrill in New Jersey. He noted that the party is committed to focusing on “health care, groceries, housing and jobs.”
DelPercio believes Democrats must identify the issues that resonate most with voters.
“If you want me to vote for you, Democrats, A, B and C, why? Don’t tell me it’s because you’re taking Trump’s name off the Kennedy Center. Don’t tell me it’s because you’re not letting a ballroom be built. … Tell me what you’re going to do about price,” she explained.
Trump stole Big Tech and several superstars from Democrats
Meanwhile, Trump is gaining support from big tech companies and Hollywood.
Several major companies, including Google and Meta, Donate to Trump’s inaugural fund shortly after the 2024 election. Many technical leaders attended his inaugurationincluding Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Google’s Sundar Pichai. Later this year, when Trump announced plans to spend $400 million to expand the White House ballroom, many of these companies were Quick donation to the project.
Dozens of big names and some washed-up celebrities have also expressed support for Trump, including rapper Nicki Minaj, actor Sylvester Stallone and singer Kid Rock. Trump himself even Involved in Hollywood controversies – include American Eagle jeans ad starring Sydney Sweeney makes headlines.
Delpercio said more celebrities may align themselves with Trump due to the rise of “cancel culture.”
“Trump and Trump supporters are more tolerant of people, especially when they deserve it, and I think that’s why he’s gaining support in the celebrity power arena – it has nothing to do with his policies,” she added.
Even those who do not support the president appear to have moderated their rhetoric against him and his supporters. Celebrities appear more willing — or obligated — to speak out against the president during his first term than they did last year. The Guardian Report.
some celebrities such as actors hunger games Star Jennifer Lawrence has recently expressed skepticism about political activism in Hollywood. Lawrence, who has previously spoken out against Trump, told new york times In November, she felt “celebrities don’t have any influence on who people vote for.”
Asked how he felt about speaking out against Trump now, Lawrence responded: “I really don’t know if I should do it.”
Setzer said celebrities may question “how they can best use their platform.”
Democrats prepare for 2028
Meanwhile, several Democratic lawmakers — including potential 2028 presidential candidates California Governor Gavin Newsom Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker — waged a personal battle with the Trump administration last year.
Newsom has used social media to blast the administration on a wide range of issues, including immigration and the Jeffrey Epstein dossier. He also began imitating Trump’s online posting style, including Create nicknames by using all caps.
Pritzker has The Department of Homeland Security, which has repeatedly criticized Trumpespecially after the institution was established Operation Midway Blitz in the Chicago area.
Newsom and Pritzer are both Democrats Many speculate they could be gearing up for a 2028 presidential run. Others include far-left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Mark Kelly and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
But Del Percio warned that Democrats should continue to focus on the midterm elections for now.
“I strongly recommend: Don’t talk about 2028 now. If I were a Democrat, I would stick to 2026,” she said.