You are returning to a changed and occupied Capital and new political moment. Trump has become more dangerous. Congressional Democrats must reflect these changes and find a higher gear and new understanding of what fighting Trump looks like. Leaders Schumer and Jeffries simply must demonstrate they understand the ground has shifted, and come out of the box next week challenging Trump in far more aggressive ways.
1. The Senate-House communications operations must become far more ambitious, and operate 24/7/365. “Recess” can no longer be a thing; Trump has had the stage to himself in DC this August and the lack of aggressive push back has encouraged the escalation we’ve seen. Staff need to be redeployed to beef up the Comms operations. Ranking Members MUST act like a Shadow Cabinet and take on daily communications. Gov. Newsom’s digital team should lead training for all Congressional Comms and Digital folks. “Silence is complicity” should be the sign that sits on the desk of every Democratic leader this fall. We must be in Trump’s face, challenging him every day, on all fronts. Congressional Democrats must understand you are not just legislators but communicators and leaders of a proud, patriotic American opposition to the greatest threat to our democracy our nation has ever seen. Fighting Trump is what is required of us now, particularly those who swore an oath to defend the Constitution that is under unprecedented and historic assault.
2. Create a national Democratic leadership coordinating council. The Senate, House, Governors and other prominent Democrats must coordinate, get bigger, and work together as the 23 Democratic AGs do every day. Something much more powerful has to be built, and Democratic donors MUST get off the sidelines and help create the kind of capacity needed to fight an escalating and increasingly ambitious Trump.
3. We must settle on a national narrative. They claim they want to Make America Great Again. What do we want to do? The absence of a clear, ambitious, muscular national narrative, agenda and rallying cry (and not just flaccid “messaging”) is a serious problem for us, and it must be addressed in the coming days. I suggest
Restoring The Promise Of America:
- We will fight for democracy, for Ukraine, for Europe, for NATO, for our own national security and sovereignty
- We will fight to end Trump’s terrible tariffs that are raising prices on every day Americans, harming our farmers and small businesses, and slowing the US economy
- We will fight to block the rancid and dangerous expansion of ICE and Trump’s illegal use of the military to forge for himself an unaccountable domestic political police force
- We will fight to stop the ongoing assault on science, higher education, and our public health; and oppose the escalating attacks on our universities, scientific leadership, the dangerous undermining of vaccines and preventative health, and the cutting of the ACA and Medicaid
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