Democrats are struggling to formulate a response to Donald Trump’s presidency nearly a month into his second term. But Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has provoked the Trump administration and right-wing media by directly confronting them over constitutional rights.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries admitted to CNN that while the high cost of consumer goods like eggs are a serious concern for voters, Democrats failed to make the issue resonate as a reason to oppose Republicans in the 2024 election.
Consumer prices, which often come up in focus groups and polls commissioned by Democrats, have remained the focus of Jeffries’ weekly press conferences. Meanwhile, issues like Trump’s abuse of constitutional rights have not been prioritized.
Similarly, Jeffries recently attended a meeting of wealthy Silicon Valley donors to reportedly reassure them that despite the ongoing fights with DOGE Chair Elon Musk, Democrats intend to move further toward the center, forgoing possible opportunities to fight back against Trump.
“The reason people feel angry about what’s happening is not because we’re not doing everything in our power,” Rep. Sean Casten, Democrat of Illinois, told CNN.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Democrat of Texas, is one of several young Democrats pushing back on President Donald Trump.
But many Democratic voters are frustrated because some of Trump’s key Cabinet nominees received support from Democrats in Congress.
For instance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s nomination sailed through with 99-0 votes. Garnering every Democrat’s vote, Rubio had bipartisan cover as he worked in concert with Musk and Trump to undermine U.S. agencies like USAID.
Senate Democrats have also voted for cloture, which allows votes on nominees to proceed even if they ultimately voted against them.
As many Democrats have failed to use force against Trump, Ocasio-Cortez has worked to educate immigrants and their families about their rights by creating educational guides about legal obligations during ICE raids, citing the Fourth Amendment protection against unwarranted search and seizure.
In response, Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan has repeatedly whined to the media about Ocasio-Cortez, particularly in extremely sympathetic appearances on Fox News. Homan said he formally requested guidance from the Department of Justice on whether she is breaking the law by discussing the Constitution.
Homan told Newsmax on Monday that Ocasio-Cortez is “the dumbest congresswoman ever elected to Congress.”
“This is why you fight these cowards. The moment you stand up to them, they crumble. Homan has nothing. The Fourth Amendment is clear, and I am well within my duties to educate people of their rights,” she responded on Bluesky. “He can threaten me with jail and call names all he wants. He’s got nothing else.”
Other recently elected Democrats have echoed Ocasio-Cortez’s aggressive posture toward the GOP, including Reps. Robert Garcia of California, Jasmine Crockett of Texas, and Maxwell Frost of Florida.
In response, the right has fumed about these Democrats, standing in stark contrast to the relatively mild GOP responses to rhetoric from Democratic leaders like Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
The young Democrats appear to have found a soft, vulnerable spot on the right. Will the establishment follow their lead or stick to what hasn’t been working?
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