Democrats Continue to Focus on Donald Trump
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is unified by a common goal: opposition to Trump.
TroibNews 
CHICAGO — Democrats are experiencing renewed excitement with Kamala Harris as their presidential nominee, but they remain unable to move on from Donald Trump. The party's long-standing habit and strategic necessity to criticize him are firmly ingrained.
As the Democratic National Convention unfolds in Chicago, the focus has shifted from celebrating Harris to attacking the former president.
“Until we defeat Trumpism there’s nothing else that really, really matters,” Rep. Ro Khanna of California stated to reporters following a delegate breakfast on Tuesday. “And if we don’t defeat Trumpism, we’re going to be in a world of hurt, because there could be years of Republicans in charge.”
Throughout the first two days of the convention, Democrats have continually criticized Trump, taking aim at his character, legal troubles, and policy decisions, including his handling of the Covid pandemic. Former President Barack Obama even made light of Trump’s "weird obsession with crowd sizes."
Democrats are quite literally bringing props to highlight their criticisms. Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow showcased a massive Project 2025 book on stage, designed to spotlight the controversial framework for a future Republican administration that Trump has distanced himself from. Each night, speakers have showcased the hefty volume, with Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta presenting the over 900-page document on Tuesday.
While President Joe Biden is no longer the party's candidate, the convention shows that Democrats believe attacking the Republican leader is still a vital strategy.
Even as Harris told delegates at the United Center on Monday that “we are moving forward,” the party remains fixated on the past.
“It’s a tricky thing to get the balance right, and I am a firm believer that people rise to the moment that’s in front of them,” McMorrow remarked to PMG on Tuesday. “In 2020, it really did feel like this singular goal was to beat Donald Trump, and that meant that it was a lot about education, about democracy and what’s at stake, and what he could do with the second term. And I think now people know that, so that message can only take you so far.”
McMorrow further explained, “But also, if you want to sustain energy, it has to be fun. You can only tell people how much is at risk for so long, and people get tired and burned out.“
Nevertheless, many Democrats are confident that the peril of a second Trump term is still a compelling motivator for voters — both those active at the convention and the millions of Americans tuning in from home — just as it was in 2020 and during the midterms in 2018 and 2022.
During the initial sessions of the convention, prominent party figures have utilized their speaking opportunities to warn of the dangers of another Trump presidency and to highlight his character flaws. Obama remarked that Trump “has not stopped whining since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.” Former first lady Michelle Obama accused him of “demonizing our children for being who they are and loving who they love.”
On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized Trump for “peddling in anti-Semitic stereotypes” and “fuels islamophobia.” The highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the U.S. declared that “future generations deserve better than Donald Trump’s American carnage.”
Meanwhile, United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain opened the convention on Monday by dramatically removing his suit jacket to reveal a T-shirt emblazoned with the words “TRUMP IS A SCAB.” The union reported that thousands of these shirts have sold online since Monday.
Fain expressed confidence that Harris would win the election due to her relatability compared to Trump. However, he underscored the necessity for Harris’ allies to refute Trump’s falsehoods, adding further criticisms.
“In a world where Donald Trump does nothing but put out his alternative facts, or what we all call lies, I believe it’s important that we call him on his lies and that we expose him for what he really is,” he asserted. “He’s a fraud.”
The strategy of attacking Trump at the Chicago convention highlights the ongoing understanding that resisting the former president remains a central driving force for the party. This approach could help unite a diverse coalition spanning from progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) to Republican "Never Trumpers," especially while Biden was the candidate.
Now, with a new nominee, Harris has initiated her campaign with a forward-looking perspective — calling for Democrats to “chart a new way forward” during a rally in Milwaukee on Tuesday.
However, Harris has not yet unveiled many substantial policy proposals. The Democrats are defining her candidacy in contrast to Trump, framing the election as a choice between a prosecutor and a felon, someone focused on service versus one who is self-centered, and a party that looks forward as opposed to one looking back.
The attacks on Trump during the Chicago convention also serve as a response to the criticisms launched by Republicans at their own convention last month in Wisconsin, where they quickly shifted from solemnity following a recent assassination attempt on Trump to attacking their opponents.
On Tuesday, while campaigning in Michigan, Trump targeted Harris, slamming her on immigration and crime, labeling her a “lawless Marxist” and accusing her of permitting “hordes of illegal alien criminals to stampede into our country.”
In Chicago, Democrats articulated across various interviews that highlighting the contrast with Trump is essential for ensuring Americans grasp the stakes of the upcoming election and reinvigorating their voter base.
Rep. Ann McLane Kuster (D-N.H.), chair of the center-left New Democrat Coalition, highlighted the need for candidates to appeal to Republican voters in battleground areas in this third consecutive election with Trump at the forefront.
Her party’s most effective strategy? Let Trump speak for himself.
“Right now, just let him speak for himself, like there’s nothing that we can say that’s even dark enough to get to the place where he is,” Kuster stated. “Just let him be, and we will present a more positive view.”
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
As the Democratic National Convention unfolds in Chicago, the focus has shifted from celebrating Harris to attacking the former president.
“Until we defeat Trumpism there’s nothing else that really, really matters,” Rep. Ro Khanna of California stated to reporters following a delegate breakfast on Tuesday. “And if we don’t defeat Trumpism, we’re going to be in a world of hurt, because there could be years of Republicans in charge.”
Throughout the first two days of the convention, Democrats have continually criticized Trump, taking aim at his character, legal troubles, and policy decisions, including his handling of the Covid pandemic. Former President Barack Obama even made light of Trump’s "weird obsession with crowd sizes."
Democrats are quite literally bringing props to highlight their criticisms. Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow showcased a massive Project 2025 book on stage, designed to spotlight the controversial framework for a future Republican administration that Trump has distanced himself from. Each night, speakers have showcased the hefty volume, with Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta presenting the over 900-page document on Tuesday.
While President Joe Biden is no longer the party's candidate, the convention shows that Democrats believe attacking the Republican leader is still a vital strategy.
Even as Harris told delegates at the United Center on Monday that “we are moving forward,” the party remains fixated on the past.
“It’s a tricky thing to get the balance right, and I am a firm believer that people rise to the moment that’s in front of them,” McMorrow remarked to PMG on Tuesday. “In 2020, it really did feel like this singular goal was to beat Donald Trump, and that meant that it was a lot about education, about democracy and what’s at stake, and what he could do with the second term. And I think now people know that, so that message can only take you so far.”
McMorrow further explained, “But also, if you want to sustain energy, it has to be fun. You can only tell people how much is at risk for so long, and people get tired and burned out.“
Nevertheless, many Democrats are confident that the peril of a second Trump term is still a compelling motivator for voters — both those active at the convention and the millions of Americans tuning in from home — just as it was in 2020 and during the midterms in 2018 and 2022.
During the initial sessions of the convention, prominent party figures have utilized their speaking opportunities to warn of the dangers of another Trump presidency and to highlight his character flaws. Obama remarked that Trump “has not stopped whining since he rode down his golden escalator nine years ago.” Former first lady Michelle Obama accused him of “demonizing our children for being who they are and loving who they love.”
On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized Trump for “peddling in anti-Semitic stereotypes” and “fuels islamophobia.” The highest-ranking Jewish elected official in the U.S. declared that “future generations deserve better than Donald Trump’s American carnage.”
Meanwhile, United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain opened the convention on Monday by dramatically removing his suit jacket to reveal a T-shirt emblazoned with the words “TRUMP IS A SCAB.” The union reported that thousands of these shirts have sold online since Monday.
Fain expressed confidence that Harris would win the election due to her relatability compared to Trump. However, he underscored the necessity for Harris’ allies to refute Trump’s falsehoods, adding further criticisms.
“In a world where Donald Trump does nothing but put out his alternative facts, or what we all call lies, I believe it’s important that we call him on his lies and that we expose him for what he really is,” he asserted. “He’s a fraud.”
The strategy of attacking Trump at the Chicago convention highlights the ongoing understanding that resisting the former president remains a central driving force for the party. This approach could help unite a diverse coalition spanning from progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) to Republican "Never Trumpers," especially while Biden was the candidate.
Now, with a new nominee, Harris has initiated her campaign with a forward-looking perspective — calling for Democrats to “chart a new way forward” during a rally in Milwaukee on Tuesday.
However, Harris has not yet unveiled many substantial policy proposals. The Democrats are defining her candidacy in contrast to Trump, framing the election as a choice between a prosecutor and a felon, someone focused on service versus one who is self-centered, and a party that looks forward as opposed to one looking back.
The attacks on Trump during the Chicago convention also serve as a response to the criticisms launched by Republicans at their own convention last month in Wisconsin, where they quickly shifted from solemnity following a recent assassination attempt on Trump to attacking their opponents.
On Tuesday, while campaigning in Michigan, Trump targeted Harris, slamming her on immigration and crime, labeling her a “lawless Marxist” and accusing her of permitting “hordes of illegal alien criminals to stampede into our country.”
In Chicago, Democrats articulated across various interviews that highlighting the contrast with Trump is essential for ensuring Americans grasp the stakes of the upcoming election and reinvigorating their voter base.
Rep. Ann McLane Kuster (D-N.H.), chair of the center-left New Democrat Coalition, highlighted the need for candidates to appeal to Republican voters in battleground areas in this third consecutive election with Trump at the forefront.
Her party’s most effective strategy? Let Trump speak for himself.
“Right now, just let him speak for himself, like there’s nothing that we can say that’s even dark enough to get to the place where he is,” Kuster stated. “Just let him be, and we will present a more positive view.”
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
