'Democrats Face Backlash from Activists at "Scream Night" Over Climate Change Policy'
Democrats are focused on selecting a leader for their campaign organization, while climate activists are calling for additional action and commitments.
TroibNews 
Democrats are currently attempting to regain their footing in what some are calling the second Donald Trump era. However, during a party meeting on Thursday night, they were met with significant challenges that made it difficult to proceed.
The final forum featuring candidates for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair was interrupted multiple times by climate protesters, highlighting the divisions that continue to affect a party that is still grappling with the aftermath of its November losses.
More than a dozen demonstrators, some connected to the Sunrise Movement, created disruptions throughout the first half-hour of the DNC forum. After five interruptions, six additional protesters rushed the stage in an effort to display a banner, but were quickly removed by security.
Moderators including MSNBC hosts Jen Psaki, Jonathan Capehart, and Symone Sanders-Townsend showed visible frustration with the repeated interruptions, yet they adjusted their questions to address climate topics. “If anyone else feels the need to disrupt, please stand up and do it right now,” Sanders-Townsend remarked.
Despite this call, the protests persisted, creating enough of a distraction that candidates for DNC chair expressed their annoyance. Jason Paul, a lesser-known candidate among the eight, accused the protesters of “hijack[ing] the whole evening” and turning “this into scream night at the DNC.”
Paul mentioned that he had already signed a Sunrise Movement pledge to prohibit corporate donations to the DNC and ban super PAC spending in Democratic primaries. The interruptions underscored the ongoing protests from some party activists over specific policy concerns that have increasingly disrupted party events in recent years.
The forum largely resembled previous events, with candidates sharing a consensus about the necessity of fighting online misinformation, re-investing in state parties, and enhancing the party's overall branding. Frontrunners Ken Martin, chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, and Ben Wikler, Wisconsin Democratic Party chair, were seated side by side but did not engage in direct confrontation.
When queried about fundraising practices involving wealthy donors, both Martin and Wikler advocated for campaign finance reforms. However, Martin refrained from criticizing Wikler, known for his fundraising prowess, despite doing so in earlier forums.
Marianne Williamson, a former Democratic presidential candidate, took a more direct approach: “No, Reid Hoffman is not a good billionaire,” she stated, referring to a prominent Democratic donor connected to Wikler. Hoffman had faced backlash from some in the party when he launched a private voter file company that was seen as a competitor to state parties.
Both Martin and Wikler committed to enhancing transparency in the DNC’s budgeting process, with Martin vowing to “break up the consultant industrial complex.”
“I agree with Ken,” Wikler said, prompting laughter and applause. “Let’s start with auditing every consultant contract that we’ve got.”
Other candidates on stage underscored the need for a broader reevaluation of the party's challenges. Faiz Shakir, a recent DNC candidate and former campaign manager for Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2020, urged the party to center its efforts around economic justice, promising to better engage influencers to “tell the stories about people on Medicaid” affected by Trump’s policies.
“I felt like the ideas were not meeting the moment,” Shakir emphasized.
Anna Muller for TROIB News
The final forum featuring candidates for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair was interrupted multiple times by climate protesters, highlighting the divisions that continue to affect a party that is still grappling with the aftermath of its November losses.
More than a dozen demonstrators, some connected to the Sunrise Movement, created disruptions throughout the first half-hour of the DNC forum. After five interruptions, six additional protesters rushed the stage in an effort to display a banner, but were quickly removed by security.
Moderators including MSNBC hosts Jen Psaki, Jonathan Capehart, and Symone Sanders-Townsend showed visible frustration with the repeated interruptions, yet they adjusted their questions to address climate topics. “If anyone else feels the need to disrupt, please stand up and do it right now,” Sanders-Townsend remarked.
Despite this call, the protests persisted, creating enough of a distraction that candidates for DNC chair expressed their annoyance. Jason Paul, a lesser-known candidate among the eight, accused the protesters of “hijack[ing] the whole evening” and turning “this into scream night at the DNC.”
Paul mentioned that he had already signed a Sunrise Movement pledge to prohibit corporate donations to the DNC and ban super PAC spending in Democratic primaries. The interruptions underscored the ongoing protests from some party activists over specific policy concerns that have increasingly disrupted party events in recent years.
The forum largely resembled previous events, with candidates sharing a consensus about the necessity of fighting online misinformation, re-investing in state parties, and enhancing the party's overall branding. Frontrunners Ken Martin, chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, and Ben Wikler, Wisconsin Democratic Party chair, were seated side by side but did not engage in direct confrontation.
When queried about fundraising practices involving wealthy donors, both Martin and Wikler advocated for campaign finance reforms. However, Martin refrained from criticizing Wikler, known for his fundraising prowess, despite doing so in earlier forums.
Marianne Williamson, a former Democratic presidential candidate, took a more direct approach: “No, Reid Hoffman is not a good billionaire,” she stated, referring to a prominent Democratic donor connected to Wikler. Hoffman had faced backlash from some in the party when he launched a private voter file company that was seen as a competitor to state parties.
Both Martin and Wikler committed to enhancing transparency in the DNC’s budgeting process, with Martin vowing to “break up the consultant industrial complex.”
“I agree with Ken,” Wikler said, prompting laughter and applause. “Let’s start with auditing every consultant contract that we’ve got.”
Other candidates on stage underscored the need for a broader reevaluation of the party's challenges. Faiz Shakir, a recent DNC candidate and former campaign manager for Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2020, urged the party to center its efforts around economic justice, promising to better engage influencers to “tell the stories about people on Medicaid” affected by Trump’s policies.
“I felt like the ideas were not meeting the moment,” Shakir emphasized.
Anna Muller for TROIB News
