Liberal organization cautions Democratic leaders on their approach to combating Trump
Members of MoveOn express significant frustration regarding the party's current stance towards the president.
TroibNews 
A significant liberal group is alerting Democratic leaders to serious concerns regarding their strategy toward President Donald Trump and its impact on their base.
MoveOn, a progressive organization, expressed its members’ frustration in a letter addressed to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The correspondence indicated that many members are enraged by what they perceive as inaction from Democratic lawmakers in Congress. The memo, first shared with PMG, cautioned that grassroots volunteers and donors may withdraw their support for the Democratic Party unless more decisive actions to obstruct Trump are taken.
“These members, arguably the backbone of the party, have reached a unifying consensus since President Trump’s inauguration,” wrote Rahna Epting, executive director of MoveOn. “Whether they live in a deep-red, purple, or blue district, their message is clear: Now is not the time for politics as usual. Don’t back down, fight back.”
The letter adds to the growing chorus of voices within the party urging Schumer to adopt a more aggressive stance against Trump, especially following his vote with the GOP to advance a stopgap funding bill earlier this month. Last week, four youth-oriented progressive organizations stated that Schumer must “stand up” or resign from his leadership role. The liberal group Indivisible also called for his removal as leader, and several Democratic lawmakers have hinted that his leadership tenure may be coming to an end as well.
The memo also presented findings from a poll of MoveOn’s members that highlights the pressures facing Democratic lawmakers from their liberal constituents. The survey revealed that 78 percent of participants believe Democrats in Congress are not doing enough to stop Trump, while 49 percent indicated they were less likely to volunteer or donate to Democrats after observing the party's responses to Trump. Contrastingly, 89 percent of those polled think Democrats should adopt aggressive strategies to counter Trump, and only 4 percent support adhering to traditional congressional norms in dealing with him.
Epting stated, “Our members' frustrations are at a boiling point.”
In response to his vote to advance the GOP funding bill, which averted a government shutdown, Schumer explained that he believed it was the lesser of two unfavorable options. He argued that a shutdown would have empowered Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk.
During an interview on NBC’s “Meet The Press” on Sunday, Schumer affirmed his decision not to resign as leader, stating, "The GOP bill was certainly bad. But a shutdown would have been 15 or 20 times worse."
Max Fischer for TROIB News
MoveOn, a progressive organization, expressed its members’ frustration in a letter addressed to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The correspondence indicated that many members are enraged by what they perceive as inaction from Democratic lawmakers in Congress. The memo, first shared with PMG, cautioned that grassroots volunteers and donors may withdraw their support for the Democratic Party unless more decisive actions to obstruct Trump are taken.
“These members, arguably the backbone of the party, have reached a unifying consensus since President Trump’s inauguration,” wrote Rahna Epting, executive director of MoveOn. “Whether they live in a deep-red, purple, or blue district, their message is clear: Now is not the time for politics as usual. Don’t back down, fight back.”
The letter adds to the growing chorus of voices within the party urging Schumer to adopt a more aggressive stance against Trump, especially following his vote with the GOP to advance a stopgap funding bill earlier this month. Last week, four youth-oriented progressive organizations stated that Schumer must “stand up” or resign from his leadership role. The liberal group Indivisible also called for his removal as leader, and several Democratic lawmakers have hinted that his leadership tenure may be coming to an end as well.
The memo also presented findings from a poll of MoveOn’s members that highlights the pressures facing Democratic lawmakers from their liberal constituents. The survey revealed that 78 percent of participants believe Democrats in Congress are not doing enough to stop Trump, while 49 percent indicated they were less likely to volunteer or donate to Democrats after observing the party's responses to Trump. Contrastingly, 89 percent of those polled think Democrats should adopt aggressive strategies to counter Trump, and only 4 percent support adhering to traditional congressional norms in dealing with him.
Epting stated, “Our members' frustrations are at a boiling point.”
In response to his vote to advance the GOP funding bill, which averted a government shutdown, Schumer explained that he believed it was the lesser of two unfavorable options. He argued that a shutdown would have empowered Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk.
During an interview on NBC’s “Meet The Press” on Sunday, Schumer affirmed his decision not to resign as leader, stating, "The GOP bill was certainly bad. But a shutdown would have been 15 or 20 times worse."
Max Fischer for TROIB News
