Ro Khanna addresses voters eager for conflict with GOP during town hall tour
PMG accompanied Khanna on a drive through key battleground districts in California, where he reflected on the disheartened state of Democrats from the front seat of an SUV.
TroibNews 
BAKERSFIELD — The banner behind Rep. Ro Khanna boldly stated, in a style reminiscent of Bernie Sanders, “Benefits over Billionaires.” Attendees held hand-painted signs that criticized Elon Musk.
However, during the three town halls Khanna hosted in three Republican-dominated House districts away from his Silicon Valley base on Sunday, it was his own party that faced sharp criticism. Khanna found himself in the position of needing to reassure the crowd that the Democratic Party still had vitality.
“I want to know why in the world the Democratic Party hasn’t fought yet?” asked Ryiad Cooper, a 45-year-old combat veteran, at Khanna’s afternoon event in California’s Inland Empire, located in the eastern outskirts of Los Angeles. “I’m sorry but you’re the only Democrat standing here, so you’re the only person I’ve got to ask.”
Town halls have resurfaced as a significant element in the political landscape, echoing the Tea Party movement of 2009 and the 2017 backlash against attempts to dismantle Obamacare. Republican leaders are advising their members to steer clear of in-person gatherings; those who choose to continue often face loud, disapproving crowds, while figures like Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hosted massive rallies, drawing 34,000 attendees in Colorado alone.
Khanna, a 48-year-old son of Indian immigrants, has established a unique position as a tech-friendly populist and had planned a tour aiming to put California’s most vulnerable House Republicans on edge. He sought to communicate to GOP Reps. David Valadao, Ken Calvert, and Young Kim that the damaging impacts of the recent DOGE incidents and the threat of cuts to Medicaid and Social Security were igniting a backlash that could endanger their positions.
In response, Valadao, Calvert, and Kim's spokesperson dismissed Khanna’s visit as mere political theater, particularly since their districts had leaned more conservative in 2024 compared to four years prior—a sign of the ground Democrats have lost, even in California.
Inspired by Sanders, Khanna’s tour fit his dynamic approach to politics. He’s known for taking journeys well outside the Bay Area—visiting places like West Virginia and Kentucky to explore the potential of tech innovation in transforming economies reliant on coal.
His frequent trips to New Hampshire have attracted attention, leading to jokes about him being informally regarded as the fifth member of the state’s House delegation. This high profile has helped him gather respectful crowds at his events—about 1,000 attendees at each across Sunday—comprising mostly dedicated Democrats who regularly watch MSNBC.
Although the reception was warm and enthusiastic, some attendees expressed clear frustration with the party. They sought guidance on how to counter Trump, demanded reassurance that Democrats had a plan, and conveyed their fear for the future.
Khanna admitted that his party had faltered.
“Our messaging is too fragmented,” he stated in Bakersfield. “The old guard isn’t cutting it.”
He was particularly critical of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, emphasizing that he failed to secure any concessions to prevent a government shutdown.
“He didn’t get any concessions,” he remarked to PMG. “I believe if Nancy Pelosi was in his position, we would have still had the government open, but we would have gotten concessions.”
When asked by an attendee if he supported Sanders’ idea that more individuals should run as independents, Khanna passionately defended the Democratic Party.
“We are the party that got the 40-hour workweek. We are the party that got overtime pay. We are the party that got Social Security. We are the party that got Medicare. We are the party that got Medicaid. We are the party that funded public schools. We are the party that fought and got civil rights and voting rights,” he asserted, continuing as the crowd applauded, tapping into nostalgia for a time when being a Democrat felt more uplifting.
Immediately after stepping off the stage in Bakersfield, he instructed his staff to share that clip defending the party.
It was a surprising bright spot amid the pervasive pessimism surrounding the state of the Democrats.
On the drive from Bakersfield to his subsequent stop in Norco, Khanna reflected on the moment as a clear demonstration of what disheartened Democrats were seeking.
“What surprised me is the reaction of it in the room, because they were — as you know — very, very skeptical about the Democratic Party and our leadership,” he shared while seated in the front passenger seat as his political director maneuvered the SUV through the winding roads of the Grapevine. “And yet, at least being up on stage, it seemed to me that that answer got the most enthusiasm. So they're looking for kind of an inspiration for our party.”
In that regard, Khanna seemed to have succeeded. Lisa Jo Gage, a social services provider in Bakersfield, expressed that she felt “more hopeful than when I walked in.”
“It was uplifting to see people of so many backgrounds in the same room believing in the same thing,” said Gage, a 56-year-old Democrat. “Living in a red county can be exhausting at times feeling like no one sees or feels things that I am seeing or feeling.”
Khanna recognized that attendees at his town halls were eager to do more than just express frustration.
“It was more than just a therapy session,” he said. “I think it was people asking for direction. They're saying we're ready to spend our time on a Sunday and come out. What are you guys doing?”
For Democrats, answering that question is more complex.
Khanna made a concerted effort to provide more specifics during his later events. He asserted that Schumer should not only have asked for concessions but also for assurances that no veterans would be fired and that no Social Security offices would be closed. He condemned the party's votes against the Laken Riley Act, which facilitates the detention of immigrants charged with minor offenses, and criticized some of his colleagues for censuring Rep. Al Green for his disruptions during Trump’s address to Congress.
Nevertheless, Khanna had to acknowledge the party's limited influence in governance.
“The reality is, we don't have the White House, we don't have the Senate, we don't have the House,” he stated in Norco, a rural area within the industrialized Inland Empire. “So we can point fingers, but what we need to do is figure out, how are we going to get past this? What are we going to do to actually stop Musk and Trump and prevent these cuts? And the only thing I can think of is to organize like we're doing here in every red district in this country.”
During the journey between events, Khanna conceded that no single answer would instantly fulfill voters' demands for guidance.
“What we need from the Democrats is a plan,” he said. “Every day we should have our leaders saying ‘here’s what we’re doing…’ What I got [from the town halls] is there’s not a clear sense of the plan.”
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
However, during the three town halls Khanna hosted in three Republican-dominated House districts away from his Silicon Valley base on Sunday, it was his own party that faced sharp criticism. Khanna found himself in the position of needing to reassure the crowd that the Democratic Party still had vitality.
“I want to know why in the world the Democratic Party hasn’t fought yet?” asked Ryiad Cooper, a 45-year-old combat veteran, at Khanna’s afternoon event in California’s Inland Empire, located in the eastern outskirts of Los Angeles. “I’m sorry but you’re the only Democrat standing here, so you’re the only person I’ve got to ask.”
Town halls have resurfaced as a significant element in the political landscape, echoing the Tea Party movement of 2009 and the 2017 backlash against attempts to dismantle Obamacare. Republican leaders are advising their members to steer clear of in-person gatherings; those who choose to continue often face loud, disapproving crowds, while figures like Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hosted massive rallies, drawing 34,000 attendees in Colorado alone.
Khanna, a 48-year-old son of Indian immigrants, has established a unique position as a tech-friendly populist and had planned a tour aiming to put California’s most vulnerable House Republicans on edge. He sought to communicate to GOP Reps. David Valadao, Ken Calvert, and Young Kim that the damaging impacts of the recent DOGE incidents and the threat of cuts to Medicaid and Social Security were igniting a backlash that could endanger their positions.
In response, Valadao, Calvert, and Kim's spokesperson dismissed Khanna’s visit as mere political theater, particularly since their districts had leaned more conservative in 2024 compared to four years prior—a sign of the ground Democrats have lost, even in California.
Inspired by Sanders, Khanna’s tour fit his dynamic approach to politics. He’s known for taking journeys well outside the Bay Area—visiting places like West Virginia and Kentucky to explore the potential of tech innovation in transforming economies reliant on coal.
His frequent trips to New Hampshire have attracted attention, leading to jokes about him being informally regarded as the fifth member of the state’s House delegation. This high profile has helped him gather respectful crowds at his events—about 1,000 attendees at each across Sunday—comprising mostly dedicated Democrats who regularly watch MSNBC.
Although the reception was warm and enthusiastic, some attendees expressed clear frustration with the party. They sought guidance on how to counter Trump, demanded reassurance that Democrats had a plan, and conveyed their fear for the future.
Khanna admitted that his party had faltered.
“Our messaging is too fragmented,” he stated in Bakersfield. “The old guard isn’t cutting it.”
He was particularly critical of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, emphasizing that he failed to secure any concessions to prevent a government shutdown.
“He didn’t get any concessions,” he remarked to PMG. “I believe if Nancy Pelosi was in his position, we would have still had the government open, but we would have gotten concessions.”
When asked by an attendee if he supported Sanders’ idea that more individuals should run as independents, Khanna passionately defended the Democratic Party.
“We are the party that got the 40-hour workweek. We are the party that got overtime pay. We are the party that got Social Security. We are the party that got Medicare. We are the party that got Medicaid. We are the party that funded public schools. We are the party that fought and got civil rights and voting rights,” he asserted, continuing as the crowd applauded, tapping into nostalgia for a time when being a Democrat felt more uplifting.
Immediately after stepping off the stage in Bakersfield, he instructed his staff to share that clip defending the party.
It was a surprising bright spot amid the pervasive pessimism surrounding the state of the Democrats.
On the drive from Bakersfield to his subsequent stop in Norco, Khanna reflected on the moment as a clear demonstration of what disheartened Democrats were seeking.
“What surprised me is the reaction of it in the room, because they were — as you know — very, very skeptical about the Democratic Party and our leadership,” he shared while seated in the front passenger seat as his political director maneuvered the SUV through the winding roads of the Grapevine. “And yet, at least being up on stage, it seemed to me that that answer got the most enthusiasm. So they're looking for kind of an inspiration for our party.”
In that regard, Khanna seemed to have succeeded. Lisa Jo Gage, a social services provider in Bakersfield, expressed that she felt “more hopeful than when I walked in.”
“It was uplifting to see people of so many backgrounds in the same room believing in the same thing,” said Gage, a 56-year-old Democrat. “Living in a red county can be exhausting at times feeling like no one sees or feels things that I am seeing or feeling.”
Khanna recognized that attendees at his town halls were eager to do more than just express frustration.
“It was more than just a therapy session,” he said. “I think it was people asking for direction. They're saying we're ready to spend our time on a Sunday and come out. What are you guys doing?”
For Democrats, answering that question is more complex.
Khanna made a concerted effort to provide more specifics during his later events. He asserted that Schumer should not only have asked for concessions but also for assurances that no veterans would be fired and that no Social Security offices would be closed. He condemned the party's votes against the Laken Riley Act, which facilitates the detention of immigrants charged with minor offenses, and criticized some of his colleagues for censuring Rep. Al Green for his disruptions during Trump’s address to Congress.
Nevertheless, Khanna had to acknowledge the party's limited influence in governance.
“The reality is, we don't have the White House, we don't have the Senate, we don't have the House,” he stated in Norco, a rural area within the industrialized Inland Empire. “So we can point fingers, but what we need to do is figure out, how are we going to get past this? What are we going to do to actually stop Musk and Trump and prevent these cuts? And the only thing I can think of is to organize like we're doing here in every red district in this country.”
During the journey between events, Khanna conceded that no single answer would instantly fulfill voters' demands for guidance.
“What we need from the Democrats is a plan,” he said. “Every day we should have our leaders saying ‘here’s what we’re doing…’ What I got [from the town halls] is there’s not a clear sense of the plan.”
Mark B Thomas for TROIB News
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