Trump's Conflicting Statements Leave Democrats Searching for a Path Forward
One Democrat remarked, "We’re still sorting out what he’s actually serious about."
TroibNews 
During holiday mixers on Thursday, both over drinks and in lackluster hotel conference rooms, Democrats focused their discussions on how to reposition their party in light of Donald Trump’s re-emerging presence in politics.
However, Trump continues to pose challenges in terms of predictability.
As Democrats consider the implications of Trump’s significant victory, his inconsistent messaging on crucial topics has led to uncertainty among party leaders about how to modify their strategy towards the president-elect, who is poised to assume power under drastically different political conditions compared to 2017 — a time when Democratic enthusiasm and mandate felt more distinct. In contrast, as they approach 2024, Trump’s unpredictability, combined with the depth of their own recent losses, complicates their efforts to redefine their party’s messaging.
“Right now, we’re still sorting out what he’s actually serious about,” Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman remarked to PMG at the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee headquarters on Thursday. “How much will he engage in actions that are just for show, but where the results are not as impactful?”
Recently, Trump hinted at a willingness to strike a bargain with Democrats to protect Dreamers while also promising to eliminate birthright citizenship. In the same dialogue, he offered to collaborate with Democratic leaders to address crime in their jurisdictions, while also suggesting that congressional Democrats who investigated him over the Capitol riot should face jail time. Moreover, he has sought to counter one of the Democrats’ strongest criticisms by frequently stating that he is unlikely to restrict access to medication abortion.
Such unpredictable behavior has resulted in varied reactions from Democrats regarding Trump’s anticipated return to the political forefront.
During a DLCC event, several state legislators conveyed that Democrats in their states are adopting a wait-and-see approach, observing how Trump handles his second term before forming judgments about his intentions. Others expressed a more tempered emotional response to his return, noting, “we already know what to do and we’ve experienced this before,” according to Wisconsin state Sen. Jeff Smith.
“With his rhetoric so far,” Smith noted, “believe him.”
Meanwhile, at a DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting focused on upcoming chair election rules, outgoing DNC Chair Jaime Harrison emphasized that the party’s future victories rely significantly on “holding the Trump administration and MAGA Republicans accountable for the harms they will inflict on the American people.”
“How to respond to Trump is a huge topic of conversation in Democratic circles right now,” said Ian Russell, a Democratic consultant.
“The political reality is just different than 2017. He won the popular vote and the Electoral College, and a bunch of House [Democratic] members woke up after the election in Trump districts,” Russell observed. “It's not that Democrats are going to roll over, but you're seeing Trump handled as a more conventional political opponent as opposed to the Donald Trump who we've been doing battle with for the last decade.”
In contrast to Trump’s first presidential term, Democrats are not anticipating significant protests akin to the Women’s March ahead of his January 20 inauguration. Instead, Democrats at various government levels are considering more cautiously open strategies towards Trump.
In Washington, some Democratic lawmakers are initiating discussions with billionaire Trump associate Elon Musk, who is set to co-lead efforts to reduce government spending. Others have commended some of Trump’s more conventional Cabinet selections, with Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who won reelection in a state that Trump carried, expressing support for his nominee for transportation secretary, former Rep. Sean Duffy. Additionally, they are working to identify common ground with one of Trump’s controversial Cabinet picks, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was a lifelong Democrat until recently.
In the states, governors who have stated they would “fight to the death” against any infringement on their constituents’ rights are also publicly vowing to explore collaborative efforts with Trump on issues like infrastructure and immigration. Attorneys general preparing to contest mass deportations in court are also committing not to obstruct lawful immigration enforcement. Meanwhile, Denver’s Democratic mayor, Mike Johnston, stated he would be willing to go to jail to oppose what he perceives as illegal actions by Trump, while Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, met with the incoming administration’s customs and border protection leader.
“We’re not going to be the party of ‘no,’” said state Rep. Robert Reives, the Democratic leader in North Carolina’s General Assembly. “Question is: Does he really want to work on the issues, and is he willing to accept the help from Democrats?”
As they await answers, Democrats are attempting to recalibrate and recognize that the political dynamics surrounding key issues like immigration and the economy have shifted further against their favor. This comes even as the president-elect has recently acknowledged the difficulties in reducing grocery prices and his inability to guarantee that American consumers won’t face higher costs if his proposed tariff hikes go into effect.
Acknowledging this new reality, Democrats recognize they can no longer solely position themselves against an increasingly popular Trump.
“We are not going to win the battle of telling people that the reason that you got to vote for us in 2026 is because we’re not Trump,” Reives asserted.
However, Democratic elected officials seem more advanced in their understanding than the party leadership, who largely disregarded Trump’s victory and its implications during Thursday’s Rules and Bylaws meeting. Instead of addressing the political landscape, they dedicated several minutes to praising their Chicago convention as “magical” and “masterful,” while overlooking their electoral setbacks. Committee members appeared to be offloading responsibility for the party’s renewal to the next chair, who will be elected on February 1.
Donna Brazile, a committee member and former acting DNC chair, urged Harrison to ensure the DNC conducts a “very thorough, forensic examination of the 2024 election.”
“What did we do wrong? Why did we fall behind?” she urged her party to consider.
While Harrison claimed the DNC was “laying the foundation” for such an assessment, he did not expect it to be completed prior to the selection of the incoming DNC chair.
In response to whether the Democrats had a clear and unified strategy towards Trump, one DNC member simply replied via text: “Nope.”
Anna Muller for TROIB News
However, Trump continues to pose challenges in terms of predictability.
As Democrats consider the implications of Trump’s significant victory, his inconsistent messaging on crucial topics has led to uncertainty among party leaders about how to modify their strategy towards the president-elect, who is poised to assume power under drastically different political conditions compared to 2017 — a time when Democratic enthusiasm and mandate felt more distinct. In contrast, as they approach 2024, Trump’s unpredictability, combined with the depth of their own recent losses, complicates their efforts to redefine their party’s messaging.
“Right now, we’re still sorting out what he’s actually serious about,” Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman remarked to PMG at the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee headquarters on Thursday. “How much will he engage in actions that are just for show, but where the results are not as impactful?”
Recently, Trump hinted at a willingness to strike a bargain with Democrats to protect Dreamers while also promising to eliminate birthright citizenship. In the same dialogue, he offered to collaborate with Democratic leaders to address crime in their jurisdictions, while also suggesting that congressional Democrats who investigated him over the Capitol riot should face jail time. Moreover, he has sought to counter one of the Democrats’ strongest criticisms by frequently stating that he is unlikely to restrict access to medication abortion.
Such unpredictable behavior has resulted in varied reactions from Democrats regarding Trump’s anticipated return to the political forefront.
During a DLCC event, several state legislators conveyed that Democrats in their states are adopting a wait-and-see approach, observing how Trump handles his second term before forming judgments about his intentions. Others expressed a more tempered emotional response to his return, noting, “we already know what to do and we’ve experienced this before,” according to Wisconsin state Sen. Jeff Smith.
“With his rhetoric so far,” Smith noted, “believe him.”
Meanwhile, at a DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting focused on upcoming chair election rules, outgoing DNC Chair Jaime Harrison emphasized that the party’s future victories rely significantly on “holding the Trump administration and MAGA Republicans accountable for the harms they will inflict on the American people.”
“How to respond to Trump is a huge topic of conversation in Democratic circles right now,” said Ian Russell, a Democratic consultant.
“The political reality is just different than 2017. He won the popular vote and the Electoral College, and a bunch of House [Democratic] members woke up after the election in Trump districts,” Russell observed. “It's not that Democrats are going to roll over, but you're seeing Trump handled as a more conventional political opponent as opposed to the Donald Trump who we've been doing battle with for the last decade.”
In contrast to Trump’s first presidential term, Democrats are not anticipating significant protests akin to the Women’s March ahead of his January 20 inauguration. Instead, Democrats at various government levels are considering more cautiously open strategies towards Trump.
In Washington, some Democratic lawmakers are initiating discussions with billionaire Trump associate Elon Musk, who is set to co-lead efforts to reduce government spending. Others have commended some of Trump’s more conventional Cabinet selections, with Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who won reelection in a state that Trump carried, expressing support for his nominee for transportation secretary, former Rep. Sean Duffy. Additionally, they are working to identify common ground with one of Trump’s controversial Cabinet picks, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was a lifelong Democrat until recently.
In the states, governors who have stated they would “fight to the death” against any infringement on their constituents’ rights are also publicly vowing to explore collaborative efforts with Trump on issues like infrastructure and immigration. Attorneys general preparing to contest mass deportations in court are also committing not to obstruct lawful immigration enforcement. Meanwhile, Denver’s Democratic mayor, Mike Johnston, stated he would be willing to go to jail to oppose what he perceives as illegal actions by Trump, while Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, met with the incoming administration’s customs and border protection leader.
“We’re not going to be the party of ‘no,’” said state Rep. Robert Reives, the Democratic leader in North Carolina’s General Assembly. “Question is: Does he really want to work on the issues, and is he willing to accept the help from Democrats?”
As they await answers, Democrats are attempting to recalibrate and recognize that the political dynamics surrounding key issues like immigration and the economy have shifted further against their favor. This comes even as the president-elect has recently acknowledged the difficulties in reducing grocery prices and his inability to guarantee that American consumers won’t face higher costs if his proposed tariff hikes go into effect.
Acknowledging this new reality, Democrats recognize they can no longer solely position themselves against an increasingly popular Trump.
“We are not going to win the battle of telling people that the reason that you got to vote for us in 2026 is because we’re not Trump,” Reives asserted.
However, Democratic elected officials seem more advanced in their understanding than the party leadership, who largely disregarded Trump’s victory and its implications during Thursday’s Rules and Bylaws meeting. Instead of addressing the political landscape, they dedicated several minutes to praising their Chicago convention as “magical” and “masterful,” while overlooking their electoral setbacks. Committee members appeared to be offloading responsibility for the party’s renewal to the next chair, who will be elected on February 1.
Donna Brazile, a committee member and former acting DNC chair, urged Harrison to ensure the DNC conducts a “very thorough, forensic examination of the 2024 election.”
“What did we do wrong? Why did we fall behind?” she urged her party to consider.
While Harrison claimed the DNC was “laying the foundation” for such an assessment, he did not expect it to be completed prior to the selection of the incoming DNC chair.
In response to whether the Democrats had a clear and unified strategy towards Trump, one DNC member simply replied via text: “Nope.”
Anna Muller for TROIB News
