We’re now more than two weeks into President Donald Trump’s second administration, and I have to say: I am impressed.
Our newest president has single-handedly brought the price of eggs to an all-time high, initiated trade wars with multiple American allies and made major US airline planes fall out of the sky for the first time in decades directly after defunding and freezing hiring within the Federal Aviation Administration.
All of this exists with the added context that Trump ran his campaign on lowering egg prices, making America the most respected nation on Earth and bringing about a “Golden Age” for America.
Needless to say, this administration has done more harm than good for the American people — just as I predicted when Trump first announced his campaign for a re-run. It’s alongside that prediction that I find myself nearly apathetic to the consequences of this new administration.
After all, this is what Americans voted for. With open arms, millions voted for a transition into an oligarchy where rich “tech bros” like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Sam Altman essentially run our country. Who am I to whine?
Actually, that’s exactly what I’m here to do. While America decided on Trump, the 48% of us who voted against him are forced into the same repercussions.
Democrats don’t have control of the White House, nor either Congressional branch, nor the Supreme Court. Now should be the time for Democratic leaders and voters to start mobilizing — to start capitalizing on this administration’s multitude of failures in just two weeks and get the ball rolling into the 2026 midterm elections.
Democrat leaders have started this process, as the Democratic National Committee elected Ken Martin to serve as chairman. While Democrats are infamous for valuing rules and tradition in the game of politics, Martin promised in a session with reporters following his acceptance, “a new DNC,” that won’t “sit back and not take [Republicans] on when [they] fail the American people.”
Democrats have also recently become infamous for their lack of unity in leadership, following tension among party leaders due to calls on former President Biden to suspend his 2024 campaign.
On top of that, there’s tension between older-generation Democratic leaders and newer-generation ones, like former Speaker Nancy Pelosi lobbying for 74-year-old Representative Gerry Connolly over 35-year-old Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for the top influential House Oversight Committee role.
To address the infighting, Martin said: “We have one team, the Democratic Party, and we have one fight. The fight’s not in here, it’s out there.” He said this while older-generation Democratic leaders like Pelosi, Alexander Soros or Senator Chuck Schumer opposed him in his bid to become chairman.
All in all, I like where Democratic leadership is going. But, that hopefulness must be ruined. Because while strategists are making good decisions at the top, the people at the bottom have been nothing short of insufferable.
The Democratic Party has been described by journalists, political personalities and voters alike as spineless and weak, unable to pass legislation for its own agenda while Trump signs executive orders he doesn’t even read.
I can’t help but be reminded of the Dunning-Kruger effect, where those with just a tiny bit of experience think they know more than the veterans. Because while leadership have been making active steps to do better, voters and media personalities turn their heads and ignore all of the progress.
The punch line of this story? Naturally, it’s to ask what any of this may have to do with us.
By no means am I asking for voters to kow-tow to every decision Democrats make. But it also means leftist voters shouldn’t vindictively participate in politics.
Following Kamala Harris’s projected defeat on election night, @nour_zeidan on X posted, “Hey Kamala, GAZA is speaking now b—-.” And as much as I shouldn’t be using X posts by nobodies as argument references, neither should this in-party retaliation.
When the current federal government features Nazi salutes, we must adapt a new mindset to counter extremism. One that precludes infighting and prioritizes everyone’s issues.
This new mindset must be a change in our priorities. At the top of the list is the culture war that has disillusioned the median voter.
As important as some of these things are, items like gendered sports and DEI are not a priority for a majority of voters the way that Democrats have prioritized.
It’s a shame that politics have devolved into this culture war. But if we don’t play the game the way it’s being set up, then we’re just gonna lose.
