Democrats Can't Afford to Ignore Trump's Creeping Fascism

"As President Donald Trump openly contemplates sending military forces into more American cities, the leading congressional Democrats almost invariably describe his actions as an attempt to create a "distraction" from something else - whether that's the cost of living, the massive Medicaid cuts he signed into law, or the controversy around the Jeffrey Epstein files. That reflex captures the overwhelming preference of top DC Democrats to frame the 2026 election on familiar partisan grounds, particularly the charge that Trump has failed in his core 2024 promise to bring down the cost of living for average families."

"The preponderance of evidence suggests that Democratic efforts to depict Donald Trump as a "threat to democracy" in the 2024 election did not move that many voters. What persuadable voters did seem to care about was the cost of living, which they perceived as having been vastly more affordable during Trump's first term. And Trump also benefited from "issue advantages" over Kamala Harris on immigration and crime/law and order."

"Unsurprisingly, many Democrats have been allergic to "threat to democracy" messaging ever since the 2024 election and have also shied away from much talk about immigration or crime on the hoary theory that you shouldn't "play on enemy turf." While waiting for Trump's tariffs to produce the inflation that they rightly regard as a potential disaster for the 47th president,"

Leading congressional Democrats typically portray President Trump's controversial actions as attempts to create distractions from issues like cost of living, Medicaid cuts, or the Jeffrey Epstein files. Top DC Democrats prefer to frame the 2026 election on partisan grounds and argue that Trump failed to fulfill his 2024 promise to reduce living costs for average families. Evidence indicates that portraying Trump as a "threat to democracy" moved few voters, while persuadable voters prioritized cost-of-living concerns and viewed Trump as stronger on immigration and crime. Many Democrats therefore avoid immigration and crime messaging and emphasize Medicaid cuts while watching potential tariff-driven inflation.

Read at Intelligencer