Attacks on trump not working.  Will Democrats ever learn?

When President Trump won in 2016 — beating the odds and most predictions (mine included) — the Democratic Party and their media cronies launched an unprecedented Resistance Movement.  There would be no traditional “honeymoon” or cooperation from a loyal opposition for a man who dashed their greatest expectations, hopes and assumptions.  It was arguably a political bitterness unseen in America since Democrats lost to President Lincoln in 1860.

The Resistance Movement had four major elements – (1) never, never say anything positive about Trump or his accomplishments, (2) demonize him and his supporters as consummate evil, (3) use every means possible – legit or not — to undermine his presidency, and (4) use any pretext to get him impeached and removed.  That has been – and continues to be – the driving strategy of the Democratic Party for the past nine years.

Democrats have been true to their strategy of never saying anything positive about Trump, demonizing supporters and using every means possible to undermine the President and his policies.  The Democrat majority in Congress were successful with two dubious politically motivated impeachments – with no chance of Trump’s removal from office.  Their divisive strategy did have negative impacts on Trump, his presidencies, the GOP brand and half the nation’s voters. It lowered his polling numbers and gave Democrats wins in off-year elections.

But in an unanticipated irony, Trump not only survived, but after eight years of unrelenting attacks, endless court cases and withering slander, he emerged stronger than ever.  In 2024, the never-Trump Democrats lost an even more bitter and humiliating defeat.  Voters across the nation – including all the critical battleground states – returned Trump to the presidency and gave Republicans control of the House and Senate.

One might think that Democrats would ponder that and consider their long-term failed strategy.   Were all those unrelenting, vicious attacks actually producing a backlash upon which Trump rode to victory – as many pundits suggest?  But noooo.  Democrats and the left-wing establishment decided that they were not tough enough.  They needed to be even more myopic and more vicious in their attacks on Trump, Republican officeholders and 77 million voters.

Just as they had proffered false narratives in the past — Russiagate being the most prominent but by far not the only one – the left-wing establishment launched even more vicious and more ridiculous attacks – Trump as a king, innuendoes regarding Jeffrey Epstein, and intentional disinformation about the Big Beautiful Bill, deportations, tariffs, etc.

With little political power in Washington, Demorats have developed a “take it to the streets” strategy against Trump and his policies – including the promotion and acceptance of violence, if not an overt call.  We saw that with the largely uncondemned attacks on Tesla dealerships and owners.  We saw it in the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles – and in the innumerable attacks on ICE agents and property. We saw it in the involvement and complicity of Democratic public officials – two of whom are currently facing criminal trials.

Despite the obvious failures of the Resistance Movement strategy, the dominant “fight harder” element of the Democratic Party is still driving the strategy.  That is seen in New Jersey’s Cory Booker’s over the top rant on the Senate floor and in Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s calls for more toughness.  Walz — all but endorsing the attacks on Tesla. Young Democrats, such as David Hogg and the Antifa faction of the Party want more street action… more confrontation … and by extension, more violence.  The so-called “squad” and their acolytes are in full battle armor – as are such old lefties as socialist Senator Bernie Sanders and Senator Elizabeth Warren.

While the power-core Democrats are doubling down, there appears to be a growing resistance to the Resistance Movement strategy. 

• Former Transportation Secretary said Demorats should “embrace reform—even if that means acknowledging where Trump exposed real institutional weaknesses.” 
• Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper called on Democrats to avoid “reflex opposition.”  Democratic Strategist Basil
• Smikle advises Democrats to “tailor messaging to resonate with working-class concerns, rather than blanket condemnation.” 
• Michigan State Senator Mallory McMorrow said of Trump’s proposals: “Call [them] out, be blunt, but don’t shriek about it.”   He said to criticizing Trump, when necessary, but avoiding “the outrage cycle that defined earlier Democratic responses.”
• Former Obama Chief-of-Staff and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel said Democrats would be more credible by giving Trump credit for such good things as securing the border.

CNN’s Michael Smerconish may have tapped into the reason why the Democrats’ longtime strategy has not been working.  He posed this question to viewers on his Saturday morning show.  “Is it in the political best interest of Democrats to publicly give Trump credit when he accomplishes something with which they concur?”   Smerconish, who predicted a major “no” response, was surprised that 76 percent of his very liberal audience responded, “yes.”   We will have to wait to see if Democrats get the less-than-subtle hint.

The voices of reason, rationality and moderation are still in the political wilderness – and harshly criticized by the radical faction of the Party that currently dominates.  But the voice of balance and moderation is growing among Democrat leaders. 

Not so much with the left-leaning news media.  The MSNBC line-up – and the more radical voices on CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC and in the bird cage liner print media — are staying the course with uncompromised criticism and hyperbolic accusations to the point of disinformation and lies.  They seem to believe that this time, they have Trump down for the count.  Time will tell whether their optimism is justified or simply another case of emotion overriding logic and experience.

So, there ‘tis.

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