President Donald Trump’s second term has created a bleak portrait of what is to come.
With rising inflation, tariff chaos and mass deportations unfolding across the country, the soul of our nation has been put to the test. Today, the Trump Administration announced it was barring Harvard University from enrolling international students.
It seems that every day, some horrific story from Washington incites a nationwide frenzy. These are difficult, uncharted times where hope can feel fleeting. Faith in Democrats is at an all-time low among the American public.
However, it is essential to remember that there are still leaders who serve with integrity.
For the last few months, I have been keeping rigorous tabs on firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett (R-Texas), who exemplifies the new guard of politics I think Democrats should adopt widely. Watching C-SPAN coverage of her ruthless takedowns of the MAGA crowd has become a source of comfort and even entertainment.
Crockett serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight Committee, and has embarked on a multi-month media tour, making stops on CNN, MSNBC and countless late night shows. Her criticism of Elon Musk and carping takedowns of Trump and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), in particular, have taken social media by storm.
In her latest attack on MAGA, Crockett upended a Republican-led congressional hearing earlier this month about transgender athletes by playing a game called “Trump or trans,” a targeted line of questioning exposing the GOP’s obsession with demonizing trans athletes while ignoring the harm Trump is inflicting on America.
In the House Oversight Committee’s “Delivering on Government Efficiency” hearing, Crockett asked National Women’s Law Center President and CEO Fatima Goss Graves whether Trump or trans people were responsible for acts like “gutt[ing] medical research,” “kidnapping Americans and sending them to foreign countries” and “driving us into a recession.” The answers for all of her questions were invariably Trump.
Crockett’s ruthless attacks on the GOP and zero tolerance for inefficiency is exactly the kind of fury and hunger for change Democrats are sorely lacking.
We need Democratic leaders who refuse to cower to bullies. Unfortunately, the soul of our party has been lost.
A common post-election talking point has been the low favorability of the Democratic party, which reached a record low in March, according to a CNN poll. According to said poll, Democrats cannot rally around a leader who best reflects the party values. Though I find these criticisms demonstrably biased — after all, the Republican Party has the same issue, perhaps even to a greater extent— they are still worth noting.
Among the politicians cited as potential leaders of the party were Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), former Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
All three of those leaders champion anti-respectability politics.
Ocasio-Cortez has been outspoken in advocating for better climate legislation, abortion access and protections for the working class.
As the first female vice president, Harris shattered glass ceilings to ascend the political ranks, never compromising her values or wavering in her quest for justice.
Sanders’ passion for toppling oligarchy and holding the top 1% accountable to pay their fair share in taxes has cemented him as one of the most outspoken leaders in Washington.
The problem is that there are not enough leaders with the guts to take down Trump and his allies.
The narrative that Democrats — even the most moderate ones — are “radical” has pervaded our polity. When the president is shouting into a microphone that his political opponents are “radical leftist lunatics” on a repetitive basis, the narrative is impossible to shake off.
As a result, Democrats find themselves in a challenging position to retain their party’s values without being labeled political extremists. They over-emphasize appealing to Republicans, many of whom will never vote across the aisle. They choose the optical viability of a candidate over their own policy goals. Representatives like Crockett, AOC, Sanders and Harris know that this is not a winning strategy.
As we chart a path forward, we need to elect smarter, fresher and younger leaders. The Democratic party is stacked with career politicians who have served in Congress longer than many members of Gen Z have been alive.
As the Trump Administration continues to recklessly defy precedent, it is up to Democrats to effectively contrast their harmful policies and rhetoric. The moment for change is now.
Gabe Hawkins is a Medill freshman. He can be contacted at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this op-ed, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected]. The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.
