Staff Reports
The Democratic Party is scrambling as the 2026 midterms loom, battered by internal division, legislative flops, and popularity ratings that would make even a root canal look appealing. Polls show Democratic approval in Congress at record lows, with just 19% of voters expressing support and a growing base openly angry with party leadership. Once strongholds in terms of voter registration have nearly evaporated—including in states like Pennsylvania and Florida, which have now flipped red. Despite attempts to sound optimistic about a “blue wave,” party insiders privately admit things resemble more of a blue trickle.
Divisions between far-left progressives and establishment Democrats are boiling over. Progressive figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are drawing massive crowds on their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, riding a wave of grassroots anger at both Trump and Democratic elites. Rank-and-file activists blame their leadership for being out of touch and failing to offer a vision that galvanizes support. Calls for primary challenges to “asleep at the wheel” incumbents and anxieties about internal disunity have many predicting costly, prolonged intraparty squabbles into the midterm season.
The Democrats’ troubles are compounded by unpopular policies on crime, immigration, and spending. Voters are skeptical of soft-on-crime initiatives and confused by messaging around border security and drugs. Some Democratic leaders, including progressives, have even criticized their own party’s reluctance to adopt stronger border policies—echoing themes long championed by Republicans. Meanwhile, the push for expensive pet projects, like electric vehicle charging stations, has failed to distract from kitchen table concerns like inflation and public safety.
Republicans are viewing the Democrats’ misfortunes with justified amusement while counterpunching relentlessly. Trump and GOP strategists have seized the opportunity to highlight issues that resonate with everyday voters—crime, fentanyl, and economic security—and to paint the Democrats as distracted by fringe social issues and palace intrigue. From legislative victories cutting wasteful spending to hardline stances on fentanyl and crime deterrence, the Republican campaign is focused, coherent, and grounded in problems voters want solved, in stark contrast to the Democrats’ fuzzy and fractured approach.
As the midterms approach, Democratic leaders are desperate to recalibrate—but face an uphill battle. The party’s brand is tarnished, voter registration is down, and the progressive wing’s energy is matched only by its dissatisfaction with establishment leadership. Unless Democrats fundamentally rethink their priorities and present voters with solutions that address safety, prosperity, and accountability, they risk cementing their legacy as the party of chaos and missed opportunities—giving Republicans a front row seat to the spectacle.
