Democrats Need Real Leadership Right Now. They Don't Have It

Politics is often described as the art of the possible. It is occasionally defined as “who gets what, when, why, and how.” It is a messy business and in the last sixty years, the public’s faith in lawmakers has bottomed out.

Now, we are in the midst of the gravest Constitutional crisis in our country’s history. We have a reactionary Supreme Court that is doing everything in its power in make Trump above the law and unaccountable to anyone. Trump has surrounded himself with yes-men and sycophants who are dismantling everything they can, ignoring judicial orders, and forcing out those who they cannot get to bend the knee. He is aided by a lapdog Congress who will do anything he asks.

In the movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Senator Paine is deep in the pocket of Mr. Taylor, a newspaper magnate, who wants the same land that the newly-minted Senator Smith wants to use to fund a national boys’ camp. Senator Paine levies corruption accusations against the junior Senator and investigations open up. As the movie progresses, Senator Paine gets visibly more and more uncomfortable before confessing to his part in the smear campaign and announcing Smith’s innocence.

There are no Senator Paines left. Republicans will not suddenly grow a conscience. They will not see the error of their ways.

The reasonable questions are: where are the Democrats? What power do they have?

Instead of subpoenaing Elon, California Democrat Ro Khanna skipped the vote in a move consistent with his relationship with Musk. Instead of using his leverage with the looming government shutdown on March 14th, Senate Minority Leader Schumer penned a letter waving his finger at Republicans. Instead of having a meeting about slowing down the business of the House, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democrats in House leadership blamed liberal groups for encouraging people to call their representatives.

If they feel that way, they should resign and go home. Showing contempt for your base and concerned citizens is a slap in the face. Voters would not be blamed for voting against Democratic incumbents in the 2026 primaries if this is the response they get.

Schumer and Jeffries. Photo credit: The Hill

If they’d rather get angry with their own base than harness the power of popular anger and lead, then they’re not like We The People. Jeffries likened our situation to Aaron Judge at the batter’s box: we have to wait for “the right pitch.”

Waiting for “the right pitch” so far consists of letting the liberal international order get ripped up by one man, letting ICE accost anyone they please, shutting down low-income clinics, illegally firing members of the NLRB, provoking a crisis at the Department of Justice, and many more besides. When are they going to swing?

In Trump’s first term, the “Resistance” movements made some people cringe by their constant and dramatic actions. What is much less acknowledged is their very real impact in certain situations, most notably the Muslim ban. We need that same energy. Wannabe dictators will continue to push until the public visibly stands up and draws a line in the sand. It also emboldens those on the inside, giving them courage to continue.

If we get out of this, it’ll be a combination of public pressure, federal employees holding the line, legal and political victories, entrenchment within the States, and international coordination from allies. Sharing things on social media is a good start, but it is by no means a silver bullet. Working with friends and allied groups locally to plan rallies, organize “Know Your Rights” educational events, and volunteering are ways to magnify your impact.

Some online have referred to this as 1940’s Germany. We are not there yet. If you want the analogy, it’s closer to 1932: despite a victory in the election, a Nazi dictatorship was not guaranteed. The rule of law, public opposition, and political resistance still had the power to effectively resist.

Our national leaders should be coordinating a strategy with all these lessons in mind.

Friends, it is not too late. Our doom is not sealed. We have the capacity to organize, to resist, to show we do not consent. If we stand together with imperfect allies and even disaffected Trump voters, we will preserve our Constitutional order and the rule of law.

We need everyone. We need leaders who can harness our anger and are willing to dig in their heels. We need to reclaim our history and use it to remind our fellow Americans of who we are: an imperfect nation that strives to fail forward. We’re not finished. Not by a long shot.