Congressional Democrats Are Failing Us

Our leaders on the Hill need to step up and speak directly to voters if they want to prevent a four-year GOP monopoly

This election made one thing painfully clear—Democrats have lost control of the media narrative and the ability to communicate effectively.

Kamala Harris’ messaging resonated with key voter groups, but it wasn’t enough to cut through the economic anxiety of working people or the relentless social media dominance of the Trump campaign. The data backs it up—polling showed that the more voters saw Harris on the trail, the more likely they were to support her. And in the states where she spent the most time, that played out at the ballot box.

Yet, Democrats still haven’t absorbed what this data is screaming at us. The party is stuck in its own bubble—more focused on impressing insiders than actually speaking to the average voter in a swing state. That’s been made painfully obvious by recent missteps on Capitol Hill. Press conferences lack impact, members struggle to establish a real social media presence, and key Democrats in leadership roles have failed to rise to the moment.

Politics in modern America is political theater, whether we like it or not. The cameras never turn off, and social media gives politicians a 24/7 direct line to voters. Right now, Democrats should be setting the narrative. Trump’s return to office has been pure chaos—destruction, confusion, and cruelty, all designed to dismantle our institutions and global alliances.

And yet, outside of our base, that urgency isn’t breaking through. The biggest problem with Democratic messaging—often shaped by Beltway consultants who have no real connection to the working class—is that it stays trapped in the same echo chamber.

There are times when speaking to the base is necessary. Right now is not one of them. Every ounce of Democratic messaging should be focused on breaking through to people on the margins. Instead, Congress is still stuck pushing talking points that simply don’t land and using digital strategies that stopped working in 2016.

Take USAID, for example. Those of us who follow global affairs and policy understand why it matters. We get why investing resources in foreign aid is important to the health of our country and those around the globe.

But does the plumber in Pennsylvania, driving home after a long day, worrying about his pension? Does the nursing assistant in Arizona, clocking in for yet another 12-hour shift, working overtime just to cover an unexpected medical bill? Does the single mom juggling two jobs, barely keeping up with national news because she’s too busy trying to survive?

No. What they see is Democrats in Washington fighting to send money overseas while they’re struggling just to make ends meet.

Or, they see Democratic members of Congress standing outside the Department of Education, angrily confronting a security guard.

Do you think the average person watching a 30-second clip of that on social media is going to walk away thinking, Wow, it’s alarming that federal employees are being locked out of their own buildings? No.

They see the same Democrats who spent the last two years warning us about the dangers of a Trump administration now throwing a fit because they can’t get into an office that isn’t even theirs.

Some Democrats, however, have cracked the code on reaching massive audiences across the ideological spectrum—Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez being one of the most effective.

She recently hosted an Instagram Live breaking down Elon Musk’s power grab and the dangers of having a billionaire so close to the White House. The video has already racked up over 5 million views on her Instagram alone.

“This dude is probably one of the most unintelligent billionaires I have ever met or seen or witnessed,” she said, going straight for Musk while also calling out the absurdity of putting 19-year-olds in key Treasury Department positions.

“This guy is one of the most morally vacant, but also just least knowledgeable about these systems that we know of.”

And people noticed. Her comments spread like wildfire, getting picked up by major conservative accounts who attacked her for calling out Musk. That outrage fed the algorithm, with clips from her Live flooding Twitter/X. Right-wing figures like Alex Jones and Ben Shapiro pushed her words out to tens of millions, with just one post from right-wing “journalist” Eric Daugherty pulling in 7.5 million views alone.

Here’s the thing—this is good. Democrats need to stop running from these moments. The right’s knee-jerk outrage drives engagement straight back to our pages, putting our message in front of people who wouldn’t normally seek it out. Instead of fearing the backlash, we should be using it to break through to the voters we actually need to reach.

Some people might roll their eyes and argue that AOC isn’t representative of the entire party—but if that’s the case, step up and prove it. Time and time again, her messages about economic inequality resonate with people who might otherwise remain disengaged in their economic anxiety, without much outreach from an elected official. You may not agree with the effectiveness of her policy proposals, but you cannot deny that her message is both impactful and simple enough for voters to genuinely engage with. Dropping a 10-point plan full of politico-language and filing messaging bills that only get a chuckle from Capitol Hill insiders isn’t moving the needle with voters—but hosting an Instagram live where you speak directly to the camera in a technologically and culturally competent way is.

Democrats and leadership need to stop talking to each other and start talking to the people they lost. These voters already share our values, but they need to see someone actually fighting for them. A press conference won’t cut it—but raising hell in a committee hearing just might.

Look at Jasmine Crockett and Jared Moskowitz—they’ve figured out how to use these moments not just to do their jobs, but to break through the noise in a way people actually pay attention to. Why? Because they come across as genuine and human. They’re not worried about being the most polished, poised, consultant-approved politicians on the Hill. They’re focused on connecting—and it works.

We should be hammering the most effective, economic, and individualized messages possible—and repeating them over and over and over again. Every TV hit, every social media post, every interview with the press should be reinforcing the same core themes.

And let’s be honest—not everyone can be an AOC or a Jasmine Crockett. Not everyone has the humor or quick wit of Jared Moskowitz. But that’s not the point. We have teachers in Congress who can speak from the heart about how dismantling the Department of Education will destroy kids’ futures. We have doctors who can explain in plain terms how Medicaid cuts will kill people and create a public health disaster. We don’t need every Democrat to be a firebrand—we just need them to be themselves, to bring their real-life experience to the table, and to show voters that they’re more than just a name on a vote tally.

The midterms will be here before we know it. We need to start priming voters now and making the case for our party—before it’s too late. Because if we don’t, we risk handing Trump four full years of a Republican-controlled trifecta. And if they’ve done this much damage in just a few weeks, imagine what they could do with an entire term.