Washington Democrats were caught off guard by President Donald Trump’s rapid-fire actions in his first week in office, which caused division within the party about how to react to key aspects of his program and a number of his well-known nominations.
However, Trump’s botched attempt on Monday to put a blanket block on federal help across the government sparked a fierce backlash from Democrats. Two days later, the White House retracted the budget memo due to the pressure and the confusion and disruption it created.
Unknowingly, Trump’s action gave Democrats the political gift of a cohesive narrative that centered on economic issues that they feel would restore the party’s damaged reputation and help them regain power following a crushing loss in the 2024 election. It followed days of internal conflicts about whether to support or oppose certain aspects of the president’s agenda. Additionally, it made the GOP nervous, forcing them to defend themselves by trying to minimize the extent of the White House order.
According to a Democratic strategist who spoke to NBC News, it was the first time in approximately six months that I truly felt positive about Democratic message. because we were so united and the message was economic.
They held Trump’s decision responsible for the nationwide outage of Medicaid reimbursement portals following the freeze. They cautioned that the White House order might stop funding for housing, health care, and early childhood development. Democrats added that it might target police, fire, and cancer research programs. They contended that all of it was a legal ruse to advance Trump’s tax-cutting plan for higher-income individuals.
According to someone familiar with his comments, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told members at a Democratic luncheon on Wednesday that they should be commended for swiftly and successfully criticizing Trump and the GOP over the aid freeze. He told them that it was only the start of Trump’s efforts to implement his Project 2025 agenda, which is a conservative policy plan to dismantle a large portion of the U.S. government. The source claimed that he urged them to keep up the pressure on Republicans.
After the meeting, Schumer told reporters, “It’s a small victory, but it’s a long war, and we have to continue to fight.”
In protest of Trump’s conduct, 22 Senate Democrats flipped to vote no on the final vote the next day after Sean Duffy, Trump’s choice for transportation secretary, was approved unanimously on Monday.
Trump’s attempt to stop federal funding, according to Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., was a wake-up call for Democrats.
Murphy stated, “I believe that some people who were scared to raise alarms have now realized that the wolf has been in our living room the entire time.” There are a few choices we must make regarding our behavior. If we are helping them pass laws and confirm nominations on the inside, no one will believe us on the outside that this is a five alarm fire.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., convened an emergency virtual conference with rank-and-file Democrats on Wednesday at 1 p.m. to discuss how the party would combat Trump’s freeze, since the House is on recess this week.
He wrote to colleagues that the three-pronged strategy will concentrate on stepped-up messaging, litigation, and legislation.
However, Trump officials revoked the order only minutes before that emergency meeting, which gave Democrats a small victory lap. According to a caller, Jeffries informed his members that Trump revoked the order as a result of fierce opposition to the freeze from Democrats and affiliated outside organizations.
According to a second caller, Jeffries advised Democrats to use repetition, simplicity, and intensity in their messaging to offset Trump’s attempts to flood the zone. Accordingly, Democrats have emphasized programs like Medicaid, Meals on Wheels, and Head Start that are readily recognizable to voters.
According to two sources, Jeffries took this message with him when he left his troops: Although Democrats prevailed in this round, the battle is far from over. Continue.
Regretfully, this is the model for the Republican majority and the Trump administration. In an interview on Wednesday, Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, a member of the Appropriations Committee, which is in charge of overseeing federal spending, stated that they are trying to slash programs and services in order to pay for the tax benefits for the billionaires.
Escobar added, “This battle is still going on, even if there was some sort of victory today with the withdrawal of the memo.” And it will be a continuous battle for them to successfully defund the federal government to offer those tax cuts.
The Democratic Party is not letting up. According to a copy of a messaging document acquired by NBC News, the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee, or DPCC, led by Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., encouraged rank-and-file members to take part in a Day of Action on Thursday to raise awareness of the detrimental effects of the president’s freeze.
According to the DPCC memo, “we must make clear that this action will cause great harm to the communities that we serve, and the impact is not theoretical.”
The email further stated that it is imperative that all House Democrats hold an event, meet with constituents, address local media, and explain the seriousness of the Republican Rip Off and its effects on hard-working American taxpayers.
Grants received for DEI-related purposes and funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act remain in effect, despite the Trump administration’s decision to revoke its broad order to freeze federal grants and loans after a court temporarily blocked it.
Escobar stated in a phone interview that she acted immediately on Tuesday after learning of the X freeze. To find out how they were being affected, she contacted public hospitals, health clinics, county and city authorities, and other recipients of federal grants. In order to raise awareness of who would be impacted by the freeze, she promptly called a news conference in El Paso with the county executive and the director of the local workforce commission.
We gave the community our word that we would continue to fight for them and that we would share as much information as we could. And it was—in fact, we found out that the court had granted a temporary stay just before we stood in front of the cameras for the news conference, Escobar said. The scenario is evolving extremely quickly.