By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Except for outspoken lawmakers Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Democrats have remained frustratingly silent as Donald Trump solidifies his grip on power. Despite his administration’s policies, a government funding freeze, and his allies pushing the racist and oppressive Project 2025 agenda onto Americans, Democratic leadership has offered no real response.
For many loyal Democratic voters, the past month has been a slap in the face. As Trump and his enablers work to dismantle civil rights protections, former President Joe Biden walked out of the White House without a clear strategy to protect Black Americans, Latinos, women, and other marginalized communities. Instead, Biden’s departure sent a chilling message: You’re on your own. His silence and that of other complacent individuals have left many questioning the Democratic Party’s willingness to fight, with some likening it to abandoning its base to a modern-day Jim Crow era.
Yet, even with Trump’s administration moving rapidly to disenfranchise millions, Democratic leaders like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have barely mustered a public outcry. The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), which boasts a record number of members this session, has been equally absent. With Trump’s allies openly threatening democracy, Black Americans and other marginalized groups expected their elected leaders to take an aggressive stand. Instead, they’ve been met with silence and inaction.
What’s particularly infuriating to many is that the warnings about Trump’s return to power were clear. His policies were openly laid out, and his intentions were never hidden. The Supreme Court ruling that provided him with immunity also extended to Biden while he was still in office. Unlike Republicans, Biden and the Democrats chose not to use it. Some legal scholars argued that, based on the authority provided by the Court and the Constitution, Biden could have declared that the nation was facing a clear and present danger. With a strong legal team and a split Congress, he could have denied Trump the office, at least temporarily, while the courts sorted it out.
Instead, Biden, Bill Clinton, and especially Barack Obama attended Trump’s inauguration. That decision has fueled even more outrage among African Americans, who now feel utterly abandoned by a party they have historically supported.
Jeffries posted on X (formerly Twitter) on January 29:
“The illegal GOP funding freeze ends Medicaid as we know it, throws children off of Head Start, and starves seniors who rely on Meals on Wheels. Extreme MAGA Republicans support this scheme to rip off hardworking American families. House Democrats will Stop the Steal.”
The post offered no concrete plan to counter Trump’s policies. It also failed to address the direct attacks on African Americans, even after Trump’s press secretary publicly signaled to journalist April Ryan of Black Press USA that the federal government would not recognize Black History Month.
That exchange further infuriated Black voters, particularly given their longstanding loyalty to the Democratic Party. But the frustration boiled over when Professor Hassan Kwame Jeffries, a self-described longtime Democrat and podcast host, dismissed concerns about Democratic inaction. He posted on X:
“I’m seeing a lot of this, all versions of the same question: what’s the Democrats’ plan to deal with # Trump’s madness?? The plan was vote for #Harris. You said no to the plan.”
Rather than galvanizing support, Jeffries’ dismissive tone only alienated those who had backed former Vice President Kamala Harris. His post sparked widespread anger.
X user Ariana Jasmine expressed the growing outrage among those who supported Democrats, demanding action:
“The nation is falling apart; please, for the love of God, say or DO SOMETHING!!!”
Another user, @ArchangeAntoine, responded bluntly to Jeffries:
“Weak statement! You are discounting the millions of people who said yes. Now again, what the fck is their plan?”*
Despite Trump signing pardons for January 6 rioters and his allies openly embracing white nationalism, many 2028 Democratic hopefuls have remained silent. According to Politico, the shift in strategy is deliberate. Instead of directly challenging Trump’s authoritarian rule, Democratic leaders are focused on biding their time, avoiding “outrage cycles,” and looking for bipartisan opportunities. The article notes:
“Just a few thousand showed up to protest Trump’s inauguration.”
This is a sharp departure from 2017, when millions mobilized against Trump’s first term. Democrats appear paralyzed, unwilling to take the kind of resistance-driven approach that once defined their opposition to Trump. Michigan State Sen. Mallory McMorrow spoke openly about the inaction, telling Politico:
“My advice is, call it out, be blunt, but don’t shriek about it.”
Meanwhile, Crockett and Ocasio-Cortez stand alone in calling out Trump’s attacks on Black Americans and marginalized communities. Despite their growing influence and millions of social media followers, Democratic leadership continues to ignore them.
The outrage over the party’s silence is growing. X user @WintersPolitics captured the frustration:
“Am I the only one who is mad as hell that AOC and Jasmine Crockett are seemingly the only members of the Democratic Party who are using their platforms to speak out against Trump and MAGA, the oligarchy?”
With Trump moving swiftly to consolidate power, the Democratic strategy of “hope” and “pray” appears to be failing. The party’s reluctance to fight back has left its most loyal supporters feeling abandoned—and many believe Democrats may never recover from this betrayal.
Source: Seattle Medium
