This intraparty turmoil has been simmering since Trump overwhelmed Democratic nominee Kamala Harris last November. Trump won a narrow but decisive victory nationwide. But outside of the most liberal states of California, New York, Massachusetts, and Washington — that is, in 46 states that make up 80 percent of electoral votes — he won 53.3 percent to 46.7 percent.
Democrats have struggled ever since to find a message, messenger, or any sense of unity. What they’ve found instead is fury, disunity, disorganization, and impotence — despite Trump’s nominally small November victory and Republicans’ even smaller House and Senate congressional majorities.
In contrast to 2017, when Trump’s upset victory pulled Democrats together as a unified opposition, Democrats’ only current unity comes from attacking each other. Unable to successfully attack let alone stop Trump and his popular agenda, Democrats are lashing out at everyone available — namely, at themselves.
The beneficiary of Democrats’ self-inflicted wounds is of course Trump, who is always favored by the weakness of his opponents — Hillary in 2016, Biden and then Harris in 2024. He has never benefited from this more than he does now. Altready strong on paper, backed by House and Senate majorities and the Supreme Court, Trump is being made to look stronger still by his weakened, divided opposition.
What’s more, Democrats’ attacks on their establishment, congressional leaders and older generation risks erosion of the fragile firewall between a Democratic Party that can pass as somewhat reasonable and one defined by leftist firebrands’ self-immolation.
To appreciate the effect of Democrats’ cannibalistic cabal, just look at the senators who have announced so far that they won’t seek reelection in 2026. Expect more retirements to come, particularly in the House, as it becomes increasingly clear Democrat candidates cannot run and win on their base’s policy priorities.
As Democrats boost Trump, the more Trump wins. The more Trump wins, the more Democrats defect or quit.
In 2018, the midterms brought in Democrats’ far left. Today, their far left is their party. Because of it, as Democrats feed on themselves, Trump is feasting on them.