MoveOn, a large progressive organization, wrote in a letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) that its members are frustrated by what they view as a lack of urgency and action to oppose the Trump administration. They stressed that the party could be at risk of losing donors if changes are not made.
“The fact of the matter is, people in the grassroots base are legitimately upset,” Rahna Epting, executive director of MoveOn, wrote in the letter obtained by Politico. “Why is that
important? Because our best shot at hindering the Trump agenda is a unified opposition front.”
“These members, arguably the backbone of the party, have reached a unifying consensus since President Trump’s inauguration,” Epting added. “Whether they live in a deep-red, purple, or blue district, their message is clear: Now is not the time for politics as usual. Don’t back down, fight back.”
Democratic leaders in recent days have taken heat from frustrated party members who feel they are not doing enough to oppose Trump’s agenda. Schumer received widespread anger from grassroots Democrats over his flip on the GOP bill to fund the government through September, as many Democrats viewed a shutdown as the one bargaining chip they could use to resist Republicans.
This letter is the latest pushback that Schumer has received on his leadership. Other liberal-leaning groups have called for Schumer to step aside as leader, though he rejected those requests on Sunday.
The memo from MoveOn additionally attached a poll from its members that conveys the frustration the Democrats’ liberal base is feeling.
DEMOCRATIC ATTORNEYS GENERAL EMERGE AS SOME OF THE ONLY REAL RESISTANCE AGAINST TRUMP 2.0
According to the survey, 78% of those polled do not believe that congressional Democrats are doing all they can to oppose Trump. Forty-nine percent said they were less likely to volunteer or donate to the party based on what they have seen so far in Trump’s second term. Additionally, 89% of those polled said Democrats should be taking more aggressive measures to combat Trump.
“From our vantage point, now is not the time to ‘play dead,’” Epting wrote.
