Updated March 18, 2025 at 13:33 PM ET
As President Trump attempts to reshape the United States at home and abroad, Democrats are under pressure from their supporters to fight the president's agenda.
But they have few options as the minority party in both chambers of Congress, and it seems challenging to wield the little leverage they do have, given Republicans control the chambers only narrowly.
That came into sharp focus when Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and nine other Democratic caucus members voted in favor of a Republican bill last week to fund the government through the end of September. The overwhelming majority of House Democrats voted against the resolution, with just one breaking to join the GOP.
The move triggered a backlash among the party and voters. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., called Schumer's move a "huge slap in the face." Schumer defended his vote, saying a shutdown would allow Trump to take "even more power."
Democrats also face an uphill fight with the public. A CNN poll released this week shows just 29% of the public views Democrats favorably, a record low.
So where do Democrats go from here?
Paul Begala, former chief strategist of Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign, and Waleed Shahid, who has played a key role in developing the more progressive wing of the Democratic party, both joined Morning Edition to discuss Schumer's vote and how the party can win back the public.
Here's what they had to say:
Both agree: Schumer gave in to Trump and Republicans without a fight.
Shahid called Schumer's vote an "embarrassing blunder."
"You had House Democrats marching in one direction and Senate Democrats marching in the same direction until the very last minute," Shahid said, adding that "if the American public are waiting for Chuck Schumer or party elites or the court to save us, we're already losing."
Begala said Schumer should've found a way to compromise, but "caved" instead.
"He had something very valuable: Democratic votes to pass the continuing resolution that Republicans wanted, and he traded it for nothing," Begala said. "I think he should have forced the Republicans to the table. He should have brought a menu that helps the middle class."
Schumer said he believed Republicans would weaponize a shutdown and only open "their favorite departments and agencies."
"You have to make these decisions based on what is best for not only your party but your country," Schumer told reporters last week. "I believe that my members understand that I came to that conclusion and respect it. And so I think that people realize it's [a] tough choice, but realize I made the decision based on what I thought were the merits."
Are Democrats putting up enough of a fight?
Shahid said that if Democrats are serious about defending democracy, "we need to flex the muscle of American civil society."
The amount of social movement activity is nowhere near what's needed to oppose what Shahid called a "constitutional crisis."
Shahid added that in other countries, "The public doesn't just watch. They flood the streets. They shut down business as usual. They take nonviolent action. They engage in boycotts."
"We need people to get involved because history is made by those who fight. We can't just wait for Senate Democrats to do the right thing. We need to see the public engaged on these issues and not just the political leaders."
The White House argues that Trump's win in November is evidence that America is behind him — though restructuring the federal government did not get as much attention on the campaign trail as his promises on stemming immigration and improving the economy did.
Begala argues that Democrats are two different parties in Washington and in the rest of the country.
In D.C., "They're defeated, they're divided. They're directionless," Begala said, but "out in America, they're kicking butt."
He points to Democrats winning special elections around the country.
Since the start of the year, Democrats picked up a state senate seat in an Iowa district that Trump won by 21 points. They maintained their legislative majorities in Virginia.
An important race to watch, Begala added, is the April 1 election for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The race may be the most expensive court race in the U.S. on record, The Associated Press reports. Trump advisor Elon Musk is backing groups that have poured millions into the race supporting the GOP candidate, while Democratic billionaire donor George Soros has also spent about $1 million in the race.
"There's a ton of energy and excitement and enthusiasm and we're actually winning elections. That's the coin of the realm for me," Begala said.
What should Democrats' message be to the voting public?
Shahid said most Americans likely don't understand "the scale and the speed at which Elon Musk has seized citizens' data, private companies' data. One of the wealthiest men in the world is trying to gut your grandma, Social Security, to pass a tax cut that benefits billionaires like him."
Democrats should be pushing "singular, laser-focused messages on affordability, on the billionaire capture of our government." Shahid said Dems also need to push back against Trump and the GOP's attempt to "distract" Americans by focusing on immigration, LGBTQ+ issues and diversity efforts.
Meanwhile, Begala argues Democrats should be targeting the votes of working class people, who swung hard for Trump in the 2024 election. The party should be emphasizing to Trump counties how the president's budget and potential cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and public education would be a "betrayal" and could hurt them.
"If my party doesn't serve the middle class, the working class, we don't deserve to exist," Begala said. "So rather than allowing our party to be distracted by elite, esoteric, woke cultural issues, get right back to the meat and potatoes."
Referring to the Democratic divide over emphasizing LGBTQ rights, Begala continued: "I think we should focus on folks whose names are stitched above the pocket of their shirt, not those whose pronouns are typed at the bottom of their emails."
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