Democrats' playbook for Trump 2.0: Tune out the noise and focus on economic issues

[Dulcinea]

WASHINGTON (NBC News) — Less than 48 hours after President Donald Trump was inaugurated, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a closed-door meeting with Democratic lawmakers to issue a warning and a clarion call.

The new administration was going to “flood the zone,” and Democrats couldn’t afford to chase every single outrage — or nothing was going to sink in for the American people, Jeffries told them, according to a person in the room who requested anonymity to discuss the private meeting.

Jeffries, D-N.Y., urged members to focus their message on the cost of living, along with border security and community safety.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/democrats-playbook-trump-2-0-130000206.html?.tsrc=daily_mail&segment_id=DY_VTO_CORE&ncid=crm_30541-1501458-20250128-0&bt_user_id=Plf5eS7rd52uf1EpiR8g%2BpygXAvyWvaQdP8HccmvCFfNmoNARJd6nRq4MYXzFPMV&bt_ts=1738070724948

[Lovie777]

1. WOW..............

I'll give the Democrats more credit. They gave warnings just like before 2016. shithole and the republicans were a disaster. 2020 President Biden too old, VP Harris a woman of color, and the eggs are too high.

Before 2025, project 2025 warning and the shithole's dictatorship, et al.......

And here we are.

[Initech]

14. The Heritage Foundation really needs to be raked over the coals for Project 2025 and Roe V. Wade.

But they won't get punished. Nothing ever happens to the conservatives, no matter how insane they are getting.

[Lonestarblue]

2. I think it's smart to let people see how Trump's policies are hurting them, and then offer a better alternative.

Jeffries is right that Trump is deliberately creating chaos because that is what he does. Chasing every outrage is fruitless.

[dutch777]

5. Trick is to highlight the biggest issues that ding the GOP in its entirety. Focus on House/Senate retake in 2026.

Have to stand above the smoke and away from the noise to be seen and heard.

[in2herbs]

9. I don't think the Trumpies will ever see how F47s policies are hurting them. The Ds have been offering a

better alternative during every election cycle and the words fall on deaf ears.

[ancianita]

17. Which is why Democratic leadership is quiet, not failing at message. They are letting The People see more for themselves

When your opponents are spreading fear, loss, harm, damage and chaos, let them.

Then later when supporters of the GOP finally 'get it' or get weary of it, the Democratic messaging will be heard whether corporate & RW messaging continue sanewashing or not.

[LuvLoogie]

3. Why not express a Democratic position on each EO

Do we not have talented politicians. They are using project 2025. Shouldn't there have been an antithesis written by now. I mean are there not ANY examples in history? Do we not have lawyers talented enough that, when trump renames a given 2025 policy, our lawyers/politicians can recognize that and have the answer at the ready - - AND talk about the cost of living...?

WTF dude?

[ancianita]

18. Because the opposing messages tend to cancel each other out for folks. Better to let the damage pile up first,

Last edited Wed Jan 29, 2025, 01:21 PM - Edit history (1)

give folks time to question & come closer to a common sense frame, before laying out the big five solutions (from David Hogg) for spending their tax money on the People -- housing, healthcare, childcare, eldercare, college tuition


As Democrats have said before, when the other side is messing up, just let that speak for them, and don't say anything.

[Evolve Dammit]

23. Don't think we can afford that. GOP is very outspoken and the lies manifest without vigorous counters. I rarely hear my

Congress person say much at all. Always the same that carry/ deliver the messages and it's not a large group. Thank Dog for Raskin, Goldman, Murphy, Crockett, and all that do the heavy lifting.

[ancianita]

24. Do you think our being constantly loud about Project 2025 during all of Harris/Walz's campaign did any good?

If you're good with Raskin, Goldman, Murphy, Crockett, you could also notice AOC on platforms, Kaine, Walz, Wyden, Murphy, Sanders, Schumer, Blumenthal, Frost, Padilla, Kelly, and David Hogg on TV.

Democratic messaging is objectively much more than DU'ers are led to believe by corporate news. Fight for broader factual perspective, not echo chamber perceptions.

[Evolve Dammit]

25. I am not unaware of those, just didn't recite all. I suppose it is MSM who is at fault for not covering Dems more??

GOP owns the airwaves and has for decades. We have very little to counter that. That is a big part of messaging. And yes, I was a big fan of "Air America" which didn't last more than a few years.

[ancianita]

26. EXACTLY. And this whole handwringing over Democratic Party messaging is over media hype.

DU concerns show they've bought into the hype. No one on DU should believe the hype.

[Evolve Dammit]

27. It's observation, not hype.

[Evolve Dammit]

28. Although the media has shifted and maybe I misunderstood. MSNBC has been the only one to expose lies IMHO.

[ancianita]

29. Whose observation. Not with emotional words, it isn't.

Emotional frustration and words that echo news hype about Democrats messaging isn't observation, and you know it.

[Evolve Dammit]

30. It's My observation after digesting 25 years of "News." If you don't like that, too bad.

[ancianita]

31. Fine. Yours. I'll take your word for it.

But by making this only about you, I'd ask that you try not to diminish my point about anyone here echoing media hype about Democrats' "failure" at messaging. Because factually that's been a common critique of the party here, and you know it.

[Evolve Dammit]

32. This is a forty year struggle. And we are losing due to Fairness Doctrine repeal and saturation of RW media on radio and

cable. They have millions of cultists that are now two generations (and counting) of brainwashed.

[ancianita]

33. True. What's happened since the end of the Fairness Doctrine is common knowledge around here.

Nevertheless. We are not losing because it disappeared.
With or without the Fairness Doctrine, that 40 year struggle with media for-profit hype has not absolved us of our responsibility to remember the difference between fact and opinion; stand up for the facts, and not believe any media hype.

Letting hype affect us is a decision. Remaining committed to facts and context is what matters.

Many here like me are no spring chickens, and have lived during years of the Fairness Doctrine and 40 years since its abolishment.
Still, at any age anyone can still decide to hold on to knowledge of the difference between
fact and opinion,
buried fact and hyped opinion, and the difference between
authoritative fact based opinion, and 'those familiar with the matter' opinion.

We know information from news; we know from fact based perspectives, not fact free perceptions.

We Democrats, imho, are now the Fairness Doctrine.

[Evolve Dammit]

34. It's not "Us". It's the millions not capable of critical thinking. The dumbing down is real, especially in RED states.

[CousinIT]

4. They need a shadow POTUS and shadow govt Nt

[choie]

6. "cost of living"

better include the importance of SNAP, Medicaid and Medicare or it's bullshit.

[azureblue]

7. oh hell no

That's reactionary and Trump knows that. What they should do is shut off the noise machine, or make a louder noise of their own. NOBODY cares about economic issues when Trump is scaring the hell out of everyone.

Face it - Trump is a mad man. Do not treat him as if he was rational. Do not assume he can be opposed with reason and logic. He is out of his mind and all he is focused on right now is revenge, money and power.


So policy is:
Policy #1 - neuter Trump.
that's it. Get him out of power NOW. There is no "future" with Trump.

[jgmiller]

12. Exactly I have been saying this for a long time

They don't need to chase every crazy thing he says BUT they need to do exactly what he does. Speak LOUDER than him, get the media to pay attention. He does it by being crazy and lying, you don't need to be crazy and lie to be loud and get attention.

[Magoo48]

16. What are the benefits of a so called "good" economy

when Nazis are goose stepping all over our freedoms.
You folks down in DC are gonna have to multitask and work the fire. line.

[in2herbs]

8. Cost of living translates into the need for higher wages - so talk about UBI. The moment F47 was

elected the border security issue no longer seemed to exist. "Community safety" means what exactly? More police?

The shooting of the UHC pres exposed the frustration and anger average citizens have about UHC. So why not talk about UHC for all?

I don't think the D have adjusted their messaging at all.

[aggiesal]

10. It should be economic issues and constant suing against ....

every unconstitutional EO he issues.
Just camp out lawyers at the courthouse,.with briefs at the ready.
Also they should be hold press briefings with all the media there to hear.

Economic issues are not enough.

[bronxiteforever]

11. +1 Americans don't like supporting billionaires

with billionaire tax cuts. I would add that our attacks should be smothered in sarcasm and in your face rebuttals. Do unto others as they did to you. TSF won both houses and a Supreme Court with insults. Old man TSF should be mocked regularly.

[DSandra]

13. So yeah, just leave the trans people to the wolves...

Congress is trying to push a federal abortion ban right now, and even Gay Marriage is being targeted.

[Bluetus]

36. Nobody is talking about abandoning trans or gay people

The issue is that to really help people, we have to win elections. We lost this election mainly because we did a lousy job communicating the good news about economic issues, and educating the public about how inflation works. This messaging must happen EVERY DAY, not just the last 100 days before an election.

So we lost and are locked out of power. Our plan B requires us to bring as much public pain upon Trump and the Republicans as possible. Social issues won't do a thing in that regard. But the economic issues are very powerful. The country is very much in an "Eat the Rich" frame of mind. We just have to be out there every day explaining how each of Trump's economic fails is an attempt to enrich the billionaires at the expense of ordinary Americans.

And fortunately, Trump is giving is plenty of ammunition for that. If we can succeed at pinning their ears back on economic issues, then we will gain some leverage that we can use to help protect LGBT rights and other things we all believe in.

[Danascot]

15. "It's the economy, stupid"

It's still true.

[Comrade Citizen]

19. United with Leader Jeffries

I trust Leader Jeffries' steady hand to guide us through this dark time.
We must resolutely stand with him and not let anyone divide us.

[DSandra]

21. Economic issues was a rouse

Just look at how much more satisfied Republicans are with the economy now that Trump is in office. It was all bigotry disguised as economic anxiety. It's what they have done time and time again, including in the 1930's with Mexicans (including U.S. Citizens) and Chinese Immigrants in the 1870s/1880s.

And arguing about economics will do nothing about the propaganda problem, that Republicans have a vast propaganda apparatus and Democrats don't.

[DSandra]

22. And this "strategy" does nothing about the dictatorship...

Pete Hegseth will be busy turning the U.S. Military into a White Christian Nationalist militia, and the Republicans will setup a Reichstag Fire, declare martial law, and the Christian Nationalist Military will takeover America and we will be in Gilead.

[Bluetus]

35. This is absolutely right. It is the economic issues that enabled Trump to win

We know that Trump will make a mess of the economy, and we must make sure every Republican owns every failure.

If that show up as egg prices, gas prices, insulin prices, interest rates, inflation, or trade problems -- however it shows, we have to connect this with the greed of the top 0.1%. The public gets that the rich have been getting richer. What the Trump voters have not accepted is that the greed and fraud that make the richest even richer fundamentally hurts all working Americans.

We have had a period of mostly split government where far too many Dems have been far too willing to compromise on bedrock issues. Not only does that cost all of us, it also makes it impossible to place the accountability on the Republicans who are forcing these terrible policies on the country.

There is great power in the economic issues ONCE WE CONNECT THEM TO THE LIVES OF AVERAGE AMERICANS. Look at what happened when Trump shut down Medicaid reimbursements. Democrats -- especially Governors -- were all over that and this really bloodied Trump. He had to back off in a matter of hours.

But it wasn't just Medicaid. Trump tried to cut off reimbursements for highway construction projects. He tried to shut down Meals on Wheels. He tried to shut down low income energy winter heating assistance. He tried to cut off funding for school food programs. And he is trying to lay off hundreds of thousands of people doing important federal jobs. Each of these ECONOMIC ISSUES tells a huge story that the public can relate to. This is how we beat the MAGA people. This is not the time to be arguing about bathrooms and the other social issues. It is the economic issues that have the real power.