Scenes From the Democratic Marriage

A month after the inauguration, rival Democratic factions are coalescing around the potency of an anti-billionaire messaging. On the topic of pretty much everything else, however, they are aligned in agreeing to disagree.

Sanders says that Trump’s unabashed embrace of oligarchs—and, frankly, the oligarchy’s reciprocal wet kiss—has provided an opportunity for Democrats to reengage their core constituency. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Leigh Ann Caldwell

February 23, 2025

Much has changed in the week since Rep. Adam Smith, the vocal Washington State Democrat, professed to me that his party had moved too far left on issues of culture and inclusion. Smith, as you’ll recall, said that the Democrats had forgotten about personal accountability, and he called out the party for “framing everything as, It’s a human right—you know, healthcare, transportation, asylum, all of that—implying there’s no responsibility on the other side. I think that message cost us some support.”