Dems’ Fightin’ Words

Democrats still can’t do much of anything until they reclaim at least one chamber of Congress, but they’re finally figuring out how to speak about Trump without losing the plot. Fresh polling from Blueprint Research measures which messaging is actually landing with voters.

The best-received message came from the F-bomb-loving Texan Beto O’Rourke, with a call to arms that was both pugilistic and patriotic: “Imagine a Democratic Party that fights—really fights—for all of us. No rolling over, no bending over, no big money and corporate politics. A message defined by people in every state, not consultants and pollsters, no matter who you are, we’re here to listen, learn, and work with you.” Photo: Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle/Getty Images

Peter Hamby

February 17, 2026

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One year ago, right around this time, Democrats were hollering into the void. Donald Trump had begun his campaign to destroy decades of liberal governance, letting Elon Musk bull-DOGE the federal bureaucracy, unleashing platoons of masked federal agents into public spaces, appointing a Fox News host to run the world’s most fearsome military, and on and on. Terrified liberals demanded their Democratic leaders in Congress, shunted to the impotent minority, find some way to fight back. A common refrain—“Do something!”—rang out from countless demonstrations, social media posts, and real-world protests alike. Things were looking pretty bleak.