Trump readies crushing autumn power plays as Democrats search for direction
By: Stephen Collinson (CNN)
Orange Man Bad politics won't budge the needle this time. The Democratic base is looking for results. Independents are looking for alternatives.
Democratic Party leadership will need to grow a backbone. But they've failed every time they've tried that in the past.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
A bitter fall looms in American politics, as President Donald Trump flexes unchecked power that often tests the Constitution while Democrats grapple for traction with their voters demanding a fight back.
Trump seems like a president in a hurry, as he threatens to send National Guard troops into more Democratic-run cities; accelerates mass deportations; and takes new swings against the bureaucracy, which last week led to a purge of top scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Abroad, Trump is demanding the Nobel Peace Prize, despite his failure to end two murderous conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. His trade wars have shredded the US reputation as a bastion of economic stability — and pushed India into the arms of superpower China. But his tariff barrage is suddenly looking vulnerable after an appeals court ruled Friday that it is illegal.
Nothing is too small for Trump’s attention. He’s obsessing over his project to redecorate the White House after paving over the fabled Rose Garden and unveiling plans for a multimillion-dollar ballroom in an East Wing makeover. And his raging late-night social media posts show he’s determined to insert himself into every aspect of political, cultural and national life while using his power to harass and investigate his political foes.
But Democrats are finally showing signs of life after enduring an eight-month pummeling by Trump. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has turned to searing mockery of the president’s outbursts and elevated himself above potential 2028 rivals for the Democratic nomination. In Illinois, another Democratic governor, JB Pritzker, is seizing the spotlight, warning Trump to keep federal troops out of a promised crime and immigration crackdown in Chicago.
The issue is nuanced politically, however. Trump is betting that his hardline tactics will force Democrats to resist, thus allowing him to argue they are soft on crime.
Trump dares Democrats to resist in shutdown crisis
Another crisis is brewing in Washington, with the government poised to shut down at the end of the month if Congress can’t pass a spending bill. Democratic leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries set out their price for cooperation in a letter to their Republican counterparts last week demanding action on a “mounting healthcare crisis” they blame on Trump’s massive agenda bill.
But a White House official warned that Trump will accept nothing but capitulation, telling CNN, “The president is not going to be constrained.”
Democrats face a trap. If they don’t stand up to Trump, they will demoralize voters they need to win next year’s midterm elections. But they lack leverage in GOP-dominated Washington, as they showed when they talked tough and then caved over a March spending duel. If they use the Senate filibuster to block Trump’s spending plans, the president will blame them for the economic consequences of shutting down a government they’ve spent months trying to save from his MAGA wrecking ball.
Trump spent late summer defying the odd historical quirk that has often dealt presidents serious political blows in August. He stayed in Washington and doubled down on power grabs, federalizing the capital’s police force and sending National Guard troops onto the streets despite falling crime figures. He sought to destroy the independence of the Federal Reserve in pursuit of interest rate cuts that experts fear could unleash inflation. He fired the head of the agency that publishes official jobs data after a disappointing report for July. And he falsely accused former President Barack Obama of treason.
“I’m not a dictator,” Trump said in a televised Cabinet meeting last week. But he added later: “I (have) the right to do anything I want to do. I’m the president of the United States.” His remark betrayed constitutional ignorance but encapsulated his presidency and mindset.
Epstein saga may roar back to life
But Trump may be powerless to defuse the most threatening drama surrounding his presidency — that over his administration’s refusal to release files related to accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. In an alarming use of the Justice Department to benefit Trump’s political goals, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche visited the late disgraced financier’s jailed accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. The DOJ produced a transcript in which Maxwell said Trump had done nothing wrong despite his past friendship with Epstein. She was moved to a far more comfortable prison, prompting Trump’s critics to warn of a corrupt quid pro quo.
Congress’ return will thrust the saga back into the spotlight. A House Oversight Committee probe could widen rare splits in Trump’s GOP base. Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna and Republican Rep. Thomas Massie plan a news conference on Wednesday with 10 of Epstein’s victims as the congressmen demand transparency from the White House and House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Khanna predicted an “explosive” event on the steps of the Capitol. “They will be telling their story, and they will be saying clearly to the American public that they want the release of the Epstein files for full closure on this matter,” he said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
The Epstein saga, while lurid, seems unlikely to be decisive in the midterm elections next year. Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell told CNN’s Audie Cornish on Monday that voters are desperate for help.
“People are worried about costs … They are worried about tariffs,” Dingell said. “People want us to fight back. I think that some people are getting discouraged. They don’t know what to do. They don’t like many things that they are seeing, and they don’t want us to roll over.”
Democrats eye the tiniest of paths in 2026 Senate races
Trump is already seeking to crush Democrats’ hopes of winning back the House. His call on Texas Republicans to launch a rare mid-cycle redistricting push could yield five new GOP seats. Newsom responded by launching his own operation to find five new Democratic seats in California, the fate of which will be put to voters in November. But other Republican states may heed Trump’s call.
The president also plans an executive order to ban mail-in voting and require voter identification everywhere. He lacks constitutional authority to do so, but this looks like an ominous effort to discredit the 2026 election should the GOP lose — mirroring the behavior that got him impeached for a second time after the 2020 election.
Democrats face an unfavorable Senate map next year. But they got a glimmer of hope last week after news broke that Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst plans to announce she won’t run for a third term, as two sources told CNN.
The state remains a long shot for Democrats, but if they could somehow pull off an upset there and to capture Republican-held seats in Maine and North Carolina — while holding all their current seats — they could reach a 50-50 Senate split. Still, the extra seat they’d need to cancel out Vice President JD Vance’s deciding vote looks beyond them, as the most winnable battles are in deep-red Ohio and Texas.
Democrats do expect, however, to reclaim the governor’s mansion in Virginia in November through former Rep. Abigail Spanberger. They are also betting on Rep. Mikie Sherrill to win in New Jersey in another 2025 gubernatorial contest that will give voters the chance to weigh in on Trump’s second presidency.
Trump flails on Ukraine as China steps into vacuum left by US lost leadership
Trump’s ambitions span the globe. His summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in August satisfied his penchant for grand political stages but did nothing to end the war in Ukraine. Putin has escalated attacks on civilians and is stalling Trump’s calls for him to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
CNN’s Alayna Treene reported Friday that Trump is getting frustrated. His options may be to finally impose the serious consequences he’s often threatened on Russia or to walk away entirely. Putin’s intransigence is an embarrassment for Trump. But he is the only force who could gather Ukraine, its European allies and the Russians behind any eventual peace deal.
Trump’s imperiousness is fraying nerves nearer home following a buildup of US ships and submarines off Venezuela. Speculation is growing over whether he’ll use force to try to topple President Nicolás Maduro, whom the administration has branded a top drugs trafficker despite providing no evidence, or over potential strikes against cartel targets elsewhere in the region.
Trump faces a tougher adversary in China, which has defied his tariff war partly because it controls access to much of the world’s supply of rare earth elements needed to power US tech and military products.
Trump has signaled he may visit Beijing before the end of the year. Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a clear message this weekend that he intends to fill the vacuum left by the US retreat from global leadership at a summit of global strongmen this weekend that included the leaders of India and Russia.
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Republican's weak spot is the TEA Party. Democrats can easily provoke the TEA Party into shooting dead horses. That would be a Forest Gump campaign strategy; stupid is as stupid does.
Trump's Alaska summit with Putin turned out to be a complete dud. Trump did not gain a single thing from Putin that would bring an end to the war, or even move the end closer.
Trump sent a real estate mogul, Witkoff , to negotiate with Putin as if the war was simply a real estate deal. Witkoff doesnt understand anything about these issues, Putin knew it, and he manipulated him and Trump.
And yet it was far more successful than his predecessors attempts.
Successful at what? Getting Putin to launch more drones and missiles at Ukraine? Trump couldnt even get Russia to stop bombing Ukraine for even one day.
He got him to sit down and talk. FAR more than Biden had done. What have the Democrats done to stop this?
Trump gave Putin an opportunity to continue to propagandize. Nothing more was achieved.
“And yet it was far more successful than his predecessors attempts.”
What attempts?
That is exactly my point. His predecessor made no attempts.
Yeah, I think everybody and their little dog noticed that. But shoot that horse again to make sure it's really dead.
Is that really what the Democratic base and independents are looking for? What Putin did to Trump is what Trump is doing to Democrats. What are Democrats going to do about it?
Its somewhat the Democratic politicians fault, but its more the American peoples fault. Many if not most people in America think their lives are pretty good, they have good jobs and good families, have friends and interests, they have hope and belief that their personal future is going to be good. Why rock the boat? Just lay back and let Trump pass.
What if "Trump" doesnt pass?
Back in the 60's there were mass protests , usually held in Washington DC, against the war, in favor of civil rights, womens rights, and those protests had an effect. We need a mass protest where 500,000- one million people show up at the same time in the same place, and have the media cover it as if it is the most important thing in the world.
Democrats are telling us our lives are not good. Social agitators are telling us we live in an evil, corrupt, unfair, fascist country with no hope of redemption. Every foreign group is given more attention than Americans. There are protests to protect foreign born migrants who are in the country unlawfully. There are protests to defend Palestinians who supported an act of war against Israel. There are protests to defend criminals.
There aren't protests against low wages. There aren't protests against inadequate housing. There aren't protests against corruption in health care. There aren't protests to restrain finance and banking. There aren't protests over factory closings, layoffs, and people kicked to the curb.
What happens if Trump dies tomorrow? Trump's age is 79 and we know he cannot live forever. What are Democrats going to do without Trump? National protests against a state funeral wouldn't accomplish much and the optics would be bad. National protests to oppose a Trump Presidential library would create an impression of small minded and mean spirited opposition just for the sake of opposing something.
The mass protests of the 1960s were focused on a single issue - the Vietnam war. Today there are so many protests about so many different issues they aren't newsworthy. Today's protests really do indicate that the Democratic Party has become a collection of small tents on a campground. Democrats don't have any big tent ideas anymore.
All you do is blame the Democrats.
Why not show some psychological independence and blame the person responsible, Trump. AND HIS FOLLOWERS ! What blame do Trump followers have for what is happening to this country? Trump is clearly not fit to be president of the United States, and all you can do is rag on the Democrats.
If it weren't for them and their twisted vision of what we are to be then yes, Democrats got Trump elected but were too stupid and arrogant to think that there was enough of a majority to kick their asses due to said characteristics.
And all you can do is rag on Trump.........constantly.
ridiculous nonsense
So, what are Democrats going to do other than oppose and protest? How are Democrats going to govern?
Wouldn't that require blaming democracy? All you are doing is trying to shift blame onto voters.
I've repeatedly said Trump is a buffoon, a clown, someone who cannot string three words together into a coherent sentence. Trump is a fucking idiot. And Trump the Dundershart beat Democrats in a democratic election.
You expect me to lambast Trump and sing praises for Joe Biden? Joe Biden screwed over the United States twice a week and three times on Sunday. You expect me to choose corrupt, entitled, obnoxious Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump? Don't accuse me of lacking psychological independence while being intentionally oblivious to what the Democratic Party has done - and - failed to do.
Donald Trump was NEVER fit to be president, not in 2011 when he was trying to run for president as a birther, not in 2016 when his appeal was to white grievance, and not in the other two elections. Why wasnt he kicked out of the Republican Party following Jan 6 2021? Because GOP politicians feared HIS VOTERS.
His lack of resume , including his mountainous personal character flaws , was always evident. HIS VOTERS wanted what he was selling. Of course it is their fault.
Too much democracy? We needed a strong dictator to eliminate Trump?
That's one unfounded opinion. And Jim is correct in 2.2.4, the Democrats got Trump elected. Their childish actions since 2015 have proven that they have no interest in service the people, the voters. They are only out for power.
People who voted for Trump are responsible for giving this clown the power of the presidency.
Those who continue to defend him are responsible for maintaining his power because without his supporters/defenders, Congress would grow a pair and start holding him accountable for following the CotUS and the law.
Exactly correct. Twice they put up a candidate that was not a good alternative. Once because it was her "turn" and once because they had an ultra left winger that had trouble putting a coherent sentence together. The dems only had Orange man bad and will end democracy as a platform and continues it to this day. I guess they want Vance to be president.
If dems nominated a better candidate Trump would not be president. Simple as that.
And it continues to this day
I guess you dont know how ridiculous that sounds.
No, it's not ridiculous at all, Kamala was unelectable, PERIOD, intelligent democrats knew this, but they didn't get a say with the virtual signaling morons current screaming the loudest and running the party, all you had to do was look at the last primary where she dropped out damn near first, the only reason Biden chose her is that it is historic precedent to pick a VP who is dumber than the President, Kamala was the only one they could find who fit that bill with a senile old fool at the top of the ticket, and then came Timmy. here is the evolution of the dem party.
I guess you don't realize how true it is
The Democrats are only responsible for Trump being elected if you take Trump himself and his cult standing out of the picture. Why wasnt Trump kicked out of the Repubican party in early 2021? That would have taken care of him once and for all.
When she ran in 2020, the people democrat voters told her they didn't want her. Then, in 2024 she was "installed" into the candidacy. The democrat voters didn't get the opportunity to vote for or against her as a candidate. So when the 2024 election happened, she was told by EVERYBODY told her they didn't want her.
In both cases, she had nothing to offer the voters. One would think that for the 2024 election, she would have something after her tenure as VP. But there was nothing. No accomplishments, nothing to show what she had done for the country aside from being Biden's DEI VP.
Do you understand how simple it is to prove how absolutely full of crap your comment is? 2 words Joe Biden. this proves that a senile fool could beat trump, unfortunately for democrats they have twice managed to pick someone worse than that.
The words "Joe Biden" do not prove anything. What foolishness.
What ignorance, it absolutely proves a qualified, or at least a likable and not a miserable shrew can beat trump.
[deleted] [✘] Say, one wouldn't be colluding with Putin trying to overthrow a duly elected President, would one?
They all seem to "know" what he's doing, will do, and is thinking. And they've been wrong. Every. Single. Time.
It's not like he has to do much. Democrats have already shown the voters they don't care about them. They've fought to keep drugs flowing , keep gang members, human traffickers, sex traffickers, illegals in the country.
They have no leadership. They have not platform to run on. Unless that platform is keeping drugs flowing , gang members, human traffickers, sex traffickers, illegals in the country is actually their platform.
Trump hasn't spent much time engaging with Democrats. Trump has blamed Democrats, said what he will do to correct the problems Democrats have caused, and does it. There hasn't been any arguing or bargaining that allows Democrats to sit at the table.
Democrats are only pushing opposition. Democrats are claiming that stopping Trump will magically make everything better. Democrats don't have any alternatives to offer.
Adults normally don't engage with children throwing tantrums. If we are being honest that is exactly what Democrats have been doing for years. Not to mention the nonsesnse of #4 below.
Ah yes, President Rump...
Democrats clearly have a backbone; they refused to vote for the convicted felon sexual predator moron even though they didn't really like their own last-minute choice very much. It's the Republicans who just melted under Trumps pompous undeserved hubris and petty childish rants. They all folded like tin foil chairs when Trump came in and sat on their party. It is no longer the party of Lincoln; it is now the party of Trump butt-print.