At town halls in their districts and in one-on-one meetings with constituents and activists, Democratic members of Congress are facing a growing thrum of demands to break the rules, fight dirty — and not be afraid to get hurt.
Why it matters: House Democrats told Axios they see a growing anger among their base that has, in some cases, morphed into a disregard for American institutions, political traditions and even the rule of law.
- “This idea that we’re going to save every norm and that we’re not going to play [Republicans’] game … I don’t think that’s resonating with voters anymore,” said one House Democrat.
- Another told Axios that a “sense of fear and despair and anger” among voters “puts us in a different position where … we can’t keep following norms of decorum.”
- Axios spoke to more than two dozen House Democrats for this story, with many requesting anonymity to offer candid insights about their interactions with constituents and activists.
Zoom out: For months, Democratic lawmakers have fumed that their base’s demands to “fight harder” misunderstand the lack of legislative and investigative power afforded to the minority party in Congress.
- “We’ve got people who are desperately wanting us to do something … no matter what we say, they want [more],” said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), the chair of the center-left New Democrat Coalition, told Axios.
- Liberal voters have angrily accosted Democrats at town halls for — in their view — not doing enough to counter President Trump’s agenda.
- In response, some Democrats have tried to up the ante: Heckling Trump, mounting rogue impeachment attempts, and getting tackled by law enforcement and even indicted in their efforts to scrutinize the president’s deportation campaign.
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