LA Times Today: California Democrats try to figure out how to win national elections again
Minnesota governor and former vice presidential candidate Tim Walz served a wakeup call at the Democratic Convention in Anaheim this weekend. Walz spoke to a crowd of thousands arguing that a lack of leadership and divisions within the party have weakened the fight against republicans.Now many are asking what's next for the future of the Democratic Party.
L.A. Times reporter Laura Nelson joined Lisa McRee to discuss what we need to know.
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The Hill
15 minutes ago
- The Hill
Fox News White House reporter questions Jean-Pierre's ‘moral clarity'
Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich cast doubt on the motives behind former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre's decision to leave the Democratic Party and release a new book about her time working for former President Biden. 'I just think it's interesting that she's saying she wants to, you know, move away from the partisanship of things because I remember when Karine Jean-Pierre suggested that all the videos of Joe Biden at his worst were cheap fakes and deepfakes and misinformation when they were, in fact, the video that we as a press corps collected on site, certainly not the product of AI,' Heinrich said during a discussion on the cable channel about Jean-Pierre's announcement. Heinrich, who covered Biden's White House for Fox and frequently sparred with Jean-Pierre over Biden's health and other issues, suggested she found it convenient the former White House spokesperson has found 'moral clarity' after leaving her position. 'I find it hard to look upon that without some deep questions,' she said. 'So I will read the book and keep an open mind, but it's gonna be interesting.' The reporter and anchor's comments were first highlighted by Mediate. Promotional materials for Jean-Pierre's book said it will be a 'groundbreaking, revelatory assessment of America's broken two-party system.' But the former White House press secretary's plans are being met with widespread scorn. Jean-Pierre was on the leading edge of the White House's defense against questions about Biden's mental acuity and stamina punctuated by his decision to step aside in the 2024 presidential race. Several books and news reports published since Biden left office have detailed his decline as well as extra steps taken by those around him to aid his schedule and travel. President Trump and Republicans have accused top aides and longtime Democrats like Jean-Pierre of a 'cover up' of Biden's health, while the president this week ordered an investigation of Biden's decision making while in office. Biden forcefully pushed back against the probe in a statement, saying he 'made the decisions during my presidency' and calling Trump's claims 'nothing more than a distraction.'
Newsweek
26 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Full List of Democratic Leaders Who've Left the Party Since 2024 Election
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. With news of Karine Jean-Pierre's departure from the Democratic Party making waves, the former White House press secretary joins a growing list of high-profile Democrats distancing themselves from the party in the wake of the 2024 election. Newsweek has reached out to several political scientists and historians for comment via email on Thursday. Why It Matters Last November marked a pivotal election in the United States, with Donald Trump returning to the White House after winning both the popular vote and the Electoral College. The scale of the Republican Party's triumph in November—taking the White House, flipping the Senate, and maintaining control of the House—has sparked widespread soul-searching within the Democratic Party over what went wrong and how to rebuild. Democratic leaders have come under criticism from within, some for pushing the party too far left, and others for appearing too conciliatory toward Trump, and a number who have felt disillusioned with its agenda have left the party entirely to either identify as independent or as a Republican. Democrats Who've Left The Party Jean-Pierre, once a staunch defender of the Democratic Party and then-President Joe Biden, announced she has left the party to become an independent. The move coincides with the upcoming release of her book, Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines, which is set for release in the fall. Others have already left the Democratic party, including a number of state-level lawmakers. Kentucky State Senator Robin Webb While some Democrats have switched to become independent, Webb flipped parties, now identifying as a Republican, which is relatively rare in American politics. She was the last Democrat representing Eastern Kentucky in the state Senate. "While it's cliché, it's true: I didn't leave the party—the party left me," Webb said in the statement. "The Kentucky Democratic Party has increasingly alienated lifelong rural Democrats like myself by failing to support the issues that matter most to rural Kentuckians." She wrote that she no longer felt the party represented her values amid a "lurch to the left" and a "hyperfocus on policies that hurt workforce and economic development" in the region, which is known for its coal industry. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva Florida State Representative Hillary Cassel In December, Cassel framed her decision to become a Republican around several key themes. She emphasized her roles as both a mother and a Jewish woman, expressing desire to "build a world where our children are judged on their character and their actions not their labels." Cassel specifically cited growing concerns about the Democratic Party's stance on Israel, pointing to what she described as its "failure to unequivocally support Israel and its willingness to tolerate extreme progressive voices that justify or condone acts of terrorism." She also highlighted frustration with the party's ability to "relate to everyday Floridians." Florida State Representative Susan Valdés Nearly a month after the November election, Valdés announced her decision to flip from being a Democrat to a Republican. In her statement noting her departure, she noted that she prefers to follow the agenda that Republican House Speaker Daniel Perez has laid out, which she says focuses on "empowering House members to work on real problems facing our communities." She added that she is "tired of being the party of protesting when I got into politics to be part of the party of progress." Florida State Senator Jason Pizzo In April, Pizzo, who was then the Senate Minority leader, said on the floor of the Florida Senate that the "Democratic Party in Florida" was "dead," criticizing modern partisanship as "a mess" and calling for practical leadership over politics. "Stripping myself of the title of a party designation allows me to run free and clear, clean and transparent," he said, a nod to his rumored 2026 gubernatorial ambitions. He is currently nonaffiliated. Democratic National Committee fundraiser Lindy Li "It's like leaving a cult," Li said in December, explaining that she was ostracized for questioning then-Vice President Kamala Harris's political ambitions and Biden's leadership abilities. Li was part of the Democratic National Committee's (DNC) finance committee and has been critical of her party since Harris' election loss, calling it a "$1 billion disaster." Even ahead of the 2024 election, some Democrats have signaled frustration and disillusionment with the party, with Senator Joe Manchin notably leaving the party to identify as an independent. Others, like State Representative Shawn Thierry, switched parties after losing her Democratic primary. However, on the flip side, this week, former Republican Congressman David Jolly announced his Florida gubernatorial run as a Democrat. What People Are Saying Professor Michael Kazin, an expert on U.S. politics and social movements in Georgetown University's history department, told Newsweek in an email Thursday: "In the past, politicians switched parties either when they felt their old party no longer represented their views (examples include Charlie Crist in FL, Wayne Morse in Oregon, and Ronald Reagan) or when they thought they had a better chance to win a primary or general election as the candidate of the other partisan battle-lines are pretty rigid, and it's become perilous for a politician to cross them." U.S. Representative James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, on X, formerly Twitter: "Congratulations to my dear friend Sen Robin Webb for switching parties. Like so many good honest people with common sense who work hard and pay taxes, the Democrat party has abandoned them. Robin will make an excellent addition to our great Kentucky State Senate Majority!" Then-president-elect Donald Trump said on Truth Social in December: "Congratulations to Hillary Cassel for becoming the second State Representative from the Great State of Florida to switch her Party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, once more expanding the GOP Supermajority in the State House! I would further like to invite other Disillusioned Democrats to switch Parties, and join us on this noble quest to Save our Country and, Make America Great Again - GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE. THANK YOU HILLARY!" What Happens Next Some of the former Democrat lawmakers who have changed their party affiliations are up for reelection in 2026.
Axios
38 minutes ago
- Axios
"Who cares": Congress' Dems say good riddance to Karine Jean-Pierre
If former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre thought she would set off a five-alarm fire among top Democrats by leaving the party, she is about to be sorely disappointed. Why it matters: Democratic lawmakers who spoke to Axios characterized her personal motives as too transparent to be a knock on the party — and they don't exactly feel like they're losing their best messenger either. "Who cares," exclaimed one House Democrat. "It's easy for paid operatives to leave the party ... until they need something." Said another: "Her explanation for this move is as confusing and disjointed as her answers in her White House press briefings." Jean-Pierre did not respond to a request for comment. Driving the news: Jean-Pierre revealed Wednesday that she is becoming an independent after serving in two Democratic presidential administrations. The announcement coincides with the release of a new book, "Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines." The book's description decries "blind loyalty to a two-party democratic system" and promises to delve into "the three weeks that led to Biden's abandoning his bid for a second term and the betrayal by the Democratic Party that led to his decision." What they're saying: "Other than Sean Spicer ... she was the worst press secretary in American history," a third House Democrat told Axios of Jean-Pierre. "There were rumors that the Biden folks were trying to get rid of her because she's so terrible," the lawmaker said, speculating that she is trying to curry favor with Republicans to avoid a congressional subpoena. "I don't know who wrote her book. We know she couldn't give a press conference without reading every word from her briefing," they added. Zoom in: Jean-Pierre has also been lit up by her former Biden White House colleagues, with one former official telling Axios' Alex Thompson she was "one of the most ineffectual and unprepared people I've ever worked with." "She had meltdowns after any interview that asked about a topic not sent over by producers," the official said. Said another: "The amount of time that was spent coddling [Jean-Pierre] and appeasing her was astronomical compared to our attention on actual matters of substance." Zoom out: The latest Bidenworld infighting comes after the release of a new book from Thompson and CNN's Jake Tapper, " Original Sin," which recounts how Biden's team shielded him from public scrutiny about his age.
