A new divide emerges in the Democratic Party: From the Politics Desk
Welcome to the online version of From the Politics Desk, an evening newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team's latest reporting and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.
In today's edition, Allan Smith interviews a Democratic congressman from battleground Pennsylvania who's trying to grab the mantle of economic populism. Plus, Megan Lebowitz and Rebecca Shabad recap President Donald Trump's first meeting with Canada's new prime minister, who was boosted by anti-American sentiment in last month's election.
— Adam Wollner
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Fighter vs. 'wimp': Swing-state Democrat sees a new party divide
By Allan Smith
At one time not so long ago, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was maybe seen as too progressive for most swing-district Democrats to appear with.
Not anymore.
When Sanders went through Pennsylvania over the weekend, one such Democrat, Rep. Chris Deluzio, was by his side on his 'Fighting Oligarchy' tour.
Deluzio argued in an interview that the old intraparty divide of moderate vs. progressive is over. Deluzio has himself straddled that divide at times. But he has also sought to grab the left's mantle of economic populism as he has won two terms in a district just outside of Pittsburgh.
Now, in President Donald Trump's second term, he sees the real battle not as between the center and left but as between those who are fighters and those who are passive.
Deluzio argued that more populist positioning, citing his own push for an anti-corruption, anti-corporate and anti-monopoly platform, 'is uniting more Democrats across the old ideological labels who understand that one, now is not the time to be a wimp, and that two, we've got to put the economic fight front and center.'
That Deluzio, who represents a D+3 district, according to the Cook Political Report, would appear with Sanders would've raised eyebrows in past cycles. He said that, while he's not sure how many Democratic officials feel differently about appearing on the trail with Sanders now, he doesn't see much difference between his messaging and Sanders'.
Appearing with him in Harrisburg and Bethlehem over the weekend — on the other side of the state from his congressional district — Deluzio railed against 'bootlicker politicians,' 'the oligarchs in the White House and the boardroom' and 'these phony patriots' he sees 'waging a war on the American Dream.' And he called on Democrats to rally around a congressional stock trading ban as part of an anti-corruption push.
'Donald Trump understood that anger,' Deluzio said in Bethlehem of working-class disenchantment with the status quo. 'He saw that wound in the American psyche. What does he offer? Snake oil of hate, division and autocracy. That's not the way forward. We're here to call out that bulls---.'
By Megan Lebowitz and Rebecca Shabad
President Donald Trump's first meeting with Canada's new prime minister was far less confrontational than his interactions with the country's previous leader, Justin Trudeau, even as Mark Carney reiterated that there is no way the country will become part of the United States.
'As you know from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale,' said Carney, a former banker whose electoral victory last month was fueled in part by backlash to Trump's annexation and tariff agenda for Canada.
Asked later what was going through his mind during Trump's remarks inside the Oval Office, Carney said, 'I'm glad that you couldn't tell what was going through my mind.'
'The president has made known his wish about that issue for some time,' Carney told reporters at the Canadian Embassy in downtown Washington. 'I've been careful always to distinguish between wish and reality. I was clear there in the Oval Office, as I've been clear throughout on behalf of Canadians, that this is never going to happen. Canada is not for sale. It never will be for sale.'
Carney also told reporters he asked Trump to stop saying he wants Canada to become the 51st state.
The two leaders complimented each other multiple times during the meeting, a stark contrast from Trump's icy relationship with Trudeau, whom he regularly taunted as 'Governor Trudeau.'
Trump said that he had 'a lot of respect' for Carney and that 'we're going to be friends with Canada.' And Carney said, 'I feel better about the relations.'
But it remains to be seen whether the comity will last and whether Carney will be able to use the initial goodwill to turn down some of Trump's pressure on his country when it comes to trade and Canada's sovereignty.
Even as Carney insisted his country would never be for sale, Trump replied, 'Never say never.'
Trump also told reporters that there was nothing Carney could say during their meeting that would persuade him to lift the tariffs. Asked why, he said, 'That's just the way it is.'
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