
DNC chair, almost crying, claims David Hogg is making it impossible to lead party: ‘No one knows who the hell I am'
DNC Chair Ken Martin vented about party Vice Chairman and Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg to the point of near tears in a recent call with top Dem brass, saying, 'No one knows who the hell I am.
'I'll be very honest with you: For the first time in my 100 days on this job, the other night I said to myself for the first time, 'I don't know if I wanna do this anymore,' ' Martin bluntly admitted in leaked audio of the May 15 Zoom meeting, which was obtained by Politico,
Martin, who was elected boss of the Democratic National Committee in February, bemoaned the shadow that Hogg cast over him by igniting a firestorm within the party over his plans to fund primary challenges against incumbent Dems.
Advertisement
'No one knows who the hell I am, right?' Martin said during the call, in which he singled out Hogg, who was in the meeting.
'I'm trying to get my sea legs underneath of me and actually develop any amount of credibility so I can go out there and raise the money and do the job I need to put ourselves in a position to win,' the chairman said.
'I don't think you intended this, but you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to,' he said, directly addressing Hogg. 'So it's really frustrating.'
Advertisement
3 Ken Martin didn't mince words about his frustrations with DNC Vice Chair David Hogg in leaked audio.
AP
3 Hogg has been working to fund Democratic primaries against safe DEM incumbents despite his role as a party's vice chair.
Getty Images for Fast Company
Toward the end of the leaked audio, Martin's voice grew softer, and he paused at least twice, appearing to be on the verge of choking up.
The DNC boss told Hogg, 'I deeply respect you' and 'was looking forward to working with you' while griping about the dilemma that the 25-year-old school mass-shooting survivor created.
Advertisement
Martin, referring to the state of the DNC, said, 'It has plenty of warts, and we're all trying to change those, for sure, but the longer we continue this fight, the harder it is for us to actually do what we all want to do, which is make a difference in this country again.'
About 10 people were reportedly on the call.
The Post reached out to the DNC and Hogg for comment. Hogg later posted text messages with the Politico reporter who broke the story as evidence that he didn't leak the audio.
Advertisement
Martin was meanwhile adamant that 'I'm not going anywhere' after the leaked audio surfaced.
'I took this job to fight Republicans, not Democrats,' he said in a statement obtained by Politico. 'As I said when I was elected, our fight is not within the Democratic Party, our fight is and has to be solely focused on Donald Trump and the disastrous Republican agenda.
'That's the work that I will continue to do every day.'
Hogg announced in April that his 'Leaders We Deserve' group would shell out about $20 million to meddle in Democratic primaries located in safe districts to edge out what it considers complacent incumbents in favor of ones who are more feisty.
3 Hogg has argued that the party needs to become more combative.
Getty Images
Last month, Hogg's group made its first endorsement, backing Illinois state Sen. Robert Peters (D) for the seat held by US Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), in Illinois' 2nd Congressional District. Kelly is running to replace retiring Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) in 2026.
Many Democrats are incensed that Hogg is attempting to retain his role as a vice chair at the DNC and intervene in primaries at the same time. Hogg is one of three vice chairs.
As with the Republican National Committee, the DNC provides candidates with resources and strategic assistance and is generally expected to be neutral in party primaries.
Advertisement
'Our job is to be neutral arbiters,' Martin previously said in another leaked April call. 'We can't be both the referee and also the player at the same time.'
Martin had pressured Hogg to either sign a neutrality pledge or step down from his highly coveted perch.
Last month, around the time of the leaked Martin Zoom call, the DNC Credentials Committee heard complaints that Hogg and fellow Vice Chair Malcolm Kenyatta were improperly elected to their positions in February.
The complaint was furnished by Oklahoma DNC member Kalyn Free, who pointed to committee rules calling for the party to have as close to gender parity as possible. She argued that the election of Hogg and Kenyatta flouted those rules.
Advertisement
The DNC subpanel recommended that the party hold new elections for the vice chair positions to rectify that issue.
All of that controversy has clouded the DNC's efforts to go on the offensive against Republicans and President Trump amid deep soul-searching within the party over what went awry during the 2024 presidential election.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Times
42 minutes ago
- New York Times
10 Questions With Michael Blake
At the first Democratic debate in this year's New York City mayoral race, Michael Blake emerged as a scene-stealer, in part for his curt attacks on former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, the race's front-runner. For those familiar with Mr. Blake, his performance might not have been entirely unexpected. He worked at the White House during the Obama administration, served as a New York State assemblyman and is an associate pastor at a Bronx church who knows how to craft a strong one-liner. That experience, however, has not translated into much success in his bid to become mayor. He has been near the back of the pack in the polls, and his campaign has not qualified for the city's generous public matching funds program. Ahead of the June 24 primary, the leading Democrats in the race visited The New York Times for interviews. We are publishing excerpts from those interviews, and this is the fourth in the series; our conversation has been edited for length and clarity. We asked Mr. Blake, 42, questions about 10 themes, with the occasional follow-up, touching on his push to eliminate credit scores on rent and homeownership applications and whether it's OK to put ketchup on a cinnamon raisin bagel. We've written previously about where Mr. Blake and the other candidates stand on key issues and which candidates are raising the most money in your neighborhood. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.


Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
LA Riots: Multiple Police Cars Attacked By Protesters
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. Two videos posted to social media showed multiple damaged California Highway Patrol vehicles stationary beneath a bridge in Los Angeles as protestors hurled objects down below, including bikes and street signs. No cops were visible in the videos. There was large-scale rioting in LA over the weekend, violence that stemmed from protests against immigration enforcement in the Californian city. President Donald Trump is deploying 2,000 California National Guard troops to quell the violence, against the wishes of the state's Gov. Gavin Newsom and the city's Mayor Karen Bass, both Democrats. ❌ BREAKING: 🚨 Rioters have destroyed multiple California Highway Patrol vehicles and are now MOVING TOWARD the city. Via @ExxAlerts — {Matt} $XRPatriot (@matttttt187) June 9, 2025 Police cruisers continue to be pelted by large rocks as officers take shelter in the underpass. There is no intervention. California is a failed state. — Cam Higby | America First 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) June 9, 2025 This is a developing article. Updates to follow.


Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump Says 'Bring in the Troops' as LA Riots Escalate
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. President Donald Trump called for troops to enter Los Angeles amid rioting in the Californian city that stemmed from protests against immigration enforcement. The Republican president is deploying 2,000 California National Guard troops to L.A. to quell the intense violence, despite opposition from Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. "Looking really bad in L.A. BRING IN THE TROOPS!!!" Trump posted to his Truth Social platform in the early hours of Monday morning. This is a developing story. Updates to follow.