Opinion: Why Dems Have a Secret Super-Spreading Epidemic: Trump Envy

Yahoo

2 days ago

Senior-level Democrats across the country are facing an epidemic. Some cases are benign, but in others it is quite acute, with symptoms resembling insanity. And in every instance, unless properly treated the consequences can be severe—not just for Democrats but for the whole country.
The disease is Trump-envy. And according to the best minds at the Department of Health and Human Services—which is admittedly setting the bar pretty low these days—there is no known vaccine.
Of course, that's their response to everything so best to take it with a grain of salt. Or, per our new surgeon general nominee Casey Means, perhaps a microdose of shrooms?
Nonetheless, the disease is real. I've seen it myself up close. It's not pretty.
It is important to be able to distinguish between the milder forms of this 'mind virus,' which have some symptoms which are actually beneficial, and the more severe forms, which can have you talking like a CNN political consultant overnight.
I've witnessed the former even among close friends and respected colleagues. These are smart people with lengthy public service careers and a proven dedication to our national interests. They understand the threat Trump poses to our democracy and to our standing in the world; his corruption, his racism, misogyny and general odiousness. In other words, their reasoning powers are unimpaired.
But here's what I have heard from them. Often even those who served at high levels in the Biden Administration and were deeply loyal to our former president will say, sotto voce, 'I wish that we could have acted as decisively as Trump does.' Or, 'We would really be better off if we could keep our party in line the way he does.'
Or, 'Yes, he may be a dictator, gutting the constitution, and stripping away our human rights but we should have taken more aggressive steps to reduce the size of some bloated cabinet departments too.' (Yes, some DC-lifers get wistful about bureaucratic reorganizations. It's a sign of a different disease. But let's leave that for another column.)
Sometimes their begrudging appreciation for what Trump has done is more specifically policy-driven. Many have come to the view that Democrats should have been tougher on immigration. They wouldn't have gone as far as Trump has done. But in retrospect they think that we would have been better off if Biden had been as tough on immigration as say, America's toughest president on the issue, Barack Obama—who deported people at twice the current rate being achieved by Trump.
Many top national security professionals with whom I have spoken also appreciated the swiftness of Trump's decision to change America's approach to Syria in ways that might give the new government in that country a chance. They were happy to see Trump give the cold shoulder to Netanyahu during his recent Middle East trip. They were glad to see him moving toward a nuclear deal with Iran and actively promoting AI leadership in the US.
Yes, they'll be the first to admit, the Syria decision may have been premature. Yes, Trump's chill with Netanyahu is playing out alongside a continuation of Biden's policy in support of war crimes in Gaza. Yes, it was Trump who blew up the original Iran deal that he now seems intent on putting back into place (in some form or another). And yes, it may be that Trump's stance on AI is influenced by the interests of some of his big donors.
But nonetheless, veterans of the last Democratic administration are saying—quietly, behind closed doors—that they appreciate some of what Trump has been doing even as the excoriate much of the rest. And while such open-mindedness can be dangerous if it loses its moorings in facts and morality, a willingness to admit when the opposing side gets something right, even if it happens infrequently, is pretty healthy.
What is downright dangerous is when Trump envy takes over the organs which directly control political ambition. If you don't know what I mean, turn on any cable news channel where you will hear chin-stroking political greybeards positing that the only way forward for Democrats is to mimic Trump—finding the party's own Joe Rogan, rebuilding its relationship with young men, maybe building out a few migrant detention camps, but more comfortable. Maybe with some bottled water and wifi?
Never mind that a left-wing Rogan-stein is a terrible idea. That there are a lot more sensible young voters concerned about issues like climate change or gun control or having an economic future or control over their own bodies than there are Three Percenter gamers who might switch sides. That Trump is already alienating many who voted for him and the best thing Democrats can do is shine a light on the pain his presidency is causing—and underscore that basic principles like creating opportunity, promoting tolerance, helping those who can't help themselves and defending the rule of law are precisely the right agenda for the moment.
Those suffering from acute Trump envy have lost their bearings. Yes, Democrats need to evolve. Yes, there are things we could learn from Trump's victories—like embracing patriotism and strength. But we should not forget that over the past thirty years Democrats have won the popular vote in 1992, 1996, 2000, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020. That's seven of the last nine elections. Yes, we have to win the electoral vote but the prospects look very good in 2026 and 2028.
Furthermore, the Democrats who understand Trump's true strengths—clear communication, speaking in terms his base can understand—are out there. As it happens, they are not the ones triangulating victories and offering to meet fascism halfway (yes, I mean you Gavin Newsom). They are people with the one gift politicians can't hire a consultant to teach them: authenticity.
Of course, many of these that the Trump-envy sufferers are targeting most for criticism are progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the strongest, clearest, most effective voices in the Democratic Party now. Such criticism is a big mistake. AOC gets it.
That said, if AOC is not for you, there are other prospective candidates who have properly learned the lessons of the past few years without completely going off their heads—like J.B. Pritzker or Gretchen Whitmer or Jasmine Crockett or Wes Moore.
What is important is this: In politics there is no cure for some degree of envy toward those who have actually won. It's the nature of the beast. But too much envy can result in losing touch with reality—and with your base; with who you are and why you are in politics in the first place.
For every Democrat at the top levels of the party, and even for those of us whose role is not to strategize but to vote, to donate, to work for wins in the years ahead, it is vital we learn how to tell the difference.