Latest news with #infighting
Washington Post
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Democratic Party chair lashes officer in leaked call, prompting more infighting
Months of infighting at the Democratic National Committee escalated into a new round of open warfare Sunday, with several top party officials accusing an embattled member of their leadership team of leaking a portion of a private and emotional meeting. During a May 15 Zoom meeting, DNC Chair Ken Martin said he had recently questioned whether he wanted to continue in his role and blamed Vice Chair David Hogg for destroying his ability to lead the party, according to a portion of the audio posted by Politico. After the leaked audio was published Sunday, five of the nine DNC leaders on the Zoom call at the time of the leaked clip closed ranks around Martin and accused Hogg, or people associated with him, of leaking it, in statements and interviews with The Washington Post. None provided evidence for their claims. Hogg denied leaking the audio. The DNC officials who pointed fingers at Hogg included fellow vice chair Malcolm Kenyatta, who said Hogg 'proves he has no relationship with integrity if he's willing to record and leak private conversations'; Association of State Democratic Committees President Jane Kleeb, who said 'the deliberate leaking of private conversations — by David Hogg and his allies must stop'; and DNC Secretary Jason Rae, who said 'there is no doubt in my mind that David Hogg leaked this recording.' 'Does David Hogg benefit from this? Yes,' said Washington Democratic Chair Shasti Conrad, who would face Hogg if the DNC votes to hold a new election this week. Martin declined to comment on the source of the leak, but said in a statement about the call that he is not going anywhere and that he took 'this job to fight Republicans, not Democrats.' Hogg, who is facing a possible ouster this week as part of a separate dispute, denied leaking the audio in a statement posted on X on Sunday afternoon. 'A lot of people are accusing me of leaking this recording. These are the messages from the reporter who wrote the story,' said Hogg, who in his post shared a screenshot showing he did not appear to respond to texts from the reporter who broke the story contacting him for comment. The open hostilities come as the party debates larger questions over rebuilding its reputation and winning back core voters following a disastrous 2024 election that saw Republicans win the presidency and both chambers of Congress. An April Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll found that Americans see the Democratic Party as somewhat more out of touch 'with the concerns of most people' than either President Donald Trump or the Republican Party. The skirmish over the meeting and the leak is the latest in an increasingly bitter fight over Hogg's April announcement that he would back primary challengers to incumbent House Democrats. Some DNC members are uneasy with Hogg serving as a party officer while doing so, concerned that it gives the appearance that the DNC is interfering in primary contests. Martin has said he is committed to introducing a pledge that 'will require all party officers — including myself — to remain neutral in primaries' to 'ensure no party official can abuse their position to tilt the outcome of an election.' In the May 15 Zoom meeting, Martin said 'I don't know if I want to do this anymore,' and told Hogg 'you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to.' Hogg, a 25-year-old gun-control activist who survived the deadly 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, was elected to his DNC role in February and is the first Gen Z member to serve as a vice chair. In April, he announced a $20 million effort to challenge 'out-of-touch, ineffective' incumbent House Democrats in party primaries, which he has framed as a way to get Democrats into 'fighting shape.' Hogg has said he would only back challengers in safe Democratic districts. Critics of the effort have called it a distraction and argued that it will divert resources and distract from taking back control of the U.S. House. Last month a DNC panel found that Hogg and Kenyatta were not properly elected earlier this year, setting off a process that could lead to their ouster. The challenge that prompted those findings, involving the party's gender diversity rules, came before Hogg's announcement that he would get involved in primaries. It was filed by Kalyn Free, an Oklahoma activist who unsuccessfully sought one of the vice chair slots in the Feb. 1 election. But the primary debate has led some DNC members to view the vote as a convenient way to get rid of Hogg and the drama around him, while others have warned that his removal would send a bad message about the party's unity and outreach to young voters. Hogg, in a statement after the panel's decision, said it is 'impossible to ignore the broader context of my work to reform the party which loomed large over this vote.' On Monday, the DNC will begin an electronic vote on the committee's resolution. If the full body accepts it, new elections will be held for two vice chair positions; if it's rejected, Hogg and Kenyatta will maintain their positions. The new elections, which would begin later this week, would be limited to the same five candidates who ran in February: Hogg, Kenyatta, Free, Kansas Democratic Party Chair Jeanna Repass and Conrad.
The Independent
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
DNC chair unloads on David Hogg in Zoom call: ‘It's really frustrating'
Democratic Party chair Ken Martin said Sunday that he wasn't stepping down from the job after Politico obtained audio of a meeting at which Martin expressed doubts about his ability and willingness to unify the party. In the audio recording, Martin lays the blame on the party's continued infighting at the feet of one of his youngest colleagues, March for our Lives co-founder David Hogg, and claimed that Hogg had 'destroyed' his ability to lead the party out of an electoral abyss it found itself in after 2024. 'I don't think you intended this, but you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to. So it's really frustrating,' Martin told Hogg on the Zoom call, according to Politico, after stating:'No one knows who the hell I am, right?' '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 to put ourselves in a position to win,' claimed the chair on the call. On the same Zoom, Martin would go on to make a frank admission: that he'd faced his first doubts about his desire to hold his job any longer. '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,' said Martin on the May 15 call. The Independent reached out to the Democratic National Committee for comment. A spokesperson for the party released a statement from Martin to Politico, in which Martin said he was 'not going anywhere.' 'I took this job to fight Republicans, not Democrats,' said the chair, according to 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.' Martin's gripes are at least somewhat grounded in reality. The relatively unknown Minnesota Democrat-Farmer-Labor party chair was selected to lead the party after 2024 over several other candidates including at least one with arguably better name recognition: Ben Wikler of neighboring Wisconsin's Democratic Party. Since his election, Martin has not been timid from news cameras but has still struggled to step out of the shadow of Hogg, whose activism in the wake of the Parkland school shooting propelled him to national prominence long before Martin. Hogg, as well, continues to generate headlines — further complicating Martin's position. The brash, young DNC vice chair vowed earlier this year to support primary challenges against the party's graying electeds in Congress, drawing immediate and visceral anger from the party's chastened yet still powerful establishment. Hogg and Martin personally clashed over this issue, and have apparently not reached an amicable compromise. There's also the issue of the party's overall brand, which is in tatters after the 2024 election. A botched campaign season saw former President Joe Biden, wracked by physical and mental decline, run for re-election until the summer, well past any viable point for his party to hold a primary to select his replacement. He then was unceremoniously jettisoned from the Democratic ticket in favor of his former running mate, Kamala Harris, after he appeared lost and confused onstage during a debate with Donald Trump — who'd go on to win the general election. Martin and others face questions about why those closest to Biden, including Martin's predecessor, insisted for months (years, even) that Biden's decline was a right-wing conspiracy and a result of journalists ginning up a fake story. Harris's defeat in 2024 also saw the party fail to make gains in the House while losing multiple seats in the Senate, ending a Democratic Senate majority.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ken Martin privately expressed doubt about ability to lead DNC, blaming David Hogg
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin told party leaders in a recent private conversation that he's unsure about his ability to lead the party because of infighting created by Vice Chair David Hogg. '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,' he said in a May 15 Zoom meeting of DNC officers, according to a recording obtained by POLITICO. In the recording, an emotional Martin describes being deeply frustrated by the fallout over Hogg, who has ignited a firestorm in the party by vowing to spend $20 million in safe-blue primaries to oust incumbent Democrats he believes are ineffective. Martin paused twice while appearing to choke up. The intraparty feud, Martin said on the recording, is making it more difficult for the party to do its work — and had ruined his ability to demonstrate leadership. 'No one knows who the hell I am, right? 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 to put ourselves in a position to win,' Martin said, addressing Hogg. 'And again, I don't think you intended this, but you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to. So it's really frustrating.' It was an extraordinary admission from the chair of the Democratic Party, just a few months after being elected to lead the party through its post-2024 crisis. The nearly two-minute clip does not include the entire conversation, including how Hogg and others may have responded to Martin. Asked for an interview, Martin, 51, sent a statement through a spokesperson. In it, he said, "I'm not going anywhere.' 'I took this job to fight Republicans, not Democrats,' he added. '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, 25, did not respond to a request for comment. The Zoom meeting took place a few days after a DNC panel recommended holding new elections for the seats held by Hogg and another vice chair, Malcolm Kenyatta, on procedural grounds. DNC members will decide whether to do so in a vote set to begin on Monday. Roughly 10 people attended the May 15 Zoom meeting, including DNC officers and staff, according to two people familiar with the call who were granted anonymity to describe the private conversation. Asked for comment, party leaders rallied behind Martin, expressing confidence in his leadership. In a statement, DNC Associate Chair Shasti Conrad, who attended the Zoom meeting and was briefly mentioned on it, said Martin 'showed vulnerability in a private conversation' and 'stood up' for the Democratic Party. 'He shows up with authenticity. Always,' she said. 'That's what you'll hear on the tape.' Jane Kleeb, president of the Association of State Democratic Committees, was on the call and said she was 'proud of' Martin and the work the party is doing. Kenyatta, who was also at the meeting, similarly stood by Martin: 'Breaking news: a human being had a frustrating day at work. That's all Ken expressed on that call.' After POLITICO reached out to Martin and the DNC, three party officers who were on the call but not contacted by POLITICO sent statements of support for Martin: DNC Associate Chair Stuart Appelbaum, DNC Secretary Jason Rae and Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), a DNC associate chair and former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Martin, who won a contested election to be DNC chair in February, formerly led the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party for about 14 years. He was also previously president of the Association of State Democratic Committees. When Martin campaigned for the DNC post, he called for a 'massive narrative and branding project' to boost the party's image. As chair, he has traveled the country for canvassing, fundraisers and other events to rally Democrats, including on Saturday in New Jersey. But that work has been overshadowed in recent months by the intraparty dispute that Hogg and Martin have been locked in. Many Democrats said party officers shouldn't take sides in primaries, and Martin proposed requiring party leaders to remain neutral in them. Hogg had pitched a compromise, suggesting an internal "firewall" that would bar him from access to sensitive information in primaries his group, Leaders We Deserve, were involved with. But Martin rejected that deal. 'Party officers have one job: to be fair stewards of a process that invites every Democrat to the table — regardless of personal views or allegiances,' Martin said, urging Hogg to stay neutral. As the controversy played out, Hogg's position in the party was separately challenged by Oklahoma DNC member Kalyn Free, who filed a complaint in February that Hogg's and Kenyatta's election in February didn't follow DNC rules and made it harder for a woman to be elected vice chair. After the DNC panel's vote in support of another election, Hogg said in a statement that it is 'impossible to ignore the broader context of my work to reform the party which loomed large over this vote' and that the 'DNC has pledged to remove me, and this vote has provided an avenue to fast-track that effort.' The tension within the DNC comes as Democrats grapple with the best way to regroup after devastating electoral losses in November. Hogg, a survivor of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, frames his efforts as a way to reinvigorate the party. Hogg previously told POLITICO 'we have a culture of seniority politics that has created a litmus test of who deserves to be here' and 'we need people, regardless of their age, that are here to fight.' He has won some influential supporters, including longtime Democratic strategist James Carville and radio host Charlamagne tha God. But an intense backlash from other Democrats has accused Hogg of hurting, not helping, the party. Several of the Democratic Party officers leveled that criticism at Hogg in their statements supporting Martin. 'Instead of helping to rebuild the party he's supposed to serve, he's attacking it for personal gain,' said Kleeb. 'That might boost his PAC's fundraising, but it erodes trust in the very institution we're trying to reform and strengthen.' Others emphasized that Hogg is an outlier among party officials, and both Appelbaum and Beatty used the word 'distraction' in their statements. 'The stakes are so high right now that we can't afford distractions like the ones that David is creating,' Appelbaum said. In the Zoom meeting, Martin appeared to acknowledge complaints some had with how the party had operated, but told Hogg the "fight" was getting in the way. '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,' he said in the recording. 'I deeply respect you, David. I, too, was looking forward to working with you, but this has created a situation.'
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
DNC infighting threatens to throw party into ‘chaos'
Infighting at the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is threatening to consume Democratic leadership just as the midterms are starting to kick into gear. The tensions come after a DNC panel moved forward this week with the potential ouster of two elected officials, including gun control activist David Hogg. Now officials find themselves in a war of words over the issues at play, with Hogg alleging the move is a sign of party insiders seeking to force him out over his calls for supporting primary challengers to certain incumbents. Though others at the DNC deny the vote was related to Hogg's efforts, the feud is stirring up drama that Democrats want to avoid as they focus on regaining control of the House and possibly flipping the Senate next year. 'I hate to be the party of chaos when the GOP is doing such a good job of it,' Democratic consultant Marj Halperin said. 'This isn't the priority voters want the DNC to be focused on.' Pressure had been bubbling up for weeks, even before the DNC's Credentials Committee voted Monday in favor of holding a new election for the two positions that Hogg and Pennsylvania state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta currently hold. Hogg, who was elected to one of the DNC's vice chair positions in February, first sparked controversy last month when he indicated that his group, Leaders We Deserve, would launch a $20 million effort to back primary challenges to incumbent House Democrats in safe seats. He emphasized that the group wouldn't target Democrats running in competitive districts or those who have been effective at standing up to President Trump. 'The reality is you should not be worried about this if you are a member of Congress if you are effective like [Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.)], for example, or [Rep.] Nancy Pelosi [D-Calif.],' he told The Hill at the time. 'What we are looking at is places where the elected official has not done a great job being effective against Trump.' But that met opposition from DNC Chair Ken Martin, who said shortly after that all DNC officials should remain neutral in primaries, saying Hogg is free to challenge incumbents but not as a DNC officer. He also said he has 'great respect' for Hogg as an 'amazing young leader.' Hogg argued in response that he wasn't violating any DNC rules. But these tensions look poised to come to a head following the Credentials Committee's vote, which was in favor of a complaint from a losing candidate for a vice chair position who argued the election procedure violated DNC rules. The entire DNC membership must vote to determine whether to redo the election in the coming months. The complaint was filed shortly after the election — well before the controversy surrounding Hogg — but he has argued the development needs to be viewed in the context of the latest developments, saying his work to reform the party 'loomed large over this vote.' But that has sparked pushback from some — including Kenyatta, the other vice chair — who maintain that the decision is not about Hogg and that he's trying to make the story about himself. Democrats said regardless of who is right, the bickering isn't a good look for the party as it needs to present a unified message opposing the Republicans' agenda. Democratic strategist Max Burns said he expects the public will likely view it as the DNC pushing out Hogg, but the broader issue is with the confusion over the DNC's rules. 'The reality is that the DNC's rules have clearly become so confusing that not even senior officials have any idea how to understand them,' he said. He warned the infighting could become an issue for those on both sides of the argument, as young people and Democrats who were considering getting more involved in the party could be turned off, creating a 'negative image all around.' 'The result is that it just becomes such an unattractive proposition for people to get involved with,' Burns said. 'It hurts the party on an infrastructural level when your operation looks this scattershot.' Even as the direct issue has just focused on internal party positions, the debate has broader implications and has stirred strong emotions. Adam Green, the co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said the takeaway that people will have is the party is targeting a 'young vibrant force in the party' who is trying to make it 'bolder.' 'That's the tragedy of Ken Martin picking a fight with David Hogg,' he said. 'Most people's impression of the Democratic Party is that it's defending a broken status quo and failing to shake up a broken political and economic system,' Green said. Kenyatta has denounced Hogg's framing of the issue, arguing he has a 'casual relationship with the truth.' He said Hogg's statements about the DNC's move pushed him 'over the edge' despite wanting to avoid adding to party infighting. 'But David's first statement out of the gate was, 'Here's the Democratic Party doing some maniacal thing to push me out' because of what he's doing with his PAC,' Kenyatta said. 'David knows that that is not true.' Hogg in an interview with The Washington Post said he doesn't take the criticism of him personally and what's happening is just about differing tactics. 'This is purely about a strategic disagreement, and should be treated as such, because we're all on the same side here. It's about, how do we create the strongest Democratic Party possible?' Meanwhile, Martin has expressed optimism about the party's recent wins in competitive races, making a subtle reference to the drama while pointing to Democrat John Ewing Jr.'s ousting of a three-term incumbent Republican mayor in Omaha. 'A lotta people in DC want to win the argument. I want to win elections,' he said Wednesday in a post on social platform X. 'Last night's huge victory in Omaha speaks to the power of 'organizing everywhere' — our new mission at the DNC.' Democratic and Democratic-aligned candidates have outperformed in 22 out of 24 special and regular elections in 2025 compared to former Vice President Harris's performance in 2024, including the Wisconsin state Supreme Court and superintendent races last month. Democratic strategist Matt Grodsky said he isn't as worried about the turmoil leading to a wider issue for Democrats broadly, saying most people living their daily lives aren't concerned with such fighting. 'At the end of the day, when it comes to the midterms, and if things stay the way they are, they're going to have two options. Do we want to continue with what Republicans are offering, or we want to go with what Democrats are offering?' Grodsky said. 'And I don't think that the intraparty fighting is going to be a big factor in that.' But he added that the longer the focus is on 'little fights and spats,' the harder it will be for the party to be able to focus on fundraising and candidate recruitment. The strategists all expressed some amount of sympathy with Hogg's broader effort to support younger challengers to longtime incumbents but said the DNC needs to be focused. Halperin said the party should focus on broader strategies to try to move forward, looking at the long-term incumbents and if they genuinely have support from their districts. She said the answer will vary from district to district, but the listening needs to come from outside the 'inner circle.' 'It sort of looks like we're going to talk internally and get our house in order the way we think it should be, then we'll be ready to go and talk to voters,' she said. 'I think that's backwards.' Updated at 6:34 p.m. ET. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
