As President-elect Trump prepares to return to the White House, a leading Democratic pollster and strategist emphasizes that her party needs a new game plan to confront the former and soon-to-be future president. Molly Murphy, a top pollster on Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign, noted that the 2025 playbook cannot be the 2017 playbook as Trump will return to the White House next month more popular compared to eight years ago.
Murphy highlighted that voters give Trump a thumbs up on how he’s handling his transition and approve of his handling of the economy, even if they disapprove of some of his comments. She argued that the Democrats’ mission going forward is to change that perception, focusing on how this term is worse and things are not going to be good for the American people.
The Democrats’ message should be “Donald Trump does not care about you. He is going to screw you,” Murphy said, stressing that the party needs to focus on the economy and costs, spotlighting parts of the Trump agenda that are unpopular, such as “tax breaks for the wealthy” and “letting corporations drive up prices and making you pay for it.”
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) held a meeting where Murphy made these points, with DNC chair Jaime Harrison complimenting her presentation. Harrison, who is not running for a second term, suggested that the party should also target Vice President-elect Sen. JD Vance in the next presidential race. The meeting came as Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley highlighted that Trump would play a “significant” role in supporting GOP candidates.