Jen Psaki Admits Democrats Are 'In the Wilderness,' Co-Panelist Says 'A Huge Fight' Is Coming
MSNBC host and former Biden White House press secretary Jen Psaki acknowledged on Sunday that Democrats are currently without a clear leader and “in the wilderness” after their significant losses to Donald Trump and the Republican Party.
During an appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press, Psaki admitted the Democratic Party faces an uncertain future following Trump’s decisive victories, which included winning the presidency, the Senate, and retaining the House earlier this month. Trump also made history as the first Republican in 20 years to win the popular vote, securing over 76 million votes—a nod to the “spirit of ’76” for a candidate championing the slogan “Make America Great Again.”
“Look, I think Democrats are in the wilderness. As you said before, there is no clear leader of the party,” Psaki remarked. “Joe Biden is going to be out of office shortly. Kamala Harris just lost the election. There are a lot of governors and other people who might emerge, maybe people we don’t know about yet, but there is no clear leader of the party right now.”
Psaki went on to suggest this lack of leadership presents an opportunity for Democrats to redefine their direction. “That, to me, is an opportunity because people have to decide. Nobody’s given it, right. You seize the mantle or you don’t. Are you going to be the person who decides who’s the right person to stand up against Trump? Or are you going to be the person who brings the country together?” she asked.
Politico’s Eugene Daniels, a co-panelist on Meet the Press, highlighted the internal struggles brewing within the Democratic Party. He pointed to an impending “huge fight” between the party’s old guard—figures like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and former President Barack Obama—and the younger generation led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
“They are going to put up a huge fight with the older folks because they think, ‘You can’t bring us to where we are right now and take us out of it,’” Daniels argued. Psaki agreed, stating, “The moment for generational change is now. Because there are people in the leadership positions who are not of the young guard. Democrats control nothing. So if there are people out there who want change, now is the moment to change it.”
Psaki also reflected on the Democrats’ loss of support from working-class voters, saying, “I think tonally though there are lessons learned from the election without naval gazing forever. It was not just people going to Trump. It was the Democrats losing working people. If they are the party of working people, they need to better figure out how to talk to that group of people.”
However, critics argue that Democrats’ issues go beyond messaging. The rejection of big government policies, which contributed to the worst inflation in 40 years, and the growing backlash against the party’s woke agenda, including controversial cultural debates, were pivotal in the election results.
Unless the Democratic Party learns the correct lessons from the 2024 elections, it risks remaining “in the wilderness” for an extended period. The challenges ahead demand not only new leadership but also a reassessment of the party’s policies and priorities.