Ex-Pelosi Adviser Rips Democrats ‘Squandering’ Opportunities Against Trump

A former adviser to House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi criticized Democratic leaders’ approach to handling President Donald Trump in a new interview with Politico published Friday.

Why It Matters

Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential race left Democrats divided about the best way to move forward.

The divisions are ideological—between progressives and moderate Democrats—and generational. Meanwhile, even though Trump’s approval rating continues falling, Democrats are facing their own troubling numbers as some within the party feel it hasn’t done enough to stop Trump.

What to Know

Pelosi’s former adviser, Ashley Etienne questioned Democrats’ handling of Trump during an interview on Politico’s “Deep Dive” podcast.

“Trump is just giving us all this incredible red meat,” she said. “I mean, incredible. I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s like the biggest gift any party has been given by the opposition and we’re just squandering it to a degree.”

She also said she’s “disappointed” in House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries’ strategy early in Trump’s second term.

“What I was shocked by, honestly, was when he said at one of his first early press conferences that we’re not in control, we’re not in power, so we have no power as Democrats,” she said of the New York Democrat. “Why that disappointed me is because it said to me that he’s not seeking out the answers to that actual question.”

Still, she offered some praise for Jeffries’ leadership.

“I really adore Mr. Jeffries. He was one of the impeachment managers when I ran the war room,” Etienne said, referring to Jeffries’ role in making a case for Trump’s removal before the Senate during his first impeachment. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for his intellect. His ability to message.”

Antjuan Seawright, longtime Democratic strategist and political adviser to Jeffries, contested Etienne’s criticism of the party, telling Newsweek that “nobody wins when the family feuds” and that Democrats should be working to show a “united front.”

“We’ve had, perhaps, the most consequential run in the past several weeks that we’ve had since Donald Trump has taken office, if you look at some of the activities that have happened over the course of the recess,” Seawright said.

He added: “If you look at the direct engagement and contact Democrats are doing in terms of town halls and listening sessions, if you look at what [New Jersey Senator Cory] Booker and Jeffries did to set the tone for the week, and if you look at the address Jeffries did to not only snapshot or capture the first 100 days of [Trump’s] presidency, but also the first 100 days of the do-nothing Republican majority.”

Seawright also pushed back on the idea that Democrats are “squandering” opportunities against Trump, saying that Democrats “are doing everything they can” and it’s an “all hands on deck moment.”

Costas Panagopoulos, a professor of political science at Northeastern University, told Newsweek it can be tough for the minority party to put up a strong fight in Congress because of some structural barriers that prevent Democrats from doing more to stand up to the administration and the GOP agenda.

“Having said that, there is certainly more that Democrats could be doing, at a minimum on the messaging and communications front, to remind voters of the alternative vision of this country that their policies represent and to position themselves as a viable alternative in future elections and in the midterms,” he said.

Polls currently show Americans are “frustrated with both parties” and that some aren’t embracing Democrats because they don’t view the party as a “strong alternative” that’s effectively articulating its message, he added.

Democrats should be focusing on actions—as opposed to just vocal criticisms—of Trump, Panagopoulos said, pointing to Booker’s 25-hour filibuster as an act that galvanized voters.

What People Are Saying

Jeffries spokesperson Christie Stephenson wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Setting aside that this ‘juicy new listen’ on democrats has exactly one RT – from the NRCC… Can anyone tell me how grandstanding like this is anything other than a gift to Republicans?”

CNN pollster Harry Enten said: “These numbers should be a major wake-up call for Democrats. Democrats cannot count their chickens just yet, because those eggs have not cracked at this particular moment.”

What Happens Next

Despite differences in strategy, Democrats are eyeing the 2026 midterms as an opportunity to reclaim their congressional majority. Historically, a president’s party loses seats in the midterms, as Republicans did when they lost their House majority during the 2018 midterm elections in Trump’s first term.

Similarly, Democrats lost their majority in the 2022 midterms, when Joe Biden was president.