The Democrat Party is at a low point. Almost everything they do draws a negative reaction from Americans.
And what these Democrats just did at the Capitol will make your skin crawl.
Democrats Stage Capitol Sit-In to Oppose Trump’s Budget Vision
On Sunday, as the congressional recess drew to a close, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) transformed the steps of the U.S. Capitol into a platform for resistance. Their 12-hour sit-in, dubbed a “moral moment,” was a stand against President Donald Trump’s sweeping budget proposal, which they view as a threat to America’s most vulnerable.
Instead of attending church, Booker and Jeffries chose the Capitol’s steps as their “sacred civic space.” Joined by a rotating cast of activists and lawmakers—including American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), and Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.)—they spent hours ranting about President Trump.
The core of their message centered on “what’s at stake with Trump’s budget,” which they argue jeopardizes essential programs.
“This is how we will stop cuts to Medicaid, this is how we will stop Trump and congressional Republicans’ devastating agenda, this is how we will rise,” Booker declared on X as the sit-in concluded.
Since Trump’s election in November, Democrats have sounded alarms about his budget, warning it could slash funding for Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare. The Trump administration insists these programs are safe, even as it proposes $1.5 trillion in spending cuts alongside an extension of the 2017 tax cuts. With Congress back in session, the budget framework—already passed by both chambers—is now under intense scrutiny, with committees racing to finalize legislation by Memorial Day.
Trump heightened the stakes on Sunday, taking to Truth Social to champion his “big, beautiful bill.” He promised it would deliver “Massive Tax Cuts, Strong Border Security Measures, Major Military Advancements, Dramatic Deregulation, Powerful Spending Reforms, and more!”
Declaring it a pivotal week, he added, “IT MUST BE DONE. We will unleash Economic Prosperity, and accelerate into the Golden Age of America.”
Democrats, however, paint a starkly different picture. During the livestream, they detailed their concerns, from education cuts to threats to Planned Parenthood and SNAP benefits.
“This is a moment of moral urgency,” Booker told Jeffries. “We are in this moment where Congress is going to come back tomorrow from a two-week recess, and the Republican leaders on your side of the Capitol are saying that they’re going to force a bill through. They want to get it done during this work period and back over to the Senate to be voted on and put on the president’s desk.”
He continued, “This bill, we believe, presents one of the greatest moral threats to our country that we’ve seen in terms of what it will do to providing food for the hungry, care for the elderly, services for the disabled, health care for the sick.”
The radical Leftist protest, Booker explained, aimed to “center the stories of people who will be affected by this bill that will cut Medicaid so savagely and so many other things, to give tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans.”
Booker, who marked his 56th birthday during the sit-in, is no stranger to high-profile activism. Last month, he set a record for the longest Senate floor speech, railing against Trump’s executive orders, tax policies, and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency for 25 hours.
Earlier this year, he joined Democrats in a social media campaign slamming Trump’s agenda with the tagline “S— That Ain’t True.” Critics have mocked these moves as theatrical, and rightfully so.
Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), speaking to NBC on Sunday, highlighted a deeper challenge for Democrats. Fresh off his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, which has drawn massive crowds, Sanders noted, “what Democrats lack right now is a vision for the future.” As the party grapples with November’s electoral losses, it struggles to unify behind a clear message or leader.
The Capitol sit-in, however, offered a glimpse of Democratic resolve. By claiming the Capitol steps as their stage, Booker and Jeffries sought not just to oppose Trump’s budget but to rally Americans around a shared sense of urgency.
But for many, this sit-in was seen as yet another performative measure by Booker to either draw attention to himself or to create a desperate attack to try and stop Donald Trump’s agenda.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
