The Democrats are facing extinction. Some Democrats are coming clean once-and-for-all.
That’s why Sean Hannity was floored by what a leading Democrat’s just confessed to on his show.
Democratic Party Faces Leadership and Favorability Challenges
A former Democratic strategist, Dan Turrentine, appeared on Fox News with host Sean Hannity on Wednesday, highlighting significant issues within the Democratic Party, including ineffective leadership and the absence of a clear policy agenda.
Recent polling from The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Gallup conducted in July revealed historically low favorability ratings for the Democratic Party. Turrentine, speaking on “Hannity,” pointed out that party leaders are hesitant to take bold positions for fear of alienating their progressive base.
“[U]nfortunately for people like myself and folks that are focused on trying to win races and rebuild our majority, it’s horrifying that the party just will not come to grips with the depth of its problems and do the things to get out of it,” Turrentine told Hannity. “And you said it earlier. There’s two big problems.”
Turrentine emphasized that Democratic leaders are paralyzed by the fear of backlash from their far-left supporters. “The first is our leadership, such as it is, is terrified of being cancelled. If they come out and say it’s great that the border has been secured, they’ll be attacked,” he said. “If they say boys shouldn’t be playing girl sports as [Democratic California Gov.] Gavin Newsom and [former Chicago Mayor] Rahm Emanuel did recently, they were attacked. If they come out and say it’s great that the police keep our neighborhood safe and that they’re heroic in their efforts, they’ll be attacked.”
A January New York Times/Ipsos poll indicated that nearly 80% of Americans oppose biological males participating in women’s sports, demonstrating the disconnect between public sentiment and the party’s cautious approach.
Turrentine further criticized the party for lacking a substantive agenda to address everyday concerns. “And the second part is we continue to have no agenda to help the real lives of real people. It’s [President Donald] Trump Derangement Syndrome and this academic stuff about authoritativeness,” he said. “Until we come to grips and start doing this work, we’re going to remain in a ditch.”
When Hannity questioned why prominent Democrats like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries avoid addressing these issues, Turrentine attributed their silence to fear. “Are they silent because they’re afraid or are they silent because they’re in agreement?” Hannity asked.
Turrentine responded that fear drives their inaction, particularly for Schumer and Jeffries. “Chuck Schumer is terrified of being primaried by AOC [Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]. There was a poll two months ago, he trails her by 20%,” he told Hannity. “The only way he could defeat her is to [salvage] the base, right? Good luck being the majority leader again if you go to war with your own base.”
Turrentine added that Jeffries, aiming to become House Speaker if Democrats regain control, also relies on the progressive base. “Pelosi has the backing of the base. She always has. But Jeffries is a former corporate lawyer out of New York City and Chuck Schumer is a [former President] Bill Clinton Democrat,” he said. “Unfortunately that’s not a popular place to be in our party right now. And so we have two leaders terrified of the base.”
Recently, Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin, appearing on “America’s Newsroom,” embraced the party’s ideological diversity. “At the end of the day, the difference between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party is that we’re a big tent. We have lots of people in that tent from all of the different ideological wings, from conservative Democrats to centrists, to progressives, to these new leftists,” Martin said. “And the reality is is I’ve always said that you win through addition, not subtraction. You don’t win by pushing people out of your coalition, you win by bringing people into your coalition.”
Democrats Grapple with Existential Crisis Amid Record-Low Favorability
The Democratic Party is confronting a deepening crisis as public favorability plummets to historic lows, driven by internal divisions and a failure to connect with mainstream voters. Polls conducted in July 2025 by major outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, CNN, and Gallup, show the party’s approval ratings at their lowest in decades, a trend that analysts attribute to weak leadership, ideological rifts, and a lack of a cohesive policy platform.
The party’s struggles are compounded by a leadership wary of challenging its vocal progressive wing. This hesitation has led to a disconnect with voter priorities, such as border security and public safety, which resonate strongly with the electorate. For instance, a January 2025 New York Times/Ipsos poll found that 78% of Americans oppose biological males competing in women’s sports, yet Democratic leaders often shy away from addressing such issues to avoid backlash from their base.
This fear of alienating progressives has created a leadership vacuum, with figures like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries navigating a delicate balance to maintain their positions. Schumer, in particular, faces a potential primary challenge from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who polls suggest could outperform him significantly.
