Politics
NEW: DNC Descends Further Into ‘Chaos’ Amid Brutal Stretch: ‘Desperate For Cash’
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is continuing to spiral under the leadership of recently elected chair Ken Martin, according to a bombshell report from the New York Times.
According to the report, the organization’s financial situation has become so “bleak” that DNC executives are considering the prospect of borrowing money in order to pay off this year’s expenses. The crisis has been exasperated by lack of donations from major donors, many of whom have yet to engage in direct conversation with Martin.
“Fellow Democrats are grumbling that Mr. Martin, who quietly accepted a raise after taking the post, has been badly distracted by internal battles. So far, they say, he has been unable to help unite his party against Republicans, who control the federal government,” The Times reported.
Martin recently concluded a protracted battle with gun control activist David Hogg, which has largely defined the beginning of his tenure as national chair. Hogg, 25, was elected as one of the party’s two vice chairs back in February and immediately pledged to use party resources to launch primary campaigns against Democrat lawmakers who were not sufficiently left-wing.
Hogg was ultimately ousted by the party under procedural rules, but not before Martin openly admitted that he was considering stepping down from his role due to the infighting. In a leaked Zoom meeting with party leaders, Martin accused Hogg of undercutting his leadership and confessed that he has considered stepping down from his current role if party infighting continues.
“No one knows who the hell I am, right? I’m trying to get my sea legs underneath of me and actually develop any amount of credibility so I can go out there and raise the money and do the job I need to to put ourselves in a position to win,” Martin said in the recording, which was obtained by Politico.“I don’t think you intended this,” Martin told Hogg on the May 15 Zoom meeting, “but you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to. So it’s really frustrating.”
Hogg’s removal has not immediately solved the DNC’s issues, as the organization suffered a number of high-profile defections earlier this week. Multiple influential labor leaders, who represent a combined 3.2 million workers both exited the DNC after questioning Martin’s leadership.
Rufus Gifford, who served as the finance chairman of Kamala Harris’s 2024 campaign and maintains relationships with many top donors, suggested Democrats were being sent the “wrong message” at a time when they are desperately looking for “fight and leadership.”
“What they are seeing is headline after headline of incompetence and infighting, and I think that is a real problem not just for the D.N.C. but for the larger Democratic brand,” he said. “We need to come together and focus on the issues at hand. That’s got to happen now. And I mean today. And if that can’t happen, we need to shift course.”
