Democrats’ Circular Firing Squad: Infighting and Purity Tests Are Handing Republicans 2026

In November 2008, during the peak of the Great Recession, incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel uttered one of the most politically savvy statements of the 21st century: “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.”

While Emanuel was specifically referring to the opportunity for congressional Democrats to pass sweeping social reforms in the midst of the economic crisis, the concept of leveraging turmoil for political gain has been applied by both parties for many decades. Earlier this month, however, Democrats squandered one such opportunity as a government shutdown was narrowly averted.

To be clear, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D- N.Y., was able to rally enough support from his colleagues to pass the Republican-authored continuing resolution—which funds the government through September—but the vote triggered a full-scale revolt from the progressive wing of the party.

Rather than posture themselves as members of a unified party, progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., publicly berated Schumer for “acquiescing” to President Donald Trump. Some Democrats have reportedly gone so far as to call for Schumer’s ouster.

This is not only a stunning display of ideological extremism, it is a public confirmation that the Democratic Party is severely splintered and beginning to self-destruct. It has no true leader, no clear agenda, and no solid path toward winning the 2026 midterms—which, from a political perspective, are quickly approaching.

As progressives rebel against moderate Democrat leadership, the party as a whole is making an increasing number of political errors. Averting a government shutdown could have been an easy win for the Left. By putting country above party and reaching across the aisle, liberals could have launched a long-overdue rebrand. To actively push for a shutdown was both paradoxical and self-defeating, to say the least.

In a statement, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., referred to the passage of the spending bill as an “assault on the economy, health care, the social safety net, and veterans.” The irony must be lost on him—because had he gotten his way, the shutdown he pushed for would have done just that.

Trump’s approval on the economy is not exactly soaring, according to some polls. If Democrats were smart, they’d be using that perceived weakness to attack him relentlessly. Instead, they nearly handed him a political gift. Had they forced a shutdown, they would not have just hurt the economy, they would have taken the blame for it, letting Trump off the hook entirely. The only people they would have hurt more than themselves would have been the American voters. It was political incompetence on full display.

All of this points to a Democratic Party that has yet to dust itself off after the brutal beating it faced in November. This is by no means just about one funding bill—it’s a symptom of intraparty chaos caused by a lack of purpose and identity. Democrats define themselves by who they oppose rather than what they actually stand for.

To be fair, the Republican Party has had its moments of infighting too. In fact, Trump went so far as to say he will spearhead an effort to unseat Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., because of his vote against the continuing resolution. But Republicans have that luxury right now. Conservatives currently have a once-in-a-generation leader, a clear agenda, and a majority in all three branches of government.

And while Trump may occasionally pick fights with members of his own party, at the end of the day, Republicans still move in the same direction. Democrats, on the other hand, are flailing—leaderless, visionless, and increasingly irrelevant. Sure, they know how to demonize the conservative movement, but they have yet to figure out how to actually contribute to governing as the minority party.

Without Trump as a common enemy in the White House, the Left’s already fractured coalition would completely crumble under the weight of its contradictions. At this point, Democrats are leading a mutiny against themselves in the lead-up to the next election cycle. And to make matters worse, they do not even have a captain to overthrow. This self-imposed nightmare plaguing the Left is a dream for many conservatives.

By the looks of it, all Republicans need to do is follow Emanuel’s advice over the next year. Don’t waste the crisis. Let Democrats continue to flail, and 2026 could be a repeat of last November. The Left is already unraveling—conservatives just have to make sure voters are paying attention.

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