Democrats won’t win by waiting for Trump to fail

We can’t assume this will lead to the implosion of the Republican Party. As we approach the 2026 midterms and 2028 Democratic primary, Democrats must address voters' economic pain with a transformative vision.

America’s economic distress has not been singularly brought about by Trump. The cost of life’s essentials - housing, food, education, health, elderly and childcare - is simply untenable. Jobs are precarious and, for too many, part-time, informal and without basic dignity. The American far-right has cornered the market on anti-system politics against this extreme insecurity. Trump has come to power by recognising the economic pain and political disenfranchisement of everyday Americans, explaining that pain through a full-throated critique of the political and economic order, clear enemies, and a sense of decisive action.

Now, consumer confidence is down and many workers fear AI-related job losses. Businesses are reluctant to invest in the face of massive political uncertainty. But overall, the economy has been insulated by high consumer spending, and even Trump’s chaotic tariffs haven’t led to runaway inflation.

Credibly politicising Trump’s economic strife requires explaining why his government is so reckless, damaging and cruel, without claiming this distress is caused by his policies. For decades the mainstream of the Democratic Party has largely put its energy towards defending the status quo against disruption - by both Trump and progressive forces building popular energy within the Democratic coalition - promising preservation.

The path out of Trumpism is that of attacking the long-term sources and structure of America’s economic insecurity: guaranteeing universal, and high-quality healthcare, housing, education and care for children and the elderly as fundamental rights; decarbonising the economy through programmes of public investment, planning and international cooperation; reshaping the corporate economy to empower workers; and charting a progressive globalisation predicated on collaboration and the power of united labour. This programme would tackle insecurity, deliver shared prosperity and lay the economic foundations of a progressive American future.

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Melanie Brusseler is US Programme Director at Common Wealth.

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