During a recent appearance at Dartmouth College, Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA) suggested that Democrats are making a strategic error in their criticisms of former President Donald Trump. Moulton believes the party should concentrate less on Trump's personality and more on the areas where his administration failed to deliver on campaign pledges.
Moulton argued that focusing on Trump's character is ineffective because public perception of him is already established. He stated, "One of the biggest mistakes I think we've made all along is campaigning on this idea that Trump is a bad person. 'Cause guess what? People have figured that out." He added that some conservatives have accepted Trump's flaws in exchange for policy outcomes, saying they've "made this bargain where they've just said, ‘I know he's a bad guy, I know he doesn't share my values, but he's going to get me what I want,’ whether it's lower taxes or…some strongly held beliefs like ‘he’s gonna get my position accomplished on abortion.’"
Rep. Seth Moulton spoke at Dartmouth College. (Dartmouth YouTube channel)
Moulton summarized this point by saying, "So it's not effective for Democrats to go around moralizing and say, ‘Oh, you shouldn't vote for him 'cause he's a bad person, in case you haven't figured that out.’" He further contended that criticizing a politician for implementing their elected agenda is also unproductive. "Likewise, right now, I don't think we should be so focused on the outrage at what he's doing. Because, guess what? People elected him…to do what he's doing," he explained. "So let's actually focus on the places where he's not delivering."
Moulton pointed to Trump's promises regarding inflation and a swift resolution to the war in Ukraine as examples of areas where he fell short. He proposed, "Let’s talk about the places where he’s just not fulfilling his promises. I think that's a much more effective strategy than the outrage that you see today."
U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., speaks during a House Subcommittee hearing. (Getty Images)
Following the 2024 election, Moulton faced criticism for challenging his own party on issues like free speech and transgender athletes competing in women's sports, arguing that the Democratic party is out of step with mainstream American views.
