Democrats rage against the Trump machine. Will they ever learn? | Opinion
Democratic leaders refuse to learn lessons about why they lost in November. Instead, they continue to cling desperately to progressive positions that most Americans don't agree with.
I've learned a lot about a person's character by how they act when they lose. And no one shows how to lose ugly these days more than Democrats.
Overcome by President Donald Trump's red wave, the Democratic Party isn't just drifting, it's drowning in rage and envy. Whether during Trump's address to Congress on Tuesday or on key pieces of policies that most Americans favor, Democrats are acting petty, petulant and uber-progressive. They're out of step with most Americans, and even many of their own constituents.
Trump's address to a joint session of Congress was fantastic, and I'm hardly the only one who liked it. A CBS News poll showed a whopping 76% of people who watched his address approved of what Trump had to say. A majority of viewers were Republicans, but that's an extraordinary level of support by any metric.
Democrats' antics at Trump's speech were petty
During the speech, Democrats refused to applaud anything Trump said, even the most commonsense solutions. In several heartwarming gestures, Trump honored invited guests who represent real-world tragedies and his policy solutions. Democrats sat sullen and angry.
Rep. Al Greene, D-Texas, was escorted out of the House chambers for rudely interrupting the president and for refusing to quietly take his seat. Other Democrats held up silly paddles with the phrases "That's a lie!" or "Musk steals," instead of remaining respectful.
They acted like third graders who didn't get picked for the dodgeball team at recess. How embarrassing.
Throughout Trump's address, many Democrats failed to applaud or cheer for apolitical things, including when the president highlighted the courageous actions of Border Patrol agent Roberto Ortiz.
Most of the audience cheered for 95-year-old Malphine Fogel, the mother of American Marc Fogel who was recently released from a Russian prison. But not many Democrats.
Democrats refuse to learn lessons of the last election
Democratic leaders refuse to learn lessons about why they lost in November. Instead, they continue to cling desperately to progressive positions that most Americans don't agree with.
On Monday, Senate Democrats voted unanimously to block the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, even though 66% of Americans, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey, support banning biological males from competing in women's sports.
When an issue has that much support, it means ordinary Democrats and Republicans have found consensus on the matter − but that obviously doesn't include Senate Democrats.
Most Americans aren't bigots, but they see the risks of physical injury when girls and women are required to compete against biological male athletes. Trump highlighted that fact in his speech Tuesday by recognizing Payton McNabb, a former high school athlete who suffered a brain injury when a transgender athlete spiked a volleyball that hit her in the head.
Many Americans also understand that it's unfair to girls and women who've worked hard in a sport to then lose to biological males with inherent physical advantages.
Journalists and social media influencers recently highlighted the performance of AB Hernandez, a transgender female competing on her high school track team in California. Hernandez won a triple jump event by a whopping 8 feet at a meet involving athletes from several schools. Hernandez also won the high jump and long jump at the meet.
It's crushing for girls to face such unfairness in a competition that should be reserved for them.
It's also cruel to watch girls and women lose out on opportunities to win medals and scholarships because adults running these competitions can't stand up for their rights. And most Americans agree, but not progressive Democrats who are out of touch with a majority of the electorate.
Democrats can't get over losing the White House, the Senate and the House in November. They can't accept that American voters exercised their democratic right to reelect Donald Trump. Instead they throw tantrums and insult ordinary Americans like Malphine Fogel and Payton McNabb.
Progressives will have no one to blame but themselves as they continue to pile up loss after loss.
Nicole Russell is a columnist at Paste BN and a mother of four who lives in Texas. Contact her at nrussell@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @russell_nm. Sign up for her weekly newsletter, The Right Track, here.