CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings delivered a scathing assessment of the Democratic Party’s current state during Sunday’s “State of the Union,” declaring that President Donald Trump has become the party’s de facto leader.
The Republican strategist made his remarks while discussing the Democrats’ ongoing struggle to identify a clear leader or unified message following their electoral setbacks.
Democrats have projected confidence about winning back voters in upcoming elections despite their internal challenges since 2024.
During the panel discussion, former DNC spokesperson Xochitl Hinojosa attempted to identify potential Democratic leaders, dismissing socialist NYC mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani as a future standard-bearer.
Instead, she pointed to established Democratic figures like Sen. Ruben Gallego (AZ) and Sen. Cory Booker (NJ)
When host Jake Tapper noted Booker’s recent engagement, Jennings interrupted with his provocative analysis.
The commentator argued that Democrats would be controlled by Trump for the “foreseeable future.”
He continued, “Well, I mean, for the foreseeable future, the person who’s running the Democratic Party now is going to be running it, and that’s Donald Trump. I mean, the only thing they know how to do is be against whatever he is for, and so there is no leader of the party except for Trump.”
“The beating heart of the Democratic Party is, ‘If Trump is for it, we’re against it,’ and you throw a little socialism on the side. That’s basically how they’re —” Jennings stated before Democratic panelists attempted to interrupt.
Tapper quickly moved to end the exchange, saying “All right, thanks” and noting that “the record reflect that the two Democrats at the panel disagreed with what he had to say.”
Jennings’ comments came as Democrats have mounted opposition to Trump’s recent military actions.
The party has sided with members of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua drug cartel after the president announced Tuesday that the U.S. military sank one of their vessels, killing 11 people on board.
Independent Veterans of America founder Paul Rieckhoff criticized Trump’s decision during an MSNBC interview Thursday.
He called the military action “alarming,” “unprecedented” and “dangerous,” accusing the president of trying to “overextend and abuse military power.”
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) escalated the criticism further, demanding that Trump “face criminal charges.”
The congressman accused the president of acting as “the judge, jury and executioner” in the strike against the terrorist organization.
The Democratic Party’s internal struggles have coincided with declining voter registration numbers and approval ratings.
A New York Times report released on August 20 revealed significant losses for the party between the 2020 and 2024 elections.
Democrats lost an estimated 2.1 million voters across 30 states and Washington, D.C. during this period, according to the report.
Republicans, by contrast, added 2.4 million registered voters and continued gaining new voters between 2024 and 2025.
Recent polling data has shown the party’s favorability ratings dropping to historically low levels.
A CNN poll conducted in March found the Democratic Party hitting only a 29 percent favorability rating, representing a staggering 20-point drop since January 2021.
Additional polling confirmed the party’s struggles with public perception.
A Quinnipiac poll released in July showed that only 19 percent of respondents approved of the Democrats’ congressional leadership.
Despite these challenges, some Democratic lawmakers have expressed confidence about their prospects in upcoming midterm elections.
They believe the party can successfully flip control of the House of Representatives.
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