Latest news with #DavidHogg
New York Post
3 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
‘Grifter' David Hogg pledged to unleash $20M on safe blue Dems — but only has paltry $1.5M — and most funds did not go toward candidates
David Hogg has yet to bring home the bacon. Two months ago, the recently defenestrated Democratic National Committee vice chair ignited a firestorm among Democrats by vowing to deploy $20 million from his 'grassroots' Leaders We Deserve PAC against incumbents in safe blue districts. But there's just one small problem. Advertisement Leaders We Deserve only has a measly $1.5 million cash on hand, far short of the promised $20 million it has committed to spend, according to Federal Election Commission records for the month of May. Worse yet, the PAC has never actually raised that kind of money in the two years since its inception, only raking in $848,000 last month, while spending about $798,000. Close to three-quarters of those expenses appear to have largely been gobbled up on operational costs such as travel, payroll, consulting fees, meals, etc. 4 David Hogg endorsed New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, a socialist who wants city-run grocery stores and massive tax increases on corporations and the rich. X / @ZohranKMamdani Advertisement This includes $10,502 that went directly into Hogg's personal pockets. 'David Hogg spent his spring on a kamikaze mission right towards the heart of the Party to raise money for his PAC and, as it turns out, he spent more money on consultants pitching negative stories on the Party than on candidates actually trying to run and win campaigns,' a Democratic strategist vented to The Post. 'That's the definition of a grift right there, and should be a red flag for every donor, candidate, and activist that he's already fooled.' Hogg made waves again Friday by rolling out his PAC's endorsement of socialist New York City mayoral wannabe Zohran Mamdani, whom the 25-year-old hailed as 'authentic' and 'real,' ahead of Tuesday's Big Apple primary contest. Advertisement Given the current fundraising trends from his PAC, critics are skeptical of Hogg's ability to make good on the $20 million goal, which had sparked fierce divisions within the party. Only $6,000 of the $798,000 outlays Hogg's PAC reported in May appear to have actually gone to backing candidates — Illinois's 2nd District congressional hopeful Robert Peters and Ohio state Rep. Christine Cockley (D). 'At this rate, he would only have to raise a little over $3 billion in order to get his promised $20 million to primary candidates. THIS should be the story, folks,' New York state Sen. James Skoufis, who vied unsuccessfully earlier this year to chair the DNC, chided. Advertisement 4 David Hogg has ruffled feathers within the DNC due to his push to meddle in primaries. Breakfast Club Power 105.1 FM The $20 million target is ambitious. Since Leaders We Deserve was launched in 2023, it has only raised $15.3 million in total (all but $1.5 million of that has been spent). During that timeframe, Hogg pocketed some $225,000 from the PAC, FEC records show. Notably, the announcement from Hogg's PAC did not give a specific timeline for the spending; however, in media appearances, the 25-year-old political neophyte has expressed a keen interest in the 2026 House midterms, which are only in the pre-season right now and about a year away from most voters casting primary ballots. Nevertheless, it's clear that he doesn't have anywhere near that kind of cash sitting in his PAC right now. 'The grift that keeps on grifting,' a high-ranking Democrat outside of the DNC griped to The Post. 'He needs an internship. Not a PAC. 'The only thing David Hogg can actually raise is eyebrows, because he's never held a job, won a race, or lifted a finger to help anyone — unless it helps him make money first and foremost,' that Democrat, who has dealt with Hogg in the past, added. The less-than-desired war chest comes despite the fact that Hogg was caught snatching Democratic National Committee contact lists to solicit donations, a move that has infuriated party insiders, as The Post previously reported. Typically, DNC leaders are expected to raise funds for the party, rather than tapping Democratic resources for their personal operations. Advertisement 'Many non-profits that do serious, impactful grassroots organizing have lost important donors to Leaders We Deserve due to David's highly impressive ability to center himself in the narrative as a bold fighter,' Cameron Kasky, a former classmate of Hogg's at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, said. 4 David Hogg has been a prominent voice in progressive circles since the tragic Parkland high school shooting in 2018 . Getty Images Hogg, who was catapulted into the national spotlight due to his activism in the wake of the tragic Parkland school shooting in which a sicko gunned down 17 people, was elected as one of three DNC vice chairs in February. During his tenure, he quickly rubbed many insiders the wrong way with his focus on his outside operations. But in April, that drama came to a head when he unveiled his plans to target 'asleep at the wheel, out-of-touch, and ineffective' incumbent Democrats in their primaries. Advertisement Hogg caveated that he was only focused on effectiveness, not necessarily age or ideology and that he would stay out of competitive races to avoid jeopardizing Democrats' chances of beating Republicans in the general election. But the backlash was immediate, and the drama consumed the DNC at a time in which the party was licking its wounds from the 2024 election drubbing and trying to regain its mojo to take on the Trump machine. DNC chairman Ken Martin was forced to publicly split with Hogg, telling the party apparatus in a call that 'Our job is to be neutral arbiters,' and adding that, 'We can't be both the referee and also the player at the same time.' Martin also pushed DNC leaders to sign a neutrality pledge, something Hogg refused to do. Advertisement 4 DNC Chairman Ken Martin has been adamant that party bosses should not meddle in primaries and defer to the voters. AP Earlier this month, leaked audio showcased a frustrated Martin, who appeared to be on the verge of tears at times, bluntly complaining about the headaches and distraction Hogg caused for the party. 'I don't think you intended this, but you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to,' Martin told Hogg in a leaked May call revealed by Politico. 'So it's really frustrating.' That same month, the DNC Credentials Committee concluded that Hogg and DNC Vice Chair Malcolm Kenyatta were improperly elected to their roles in violation of the party's gender parity rules. Advertisement To rectify that, the panel later urged the DNC to hold new elections. Hogg opted to step aside on June 11 instead, pointing to his 'fundamental disagreement' with top brass over his role. Kenyatta won back his perch. The Post reached out to Hogg's reps and Leaders We Deserve for comment.
Fox News
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Democrats in Disarray: Ken Martin's tenure so far at DNC ripped
Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair Ken Martin stopped in one-time battleground-turned-red state Ohio this week, as part of his "50-state strategy" to help Democrats try and win elections from coast to coast. "We can't be a party that's just focused on national power, because elections aren't won in D.C., they're won in states like Ohio," Martin said in Cleveland at a forum on the future of the Democratic Party. "Ohio is a huge swing state in 2026." Martin, who was elected as DNC chair at the beginning of February, is on a mission to help Democrats escape the political wilderness, following stunning setbacks in last November's elections, when the party lost control of the White House and the Senate and fell short of winning back the House majority. But while Democrats are now energized to resist President Donald Trump's sweeping and controversial agenda during his second tour of duty in the White House, Martin's tenure so far steering the national party committee has been anything but smooth sailing. "There is a huge vacuum of leadership in the Democratic Party and Ken is proving to be a weak, ineffective leader who isn't ready for any of this," a former DNC official, who asked for anonymity to speak more freely, told Fox News. Bitter infighting has hampered Martin – who was the longtime chair of the Minnesota Democrats when he won the DNC chair election – during his first four and a half months on the job. David Hogg, the 25-year-old activist and school shooting survivor who was elected a DNC vice chair the same day Martin won the chair election, ignited a civil war within the party by pledging to spend millions of dollars through his outside political group to support primary-challenges some older House Democrats in blue districts that he said were "asleep at the wheel." Hogg's threat to spend money against fellow Democrats, which was unprecedented at the DNC, eventually led to his exit from the national party committee earlier this month. The party's clash with Hogg included embarrassing audio of Martin - that was leaked to the press - of the chair questioning his ability to lead the DNC. "You essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to," Martin said of Hogg in the recording, which was first reported by Politico. "I don't know if I wanna do this anymore." Days later - more bad news - as two top national labor leaders quit their roles at the DNC. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, and Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, declined offers to stay on as at-large members of the DNC as they questioned the party's direction under Martin. The news was first reported by the New York Times. Meanwhile, in the crucial fundraising battle with the rival Republican National Committee, the DNC is falling behind, according to the latest campaign cash figures. The latest filings with the Federal Election Commission show the RNC with $67 million cash on hand as of the end of April, far ahead of the DNC's $17 million in their coffers. While the infighting over the past few months may subside, the party's fundraising could be a concern as Democrats aim to win back the House and possibly the Senate in next year's midterm elections. A DNC committee member, who also asked to remain anonymous, told Fox News that Martin's tenure so far "has been underwhelming." Meanwhile, Maria Cardona, a longtime Democratic strategist and current DNC committee member, told Fox News "DNC members are absolutely frustrated and sick of the in-fighting and wish that everyone would just get over themselves and focus on helping Chairman Martin and the party defeat Republicans instead of attacking each other. "We have no time for this bullsh-t. Our country and our democracy is facing existential threats every day, and that is where 1000% of our fight needs to be," Cardona argued. A former DNC official, who was granted anonymity, acknowledged that "the Democratic Party is in a rebuilding phase. "Everyone knew it was going to be a difficult task." But the official added "that is also why the Party overwhelmingly elected Ken and trusted him to lead the way. Instead of creating needless distractions that make his job harder, Democrats should work together and focus on the only thing that matters: winning." Cardona told Fox News that "everything that Ken has done, regardless of the drama that it has caused, has been the right moves." She and others in support of Martin noted the Democrats' success in recent months in off-year and special elections, as well as the DNC's increased investments in the state parties. Another committee member, who was granted anonymity, pointed to the traditional powerful role of a national party chair when their party is out of power in the White House. "Ken is the boss," the committee member told Fox News. "Ken is rebuilding the house…he still has some major renovations to do." But the committee member added that that role can often ruffle feathers with others within the party. Both Weingarten and Saunders supported Martin's competitor in the race for DNC chair, now-former Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler. As chair, Martin later removed Weingarten from the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee, which is the group responsible for drafting the Democratic Party's presidential nominating calendar and election process. The DNC committee member told Fox News Digital it was "not surprising" the union leaders decided to step down from the DNC, "given they both supported another candidate." Martin, in an interview this week with the New York Times, said "I know there's a lot of people that are carrying grudges, that are still litigating the campaign that their person didn't win." And Martin, in a statement to Fox News, said that "some people in DC just want to win an argument, but I'm focused on winning elections. This year, Democrats have an unprecedented track record of 32 wins and overperformances in races across the country. That's what I was elected to do." The chair highlighted that "we have to cut through the noise and focus on what works" and that the "American people don't care about beltway chatter, and neither do I – they want to know that Democrats are fighting for them. Under my leadership, that's what the DNC is doing."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Weak,' ‘whiny' and ‘invisible': Critics of DNC Chair Ken Martin savage his tenure
Four-and-a-half months after the Democratic National Committee chair pledged to focus on fighting Donald Trump, Ken Martin's short tenure leading the organization has been engulfed by bitter infighting. Even longtime party insiders are getting impatient. Interviews with a dozen DNC members revealed deep frustration with Martin and concern about his ability to unify and lead a party trying to recover from massive electoral losses in 2024. One DNC member — who, like others in this story, was granted anonymity to speak candidly — described him as looking 'weak and whiny,' and another said he has been 'invisible' and his 'early tenure has been disappointing.' Rahm Emanuel, former President Barack Obama's first White House chief of staff, said the committee is floundering. 'We're in the most serious existential crisis with Donald Trump both at home and abroad — and with the biggest political opportunity in a decade,' Emanuel said. 'And the DNC has spent six months on a firing squad in the circle, and can't even fire a shot out. And Trump's world is a target-rich environment.' Many DNC members and outside Democrats, including Martin's supporters, said they wished the party would just move on from recent internal turmoil and focus instead on mounting an effective fight against Trump. Two influential labor union heads quit their posts at the DNC after disagreements over the party's direction. Gun control activist David Hogg was ousted from the DNC's vice chairman position after he pledged to fund primary challenges against "ineffective" has infuriated some Democrats by purging a number of party officials from a powerful panel that has enormous sway over the presidential nominating contest. And Martincomplained in a private meeting that intraparty warfare had 'destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to.' Martin and his supporters argue he's focused on the things that matter and will ultimately win elections. They said he has traveled to dozens of states and boosted funding to state parties at the same time that Democrats have overperformed in special elections this year. They maintain the overwhelming majority of DNC members are solidly behind Martin, and that his detractors are a vocal minority. 'I ran and won the race for DNC chair to get the DNC out of DC — because too many people in DC want to point fingers, and play the blame game,' said Martin in a statement to POLITICO. 'They want to win irrelevant arguments, with no strategy involved, but the one strategic thing that makes us relevant is winning elections. I was elected chair to help our party win again, and we are.' But some Democrats worry the DNC is struggling to hold its own coalition together, let alone expand its appeal. They expressed frustration over the DNC's break-up with American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and AFSCME President Lee Saunders — who between them represent millions of members — as the latest sign of a widening gap between party leadership and the labor movement, a once-core part of the Democratic coalition. 'The DNC is weaker than I have ever seen it. … They have shown zero ability to chart a post-24 vision for Democrats,' said a Democratic strategist with close ties to labor unions, who was granted anonymity to speak frankly. The longtime leaders of the teachers and state and local employee unions couldn't 'in good faith continue to rubber-stamp what was going on with the DNC,' the strategist said. Both Weingarten and Saunders expressed concern about Democrats not enlarging their tent in their respective letter and statement about their departures. Weingarten told POLITICO, 'I have said my piece. I want the Democratic Party to work for working families. That's what FDR did, that's what Joe Biden did, and that's what we should expect from the party.' Some Democratic lawmakers have gone public with their complaints that the DNC's infighting has distracted from the party's larger goals. Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) grumbled on the social media platform X that he would "love to have a day go by" without the DNC doing 'something embarrassing & off message.' Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said on X he wanted 'a party with a big tent and inclusion, not subtraction and pushing people out.' Other Democrats cited what they described as Martin's ham-handed approach to the DNC's influential rules and bylaws committee, which is charged with setting the 2028 presidential primary calendar. Martin purged members of the panel, including Weingarten and Saunders, who had supported Martin's top opponent in the February election for DNC chair. Of the 15 Democrats he took off the panel, 13 of them hadn't voted for Martin, according to an internal record obtained by POLITICO. Martin only reappointed four individuals for the panel who didn't back him in the chair election, according to the documents. Martin's supporters said he deserves to install his own team — as other chairs traditionally have done. And they argued he has actually diluted his own power to give the rest of the party a say by opening up some coveted committee slots to election by DNC members. He has also pledged that 15 at-large DNC positions will be elected by DNC caucuses and councils. Martin's allies said his changes have empowered state and local leaders — and, at times, taken clout away from more Washington-oriented Democrats who are now upset over their loss of power. Pointing to Democrats' overperformance in special elections this year, they said his strategy is showing returns. 'Many people get comfortable with the status quo,' said James Skoufis, a member of the 'People's Cabinet' at the DNC. 'I would argue that the status quo is far riskier than transforming the DNC and, in the process, perhaps ruffling the feathers of some individuals who prefer the status quo.' Jaime Harrison, a former DNC chair, said that the internal strife that Martin is encountering is similar to what past leaders of the party experienced following their elections. 'My perspective is some of this is the normal thing that happens,' he said. 'You have a contentious DNC race and sometimes feelings get a little raw. But then people really start to focus on what's at hand.' Still, Harrison acknowledged, the fissures have at times overshadowed Martin's efforts. 'He's just putting in the work, and the sad part is that most people don't know because we've been focused lately on Democratic primaries and stuff that in the grand scheme of things doesn't really matter,' he said. At the top of the list of recent party obsessions: Hogg and his vow to fund primary challenges to sitting Democrats. Martin's allies said Hogg, not the DNC chairman, is to blame for distracting the party. But even some of Martin's supporters have second-guessed his role in the drama, saying he should have forced Hogg out earlier, pointing to the fact that the young activist fundraised off of his fight with party leadership with digital ads that included the tagline, 'The old guard is pissed at me. Fight back,' according to screenshots shared with POLITICO. Other members, meanwhile, felt Martin should have kept Hogg in the fold, arguing it was a 'missed opportunity' for the party 'to capitalize on an asset that could've been so helpful for the party,' a third DNC member said, citing Hogg's enormous social media megaphone:'Does anyone else at the DNC have a million followers on X?' the person added. By his own admission, Martin, a little-known figure nationally who previously served as chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, has struggled to become more widely recognized. In the audio of the DNC meeting obtained by POLITICO, Martin said, 'No one knows who the hell I am, right? I'm trying to get my sea legs underneath of me and actually develop any amount of credibility so I can go out there and raise the money and do the job I need to to put ourselves in a position to win.' Some Democrats said that Martin was in his early days as chair and deserves the benefit of the doubt. 'Mr. Martin is just starting out,' said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who added the two have a relationship. 'You give people a bit more time before you start making evaluations.' But other Democratic lawmakers have yet to sit down with him. 'To tell you the truth, I don't know him. I haven't met him yet,' Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) said when asked how Martin has done in his first months as chair. 'I am sure he's doing everything he can, but we can all improve our communication of what is going on with this regime.'
The Hill
a day ago
- Politics
- The Hill
62 percent of Democrats agree party leadership should be replaced: Survey
Over half of Democrats agree party leadership should be replaced amid infighting, according to a new survey. Thursday's Reuters/Ipsos survey featuring self-identified Democrats found that around 62 percent backed the idea that party leadership should be replaced, while 24 percent did not support the idea and 14 percent did not provide a response or did not know. In the wake of the November 2024 elections, Democrats have struggled to identify what went wrong after losing the White House and Senate. The party has also found it difficult to build a cohesive message as the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has been embroiled in internal turmoil. Earlier this week, a powerful teachers' union head resigned from party leadership shortly after former DNC vice chair David Hogg announced he would not run again in a redo election. This all comes as some some Democrats have expressed concern about chair Ken Martin's leadership. Party divides, however, can also be found on Capitol Hill, particularly surrounding Democrats messaging on hot-button issues such as transgender rights and how to effectively counter President Trump's message. Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), the first openly transgender member of Congress, argued this week that her party must make more space for disagreement when it comes to trans rights and welcome 'imperfect allies' into the discussion to bring about long-term and substantial change. This spring, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) also faced attacks from his party's base after he voted to advance a GOP funding bill, with some members, such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), publicly slamming the veteran Democrat. 'There is a deep sense of outrage and betrayal,' Ocasio-Cortez said at the time of Schumer's decision. The Reuters/Ipsos survey also found 49 percent of Democrats are unhappy with current leaders while 41 percent back the party. Ten percent of individuals surveyed were unsure or did not provide a response. The Reuters/Ipsos survey took place between June 11 and 16, featuring 4,258 people and 1,293 Democrats and 3 percentage points as its margin of error.
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Democrats ‘weaker than ever' amid ‘existential' Trump crisis as ‘whiny' and ‘invisible' new leader dithers: report
Democrats are quickly losing confidence in new national committee chairman Ken Martin, according to a new report Thursday. Members of the Democratic National Committee spoke to Politico and described their frustration with Martin, who became chairman four and a half months ago after Democrats' 2024 loss of the Senate and White House while Republicans held onto the House of Representatives. Democrats are increasingly worried about his ability to lead the party back to victory against a strong Donald Trump-centric GOP. One DNC member called Martin 'weak and whiny' while another called him 'invisible' and said that Martin's 'early tenure has been disappointing.' Martin has faced criticism for how he handled an internal battle that went public with 25-year-old Parkland High School shooting survivor David Hogg, who was elected as vice chairman of the DNC before he was ousted after he launched an effort to run primary challenges against veteran incumbent Democrats. Politico later published audio of Martin telling the gun-rights activist Hogg 'you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to. So it's really frustrating.' 'We're in the most serious existential crisis with Donald Trump both at home and abroad — and with the biggest political opportunity in a decade,' Rahm Emanuel, former chief of staff to Barack Obama, told Politico. Emanuel, the former mayor of Chicago, has hinted at potentially running for president. 'And the DNC has spent six months on a firing squad in the circle, and can't even fire a shot out,' Emanuel said. 'And Trump's world is a target-rich environment.' Martin's problems run deeper than a clash with Hogg. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union president Lee Saunders quit their roles in the DNC. One Democratic strategist with ties to labor said ,'The DNC is weaker than I have ever seen it. … They have shown zero ability to chart a post-24 vision for Democrats.' The strategist said labor could not 'in good faith continue to rubber-stamp what was going on with the DNC.' But Martin disputed the characterization of his tenure. 'I ran and won the race for DNC chair to get the DNC out of DC — because too many people in DC want to point fingers, and play the blame game,' he said in a statement to Politico. 'They want to win irrelevant arguments, with no strategy involved, but the one strategic thing that makes us relevant is winning elections. I was elected chair to help our party win again, and we are.' A former chairman of Minnesota's Democratic Party, Martin had developed a reputation of winning when he helped flip both houses in the state legislature and flipped formerly red districts in Minnesota. He had the backing of Gov. Tim Walz, the state's governor and the former Democratic nominee for vice president. Martin beat out Ben Wikler, the former head of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, to lead the party after many criticized the tenure of Jaime Harrison, the former DNC chairman. ''My perspective is some of this is the normal thing that happens,' Harrison told Politico. 'You have a contentious DNC race and sometimes feelings get a little raw. But then people really start to focus on what's at hand.' But some criticized Martin's approach to the DNC's rules and bylaws committee. Martin purged 15 people on the committee, 13 of whom had not voted for him. Some defended Martin's approach and said he should have his own team. 'Many people get comfortable with the status quo,' James Soufkis, part of Martin's 'People's Cabinet' at the DNC. 'I would argue that the status quo is far riskier than transforming the DNC and, in the process, perhaps ruffling the feathers of some individuals who prefer the status quo.' Martin's woes come as Democrats begin planning the calendar for the 2028 primaries, and, more pressingly, begin to run against the Republican trifecta in 2026.
