A progressive advocacy group has launched a significant campaign against Senate Democrats and an independent senator for their support of President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees. The organization, Demand Justice, plans to invest over $1 million in a weeklong advertising blitz that began on November 22, 2023. This initiative specifically targets Senators John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, and Angus King of Maine, who caucuses with the Democrats but is not up for reelection next year.
Demand Justice’s president, Josh Orton, emphasized that this campaign serves as an initial warning. He stated that unless these senators “find their moral compass” and take a firmer stance against Trump, the group will escalate its efforts to include other lawmakers facing reelection in 2024. “We want to change Senate Democratic behavior so that they begin acting in a more moral way and in a more politically expedient way,” Orton remarked.
The campaign follows a controversial decision by eight members of the Senate Democratic caucus, including Fetterman, Hassan, and King, who voted with Republicans to end a government shutdown. This move has sparked significant anger among the Democratic base, which is increasingly frustrated with the party’s strategy in countering what many perceive as Trump’s authoritarian tendencies. In confirmation hearings, several of Trump’s judicial nominees have refrained from acknowledging his loss in the 2020 election or the events surrounding the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Orton criticized Democrats for providing bipartisan support to judges who cannot address fundamental questions about these events, stating, “Democrats shouldn’t give bipartisan cover to judges who are not able to answer these simple questions of fact.” The call for stronger opposition comes as the Democratic base demands that its representatives challenge Trump’s expanding influence, particularly as he returns to the White House.
Fetterman has faced scrutiny from progressive circles for his staunch support of Israel amidst the ongoing Gaza conflict, while also diverging from party lines on various issues. He defended his voting record in an interview, asserting, “If Democrats have a problem with somebody that votes 91% of the same times as you are — more than nine out of 10 times — then maybe our party has a bigger problem.”
Hassan, for her part, explained her vote to reopen the government despite backlash from the left, noting that many constituents were suffering, and a better deal from Republicans seemed unlikely. She maintained that she supported some of Trump’s executive nominees based on their qualifications and good faith.
King’s voting choices have also come under fire, particularly after he was the only Democrat to confirm a federal judge in Missouri who had previously challenged abortion rights as a lawyer. He later expressed regret, labeling that vote as “a mistake.”
As tensions rise within the party, Democratic leaders are faced with the challenge of unifying their base while navigating the complexities of governing with a Republican majority in Congress. The outcome of this campaign by Demand Justice could influence not only the decisions of these targeted senators but also the broader strategy of the Democratic Party leading into the 2024 elections.
