In the aftermath of Donald Trump’s victory, the Democratic Party finds itself in disarray, grappling with an existential crisis. Once known as the party of social justice, environmental advocacy, and human rights, it has shifted dramatically, embracing policies and rhetoric that stray far from its traditional progressive values. The transformation is stark: the party now aligns itself with militarism, fracking, fascism and genocides.
Abandoning the LGBTQ+ Base and Social Justice Messaging
Under Biden’s presidency, the Democratic Party heavily leaned on human rights and social justice as its central themes. For instance, Biden famously branded Saudi Arabia a “pariah state” over its human rights violations. Yet, by 2024, these ideals seem like relics of a bygone era. The focus on LGBTQ+ rights, diversity, and inclusion has all but vanished from the party’s rhetoric, particularly after the widespread solidarity with Palestine within these communities.
The Democratic leadership has distanced itself from these once-pivotal causes, opting instead for a narrative that appeals to a more traditional and conservative base. Drag queen events at the White House are a memory, and the LGBTQ+ community, once heralded as a cornerstone of the party’s voter base, is largely absent from its agenda.
The Gaza Genocide: A Turning Point
The atrocities in Gaza following the events of OC 7 marked a seismic shift in the Democratic Party’s priorities. Instead of condemning the genocide or centering human rights, the party become complicit in it, pouring bombs into Israel while protecting it diplomatically.. The leadership’s embrace of militaristic and genocidal rhetoric shattered its credibility among progressives and grassroots activists.
This disillusionment has left the party fractured and leaderless. Progressive policies once at the core of its identity—climate justice, social equity, and intersectionality—have been abandoned. Figures like Greta Thunberg, once seen as allies, are now viewed as threats.
The Party’s New Strategy: Harnessing Pro-Palestine Youth Movements
The Democratic Party, reeling from its defeat to Donald Trump, is poised to leverage the growing anti-Israel sentiment and student protests as the core of its revival strategy. By making the Free Palestine movement the gravitational center of its agenda, the party aims to rekindle enthusiasm among the diverse coalitions it abandoned in favor of courting mythical centrist and pro-establishment voters during the election cycle.
To salvage its relevance, the Democratic Party is pivoting to the growing pro-Palestine energy among American youth. Student-led justice movements, galvanized by the atrocities in Gaza, represent one of the few vibrant and mobilized segments of the left. By aligning itself—at least symbolically—with these movements, the party hopes to channel their passion into electoral power.
However, this strategy is not born out of genuine solidarity. Rather, it serves a dual purpose:
- Push Trump Further into the Pro-Israel Camp: By associating pro-Palestinian activism with everything Trump and MAGA despise—ANTIFA, campus protests, and social justice warriors—the Democratic Party seeks to polarize the issue further. This will likely cement Trump’s unwavering support for Israel, making him appear increasingly out of touch with growing anti-war sentiments among Americans.
- Rebrand as the “Human Rights” Party Again: While exploiting the pro-Palestinian movement, the party will simultaneously present itself as the more compassionate, justice-oriented alternative to the Republicans. This narrative could attract disillusioned voters who feel alienated by Trump’s hardline stance.
Weaponizing ANTIFA and Universities
A critical component of this strategy involves the controlled reactivation of ANTIFA and campus protests. Universities, which previously enacted strict anti-protest policies after the Gaza genocide, may quietly reverse course, allowing and even encouraging disruptive protests. These protests, however, will not aim to genuinely advance the Palestinian cause but to provoke MAGA supporters and reinforce the association of pro-Palestinian activism with anti-Americanism.
ANTIFA, long exposed as a tool of the Democratic establishment, will play a central role in this scheme. By creating chaos and sparking violent confrontations, the Democratic Party can frame Trump’s inevitable militarized response as overreach, galvanizing their base while deepening divisions among conservatives.
Hasbara’s Ultimate Goal: Aligning Israel and America
Post-OC 7, a key objective of pro-Israel propaganda (Hasbara) has been to equate anti-Zionism with anti-Americanism. By positioning Israel as inseparable from American identity, critics of Israeli policies are painted as enemies of the United States. This narrative finds fertile ground in Trump’s second term, where his alliance with Israel is likely to deepen under pressure from MAGA’s pro-Zionist factions.
Ironically, it is the Democratic Party, through its orchestration of protests and unrest, that will facilitate this alignment. By making Palestine a flashpoint for domestic unrest, they aim to push Trump closer to Israel while simultaneously presenting themselves as the more reasonable alternative.
A Cynical Revival
The Democratic Party’s embrace of pro-Palestinian energy is not a genuine commitment to justice. Instead, it is a calculated effort to manipulate public sentiment, regain power, and maintain the bipartisan consensus that has long defined U.S. foreign policy.
In this cynical strategy, both Palestinians and American progressives are pawns. The ultimate winners are not the oppressed or the activists but the political and corporate elites who continue to exploit these movements for their own gain.
A Strategic Pivot to Grassroots Movements
In this post-defeat phase, the Democratic Party plans to once again embrace marginalized groups under the Free Palestine banner. Trans rights activists, LGBTQ+ advocates, feminists, socialists, anarchists, and pro-immigration proponents—many of whom felt discarded in favor of Liz Cheney-style centrists and genocide sympathizers—will be reintegrated into the party’s narrative. This calculated move will give these groups a renewed sense of purpose, despite the underlying cynicism of the party’s motives.
The Democratic establishment will strategically redirect the energy of these movements, presenting itself as the voice of the oppressed and marginalized. However, this revival will be largely symbolic, intended more to galvanize its base than to implement substantive policies benefiting these groups.
Media Realignment and the Return of Progressive Voices
The centrist voices that dominated the Democratic Party’s 2024 media strategy—figures like Rachel Maddow, Nicolle Wallace, Jake Tapper, and Dana Bash—will take a backseat. Their cautious, establishment-friendly messaging will be replaced by louder, more impassioned minority voices. Expect to see a resurgence of commentators like Mehdi Hasan and Wajahat Ali, as well as figures such as Nikole Hannah-Jones and Ibram X. Kendi, who were sidelined during the campaign despite their significance in 2020.
These figures, coupled with reinvigorated social movements like Black Lives Matter, will provide the party with a fresh facade of authenticity and progressive energy. Yet, the promises of meaningful change will remain largely illusory, with the real goal being to harness anger and passion for electoral gains.
Immigration and the Rebranding of Values
The Democratic Party will also reframe its stance on immigration, presenting itself once again as the champion of open borders and humane treatment for migrants. This pivot will stand in stark contrast to the party’s earlier rhetoric, which aligned more closely with Trump’s restrictive policies during the election. By criticizing Trump’s immigration actions as racist and fascist, the Democrats aim to rile up their base while obscuring their tacit agreement with some of his policies.
This strategic hypocrisy will serve a dual purpose: energizing the progressive wing of the party while baiting MAGA supporters into alienating themselves from the Palestinian cause. By associating pro-Palestinian activism with progressive, left-wing ideals, the Democrats hope to force MAGA factions into a reactionary stance that ultimately benefits Israel.
Weaponizing MAGA’s Reaction
The Democratic Party’s rebranding will be designed to provoke a visceral reaction from Trump and his MAGA supporters. By positioning itself as the champion of progressive causes—however disingenuously—it seeks to push MAGA further into the pro-Israel corner. The party will make MAGA see the Palestinian movement as a proxy for everything it despises: progressive politics, social justice activism, and diversity.
This reactionary shift will fracture the budding anti-Israel sentiment within MAGA ranks, effectively neutralizing any solidarity between conservative populists and pro-Palestinian advocates. Once MAGA leaders pivot to denouncing the Palestinian movement, the Democratic establishment will have achieved its goal: ensuring unwavering U.S. support for Israel while simultaneously claiming the moral high ground.
A Cynical Strategy With Clear Winners
Ultimately, this strategy will not result in meaningful progress for Palestinians or marginalized groups within the U.S. Instead, it will serve the dual purpose of rehabilitating the Democratic Party’s image and advancing the interests of Israel. By creating chaos and channeling anti-Israel energy into controlled movements, the party ensures its survival while maintaining the bipartisan consensus that has long defined U.S. foreign policy in the region.
The Democratic Party’s revival will be less about genuine change and more about consolidating power. Its base will be energized by the illusion of progress, while its true priorities remain aligned with corporate and geopolitical interests. Meanwhile, MAGA’s forced alignment with Israel will cement the status quo, leaving both Palestinians and American progressives as pawns in a larger game.
