Article Summary –
The article discusses the exhaustion felt by anti-Trump voters, who in 2017 marched on Washington in the hundreds of thousands to protest against Donald Trump, and later flipped the House from Republican control and won the presidency. With another election looming, many of these voters, according to interviews with Democratic voters, activists, and officials, are feeling tired, unenthusiastic, and worried about the prospect of another Trump-Biden matchup. Polls reveal a decline in Democratic voters’ motivation compared to Republicans, while surveys have shown erosion in the party’s standing with traditional Democratic constituencies.
In 2017, wearing pink hats, hundreds of thousands marched on Washington expressing their fury against Donald J. Trump. They flipped the House from Republican control, won the presidency, and secured a strong showing in the 2022 midterm elections.
This year, anti-Trump voters are grappling with another powerful sentiment: exhaustion. Rebecca Lee Funk, the founder of a progressive activism group, says people are tired. Democrats are now defending the White House and once again President Biden is seeking to rally the anti-Trump coalition. The challenge of energizing Americans who are unenthusiastic about a likely 2020 rematch, worried about Biden’s age, and struggling to sustain anger toward Trump is a significant hurdle.
Shannon Caseber, a security guard, describes the potential Trump-Biden rematch as a “dumpster fire,” and admits to feeling crisis fatigue. Pew Research Center survey last year found that 65 percent of Americans felt exhausted when thinking about politics. Whit Ayres, a Republican pollster, says that “exhaustion is underlying the entire attitude toward our presidential election.”
There are warnings on the left too. Polls reveal that Republicans are more likely to say they are “extremely motivated” to vote in the election. Surveys also show erosion in the Democratic party’s standing with traditional constituencies. There are warnings of funding challenges and voter apathy, and progressive groups are showing frustration with Biden over his support for Israel.
Lauren Hitt, a spokeswoman for Biden, argues the campaign is going beyond opposing Trump, contrasting with Republicans on abortion rights and gun safety. Democrats argue that the party must make a strong case for Biden’s re-election, beyond just stopping Trump. Leah D. Daughtry, a Democratic strategist, emphasizes that “people want to vote for something and not necessarily against something.”
Trump is no champion for positivity. His behavior post-presidency has been outrageous, with his supporters attacking the Capitol, encouraging political violence, spreading conspiracy theories, undermining American institutions, and threatening the international order.
Leah Greenberg, co-executive director of the Indivisible Project, said that “burnout tends to be a function of a sense of powerlessness,” and that “people are activated around getting our rights back.” Despite being unexcited by the choices, many intend to support Biden because they believe the stakes of the election are higher.
As Trump moves closer to being renominated, some Democrats say their voters are starting to grasp the significance of his return. Representative Veronica Escobar, a Democrat and a Biden campaign co-chair, said that there has been a “palpable shift.” The aim is to sustain and grow this shift, reminding voters of the good things about the country, after a long slog in the movement.
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