Alan Zendell, November 13, 2026
As the flush of victory fades and the reality of the task ahead becomes clear for everyone who wants to move past the evil and divisiveness that are the legacy of MAGA and Donald Trump, it’s time for sober reflection. Two things must happen if the United States is to return to anything like it was before Trump released the demons of greed, xenophobia and White Supremacy. Democrats must show that they heard the voters, govern appropriately, and put forth a strong slate of candidates for 2028.
A reasonable person might expect President Trump to recognize the message the voters sent him, including many who previously supported him. But all Trump knows how to do is fight. He has no grace and fewer scruples, and his decision to elevate the vile Stephen Miller to be his Chief of Staff in the wake of the election disaster tells us all we need to know about the next two years.
Trump’s insanity and inability to relate to the needs of normal, average Americans are on display here. Apparently, his parents never taught him about compassion or sharing and neither they nor his teachers ever taught him how to lose with class or dignity. The only approach he knows is hitting back and causing pain. Removing the guardrails from Miller erases any doubt that Trump will continue to behave that way.
Given that reality, the victorious Democrats, who are not held in high regard by most Americans, must prove they can do better. The bar is so low after two years of Trump’s corruption and incompetence, one might think that would be easy, but it won’t be. Democrats must hit the ground running with legislation that eases the pain of the people who elected them. Their priorities must be ending the war with Iran, making affordable health care available to every American, replacing Trump’s tariffs with a viable trade policy, protecting farmers who are on the edge of bankruptcy, and restoring our international alliances and trade relationships.
They also have to honor what the voters told them was foremost in their minds. Exit polls, which reflect reality rather than predictions, told us Americans were more concerned with corruption in the Trump administration than any other issue. Ethics rules must be strengthened and given enforcement teeth, and people who profited massively through insider trading and by treating their government responsibilities as private business opportunities must be prosecuted. But that cannot be seen as the Democrats’ version of Trump’s revenge tour. Retribution and personal vendettas are not the kind of justice Americans want.
The Democrats appear to be off to a good start, with their “What’s Next” convention in Denver. We’ll be watching to see if they try to conduct business as usual in a top down seniority system or whether the people recently elected who flipped nearly sixty seats in both houses of Congress will be allowed to influence policy and given serious roles to play. Will they have an open, transparent debate about leadership and find a way to integrate disparate voices into a united front that responds to voters’ demands?
All the above segues into a discussion of who will take up the mantle of running for president in 2028. Unfortunately, presidential campaigns now occupy two years, which gives Democrats plenty of time to find the right candidates. The new faces in Congress, Governors’ offices, and legislatures include more women, people of color, diversity in religion and ethnic background, retired military and intelligence professionals, and people of faith. Both the Democrats’ governing philosophy and their list of candidates for 2028 should reflect that shift.
If the Democrats are to win back the confidence of Americans they must heed the diverse voices in their tent and avoid the trap of extremism. Reacting to Trump and Project 2025’s attempts to replace our Constitution with a Fascist oligarchy by legislating an entirely progressive, socialist agenda would be a serious mistake that will leave the door open to a MAGA resurgence. Democrats must move to the center to hold onto Independents and traditional moderate Republicans who were beaten down by Trump.
Until now, Democrats seemed to have forgotten how the middle of the country thinks and what it needs, and one thing voters communicated was a desire for leaders with a moral compass. Half the Senate seats Democrats flipped were won by charismatic people of faith who campaigned on basic American values without getting in people’s faces about religion. We saw it in James Talarico, (Texas) Adam Hamilton, (Kansas) Abdul El-Sayed, whether you agree with him or not, (Michigan) and most recently, Scott Colom (Mississippi) none of which are part of what’s known as the liberal coastal elite.
Our country hungers for candidates like Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a low-keyed, strong leader who has effectively governed against the evil of MAGA by preaching love over hate and championing average Americans. With an approval rating of 65% in a state Trump won by two to one, Beshear has the highest voter approval of any Democratic Governor. He can speak to the entire country. My second choice is Minnesota Governor Amy Klobuchar.
