President Trump has declared Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., the new “face of the Democratic Party.” And it’s a point that’s kind of hard to argue.
Part of what makes Waters’ radical rhetoric about hounding Republicans out of public life dangerous for Democrats is that it comes amid a leadership vacuum. That may be normal between presidential elections, but in the polarizing Trump era it means Democrats have the added challenge of deciding whether the #Resistance is in charge. (Of course, you could probably have made the same argument of the Tea Party circa early 2010.)
Both House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., rebuked Waters for urging people to block Trump administration officials at restaurants, department stores, and “gasoline station[s].” As my colleague Becket Adams pointed out, several congressional Democrats stopped short of condemning Waters’ statement in offering their immediate reactions. John Legend, who has emerged as a leading liberal voice in recent years, told his 12.5 million Twitter followers he was “very comfortable” with the sentiments of the congresswoman’s call to action. And she’s been featured as a top voice time and again by left-leaning outlets since Trump took office.
If Maxine Waters isn’t the “face” of the Democratic Party, who is? Trump has suggested Waters shares the honor with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Maybe. But Democrats’ internal divisions have prevented them from unifying since Trump won, and the party’s consequential leadership vacuum is having consequences.
