Democrats Gear Up for First Major Decision Post-Election: A Look Ahead
Trump's Second Week Echoes Themes from His First Term in Office
Welcome to From the Politics Desk, your evening update from NBC News Politics, bringing you the latest insights and analysis from the White House, Capitol Hill, and the campaign trail.
As President Donald Trump settles into his second term, his second week in office brought a wave of familiar developments, evoking memories of his first time in the White House. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party is preparing for a crucial decision this weekend, as they begin to regroup after a challenging 2024 election loss.
Democrats to Choose New DNC Chair Amid Post-Election Rebuilding
By Ben Kamisar
Following a tough 2024 election defeat, the Democratic Party remains without a clear leader. But this weekend, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) will take its first major step toward rebuilding by selecting a new national chair. The election will take place Saturday in National Harbor, Maryland, as DNC members gather to vote on a replacement for outgoing chair Jaime Harrison, who led the party during Joe Biden’s presidency.
The new chair will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the party, overseeing fundraising, staffing, and strategic planning for an organization that spent nearly $1 billion over the past four years. The role, while crucial, will be less about leading the party back into power and more about laying the groundwork for a Democratic resurgence in the coming years.
The race for DNC chair has shaped up as a competition focused on party-building rather than ideological divides. Front-runners include Ken Martin, chair of Minnesota’s Democratic Party, and Ben Wikler, chair of Wisconsin’s Democratic Party. Both have garnered strong support for their efforts to build lasting campaign infrastructure in their states. Martin’s success in keeping Minnesota’s statewide wins intact and Wikler’s success in strengthening Wisconsin’s battleground status make them key contenders.
Other candidates in the race include former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, who previously ran for president in 2016, and Faiz Shakir, a veteran Bernie Sanders adviser who joined the race late.
With the possibility of multiple rounds of voting, the outcome is far from certain. DNC members will decide the next chair in a race that could have lasting implications for the party’s future.
Trump's Second Week: Familiar Challenges and Controversial Moves
By Kristen Welker
President Donald Trump’s second week in office was marked by both national tragedy and policy confusion, events that closely mirrored challenges from his first term in the Oval Office.
The investigation into the deadly midair collision between a passenger plane and an Army helicopter is still in its early stages, but Trump caused a stir by linking the crash to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. When pressed for evidence, Trump shrugged off questions, stating, "It just could have been," and later defending his comments by saying, “I have common sense.”
The response was reminiscent of Trump’s handling of the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when he frequently made public statements that contradicted health experts, including his notorious comments in March 2020 about a drug’s effectiveness, which he justified by saying it was “just a feeling.”
Additionally, Trump’s administration faced confusion over a policy aimed at freezing most federal grants and loans, sparking pushback from agencies, lawmakers, and legal challenges. The move was eventually reversed, but it echoed similar chaos from Trump’s first term, such as the controversial travel ban that prompted widespread backlash and legal battles, eventually reaching the Supreme Court.
As the Trump administration confronts these familiar challenges, the focus will be on how the White House handles both the ongoing investigations into the crash and its attempts at policy implementation. Stay tuned for more in-depth analysis of these issues in Sunday’s Meet the Press, featuring interviews with key political figures.
That's all for From the Politics Desk today. Today’s newsletter was compiled by Adam Wollner, Bridget Bowman, and Faith Wardwell.
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