Democrats are privately panicking that they have failed to connect with White working-class voters, and that demographic is about to secure former President Donald Trump‘s victory in the 2024 election.
Politico reported that behind closed doors, Democratic officials fear that Trump could shatter the Blue Wall he broke down eight years ago.
“Candidly, Trump has a solid, solid base of working-class people that have bought into his message,” Jimmy Williams, president of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, told Politico.
“It’s movable, and it’s been moving. But it’s not like some tide that’s turned,” he said.
The concerns are valid, especially since Kamala Harris failed to get the Teamsters labor union’s endorsement after internal polling, which showed higher favorability for Trump among respondents.
Democrats said Trump might garner unexpectedly high support among union members, especially men.
They also admitted that Harris must work harder to win over the White, working-class voting bloc, which comprises a large percentage of the Rust Belt electorate.
One pro-Harris union official told Poltico under the condition of anonymity that polling was a “red flag” for Democrats and was reminiscent of 2016 when Hillary Clinton famously underperformed among union households. when
“Hard not to have HRC flashbacks right now, to be honest, that stuff might be wrong beneath the surface,” the official said.
“I hope it’s not.”
Swing-state Democrats also accused Harris of not criticizing Trump enough for his past comments on issues that matter to more senior voters.
“I’m worried about her with [seniors]… most of all, I just think they don’t know her,” one anonymous Pennsylvania Democratic elected official told Politico.
“She should be coming in on Medicare and Social Security like non-f—ing stop.”
Another Democratically elected official in Pennsylvania echoed those concerns.
“How much time do you hear the top of the ticket talking about that issue?” the official asked.
“Almost nothing. They just have to talk about it more,” the official said.
According to a New York Times poll, Trump is leading Harris in Arizona by five points in a 50%-45% spread, and he holds a similar 49%-45% lead in Georgia.
However, Harris is closer to Trump in North Carolina, where the race sits at 49%-47%.
