‘A Real F*cking Problem’: Vulnerable House Dems Blast Party Campaign Arm Over Obsession with Donald Trump

Politico Playbook’s Friday coverage highlighted growing strife between vulnerable House Democrats and those whose job it is to help them win reelection. In fact, one unnamed lawmaker reportedly called the leadership of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) “a real fucking problem.”

The DCCC of course exists solely to support House Democrats in their bid to retain their majority. With some election forecasters predicting a shellacking next year for the party in the midterms, there is reportedly growing dissatisfaction between vulnerable members and the leadership strategy of DCCC chair Rep. Sean Maloney (D-NY). Maloney is accused of being out of touch with issues that could help Democrats negate predicted losses, and is reportedly still fixated on former President Donald Trump.

Politico’s Rachel Bade reported that she spoke to five Democratic lawmakers, who were not named, about Maloney and they each expressed concern that a strategy focused solely on Trump might alienate them from voters.

Writing in Friday’s Playbook, Bade reported:

‘THIS IS A REAL F—ING PROBLEM’ — That’s how one vulnerable House Democrat summarized growing discord between members in battleground districts and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. That member and five others Playbook spoke with in the past week alleged that the Democratic organization whose purpose is to help the party keep the House next year is instead hurting their chances of reelection.

We granted the members and their staff anonymity to speak freely about their frustrations with the strategy DCCC Chair SEAN PATRICK MALONEY (N.Y.) has adopted in dozens of competitive districts. The complaints fall roughly into three categories.

Bade reported that the representatives she spoke to complained about the DCCC’s apparent fixation on Trump, specifically with regard to former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who ran on a heavy anti-Trump platform, and lost his gubernatorial bid last month to Republican Glenn Youngkin.

Bade reported that “at-risk members” who spoke to Politico expressed concerns that Maloney learned nothing from the Virginia race, which relied heavily on portraying Trump as a looming threat, and ultimately failed to motivate voters to turn out for him.

One House Democrat told Bade, “This is crazy to me that the DCCC is rolling out a playbook that they know doesn’t work and that they encouraged people in 2018 not to use.”

Democrats in 2018 took back the House after Republicans had enjoyed two years of full government control.

Republicans currently need only five seats to take back the lower chamber, the DCCC warns.

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