Democrats told to "get shot" for the anti-Trump resistance
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House Democrats speak at a press conference on the steps of the U.S. Capitol ahead of votes on the "One Big, Beautiful Bill" on July 2. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
At town halls in their districts and in one-on-one meetings with constituents and activists, Democratic members of Congress are facing a growing thrum of demands to break the rules, fight dirty — and not be afraid to get hurt.
Why it matters: House Democrats told Axios they see a growing anger among their base that has, in some cases, morphed into a disregard for American institutions, political traditions and even the rule of law.
- "This idea that we're going to save every norm and that we're not going to play [Republicans'] game ... I don't think that's resonating with voters anymore," said one House Democrat.
- Another told Axios that a "sense of fear and despair and anger" among voters "puts us in a different position where ... we can't keep following norms of decorum."
- Axios spoke to more than two dozen House Democrats for this story, with many requesting anonymity to offer candid insights about their interactions with constituents and activists.
Zoom out: For months, Democratic lawmakers have fumed that their base's demands to "fight harder" misunderstand the lack of legislative and investigative power afforded to the minority party in Congress.
- "We've got people who are desperately wanting us to do something ... no matter what we say, they want [more]," Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), the chair of the center-left New Democrat Coalition, told Axios.
- Liberal voters have angrily accosted Democrats at town halls for — in their view — not doing enough to counter President Trump's agenda.
- In response, some Democrats have tried to up the ante: Heckling Trump, mounting rogue impeachment attempts, and getting tackled by law enforcement and even indicted in their efforts to scrutinize the president's deportation campaign.
What we're hearing: The grassroots wants more. "Some of them have suggested ... what we really need to do is be willing to get shot" when visiting ICE facilities or federal agencies, a third House Democrat told Axios.
- "Our own base is telling us that what we're doing is not good enough ... [that] there needs to be blood to grab the attention of the press and the public," the lawmaker said.
- A fourth House Democrat said constituents have told them "civility isn't working" and to prepare for "violence ... to fight to protect our democracy."
- A fifth House Democrat told Axios that "people online have sent me crazy s*** ... told me to storm the White House and stuff like that," though they added that "there's always people on the internet saying crazy stuff."
Between the lines: While other Democratic lawmakers said their discussions haven't gone that far, nearly every one who spoke to Axios cited examples of voters' panic and fury fueling demands to adopt brute force tactics.
- A sixth House Democrat said that when they try to persuade voters to channel their frustration into a focus on winning back Congress in 2026, "people who are angry don't accept that. They're angry beyond things."
- "It's like ... the Roman coliseum. People just want more and more of this spectacle," said a seventh lawmaker.
What they're saying: Schneider, like other Democrats, said Trump impeachment efforts have proven extremely popular with grassroots voters and that, even as he has tried to shoot them down as impractical, some simply find the idea "irresistible."
- Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), a high-profile progressive, said he believes "the most effective pushback to Trump's unconstitutional actions is to model a reverence for the Constitution and the rule of law."
Zoom in: Many lawmakers said these voters tend to be white, well-educated and live in upscale suburban or urban neighborhoods.
- "What I have seen is a demand that we get ourselves arrested intentionally or allow ourselves to be victims of violence, and ... a lot of times that's coming from economically very secure white people," said an eighth House Democrat.
- "Not only would that be a gift to Donald Trump, not only would it make the job of Republicans in Congress easier if we were all mired in legal troubles ... [we are] a group that is disproportionately people of color, women, LGBTQ people — people who do not fare very well in prison."
The bottom line: "The expectations aren't just unreal. They're dangerous," the eighth House Democrat said.
- A ninth lawmaker told Axios: "I actually said in a meeting, 'When they light a fire, my thought is to grab an extinguisher.'"
- "And someone at the table said, 'Have you tried gasoline?'"
