What the Democrats Need to Do

Susan Estrich on Nov 7, 2026

The instinct to get even must be nearly overwhelming. After two years of getting pounded every day by the Trumpers, of fighting hard when you know you're going to lose every vote, of indignities large and small inflicted on the Democratic minority, the tables are suddenly turned. The minority becomes the majority. They take control -- of everything. Setting the agenda. Issuing subpoenas. Confirming or not confirming. Twice as many lawyers and investigators. Imagine the investigations. "Lawyer up," everybody. By the end, corruption was showing up in polls as the most important issue. Of course Democrats will pursue it.

But hopefully, not to the exclusion of doing what they were handed the majority to do. They need to make doing the people's business -- affordability, and health care, and the economy, and the war in Iran -- even more important than pursuing corruption in the Trump administration.

Impeachment? Why? That was not on the table. It won't lower gas prices. President Vance? Stop right there. Impeachment is a long, drawn-out process that sucks the oxygen out of the room.

The Democrats have a mandate to take on the affordability agenda. They don't have a mandate to impeach President Donald Trump.

That leaves almost everything else on the domestic agenda open to a Democratic overhaul.

And Trump?

He thinks his veto is the answer, but that has its limits. A series of vetoes of popular programs only makes the case for a Democratic president in 2028. Let Trump say no to lower premiums and lower prescription drug prices.

Democrats need a domestic agenda that he blocks at his peril. The country needs to see Democrats organizing themselves to achieve that agenda. There are all these amazing new faces to deliver the Democratic message. Give them center stage and a national audience.

The country is very clearly hungry for change. That is what everyone who moved to the Democratic side from somewhere else was voting for. Change is not measured by the number of Beltway scalps you collect but by your impact on the family budget.

Can the Democratic Congress make things better for average Americans? Can they show that they understand the problems people face and actually have solutions to address them? That's the challenge facing every Democrat in the new Congress.

And the war?

Donald Trump has no choice but to end it, one way or another. There is only so long you can pursue military action without popular support. In Trump's case, the accusation is even more pointed because he promised no forever wars. And what do you call this? Can he find a face-saving exit strategy that doesn't lead to more unflattering comparisons with Barack Obama? Not clear. How long can he sustain an endless war with a Democratic Congress? Even less clear. Trump is not going to go gently into the night; he is still trying to win even though his hand has obviously been weakened. Will he blame the Democrats if he has no choice but to beat a hasty retreat to an Obama-like deal, if he can still get that?

On the eve of the elections, Congress was right down there with your local used car salesperson at about an 18% approval rating. Hard to get much lower. Great potential to do better.

If not now, when? The country has put its faith in Congress to save our democracy from a corrupt administration which has neglected the needs of the people. The Democrats need to take on that corruption, which they are clearly gearing up to do, but not at the expense of addressing the affordability agenda. They need to do two things at once, and they have big enough majorities and strong enough leaders to do so.

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