Donald Trump regained the presidency at least in part because he blurred the lines between Republicans and Democrats. He did that by stealing the Democratic Party’s playbook.
And now is the time for Democrats to steal his.
For decades, labor has supported protectionist policies, including tariffs, intended to limit foreign products and preserve American jobs. Democrats have moved towards free trade only gingerly to maintain labor’s support, while Republicans have been full-throated supporters of free trade. Trump changed that dynamic by stealing the issue from Democrats and rejecting GOP orthodoxy.
Trump claimed tariffs were necessary to fight unfair foreign competition and protect American products and jobs. His pro-labor approach pleased blue-collar workers, the very base Democrats had leaned on for decades.
Another case: Trump urged Congress to eliminate the debt limit. The debt limit vote has been used by Republicans to elicit promises of spending cuts in return for GOP support for debt limit increases. That’s why Democrats have favored ending the debt limit, while Republicans supported continuing it. Trump’s position, which would allow him to increase spending and institute tax cuts without worrying about the debt limit, stole the Democrats’ thunder.
Yet another example is tax policy. In the 2024 campaign, Trump advocated tax breaks that would help the wealthy, but also tax cuts that would help working class or lower middle-income workers and retirees. He proposed removing taxes on tips, which would affect millions of low-wage service workers, although most would get those taxes back in refunds.
But the message for these service workers is that Trump understands them and is on their side — a message Democrats formerly sent. Similarly, his proposal to end taxes on Social Security benefits signals to older voters that Trump, not Democrats, advocates for them. Of course, these revenue losses will add to the deficit and hasten the time when Social Security funds will run out. But, most importantly for Trump, seniors would see tax cuts now.
Still another example is his domestic policy emphasis. Trump has focused his attention on issues that are closer to home for most Americans. A set of Republican candidates in the recent past, including George H.W. Bush, John McCain and Mitt Romney, were foreign policy-oriented while their Democratic opponents touted domestic issues. For example, the slogan in Bill Clinton’s 1992 campaign was: “It’s the Economy, Stupid.” That line showed that Democrats owned the issue. By 2024, Trump had taken ownership by focusing on inflation.
Trump’s theft of the Democratic Party playbook is why he was able to slice up the Democratic coalition and attract Hispanic males, blue collar workers and seniors. That was enough for him to do something Republicans had only done once before since the 1980s — win the popular vote.
Democrats now have some hard choices to make. Should they continue to let Trump steal their issue advantages and, perhaps, lose presidential elections (and maybe congressional majorities) for some time to come? Or should they act to save the party from repeated electoral losses?
Democrats need to turn the tables on Trump by stealing his playbook. The economy should be key for Democrats. Trump’s tariffs will cause inflation and affect certain sectors of the American economy, particularly farmers, manufacturing workers and the poor. Democrats need to pounce on those deleterious effects quickly and position themselves as the advocates of workers, particularly low wage earners who are hurt the most by tariffs and inflation.
Surveys find most Americans are concerned about crime. Democrats need to become the party associated with lowering crime. That means supporting initiatives such as putting more, not fewer, police on the streets and targeting child pornography and predators.
Still another group to win back is seniors. To regain these retirees, Democrats should propose lowering taxes on Social Security benefits but also condemn GOP privatization efforts. Democrats should shout that Republicans will end Social Security as we know it to signal to seniors that they are with them.
Playbooks are there for the stealing. Trump has done it. If Democrats want to win, they will have to do the same thing.
Richard Davis is a professor emeritus of political science at BYU. He is the author of “Beyond Donkeys and Elephants: Minor Political Parties in Contemporary American Politics” (University Press of Kansas, 2020) and co-editor of “Electoral Campaigns, Media, and the New World of Digital Politics” (University of Michigan Press, 2022).
