Election fever swept Washington less than two months before the midterm elections in Congress. The battle between the blue Democratic and red Republican parties is intensifying. To control the majority in the two legislative chambers. But it is a battle that is not limited to winning, as the primary elections have shaped the features of a democratic party that is changing with the dominance of progressive and socialist faces that are not supported by the party establishment.
The Washington Report program, which is the result of cooperation between Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper and Al-Sharq TV, reviews whether the results of the primary elections reflect the electoral energy that the Democrats need to regain the majority, or whether the party’s push to the left may turn into a weakness that Republicans can exploit in November.
Great enthusiasm
Michael Hardaway, former assistant to President Barack Obama and former communications director for House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, says that the Democratic establishment should feel “joy and happiness” about the presence of energy and enthusiasm of this kind among Democratic voters, considering that many of the issues that these progressives are addressing are issues that constitute a larger part of the Democratic Party’s platform, such as raising the minimum wage and health care.
Regarding the public criticism directed at leftists by some Democrats, Hardaway says, “The problem with the Democratic Party is that we agree on 90 percent of things, but we focus on the 10 percent that we do not agree on.” What matters is voter enthusiasm, and I don't think traditional Democrats should boycott progressive Democrats. on the contrary".
Indeed, the primaries witnessed great enthusiasm among Democratic voters. Linda Kenyon, a journalist at NPR, believes that the reason for this is the Republican majority in Congress and the White House, which gave many Democrats and independents great enthusiasm. Despite some's concern about leftist tendencies in the Democratic Party, Kenyon believes that "what is happening now is an opportunity to unify the party's spectrum."
For her part, Ashley Davis, a former official in the White House during the era of Bush Jr., expresses great Republican concern about the enthusiasm of the Democratic street. Davis considered that the midterm elections would constitute an important indicator for the Democrats. She singled out the party's Senate candidate in Michigan, Abdul Rahman Al-Sayyid, and said: “If a candidate like Abdul Rahman Al-Sayyed wins, I think this electoral momentum will continue with the Democrats.”
But the Massachusetts results confounded the calculations of Democratic leaders who thought that the popular base preferred young faces in the Legislative Council. The victory of 80-year-old progressive Senator Ed Markey over his young rival from the traditional establishment changed this equation. Hardaway explains this reality, comparing Markey to progressive Senator Bernie Sanders, saying, “Sanders is old, but his ideas are new and modern and fit with the ideas of students and young people.” Age is not particularly important for young people, what is important is the candidate’s principles.”
Populist message
Davis believes that the common denominator between Trump and the progressives is the populist message, noting that these progressive candidates talk to voters about the rise in the value of gasoline and food, and communicate with the popular base effectively, similar to what Trump did during his candidacy for his first and second terms. She adds: “The grassroots feels that the current members of Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, are not doing enough. A new personality and a new message must be presented to the voter, and this is what Trump did and this is what the (progressive) candidates are doing.”
But Hardaway believes that Trump has lost his connection with voters in America, and mentions his attack on leftists and his description of them as communists. He says: “Many people in Washington, including Donald Trump, do not understand the present moment, and therefore they are fighting these ancient wars such as capitalism against communism. On the other hand, voters complain about the rise in gasoline prices and the decline in job opportunities.
Some general data changed in this year's elections. The American voter has become more interested in foreign policy, and progressive candidates have been able to win over competitors supported by the party establishment, despite the support of pressure groups such as ABIAC. Kenyon linked this interest to the Iran war, and said, “Voters are confused by the US President’s positions regarding the war.” Especially since he announced at the beginning of the military operations that the war would end within weeks. Months have passed and we see no end in sight, as we move from negotiation to diplomacy to war. The American people are concerned about the repercussions of this on their daily lives.”
"Progressives" bloc
The Progressive Bloc is the largest bloc within the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives. Its members are approximately half the number of Democrats. But it is important to distinguish between the labels, as the American left is a broad umbrella, and the progressives and socialists are not one movement. Not every progressive is a socialist, even though the two parties intersect on many issues and goals.
Regarding these differences, Hardaway mentions that the leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives, Hakeem Jeffries, was a long-time member of this progressive bloc, considering that he will know how to deal with these new leftist faces if they reach Congress. He adds: “He can also work with the White House,” recalling his recent meeting with the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. He continued: “He worked with Jared Kushner and Donald Trump on the criminal justice reform law for the first time in the history of the United States. It is true that he describes himself as a progressive, but he can achieve practical things.
Hardaway says that the progressive faces in Congress differ in their orientations and tone: “There are different rules for playing within one team. Jeffries sees his role as different from that of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or Bernie Sanders. This is evidence of the diversity and diversity of opinions within one current.”
Three informed sources revealed to Reuters that the White House is considering the names of potential candidates to succeed Steve Feinberg, US Deputy Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, indicating the possibility of further changes at the leadership level within the Pentagon, which is already facing a high rate of employee departures.
Two of the sources stated that these efforts began in June and included talks with senior lawmakers in the Senate regarding whether the US administration’s nominees would receive sufficient support to confirm their appointments, while one of the sources stated that the review continued until late August.
Reuters was unable to determine when the White House would begin considering the candidates.
The three sources said that no decision has yet been made to remove Feinberg from his position. The sources did not mention the reasons that prompted the White House to study the names of potential candidates, nor did they specify the names of the candidates under study.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said: “These anonymous sources do not know what they are talking about.”
She added: “President Trump appreciates the work of Secretary Hegseth, Deputy Secretary Feinberg, and the entire War Department personnel, whose record of successes in Operations Epic of Rage, Absolute Resolve, and Midnight Hammer speaks for itself,” referring to US military operations in Iran and Venezuela.
The Pentagon denied that there was an ongoing process to replace Feinberg. In response to a request from Reuters for comment, Hegseth said in a statement that Feinberg had his full support and that he was “not going anywhere.” The Pentagon did not provide a comment from Feinberg and refused to allow him an interview.
Feinberg's departure would be the most prominent change in the ministry's staff, which has already witnessed the departure of senior leaders during the Hegseth era. An informed source said that Army Secretary Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation to the White House after months of tense relations with Hegseth.
The army refused to comment on the reasons for his departure. Navy Secretary John Phelan and a number of senior army leaders also left during the past few months.
Feinberg had pledged to accelerate the production of American munitions, but analysts said that he had not achieved this goal yet and that the American industrial base could not increase production quickly.
Some defense sector executives say that his task was complicated by Congress's slowness in allocating funds despite great pressure from the US administration.
Hegseth said in his statement to Reuters: “(Feinberg) is working tirelessly to rebuild our defense industrial base and ensure that our military has everything it needs to achieve victory, and I look forward to continuing to work with him.”
He added, "He is doing an amazing job for President Trump, for the department, and for our fighters."
Frustration due to the Iran war
Trump has increasingly expressed frustration with the lack of progress in the six-month-old Iran war, which has turned into a costly confrontation between the United States and Iran.
One of the costs of this war is the decline in US weapons stocks. Reuters reported that the US Army is facing a major shortage of some ammunition, which has raised concerns in Congress and military leaders.
But Trump downplayed these fears, saying that the United States possesses “far more ammunition than any other country in the world.”
However, the Washington Post reported that Hegseth blamed Feinberg for shrinking stockpiles of long-range guided missiles and air defense interceptors during a discussion with Trump at Camp David earlier this month.
The White House described the report as “fake news.”
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement: “Secretary Hegseth did not mislead anyone about the status of our munitions, nor did he place the blame on Deputy Secretary Feinberg.”
Since his appointment by Trump last year, Feinberg has tried to reshape the Pentagon by increasing the US military's direct investments in companies, and providing loans to defense contractors through multiple offices within the department, including the Strategic Capital Office and the newly established Defense Economic Unit.
