DNC opposition to the Trump administration, 2017

Opposition to the Trump administration (2017)
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Days after the 2016 election, politicians, organizations, and others began to strategize about opposing Republican President Donald Trump's policies and administration. This page chronicles tactics that the Democratic National Committee developed to oppose Trump's policy agenda. The opposition strategies outlined below are tactics that have been reported by notable, reliable sources. This page was last updated in June 2017.

Democratic National Committee opposition

Reorganization

After the 2016 presidential election loss, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) began discussions about reorganizing infrastructure to focus on state-level activity. In a January 2, 2017, report by The Associated Press, DNC spokesperson Adam Hodge emphasized the role that state parties would play, saying, "State parties are the lifeblood of the DNC, and we make investing in all of them a priority because they are an integral part of winning up and down the ballot. State parties were critical to picking up Senate seats, House seats, legislative chambers and governorships in 2016, and their importance will be a key focus for the party as we elect new officers in February."

New leadership

See also: Democratic National Committee chair election, 2017

On the weekend of February 24, 2017, the more than 400 members of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) elected former Labor Secretary Tom Perez to succeed interim Chairwoman Donna Brazile. Brazile took over the position after former Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.) resigned during the 2016 elections. At that time, leaked emails appeared to show Wasserman Schultz and DNC officials strategizing to promote Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign and hurt rival Bernie Sanders.

Other candidates for the position included Congressman Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), Idaho Democratic Party executive director Sally Boynton Brown, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and political strategist Jehmu Greene.

According to a December report by Politico, the search for new leadership was an immediate imperative after the 2016 elections because the DNC was attempting "to minimize the recriminations and deep tactical divides that are starting to surface across the party in the wake of Hillary Clinton’s loss."

The following table details the major declared candidates in the 2017 race for DNC chair along with their stated priorities.

Candidates for DNC chair, 2017
Candidate	Position during DNC race	Focus of DNC chair campaign	Candidate statement
Keith Ellison	U.S. Rep. from Minnesota	• Emphasis on working families • State and local candidate development • Prioritization of voter relationships	"We must invest in and empower our state and local parties by creating effective field operations, an enhanced and advanced voter file, and a culture of collaboration between candidates at every level."
Tom Perez*	Outgoing Secretary of Labor	• Emphasis on outreach to state parties • Suggestion of year-round organizing in collaboration with state parties	"And we have to earn the trust of every stakeholder in the party. And I think we can do that because the reality, Audie, is that we are fighting much bigger forces. Donald Trump's vision of America, his nativist vision of America, his fear mongering - that's what we have to fight."
Sally Boynton Brown	Executive director, Democratic Party of Idaho	• Emphasis on grassroots organization • Vision of DNC as "service organization for all 57 state parties"	"Our party can’t afford to spend the next two years having an ideological debate on whether we are liberals or moderates. The Democratic Party has always represented the people and now more than ever we must blow the walls off our tent so everyone feels welcome."
Pete Buttigieg	Mayor of South Bend, Indiana	• Emphasis on small communities affected by DNC policies • Presentation of candidacy as alternative to 2016 election rifts	"I can’t think of something more meaningful than organizing the opposition in the face of what I think will be a pretty monstrous presidency and challenging time out here in the states. ... Sitting back and waiting for the map and demographics to save us — that’s not going to be enough."
Jehmu Greene	Political strategist	•Focus on experience in and out of the party structure •Emphasizes strategy and organization rather than politics	"The DNC needs a Chair who is a SEASONED ORGANIZER and a FIERCE MESSENGER. An exceptional Chair who can share far and wide the transformative vision of our candidates and values, and who can counterpunch disinformation, regardless of where it comes from. ... I am a disrupter and political innovator with the heart of a grassroots organizer. Exactly what the party needs right now."
*Perez won the election on February 25, 2017, on the second round of voting.
Campaigns for DNC chair suspended prior to 2017 meeting
Candidate	Position during DNC race	Focus of DNC chair campaign	Candidate statement
Raymond Buckley**	Chair, Democratic Party of New Hampshire	• Focus on state infrastructure • Clarification of party message	"The party's entirely too Washington-focused, and I want to flip that upside down. I understand that elections are won in the states and in the communities across the country, not within the Beltway. In fact, you know, I think that the Beltway folks actually do more hindrance than help when it comes to electing Democrats to office."
Jaime R. Harrison***	Chair, Democratic Party of South Carolina	• Emphasis on rebuilding local and state parties • Focus on activist outreach and education	"I'm not a Clinton Democrat. I'm not an Obama Democrat. I'm not a Sanders Democrat. I'm just a Democrat, one who is raising his son in ruby-red South Carolina and wants to make sure that the opportunities that I've been able to enjoy and the opportunities that so many working people are able to enjoy are ones that persist. And I know that all of those things are in danger with Donald Trump as president."
**Buckley dropped out of the race on February 18, 2017, and endorsed Ellison for the position. ***Harrison dropped out of the race on February 23, 2017, and endorsed Perez for the chairmanship.

Tom Perez reorganization

In May 2017, Politico reported on the DNC's reorganization under former Labor Secretary Tom Perez. According to the report, Perez's staffers, along with staff from Jaime Harrison and Keith Ellison began to reorganize the committee to encourage discussions across the organization. Harrison, former executive director of the Democratic Party of South Carolina, was also tasked with developing a 50-state strategy proposal. Perez's reorganization also included increasing communications and research operations with a focus on responding to claims made by Trump and other Republicans.

New CEO, May 2017

In May 2017, Perez hired former executive director of EMILY's List, Jessica O'Connell, as the party's new CEO. Buzzfeed reported that the reorganization with O'Connell was expected "to position the DNC as an ally in 2017 and 2018 races, a partner for activists in the movement to oppose Donald Trump's presidency, and an operation better equipped to function without relying on a Democrat in the White House."

New political director, June 2017

On June 9, 2017, the DNC hired Amanda Brown Lierman as their new political and organizing director. Lierman previously worked for President Barack Obama (D). According to Mic, she was a supporter of Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign. Upon her move to the DNC, she told Mic, "There's definitely a need to rebrand and restore faith that people have in the DNC. I hope people look toward this new leadership as a step and progress on that." Prior to joining the DNC, Lierman was the director of Rock the Vote in 2012, was the executive director of National Women's Business Council, and was the campaign director at For Our Future, super PAC focused on climate change policy.

See also

• Democratic National Committee
• Opposition to the Trump administration