‘Meet The Moment’: Barack Obama Lays Out Strategy For Democrats To Fight Back Against Trump
Former President Barack Obama delivered a message to Democrats on Dec. 14, speaking at a Los Angeles fundraiser hosted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) alongside House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, urging the party to unify and “meet the moment” as it looks ahead to upcoming elections.
During his remarks, Obama stressed that Democrats must first focus on regaining power in Congress before they work on a plan to regain strength and unity in opposition over the upcoming Affordable Care Act subsidy deadline.
“The short-term strategy is, win the House of Representatives,” Obama said, drawing applause from the crowd, according to CBS News. “Because that’s going to be the circuit breaker that will give us control of one major component of the federal government. With that as a bulwark, we’re now able to block some of the worst impulses that are coming out of this White House.”
The former president outlined a two-part plan for Democrats: reclaiming the House majority next year and refining the party’s broader message to voters over time.
“Long term, let’s tell a story, a better story about who we are as Americans and what we share,” Obama continued. “We have to tell the story that makes people who feel outside that process, we’ve got to bring them back in.”
What is causing the division amongst Democrats?
Obama’s message comes as Democrats remain divided over government funding decisions and the looming expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies. In November, eight senators who caucus with Democrats voted to end a government shutdown without extending the subsidies, drawing criticism from within the party. Initially, Senate Democrats refused to approve a short-term spending bill unless it extended the ACA subsidies, triggering the shutdown.
According to ABC News, since then, House Democrats have largely aligned behind a discharge petition led by Jeffries that would force a vote to extend the subsidies for three years before they expire at the end of December.
Meanwhile, nearly a dozen Republicans—many representing swing districts—have signed bipartisan discharge petitions to extend and reform the subsidies, seeking to bypass party leadership and bring the issue to the House floor. A total of 218 signatures would be required to trigger a vote, though it remains unclear whether that threshold will be reached. If no decision is made by the end of this month, healthcare premiums for millions of Americans could skyrocket.
Democrats have ideological differences that need to be put aside, explained Barack Obama.
Speaking directly to Democratic lawmakers, Obama urged his party to stay focused on retaking the Republican-controlled House in the 2026 midterm elections, arguing that ideological “differences” could be addressed afterward.
At present, the Democratic Party is made up of several clearly defined political ideologies, including the Progressive Caucus, led by figures such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Greg Casar, which advocates for bold, systemic reforms; the Blue Dog Coalition, a smaller and more moderate bloc focused on fiscal restraint and “commonsense” policymaking; and the New Democrats, a pro-growth, centrist faction that often clashes with the progressive wing, particularly on economic policy. Their goal is to bring innovation, inclusivity, and forward-thinking policies to the White House.
Obama said that, despite the current division disrupting the party, Democrats shared similar goals across the Democratic spectrum.
“The truth is that AOC and Chuck Schumer and Bernie Sanders and Blue Dog, they actually agree in making sure that people have a living wage, they can support a family,” Obama said, adding that most Americans are not focused on the party’s “nerdy,” “college seminar”-style internal debates. “Of course, there are going to be some tactical differences, but that shouldn’t be our primary concern because we’re fighting a bigger fight.”
Jeffries echoed Obama’s message, telling CBS News, “The most important thing that we need to do is to win back control of the House of Representatives, as President Obama indicated, as part of the path to ending this national nightmare in the United States of America and moving toward a more perfect union.”
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