On October 24, 2025, Representative Adam Smith of Washington took to MSNBC’s “The Beat” to deliver a message that’s been echoing through Democratic circles for months: if the party is to regain lost ground, it must broaden its appeal and stop pigeonholing Trump supporters. In a frank and, at times, self-critical interview, Smith argued that Democrats need to reach out beyond their traditional base, acknowledge their shortcomings, and respond to the concerns of voters who have drifted away in recent years.
“We have to understand that all whatever 80 million, I think, is the number that voted for Trump, something like that. They’re not all racist, bigoted morons. They’re not,” Smith said, according to MSNBC. “And we need to stop treating them like that and say, ‘OK, you’ve got concerns. We’re going to address them.’ We’re not going to get them all. We don’t need to get them all.”
This sentiment comes at a time when the Democratic Party is grappling with its identity and strategy following a string of electoral setbacks. According to RealClear Polling, the party’s average favorability rating has hovered around 34.7% in recent months, with a notable dip to 29% in March, as reported by CNN’s SSRS poll. The numbers paint a stark picture: the party is facing a crisis of confidence among voters, and internal debates have intensified over which messages and policies should define the path forward.
Smith, who represents a district with a strong Democratic majority—about 70%—acknowledged that his seat is secure, regardless of who holds it. But he pressed his colleagues to look beyond safe blue districts. “We can’t keep preaching to the choir,” he said. “What are we going to do to reach the people in those places that we aren’t winning?” He pointed to the campaigns of Rep. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger as examples of Democrats trying to expand their appeal in more competitive areas.
Recent data backs up Smith’s concerns. According to a New York Times report released on August 20, 2025, Democrats lost an estimated 2.1 million voters across 30 states between the 2020 and 2024 elections. Meanwhile, Republicans gained 2.4 million registered voters between 2024 and 2025. The numbers suggest a shifting political landscape, one in which Democrats can no longer rely on the coalition that propelled them to victories in previous cycles.
Smith’s critique was not limited to outreach. He was candid about the party’s perceived failures on key issues. “We have to change. We have to get better. We have to legitimately address immigration. We have to have secure borders, and we didn’t do as good a job on that as we should have,” he said. He also acknowledged that “focusing on identity politics constantly is not what the American people want. All right. We get that. We’re going to fix that.”
His remarks reflect a broader debate within the party about the role of identity politics and how to balance the needs of diverse constituencies with the imperative to win back disaffected voters. For nearly a year since Trump’s 2024 election victory, Democrats have been searching for answers, with some advocating for a sharper focus on economic issues and others urging the party to double down on progressive social causes.
Smith made clear that, while he believes Trump’s actions are dangerous—calling the president an “authoritarian” and accusing him of “turning [the U.S.] into a monarchy”—the Democratic Party must also own up to its own weaknesses. “We have to legitimately address immigration. We have to have secure borders,” he repeated, signaling a willingness to engage with issues often seized upon by Republicans.
On the subject of crime and urban governance, Smith highlighted what he sees as progress in Democrat-led cities. “We’re going to run our cities better, which, by the way, we’re starting to do. You look at some of the things that are happening in San Francisco and other places where we’re getting after, you know, crime and homelessness and drug abuse and actually governing better,” he said.
Crime in major cities has been a political flashpoint in 2025. In August, President Trump deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C. after a spate of high-profile crimes drew national attention. While many Democratic lawmakers and media commentators accused Trump of overreaching, the city’s crime rate did drop by 35% in 2024, according to local police data cited by ABC7 Chicago. However, the data left out certain categories such as felonies and aggravated assaults, raising questions about whether the improvement was as dramatic as advertised.
Trump has since called for deploying the National Guard to other major cities like Chicago, arguing that federal intervention is necessary to combat crime. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have pushed back, pointing to footage of low-crime neighborhoods as evidence that the city is not the war zone some make it out to be. Still, some residents in high-crime areas have voiced support for Trump’s approach, suggesting a disconnect between political leaders and the communities most affected by violence.
There are signs of progress in Chicago. Police data through August 16, 2025, shows homicides down 25% compared to the previous year. Over the last 12 months, there have been 474 homicides, compared with an average of 722 per year between 2021 and 2023, according to ABC7 Chicago. While this is a substantial improvement, the city’s leaders remain divided over the best path forward—federal intervention or local solutions.
Smith’s comments also touched on the economic anxieties facing many Americans. He argued that Trump’s policies are “hurting us,” pointing to rising costs for housing, insurance, and energy, as well as the threat of millions losing health care coverage and food security. “If you care about democracy, you have to send a message that this must stop,” he said, urging Democrats to focus on both policy critiques and the practical concerns of everyday voters.
As Democrats look ahead to the midterms, Smith’s prescription is clear: the party must acknowledge its shortcomings, listen to voters who feel left behind, and adapt its message to address the issues that matter most. “We’re not going to get them all. We don’t need to get them all, but we need to reach out to people that broadens our coalition. We can’t keep preaching to the choir,” he said. For a party at a crossroads, the challenge is as much about self-reflection as it is about winning elections.
The months ahead will test whether Democrats can translate Smith’s candid assessment into a winning strategy, or whether the party’s divisions will persist in the face of a rapidly changing political landscape.
