{"id":2426038,"date":"2025-04-22T07:28:01","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T11:28:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/theatre-and-procedure-senate-democrats-turn-to-two-tactics-to-resist-trump-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-04-22T07:31:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T11:31:10","slug":"theatre-and-procedure-senate-democrats-turn-to-two-tactics-to-resist-trump-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/theatre-and-procedure-senate-democrats-turn-to-two-tactics-to-resist-trump-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Theatre and procedure: Senate Democrats turn to two tactics to resist Trump &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftheatre-and-procedure-senate-democrats-turn-to-two-tactics-to-resist-trump-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2426038&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-tells-netanyahu-israeli-military-will-never-defeat-hamas-report\/\" title=\"Biden administration reportedly informs Netanyahu that Hamas cannot be defeated by Israeli military\">current strategies employed<\/a> by the Democratic Party in Congress to resist President Donald Trump, especially in light of their recent electoral setbacks. With limited legislative power, Democrats are resorting to procedural tactics, public relations stunts, and blocking nominations as they attempt to combat Republican policies. The article highlights how lawmakers are drawing inspiration from Trump&#8217;s showmanship by engaging in attention-grabbing actions, such as Senator Chris van Hollen&#8217;s trip to El Salvador to advocate for a wrongly deported man.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats acknowledge that while they have some tools at their disposal, these might only slow down the GOP&#8217;s progress rather than effectively challenge them. Initiatives like holding nominees and employing the filibuster have been part of their approach, although they face criticism for being seen as &#8220;performative theater.&#8221; As the Republican Party maintains cohesion on contentious issues, Democrats are navigating internal divisions, with some centrist members distancing themselves from more vocal Trump-opposition factions.<\/p>\n<p>the Democrats are trying to maintain relevance and unite their party while employing a mix of customary and new tactics to rally their base and address urgent political issues during a tumultuous legislative session.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Out of power, Democrats resort to theater and procedure to mount Trump resistance<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2080692\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Democrats in Congress are exploring new avenues to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3357931\/democrats-trump-resistance-crisis-spreads-legal-world\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"resist President Donald Trump\">resist President Donald Trump<\/a> as the party struggles to temper expectations from a frustrated and anxious <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3382882\/democrats-search-new-targets-party-divide-age-david-hogg\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"progressive base\">progressive base<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>From procedural tactics to flashy PR stunts to blocking nominees, Democrats are increasingly wielding what limited powers are at their disposal to combat Republicans. But the party is still working to implement lessons learned from the 2024 stinging election losses, including some Trump-like messaging traits that Democrats see as winning tactics in the president&rsquo;s chaotic second term.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3387037\/how-trump-circumvent-schumer-blockade-new-york-prosecutors\/\">How Trump could circumvent Schumer&rsquo;s blockade on New York prosecutors<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3386847\/senate-gop-mess-primary-2026-season-shift-hands-off-strategy\/\">Senate GOP confronts &#8216;messy&#8217; primary 2026 season with shift to hands-off strategy&nbsp;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3386860\/elizabeth-warren-succumbs-grilling-biden-mental-acuity-defense-fair-enough\/\">Elizabeth Warren succumbs to grilling on Biden&#8217;s mental acuity defense: &#8216;Fair enough&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;When we have moments to fight, let&rsquo;s fight. But we have very few actual legislative tactics,&rdquo; said Mike Nellis, a Democratic strategist and ex-senior adviser to former Vice President Kamala Harris. &ldquo;We have to continue to capture people&rsquo;s attention.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Democrats borrow a page from Trump&rsquo;s showmanship playbook: &lsquo;Take a risk&rsquo;<\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">latest headline-grabbing moment<\/a>, an artform both sides of the aisle concede Trump has perfected, came with Sen. Chris Van Hollen&rsquo;s (D-MD) expedition to El Salvador to visit Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, the mistakenly deported Maryland man who&rsquo;s become a flashpoint in U.S. politics. Four House Democrats followed suit on Monday to travel to Central America to defend Abrego Garcia. <\/p>\n<p>To the White House, Abrego Garcia is an illegal immigrant and an alleged MS-13 gang member, but to Democrats, he is a wrongly deported father with no criminal charges or convictions who was not provided due process.<\/p>\n<p>The administration has so far thumbed its nose at an order from the Supreme Court for the United States to &ldquo;facilitate&rdquo; his return, prompting Democrats to use the episode as the latest example that the U.S. is teetering on the edge of a constitutional crisis.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The White House and the president have been lying about this case from the beginning,&rdquo; Van Hollen told reporters after returning from El Salvador. &ldquo;What this is about is adhering to the Constitution, to the right of due process.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Republicans have been more than happy to use the saga as a distraction from Trump&rsquo;s tariffs that continue to roil economic markets. It&rsquo;s also offered Democrats a crucial moment to go on offense and remain relevant during a two-week congressional recess before resuming the daily grind of battling Trump legislatively. <\/p>\n<p>Nellis&rsquo;s biggest advice for Democratic lawmakers and candidates to boost their messaging is simple yet something he feels is vastly undervalued by the party: &ldquo;Take a risk.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Go start a YouTube show, go appear somewhere people wouldn&rsquo;t expect, go host a town hall in somebody else&rsquo;s district, go fly to El Salvador and try to check out a man in your state who was wrongly deported,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I think people will reward you for taking the risks and for standing for something.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) speaks during a news conference upon his arrival from meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, at Washington Dulles International Airport, in Chantilly, Virginia, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo\/Jose Luis Magana)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A record-long floor speech by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) delayed legislative business and votes on nominees by about a day. But more importantly, Booker, the onetime presidential candidate who&rsquo;s considered a natural successor to Senate Democrats&rsquo; aging leadership roster, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3368482\/cory-booker-weary-democrats-lifeline-marathon-trump-protest\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"breathed fire into an otherwise deflated party\">breathed fire into an otherwise deflated party<\/a> that&rsquo;s seen limited success taking on Republicans&rsquo; trifecta over Congress, the White House, and the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He was using it to capture and create attention, which is something I think the Democratic Party hasn&rsquo;t done a good job of because we&rsquo;re playing by an old rulebook that Donald Trump has, frankly, lit on fire,&rdquo; Nellis said. &ldquo;Trump understands the attention economy, I think, better than any president in American history.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Democrats&rsquo; &lsquo;limited&rsquo; legislative tools: &lsquo;We&rsquo;re using all of them&rsquo;<\/h2>\n<p>Pathways to challenge Trump and a broader conservative agenda in Congress exist, but they are predominantly hurdles that are likely to only slow down the GOP&rsquo;s accomplishments rather than quash them.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats like Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) have put holds on nominees for the Department of Veterans Affairs to protest proposed cuts to its workforce, which would require the GOP majority to use ample floor time to overcome. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) has done the same for hundreds of State Department nominees.<\/p>\n<p>Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), under fire from progressives for being what they consider an ineffective and out-of-touch leader, is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3382059\/chuck-schumer-blocks-trump-top-prosecutor-picks-new-york\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"blocking Trump's top prosecutor picks\">blocking Trump&rsquo;s top prosecutor picks<\/a> in New York for two of the country&rsquo;s most high-profile districts through the so-called blue slip process. Senate Democrats also have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3336409\/senate-democrats-rekindle-filibuster-support-under-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"rekindled their love for the 60-vote filibuster\">rekindled their love for the 60-vote filibuster<\/a>, used all-night <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3371296\/trump-agenda-blueprint-heads-house-senate-vote-a-rama\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title='\"vote-a-rama\" sessions'>&ldquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-is-a-vote-a-rama-the-washington-marathon-loathed-by-senators-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"What is a \u2018vote...a...rama,\u2019 the Washington marathon loathed by ...ators? ... Washington Examiner\">vote-a-rama&#038;rdquo<\/a>; sessions<\/a> to promote their agenda, and forced some procedural floor votes on prominent nominees that would ordinarily be waived.<\/p>\n<p>Blumenthal said he&rsquo;ll drop his hold if the administration reverses its department firings, cuts, and personnel freezes. Trump officials have shown no indication they&rsquo;re willing to consider such positions. Blumenthal suggested Democrats should consider expanding their holds to lower-level nominees across the federal government, citing Sen. Tommy Tuberville&rsquo;s (R-AL) blockade against hundreds of Pentagon nominees and military promotions under former President Joe Biden.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;We&rsquo;re limited in terms of the tools that we have, but we&rsquo;re using all of them,&rdquo; Blumenthal said. &ldquo;It will get it will become more burdensome if you decide to do it for lower-level officials.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) placed a hold on Ed Martin, tapped by Trump to be Washington, D.C.&rsquo;s top federal prosecutor, for his loyalist views to the president and his actions serving in the role on an interim basis.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As long as this thievery is happening, none of his nominations are going to get expedited treatment,&rdquo; said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3323243\/chris-murphy-democrats-anti-trump-messenger\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"leading voice of Trump resistance\">leading voice of Trump resistance<\/a> among Democrats.<\/p>\n<p>The Republican-controlled Senate even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3368411\/senate-delivers-trump-liberation-day-rebuke-emergency-tariffs-canada\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"rebuked Trump's tariffs\">opted to unravel Trump&rsquo;s emergency declaration used to impose tariffs<\/a> against America&rsquo;s friend to the north, Canada, with a privileged measure from Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) that was forced to come to the floor. It passed with the help of several GOP senators but was dead on arrival in the House. Still, Democrats vow to recycle the strategy to force more difficult votes for Republicans to roll back Trump&rsquo;s sweeping tariff policies that are broadly unpopular among conservatives. <\/p>\n<p>Thus far, Republicans seem to be unfazed by Democrats. The GOP has managed to largely remain united on contentious issues and nominees despite narrow majorities. But the party is soon to face its most difficult test yet under Trump 2.0 in the coming months as it seeks to pass legislation on Trump&rsquo;s agenda on taxes, energy, and the border that threatens to split Republicans during the so-called budget reconciliation process.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) labeled Democrats&rsquo; tactics as &ldquo;performative theater&rdquo; for a party with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3349272\/democratic-party-approval-rating-record-low-poll\/\">record-low approval ratings<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s obvious they&rsquo;re flailing,&rdquo; Cruz said before pivoting to sarcasm. &ldquo;Apparently, they&rsquo;ve settled on the shocking and new strategy of announcing they really, really hate Donald Trump, which no one really knew before they said so today.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>More centrist and vulnerable Democrats have naturally shied away from their party&rsquo;s more mainstream Trump-resistance wing.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3224765\/senate-democrats-hope-midterms-2024-downballot\/\"><strong>SENATE DEMOCRATS SEE HOPE FOR MIDTERMS WITH 2024 DOWNBALLOT RESULTS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), a battleground Democrat, has carved a contrarian lane of his own with surprising stances that sometimes align with Trump. He&rsquo;s been the subject of backlash from Democratic voters, particularly for his support of Israel, and has seen his fundraising take a hit.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Each of us in the Senate have the freedom to respond or to protest or to vote, and I don&rsquo;t judge any of their judgments or their votes,&rdquo; Fetterman said of his colleagues. &ldquo;I hope, and I think, they would extend the same for me.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2080692\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2080692\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Democrats, lacking power, use theatrics and procedures to resist Trump<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2426039,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/democrats-look-for-leverage-to-combat-trmp.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[15654,33619,28217],"class_list":["post-2426038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-procedure","tag-senate-democrats","tag-theatre"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/democrats-look-for-leverage-to-combat-trmp.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2426038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2426038"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2426038\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2426042,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2426038\/revisions\/2426042"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2426039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2426038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2426038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2426038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}