According to a leading Senate Republican, the actual people calling the shots for the Democratic Party aren’t the two Democrats who run Congress. Instead, he points to a streamer, a congresswoman and a New York City mayor as the ones truly driving the party’s agenda.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital that the real power brokers in the Democratic Party are not Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., or House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.
“Let’s be clear, the leader of the Democrat Party is not Schumer, it’s not Jeffries,” Scott said. “It’s Hasan Piker, it is AOC and [Zohran] Mamdani.”
Scott’s Claim About Democratic Leadership
The former leader of the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, which goes by the name National Republican Senatorial Committee, made the case that Schumer and his fellow Senate Democrats could “salivate all they want, but their message is horrible.”.
The message, according to him, comes from people such as streamer Hasan Piker, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Piker has faced criticism from members of both political parties previously.
Scott went beyond simply naming names. He set out what he claims the progressive agenda looks like when put into action.
“They’re going to say, ‘gosh, we want men to play in women’s sports, to destroy women’s sport,'” Scott said. “They can talk about socialism, how they want to kill all the capitalists.”
The socialism line was pushed even further, with warnings issued to voters about what he says would come after a Democratic victory.
“I tell people, you go vote for a Democrat, which is now a socialist, right? Then you better buy a bunch of guns,” he continued. “Because you can vote socialism in, ask the people in Venezuela, but guess what? You can’t get rid of it without guns.”
The Dallas Convention
In Dallas, Texas, Scott delivered his remarks at an event where Republicans are pitching their case for holding onto power in Congress and rallying their base ahead of a midterm cycle in which Democrats are working to regain control of both chambers.
Defying history and winning big is the stated mission from the GOP side at the convention. Midterm elections tend to work against the party in power, and Republicans are facing political headwinds as November draws near.
Prices at the gas pump and the checkout line remain elevated while the conflict with Iran continues to rage, and a new trade war with Canada is now complicating matters for Republican incumbents and candidates alike.
Scott’s Confidence in a Good Cycle
Despite those headwinds, Scott said he believed Republicans were going to “actually have a good cycle” and maintain control of the Senate.
“The reason is we have a better message and we have great candidates,” Scott said.
President Donald Trump’s name may not appear on the ballot, but Scott admitted that the whole purpose of the convention was to keep voters reminded that the midterm elections are all about him.
“There’s no question the Trump agenda is on the ballot,” Scott said.
Trump’s Wednesday Speech
On Wednesday evening, as the NFL returns, and as Republicans craft their last message to their base, Trump will take the stage. The message from the party is blunt: a Democratic victory would mean Trump’s agenda comes to a standstill.
“If you want the Trump agenda accomplished, we have to control the House, we have to control the Senate,” Scott said.
“And if the Democrats control the House, they’re gonna impeach him for combing his hair the wrong way,” he continued. “So we’ve gotta control the House and we gotta control the Senate.”
| Event | Day | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Trump’s address | Wednesday | Night |
What This Means for the Midterms
Scott’s argument is a familiar one for Republicans: frame the election as a choice between the mainstream Democratic leadership and the party’s progressive wing, then tie that wing to unpopular positions.
Whether that framing sticks is another question.
Scott’s view is that the party’s progressive faction holds greater influence within the Democratic Party than its formal leaders do.
He warned voters plainly, and he expressed faith in his party’s prospects with equal directness.
He argued that Republicans have both a stronger message and more qualified candidates. The convention in Dallas gives them a chance to show the base that November will back up those claims.
Source: foxnews.com
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