Victor Davis Hanson recently delivered a sharp critique of the Democratic Party, accusing them of prioritizing elitist interests over the needs of everyday Americans. He argues that the party has shifted away from representing the middle class, instead aligning itself with wealthy professionals, billionaires, and government-dependent voters. According to Hanson, this transformation didn’t happen overnight—it was a deliberate move over the past decade, leaving working-class citizens without a true political advocate. His analysis suggests that the Democratic establishment no longer champions policies that benefit average Americans but rather caters to a privileged few who thrive under a globalized economic system.
Hanson’s remarks cut to the core of a growing suspicion among many voters—that the Democratic Party’s opposition to Trump’s America-first tariffs isn’t about sound economic policy but about regaining political control. He claims their outrage is manufactured, designed to stir up enough backlash to weaken domestic trade policies and empower foreign competitors like China, Europe, and Japan. By framing Trump’s tariffs as disastrous, they hope to pressure the U.S. into reverting to the old globalist order, where multinational corporations and wealthy elites call the shots. This strategy, Hanson warns, prioritizes international alliances over national prosperity.
The deeper concern, as Hanson sees it, is that the Democratic leadership is actively working to undermine American economic independence. Their end goal, he suggests, is to restore the pre-Trump status quo—a system where unfettered globalization benefits the ultra-wealthy while leaving middle-class workers vulnerable to outsourcing and stagnant wages. He portrays their tactics as cynical, leveraging public unrest to delegitimize policies that prioritize domestic industries. For Hanson, this isn’t just a political disagreement—it’s a calculated effort to reclaim power by reversing America’s shift toward economic nationalism.
What makes Hanson’s argument particularly striking is his assertion that the Democratic Party’s allegiance has fundamentally changed. No longer the party of labor unions and blue-collar workers, it now serves as a vehicle for coastal elites, tech billionaires, and bureaucratic interests. He contends that their sudden alarm over tariffs is less about protecting American jobs and more about preserving a system that enriches their donor class. The real divide, in his view, isn’t between left and right but between those who benefit from globalization and those who suffer from its consequences.
Ultimately, Hanson’s critique raises urgent questions about the future of U.S. trade policy and political representation. If his assessment is accurate, the Democratic Party’s resistance to tariffs reveals a deeper ideological commitment to globalism—one that could alienate the very voters they once relied upon. Whether this strategy will succeed remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the battle over America’s economic direction is far from over, and the stakes for middle-class prosperity have never been higher.