Last week, Democrats had huge victories in New York City, California, New Jersey, and Virginia. And simply days afterwards, a gaggle of reasonable Democratic senators broke ranks with their occasion’s management to vote with Republicans to reopen the authorities.
This was the actuality, SNAP recipients struggling, nothing occurring on ACA. So from struggling and no path, we have now acquired strong advantages and a path.
‘Just as the longest authorities shutdown in American historical past ended, Democrats’ hand-wringing and recriminations started.
Sara Sidner, NCS
00:00:38
Congressman Seth Moulton, Caving now is not sensible. California governor Gavin Newsom referred to as it pathetic and says America deserves higher. Senator Chris Murphy added, submission emboldens the tyrant.
Whatever you need to say about Donald Trump and his of us, they combat. They combat each single minute of each single day, and so they need us to combat.
Terry McAuliffe was the 72nd governor of Virginia. He additionally was the chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2005. With the shutdown now in our rearview mirror, I requested Governor McAulliffe to judge the Democrat technique and the way he thinks the occasion can channel voter frustration into electoral wins. I’m David Chalian, NCS’s Political Director and Washington Bureau Chief. And this is the NCS Political Briefing. Stay with us.
Terry, thanks a lot for being right here.
Great to be with you, thanks.
Let me begin, simply this final 12 months in politics, in Democratic occasion politics, I really feel like the query has been kind of, wither the Democrats? Just attempting to determine after the election loss to Trump, a path again. And then clearly, Democrats had a massively profitable 2025 election simply over every week in the past, instantly adopted by this on the spot infighting over how the shutdown got here to an finish.
I wrote a New York Times bestseller referred to as What a Party. So there you go.
Put these two issues collectively for me. The huge election win and now Democrats kind of simply in a complete battle with one another about how the shutdown got here to an finish right here.
Well, first off, it was by no means as dangerous as individuals mentioned it was with the occasion. I’ve been saying this for a 12 months. You know, I lived by 1980. Believe it or not, I began as President Carter’s National Finance Director at the age of 23. I grew to become chairman of the Democratic National Committee after the 2000 election. After ’80, they mentioned we’re worn out. After 2000, they mentioned we have been worn out, and we all the time got here again. And Trump’s been the biggest present ever to the Democratic Party. In 2016, he gained. 2017, we swept the nation, swept Virginia, picked up, what, 15 House of Delegates seats, and identical factor occurred that we simply went by the different night time. So, , pay attention, it was an amazing night time for the Democrats on Tuesday. But typically we simply can not help ourselves. Then we have now an amazing week. I imply, David, we gained not solely Virginia and New Jersey and New York, you no two state Senate seats in Mississippi, we gained in Georgia, the public service, we would like and the judges up in Pennsylvania. You know, the place I grew up in Syracuse, New York, I used to be simply studying yesterday, I imply, large wins up there in Onondaga County. We flipped the Onondega County legislature, which no person ever thought was potential. It was 12, 5 Republicans after final Tuesday, 10, seven Democrats. We gained seats {that a} Democrat has by no means gained earlier than. So nice night time. And then we come to the shutdown. And , I’m disenchanted. I might not have voted to finish the shutdown, personally.
Number one, we have been preventing for healthcare and we have now to take a sledgehammer to the Trump administration and pressure them to present individuals healthcare. I can let you know you are going to see upwards of forty million individuals have their healthcare premiums elevated you have a look at the chaos we’re going by with SNAP advantages they simply do not play honest and so they do not play straight, so we have now to play powerful. And right here we have been, we’re heading towards Thanksgiving, the TSA was in a meltdown mode. Trump was getting numerous grief.
Americans have been additionally experiencing numerous ache on what you are saying.
You wager they have been. And typically you must have some ache to have a giant acquire. And I used to be prepared to combat it out for healthcare as a result of, , once I was governor of Virginia, I fought each day for the Affordable Care Act, for to deliver that to Virginia. Because, , David, as I journey round Virginia, individuals grabbing my arm, a girl saying, Governor, I’m going to be useless if I do not get healthcare. I am unable to get that mammogram screening. And it actually impacts you personally, individuals’s healthcare. And we had a shot, I actually believed if we would stayed powerful, we might have had a shot of fixing healthcare and getting individuals the reduction they wanted.
Your buddy and fellow Virginian Tim Kaine was one among the eight senators who voted to achieve this take care of Republicans, these eight senators made the case there was no shot, that there was no path to get President Trump and the Republicans to interact on fixing the ACA subsidy problem earlier than the authorities acquired open, and that every one that was going to occur was increasingly more ache for the American individuals. To that argument, you say?
Then why did we do the shutdown in the first place? Then why’d we do the shutdown? I imply, if that have been your argument, why did we do it in the first place and trigger any ache in any respect? But pay attention, we’re preventing on precept. We’re preventing on healthcare. We are preventing to get 40 million individuals, , protection. And I do not, , you bought to remain powerful. You acquired to combat. I really like Tim. And pay attention, each senator votes what they suppose is proper. And Tim’s spouse was my secretary of training. You know, I’m very shut. But I stand have been senator Mark Warner, my different senator was and, , pay attention, I believe one other couple weeks one other week one other two weeks I believe we actually would have gotten to an inflection level due to the slowdown of the TSA and the flight delays and so forth, I believe that was actually having impression on Trump.
What do you make, regardless that Senator Schumer was not a type of eight senators, the chief of the Senate Democrats, he is receiving a ton of warmth, as he did when he did reduce a deal in the spring. He’s nonetheless receiving a tone of warmth from the grassroots, from Democrats throughout the nation about being the chief on this second and the occasion or numerous the grassroots not being happy. As you are saying, you are not happy with this end result. Is he in a precarious place?
He most likely is. I believe he harm himself the final time as a result of he initially mentioned, , we’ll combat on this shutdown after which instantly inside 48 hours went the different manner. I believe that prompted the large drawback we had earlier than. And this time, I believe lots of people have been pleased with Chuck Schumer on the market preventing on healthcare. We have been preventing on a precept, David, that is what issues. We have been combat on a precept and we have been for one thing we must always combat for in healthcare. And if you’re the chief, you are the chief and you have to take the duty for all the pieces. I do not know I do not vote on the Senate chief however it simply wasn’t a superb second for the Democratic Party. I believe lots of people who vote for us and depend on us and do the grassroots and knock on the doorways, they anticipate us to combat they need us combat. Whatever you need to say about Donald Trump and his of us, they combat. They combat each single minute of each single day and so they need us to combat. He’s preventing for issues that we’re 100% towards Trump. We’re preventing for issues that individuals truly need. And I all the time consider it is a combat value having. And pay attention, as governor, as , I restored the rights of 200,000 felons greater than any governor in American historical past. And all people informed me, Terry, don’t do that. Do not do that. Morally, it was the proper factor to do, give felons again the proper to vote. So I simply suppose if you’re in management, you bought to combat for the belongings you consider in. I fought to guard a girl’s proper to decide on, I fought for marriage equality after the historic ruling. I used to be the first governor of America to carry out a homosexual marriage. I fought on issues that I believed have been value preventing for. People elected me to get issues achieved.
So the place do you suppose this second of this disappointment inside the Democratic Party, but simply days after the profitable victory, the place does this depart the occasion proper now as we flip the web page in direction of ’26?
‘Listen, the overarching, the gigantic factor that over impacts all is Donald Trump. And Donald Trump is -17 right now or no matter he is in America. He’s the lowest approval ranking of any president in American historical past. Every day, each single day, he does one thing the American public doesn’t like. And, , from what he is achieved on USAID to SNAP and, you even taking down the east wing of the White House and redoing the oval workplace, it appears like Liberace’s bed room. I imply, it is simply loopy the issues he is achieved.
And you suppose that opposition galvanizes your occasion.
Yes. Over all the pieces else.
And papers over all of this division we’re seeing.
‘And that is what you noticed final Tuesday. It did not matter what Democrat in the event you have been a progressive Democrat, in the event you have been a reasonable Democrat, it did not matter. We gained all over the place in America, in order that’s not going to vary and we’ll see with the financial system goes. I believe the tariffs are going to have a giant kick in, David, subsequent 12 months. I believe as of right now, I believe most corporations are consuming the tariffs as a result of they’re scared to demise of Trump. They don’t desire him to come back after them. You can solely try this so lengthy, , in the event you’re working an organization. So, , the manner he is going with this financial system, I believe they will face large headwinds. I might predict right now, and I really feel very snug about successful ’26 in the home. People say the Senate map is unattainable. It’s not unattainable. Anything can occur relying on the place we’re with Trump, however I am unable to overstate. Look what occurred Tuesday. In Virginia, Trump was -15. We gained by 15. In New Jersey, Trump is -13. What did Mikie win by?
’13. In California, Trump was 2 to 1 down, the proposition 2 to 1. And that is one factor I acquired to let you know. Voter motivation, that is on our facet. Before going into Tuesday, 22-level lead, no person likes both occasion right now, however are you motivated to vote? We had a 22-level lead earlier than the election. And you checked out what occurred. And what was stunning to me, California, David, a poll proposition. Not the most horny factor in the world. Generally individuals do not come out on poll propositions. There have been no candidates on the poll. There was nothing. They had a presidential-stage turnout for that poll proposition and I keep in mind I used to be watching NCS that night time and the polls closed and there have been lengthy traces. This was not a presidential election.
No, however Gavin Newsom raised it to that stage, proper?
You wager he did. He did an amazing job on that. And individuals perceive, we have now acquired to win the House as a result of we want accountability. We must have subpoena energy. You know, we must, , be capable to go in spite of everything of those offers that the household has achieved and all the different issues that he is achieved, the DOGE cuts. Here we’re in Virginia, lots of of 1000’s of individuals being affected, #1 state with federal employees. You know, I need to look into behind all the DOGE cuts and who benefited and so forth. That’s what you get with subpoena energy and you don’t get that with out a majority. And that is why, David, persons are so jacked up for subsequent 12 months’s election.
We’re going to take a fast break proper there. We’ll have much more with former governor, former DNC chair Terry McAuliffe in only a second.
Welcome again. We’re chatting right here with former Virginia governor, former Democratic National Committee chairman, Terry McAuliffe.
Governor McAulliffe, I take all the pieces you simply mentioned about the enthusiasm Democrats have about Trump as the overriding consider ’26. Midterm elections are usually referenda on the president. Let’s say you do win the home and get the accountability measures in place that you just have been simply speaking about. Do you suppose the divisions inside your occasion should not as actual as we in the press make them? Or do you suppose that that is nonetheless one thing that solely a presidential contest can type out?
Listen, you, David, you guys in the press, you like these items. I’ve had this dialog with you and so many individuals. The occasion was by no means as dangerous as they thought it was, and it is by no means nearly as good as, , so. And I mentioned a 12 months in the past, and I used to be chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and we gained in 2001. We gained Virginia with Mark Warner. We gained in New Jersey with Jim McGreevey, and naturally the occasion’s again, blah, blah. Then after all 9/11 happens, , and the entire world modifications. We do not know. Things might intervene that we do not know right now. You’ve all the time acquired to keep in mind that. You know, pay attention, we’ll get by ’26. I believe we win the House, hopefully win the Senate. And then we head for ’28. There’s most likely going to be 25 individuals working for president, which is an amazing factor.
And what do you suppose that is about? That that race. I do know we’re far out and clearly intervening however yeah, what do you suppose the actual cleavages are in your occasion in your occasion to hammer out in a presidential nominating contest?
‘Well, I believe what is going to bind us in what this election is going to be about in ’28 is going to be affordability. I believe you noticed that, David, throughout final Tuesday’s election. You know, simply the value, individuals going grocery shops right now, , the prices are up for everyone. So, after which simply all the plain madness of the Trump administration, that is not ending. And here is the place he actually harm himself. You know as we’re off-off 12 months in Virginia and New Jersey.
The purpose is to get voters out. They simply voted in the presidential. I’m not going out. You know, I imply, they simply did not care. They’re not fascinated by politics. Because of Trump, they give it some thought each single day, as a result of each day he comes out with some new lunacy, and persons are all speaking about it. So it truly backfired on him, , the sitting down at the Oval Office at the desk each day simply spewing out madness. People speaking about Trump each single day. That’s maintaining individuals engaged. David, that is not ending as we head in direction of 2028. And he will keep, he is not going to endorse JD Vance early. He’s not. You know, the second he endorses, he is not the king. He can wait proper ’til the finish and whoever endorses he endorses. So, the Trump madness will go on all the manner up by November of 2028, that is what is going to bind us collectively. Affordability, , the place we’re on vitality prices, I believe. Listen, we’ll have all completely different components of our occasion run, and we must always.
And what do you suppose the occasion wants in management?
‘We want somebody who can get out and articulate a message, bringing Americans collectively, coping with the problems with affordability. You know, as , I’ve all the time been a really professional-jobs Democrat, . As governor, that is what I targeted on. I introduced 2,200 new corporations again to Virginia, 210,000 new jobs. Personal revenue went up 10.5%. That’s what individuals need to hear about their private financial state of affairs. And that is what harm us so gravely in 2024, with inflation working as excessive because it was, the problems with immigration. We acquired crushed on these two points, and two-thirds of the voters in America, these have been the two points 1 and a pair of they voted on. So I do not suppose immigration might be that problem once more. I do suppose clearly, inflation…
Not be that problem once more due to Trump’s success at closing down numerous the unlawful crossings, proper?
‘No query. Right. Yep, completely. Nope, completely, and so he is taking that problem off the desk. But as I mentioned earlier, we had 9/11, there’s simply issues, David, you and I sitting right here right now we have no idea could occur someplace round the world with the problems with the Middle East, with Iran, we simply do not know that right now, however outdoors of that, pay attention, individuals need to know, and so they usually do not vote overseas coverage, however what are you going to do on the financial system? What are you going to do to assist me? What are going to do to deliver prices down? And that might be the message, I believe, of all the Democrats and other people. You know perceive that we have now to have a professional-jobs professional-development financial message that advantages everybody and that is what it’ll be about.
And you mentioned any individual who might talk that.
And you have acquired to have the ability to talk that. We do not know what our calendar is going to be but. I sat with the guidelines and bylaws the different night time at dinner was kind of…
Well, , I simply adore it. I’ve achieved this for the occasion for 45 years. And, , we have now to have a superb calendar, good states that symbolize our occasion. Remember, once I was Chair, I’m the man who introduced up South Carolina to get the Black vote earlier. I introduced up Michigan to get to labor in earlier. And I introduced New Mexico to attempt to get the Hispanic vote in earlier and Colorado. So, we’ll see the place the calendar goes, however I do suppose a calendar, David, this is actually vital, I imply, you like politics, has to mirror our occasion. Has to. And that is why I modified it again to the 2004 presidential nominating contest. And Ken Martin and his group, I hope will do an excellent job, I do know they may, however let’s have a calendar that displays the variety of our occasion, the power of our occasion, and unifies our occasion
‘I do need to dig in slightly bit in Virginia and what occurred there final Tuesday with Abigail Spanberger’s win. There are a pair issues that jumped out to me that I need to get your tackle. First of all, it isn’t, not all the pieces in the exit polls point out an voters in Virginia that was hungry to only flip to the different occasion. Interestingly, your – the man who beat you 4 years prior, Glenn Youngkin, one your successors. His approval ranking was +10. He was 53% approve, 43% disapprove in his job in Virginia with this voters that confirmed up that elected Abigail Spanberger. I believed that was intriguing. That’s not, , Phil Murphy in New Jersey was the other way up and, and Youngkin was not…standard. Also, of all the states that you just have been speaking about, California, New York City, New Jersey, that we had exit polls, the financial system, voters who voted for Abigail Spanberger on Tuesday, 58% mentioned good or glorious, the Virginia financial system, 40% mentioned poor or dangerous. So individuals’s perceptions of the financial system, which is clearly problem #1 as you are saying, have been truly very optimistic Virginia. And but, and but, Spanberger flips occasion management of the governor’s mansion. Is that only a reflection that Winsome Earle-Sears was such a nasty candidate? And why was Youngkin’s optimistic standing and optimistic impression on the financial system do suppose, not a harder headwind for Spanberger?
‘Well, to begin with, in Virginia, they all the time love their governors. They do. If you return traditionally, regardless of who you might be, you could have good favorable, you solely have one time period, as , in Virginia. You’re making my level. This was all about Trump, which was actually vital. So you had Trump, -15 in Virginia. You had the DOGE cuts. You have a shutdown. I can not, once I ran in ’13, we had a shutdown, I went up 10 factors. I can’t stress to you. You’ve acquired, a number of hundred thousand individuals in northern Virginia impacted by a shutdown. They’re sitting house. Or a relative sitting house listening to about it, I’m going to vote. So it was an ideal storm. And then you definately had a loopy ticket on the different facet. I imply, that they had no cash, embarrassing, actually an embarrassing ticket. So it an ideal storm for us in Virginia. But you go to my level, , and in your listeners, you have to perceive, in Virginia for 48 straight years, 48 years, 12 straight governor’s elections, the occasion that wins the White House the 12 months earlier than. The different occasion wins the governor’s mansion.
Except when? Who broke that streak?
‘Well, you are sitting with him. Obama gained in ’12 and I gained in ’13 by some extent. But there’s all the time a kickback. And then simply turbocharge that kickback with Trump. And, , we have now numerous USAID-associated constructions in Virginia that we take care of that assist finance issues. We have the tariffs, which impacted our soybean farmers. They weren’t promoting one soybean to China.
So I take your level. The Trump issue overwhelmed all the pieces.
And she was nice candidate with Abigail.
Absent Donald Trump, does Jay Jones with that texting scandal recover from the end line?
‘Trump being -15, I believe it could be very troublesome.
Okay. So it had all over the place, up and down.
Jay ended up successful by 6. I do know Jay, I do know his household. His father was a choose, his mom was a choose, his grandfather was an amazing civil rights lawyer, and he simply royally screwed up on these texts. But as I additionally make the level, the place was all the outrage when Trump mentioned that he’d shoot somebody on fifth Ave? Come on.
The different factor, wanting in the exit polls in Virginia, that I needed to get your tackle.
How many, let me ask you an sincere query right here. How a lot credence do you set in exit polls?
‘I’m simply questioning, , I’ve never-
‘I imply, like every ballot. I do not put-
‘You put sufficient credence to get info, however that, , we have already seen the exit ballot carry out fairly properly towards particular person voter-verified data in New Jersey already. So I believe it offers us, I do suppose it give us a way. In Virginia, you, 4 years in the past, misplaced independents to Glenn Youngkin by 9 proportion factors. Abigail Spanberger gained independents by 19 proportion factors, that is a 28-level swing from Republican to Democrat amongst independents. Extraordinary. You do not normally see that sort of swing.
And the place was Biden’s approval ranking?
What was Biden’s approval ranking when he misplaced?
‘And the place was trump? -15.
‘-15. That’s a 31-level shift.
We are very tied to the federal.
And we Afghanistan, we had the withdrawal out of Afghanistan, no matter, we will undergo the entire factor, we’re not going to undergo all of it. But, I imply, we’re actually tied, ‘trigger pay attention, we have now the most federal employees and actually, , we have now the largest naval base in the world we have now Pentagon we have now the CIA, we have now Quantico Marine headquarters so, , what occurs up right here actually has an impression on the Virginia financial system and but with him being underneath 16 was very shut, 1, 2 factors, so…
I do not need to relitigate.
We’re not going to relive that once more.
I’m positive you do not need to try this.
So my final query for you will get us again to the place we simply have been speaking about with the Democrats on the Hill and your disappointment in that. I’ve not seen any potential 2028 contender in your facet say that they might have voted for that deal, that that they had been a type of eight senators. I’ve not seen anyone working in 2026 from the entire spectrum of Democrats, whether or not you are one among these progressive insurgents in a major in a spot like Michigan or Maine or Minnesota, otherwise you’re kind of the institution previous guard Democrat that Chuck Schumer and the DSCC is recruited into the race, throughout the board, in the event you’re dealing with voters, you have been against this deal. So, what does that, I assume I’m simply attempting to grasp are these eight senators so remoted from the broad sense of the Democratic Party or do you suppose as Tim Kaine mentioned, what? We’re doing this. We’re not working for reelection this cycle, a few us are retiring, we’re doing this however numerous of us requested us to do that as a result of the authorities needed to get reopened. Are they’re these 8 senators on an island lacking one thing about the Democratic Party proper now?
Listen, if Tim Kaine, one among the most honorable, first rate of us you’d ever know, he voted what he really believed, and he voted his conscience. And that is Tim Kaine, and Maggie, and , the remainder of them who did it, I believe they simply voted, what they believed in. They’re entitled to it.
But are they out of contact with the occasion?
I simply suppose, pay attention, I do not suppose there was a deal there. You preserve saying voted for the deal, there was no deal. The deal was, we’re what? Going to let the Senate vote? And they will vote no? That’s not a deal to me. I imply, what’s on the different facet? I imply, , they balanced, and positively they’re proper to do it, they balanced that there have been individuals out of labor and never having the ability to pay their lease, not having the ability pay their groceries, and it needed to come to an finish. That’s what they have been listening to from individuals.
So then I assume the query, Terry, turns into how does both Chuck Schumer or, , different Democratic, possibly these eight Democratic senators, what has to occur now to kind of heal the occasion previous this second?
‘I do not suppose there’s something we will do as a result of we have now no energy to vary. Let’s be very clear. We haven’t any energy. When you are in the minority in the House and Senate, you haven’t any energy. And particularly now. I imply, the Republicans won’t even say good day, not to mention work with Democrats. That’s simply unlucky. You know, pay attention, I come from a spot you must work with the different facet, attempt to get issues achieved. As governor, I acquired 75% of my governor’s payments handed with a proper-wing legislature. I compromised, they compromised, , I wish to get issues achieved, however that is not the place we’re at right now. I preserve going again to the level, what is going to unify us is Donald J. Trump. This is the craziest presidency anybody has ever skilled. From day one entering into all the issues and all the individuals harm I imply, David, which president would have a Halloween occasion, a Great Gatsby-themed Halloween occasion the night time earlier than 24 million Americans are going to lose their SNAP advantages? That is merciless, that is callous. They simply do not care, he is not going to vary, and that motivates us to come back collectively. We could have our variations in a celebration, however what binds us, unites us, excites us motivates us is Donald Trump.
Terry McAuliffe, thanks a lot in your time, sir. Really respect it. That’s it for this week’s version of the NCS Political Briefing. We’ll be again with a brand new episode subsequent Friday. Thanks a lot for listening.