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Expert warns Democrats risk backlash over failure to condemn violent rhetoric in their ranks
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With less than two weeks before critical elections across the country, Democrats have tough questions to grapple with in terms of their messaging and whether they can navigate the growing movement in their party that is embracing or downplaying political violence, attorney and political commentator Kaitlin Puccio told Fox News Digital.
«We do hear a lot of just the Democrats are against Trump, but we don’t hear a lot of what they’re actually for, which is problematic and it kind of seems to me like they don’t really have a cohesive message,» Puccio, adjunct professor at Fordham Law and the Director of the Art and Bioethics Initiative of the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights, said in an interview with Fox News Digital.
Puccio said the ‘No Kings’ protests last week, where several examples of promoting violence went viral on social media, show a «fracture» in the Democratic Party that the mainstream elected officials will have to contend with.
Additionally, messaging at those rallies, Puccio explained, lacked substance.
CHICAGO SCHOOLS SILENT ON PUNISHMENT OR PUBLIC CONDEMNATION OF TEACHER WHO MOCKED CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH
People participate in a «No Kings» national day of protest in Boston, Massachusetts, on Oct. 18, 2025. (Getty)
«It’s mostly ‘we are against Trump.’ Okay, but, specifically, what are you against? What is the specific policy that you are against?» Puccio said. «‘No Kings’: great. But we don’t have a king. We all know that. We’re not supposed to take this phrase literally, but what about the policies that are in place right now, do you think are authoritarian? And what do you want instead? So we’re hearing a lot of slogans and phrases and kind of catch phrases. And really that leaves the message without substance.»
Questions about Democrat support for political violence have been front and center in recent weeks after Virginia Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones was outed for past texts fantasizing about killing a Republican colleague and wishing death on that colleague’s children.
«I don’t think that it’s lost on voters that there are these horrible texts that came out recently from Jay Jones and the strange thing is that there are very few people who are condemning these texts,» Puccio said, highlighting that prominent Democrats, particularly in Virginia, have refused to call on Jones to drop out of the race.
WATCH: ‘NO KINGS’ PROTESTER STEPS UP TO MIC AND CALLS FOR ICE AGENTS TO BE ‘SHOT,’ ‘WIPED OUT’
Protesters gather with signs and flags in a late afternoon «No Kings» 2.0 protest against the Trump Administration near Roosevelt Park in Detroit, Oct. 18, 2025. (Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
«But I think the reason for that is that the party of tolerance, right, the Democrats, is actually, it’s become a very intolerant party,» Puccio added.
«So if you have people condemning these texts, this sort of violent political rhetoric and things like that, they don’t want to be alienated by their own party. Look at what they’ve done or tried to do to John Fetterman. When he tries to think for himself instead of having the party tell him what to think, they ostracize him. I think that is kind of the reason that we’re in this weird place with our leaders, because everyone is kind of being quiet.»
In addition to Jones, Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner has faced scrutiny over advocating for political violence in the past and a tattoo that resembles a Nazi Germany symbol.
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Jay Jones, who is running to become Virginia’s attorney general in 2025, has come under fire for a series of text messages calling for the death of political opponents and remarks about police officers. (Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post/Getty Images)
Puccio told Fox News Digital that Platner’s apology seemed to show remorse compared to the reaction from Jones, which could serve as a blueprint going forward on how Democrats can acknowledge past mistakes.
«The point is that every situation has to be evaluated separately, but the conversation still has to be had over what to do within our Democratic Party about this violent rhetoric, which is, it’s basically being accepted right now,» Puccio said. «What we’re about to see, I don’t know how long it’s going to take, but I do think there’s going to be a shift toward the middle because I think there is going to be a realization that we are leaving out and by we, I mean, all Americans in general were forgetting from both sides of the political aisle about the middle.»
While Democrats are expected to perform strongly in next year’s midterms, given that, historically, the party not in power does well in those elections, Republicans have been closing the gap in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial elections being held in early November, which could send a signal that Democrats aren’t in as strong of a position as many experts think.
Puccio said today’s Democratic Party is «unrecognizable,» which will hopefully push leaders to come out forcefully and take back control.
«I think that there will be this realization that the loudest voices on either side of the political aisle are not necessarily representative of the entire party and I think that people are going to be forced to say no to this kind of uncivil discourse that we’re seeing, because people, we citizens, are going to get very tired of seeing our leaders behave in very childish and frankly, disrespectful ways toward each other,» Puccio said.
«These are not supposed to be the way our elected leaders act. And I would hope that there emerge some actual leaders and not just politicians in the future who recognize that they need to speak to everyone and not a small niche in their party.»
politics,elections,democrats,politics,elections
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Trump estableció inicialmente cinco objetivos para la guerra contra Irán. Así están las cosas
1. “Vamos a destruir sus misiles y arrasar su industria armamentística. Quedará totalmente aniquilada de nuevo.”
2. “Vamos a aniquilar su armada.”
3. “Nos aseguraremos de que los grupos terroristas afines a la región ya no puedan desestabilizar la región ni el mundo»
4. “Y nos aseguraremos de que Irán no obtenga un arma nuclear. Es un mensaje muy sencillo. Nunca tendrán un arma nuclear.”
5. “Finalmente, al gran y orgulloso pueblo de Irán, les digo esta noche que la hora de su libertad está cerca. «
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The Islamic Republic of Iran is on track to exceed the record number of executions it carried out against opponents in 2025, with 657 executions in the first three months of the year, according to the Iran Human Rights Society.
Hiding behind the war with the U.S. and Israel, critics say the regime appears desperate to eliminate opposition, particularly following anti-regime demonstrations that shook the nation’s rulers and resulted in tens of thousands being murdered by the country’s security forces and militias.
In March, the regime was met with condemnations, including from President Donald Trump, over the execution of 19-year-old wrestler Saleh Mohammadi.
MOJTABA KHAMENEI REGIME EXECUTES CHAMPION WRESTLER AS IRAN INTENSIFIES BRUTAL CRACKDOWN DURING WAR
A protester holds ‘Stop executions in Iran’ and ‘Free Iran’ placards during the demonstration. Demonstrators gathered outside Downing Street in protest against executions in Iran and in support of freedom for Iran. (Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
On Iran’s latest killing spree, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, «This latest barbaric act is more evidence of why the regime can never be allowed the advanced capabilities that we are destroying.»
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mai Sato, said that since the start of the war at least six executions took place as of March 30, and noted on her X account that an additional two executions took place on March 31.
Sato described the regime’s known victims as protesters, an accused spy for Israel, and individuals charged with «armed rebellion» against the regime. Sato said that «due to the internet blackout, it is unclear who else has been executed or are at risk of execution.» She said, «What is clear is that the death penalty is being used as a tool for suppressing political opposition in wartime conditions.»
Cars burn in a street during a protest over the collapse of the currency’s value in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 8, 2026. (Stringer/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)
IRAN’S INTERNET BLACKOUT HIDING STRIKE DAMAGE AND SUPPRESSING DISSENT, ISRAELI OFFICIALS SAY
The Secretariat of the NCRI provided a written statement to Fox News Digital describing the recent executions of four members of the Iranian dissident organization People’s Mohahedin Organization of Iran (PMOE/MEK). The NCRI said members Mohammad Taghavi and Akbar Daneshvarkar were transferred from Ghezel Hesar prison on March 29, and executed the following morning. Four additional members of the group, Babak Alipour, Vahid Bani Amerian, Abolhassan Montazer and Pouya Ghobadi, were transferred as well. On March 31, the regime executed Alipour and Ghobadi.
Ali Safavi, a member of the NCRI’s Foreign Affairs Committee, called for «urgent action» to save the lives of Amerian and Montazer.
Maryam Rajavi, the president-elect of the NCRI, posted on X that the execution conducted on March 31 «reflects the clerical regime’s fear and desperation.» She called on the United Nations and its member states to engage in «practical and effective measures, including the closure of embassies and the expulsion of the regime’s terrorist diplomats and agents.»
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Before the Islamic Republic killed thousands of its own people during January protests, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that the Islamic Republic carried out «at least» 1,500 executions in 2025. According to the High Commissioner, «the scale and pace of executions suggest a systematic use of capital punishment as a tool of State intimidation, with disproportionate impact on ethnic minorities and migrants.»
Amnesty International has raised similar concerns, and additionally noted that five «young protesters» now «face the imminent risk of execution,» having been transferred from Ghezal Hesar «to an unidentified location» as of March 31.
war with iran, terrorism, world protests
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FLASHBACK: Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs hit one-year mark as economists split on fallout
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A year ago today, President Donald Trump announced a sweeping new round of global tariffs, escalating trade tensions with key allies and adversaries alike, raising fresh concerns about the outlook for the U.S. and global economy.
The «Liberation Day» tariffs were introduced as a broad set of import taxes that Trump said would correct long-standing trade imbalances and reduce U.S. reliance on foreign goods.
In the months that followed, markets experienced bouts of volatility as businesses and investors adjusted to the shifting trade landscape. Policymakers and economists, meanwhile, debated the longer-term impact on growth, inflation and global trade flows.
Many economists warned of potential consequences, including higher prices, slower growth and rising uncertainty for businesses and investors.
TRUMP SAYS US WOULD BE ‘DESTROYED’ WITHOUT TARIFF REVENUE
President Donald Trump announced his «Liberation Day» tariffs on April 2, 2025, at the White House. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)
But not everyone agreed.
«Trump proved 12 Nobel Prize economists wrong,» economist Stephen Moore told Fox News Digital.
«Inflation didn’t rise. Why? Because the tax cuts, deregulation and ‘drill, baby, drill’ policies lowered prices and offset the tariffs,» added Moore, a former Trump adviser and co-founder of the free-market advocacy group Unleash Prosperity.
But Moore’s view was not widely shared. Here’s a look back at what other economists said at the time.
Larry Summers
Lawrence Summers, former president emeritus and professor at Harvard University, called the tariff policy «masochistic.» (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers called the ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs «masochistic,» saying they were the worst levy the U.S. had imposed in decades.
«Never before has an hour of Presidential rhetoric cost so many people so much,» Summers wrote on X. «The best estimate of the loss from tariff policy is now closer to $30 trillion or $300,000 per family of four.»
Paul Krugman
Paul Krugman, a Nobel laureate, said Trump had «gone full-on crazy» after the ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs were announced. (Gene Medi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Paul Krugman, a Nobel Prize–winning economist, said Trump had «gone full-on crazy» in the hours after the «Liberation Day» tariffs were announced.
«If you had any hopes that Trump would step back from the brink, this announcement, between the very high tariff rates and the complete falsehoods about what other countries do, should kill them,» Krugman, a former MIT and Princeton University professor, wrote in his Substack newsletter.
Christine Lagarde
Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank (ECB), at a rates decision news conference in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany, on Thursday, March 19, 2026. (Alex Kraus/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, warned that the tariffs would be «negative the world over,» in an interview with Ireland’s Newstalk.
She said Trump’s trade policy would weigh on global growth and carry broad consequences.
«It will not be good for the global economy, and it will not be good for those who impose the tariffs or those who retaliate,» Lagarde said.
Joseph Stiglitz
Joseph Stiglitz said the Trump administration’s tariffs would «crater the economy.» (Alessandro Bremec/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Economist Joseph Stiglitz said Trump’s tariff threats have made the U.S. «a scary place to invest» and could unleash stagflation. Stagflation refers to a combination of slow economic growth and rising prices. Stiglitz, a Columbia University professor and former World Bank economist, warned in an interview with The Guardian that he does not see a strong economic outlook ahead.
«I cannot see a really robust economy,» said Joseph Stiglitz, former chair of President Bill Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisers. «I see the global economy suffering greatly from the uncertainty that Trump poses.»
He also said the inflation triggered by the tariffs is moving in the wrong direction and that the only thing the Trump administration will succeed in doing is «to crater the economy.»
Jared Bernstein
Jared Bernstein, chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisors, said the Trump administration may reverse course on tariffs if economic pressures intensify. (Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Jared Bernstein, the former White House chief economist under President Joe Biden, said the U.S. is a «large, dominant economy» that is relatively closed, meaning it relies less on trade than most countries.
«That means, as Trump has argued, we can hurt other countries more than they can hurt us,» Bernstein said. «But he hasn’t offered a clear rationale for why we should start a trade war with traditionally reliable partners like Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Europe.»
Bernstein said Trump may reverse course if mounting economic pressures—such as higher inflation, slower growth, falling stock prices and rising recession risks—intensify from the tariffs.
«So far, that may have been the approach in Trump’s first term; it doesn’t appear to be the approach this time around,» he said.
Mohamed El-Erian
Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic advisor for Allianz, said the U.S. economy could adjust to the tariffs provided the White House shared more details about the trade policy. (Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Allianz chief economic adviser Mohamed El-Erian called for clarity from the White House. «If we get clarity on this, this is an economy that can adjust,» he told FOX Business.
El-Erian, the former CEO of bond giant PIMCO, wrote on X that «the price action in global financial markets in the immediate aftermath of the U.S. tariff announcement points to major worries about global economic growth.»
Bill Gross
Bill Gross, co-founder of PIMCO, said he did not believe Trump would reverse course on tariffs, even if there was economic pressure. (Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Bill Gross, the co-founder of Pacific Investment Management Co., known as Pimco, said the latest round of tariffs is «similar to going off the gold standard in 1971″—an «epic» shift that markets won’t quickly recover from.
«It’s not something where you can time a market bottom quickly,» Gross told CNBC. «It’s something we’re going to have to live with as long as President Trump maintains this stance.»
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Gross, dubbed the «Bond King,» added that he does not expect Trump to reverse course. «To be very blunt, President Trump is a macho male, and this macho male is not going to back down tomorrow simply because the Nasdaq is down 5%,» he said.
trade, economy, donald trump, politics
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