Democrats see an opening for a new message in the growing number of laid-off federal employees.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) privately asked Democrats to fill their guest list for President Donald Trump’s first speech to Congress with laid-off federal workers, according to Axios. He told other Democratic offices to garner “influencer engagement,” reflecting the party’s emerging strategy of relying on social media to counteract Trump and Republicans.
The Democrats hope the guests will dampen Trump’s message on March 4, when he will give his first speech to Congress after taking office for a second time.
After blistering losses in November, Democrats have struggled to regain their footing as the Republicans blitz through their agenda. Some Democratic strategists believe they have found their target in the Department of Government Efficiency and Elon Musk.
The Democratic candidate recruitment organization Run For Something reported a spike in applications amid increased public attention around DOGE, particularly from federal employees personally affected by the cuts.
“I expect we will see some candidates this year and next year who will talk about how Donald Trump and Elon Musk fired them while they were working for the American people,” Run For Something co-founder Amanda Litman told Politico.
“It’s a pretty compelling campaign message,” she added.
Some Democrats are even going so far as to guess that DOGE will be a key factor in the 2026 midterm elections.
Ben Ray, interim vice president for federal and gubernatorial campaigns at EMILY’s List, approvingly noted recent protests at town halls and outside congressional offices over DOGE’s cuts to personnel and programs.
He predicted that DOGE “is probably going to be a major feature in this election, and potentially a definitive one.”
Aside from laid-off federal employees, Democrats have also highlighted some programs cut by DOGE, including humanitarian programs axed during the gutting of the United States Agency for International Development and medical research programs.
Democrats are planning to lean into both regarding the March 4 guest list — those expected to attend, according to Axios, include a child with a genetic spinal condition who was saved through a National Institutes of Health program that was cut and a veteran close to retirement who was fired from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The energy given to Democrats from DOGE has pushed some congressional Republicans to urge restraint.
What is DOGE? What to know about the Department of Government Efficiency
Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME), Katie Britt (R-AL), Jerry Moran (R-KS), James Lankford (R-OK), and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) have all leveled criticisms against DOGE. Their criticisms include sloppiness in firings, a lack of transparency, and the accidental freezing of funds for crucial health research.
Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) urged Musk to slow down DOGE’s pace of cuts after McCormick was confronted by angry town hall attendees back home in Georgia.