By Issues & Insights Editorial Board | May 18, 2026
Last week, in the wake of the Democrats losing the redistricting battles, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, “We will beat the far-right extremists. We’re going to win in November, and then we’re going to crush their souls as it relates to the extremism that they are trying to unleash on the American people.”
To Politico, this is a sign that Democrats had “ditched the niceties,” calling it “a marked reversal from years of high-minded Democratic rhetoric.” MS NOW reports that “Democrats say they are done playing defense.”
“Niceties”? “High-minded rhetoric”? “Playing defense”? When have Democrats ever been like that?
Let’s rewind the clock to 2003. That was when Mr. Civility, George W. Bush, was president.
When not relentlessly mocking Bush’s malapropisms, they were saying things such as “his existence” was “a constant oppressive force in their daily psyche,” and “the Bush administration is the most dangerous force that has ever existed. It is more dangerous than Nazi Germany.” They called Bush “the greatest terrorist in the world” and said he’d unleashed “squadrons” of “brownshirts.”
Fast forward a decade. Barack Obama – who when running for president said that “If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun” – was in the White House, and Democrats controlled the Senate. (Republicans had just regained control of the House in the mid-term elections.)
Republican Senators were threatening to filibuster a spending bill and shut down the government. How did those “high-minded” Democrats respond? They called Republicans extortionists and hostage-takers, terrorists, saboteurs, and squealing political pigs.
Nancy Pelosi said they were “legislative arsonists.” Then-White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer described them as “people who have a bomb strapped to their chest.” Then Sen. Angus King said, “those people are guilty of murder.”
That shutdown, by the way, lasted all of six days.
A couple of years ago, Libs of TikTok compiled more than two minutes of video of Democrats calling for violence during Donald Trump’s first term.
This is just a teeny, tiny sampling that we pulled together quickly for this editorial.
There’s been no let-up since, despite three assassination attempts against Trump.
And it’s not just Trump.
Here are some of the “high-minded” words Democrats used to describe ICE agents – you know, federal law enforcement officers charged with enforcing current immigration laws:
- “A reign of terror.” Sen. John Hickenlooper.
- “Deranged.” Rep. Pramila Jayapal
- “Modern-day Gestapo.” Gov. Tim Walz
- “Secret police.” Gov. Gavin Newsom
- “Terrorizing people.” Gov. Kathy Hochul
- “A clear and present threat.” Sen. Tina Smith
- “Masked thugs.” Rep. Eric Swalwell
This time around, Democrats are hopping mad because their attempt to out-gerrymander Republicans has embarrassingly failed. But it doesn’t matter what the issue is. Democrats are never high-minded, they are never nice, they are always on offense (and always offensive).
Eight years ago, when we were at Investor’s Business Daily, we wrote that:
That’s always been the left’s response to politicians they don’t agree with: Harass, attack, belittle, demean, threaten, scream … and repeat. Unlike Republicans, however, the left never gets called on its hate-mongering.
It was true then. It’s worse today.
Issues & Insights was founded by seasoned journalists of the IBD Editorials page. Our mission is to provide timely, fact-based reporting and deeply informed analysis on the news of the day – without fear or favor.
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