Politico obtained a two-minute recording from a May 15 Zoom meeting of Democratic National Committee officers. During the call, Committee Chair Ken Martin expresses doubts about his ability to continue on in his leadership role due to the discord created by Vice Chair David Hogg.
Martin is speaking when the clip begins. He sounds sincere, concerned, and above all, vulnerable. He is telling the others, “It has plenty of warts, and we’re all trying to change those, for sure, but the longer we continue this fight, the harder it is for us to actually do what we all want to do, which is make a difference in this country again. I deeply respect you, David. I, too, was looking forward to working with you, but this has created a situation.”
Addressing Hogg, a clearly emotional Martin said, “I’ll be very honest with you, for the first time in my 100 days on this job — ” He paused to collect himself before continuing. “The other night I said to myself for the first time, I don’t know if I wanna do this anymore.”
Hogg, you may recall, has vowed to spend $20 million via his super PAC, Leaders We Deserve, to primary Democrats in safe seats with younger, and, in his opinion, more effective candidates. While there may be wisdom in Hogg’s idea, according to Politico, it has “ignited a firestorm in the party.”
Martin, who was elected on February 1, told Hogg that the infighting sparked by his plan has ‘destroyed’ his opportunity to demonstrate the leadership required of him.
“No one knows who the hell I am, right?” Martin asked. “I’m trying to get my sea legs underneath of me and actually develop any amount of credibility so I can go out there and raise the money and do the job I need to put ourselves in a position to win. And again, I don’t think you intended this, but you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to. So it’s really frustrating.”
Unfortunately, the clip ends there, leaving Hogg’s response—and anyone else’s—unheard.
Politico contacted Martin for an interview. He responded with the following statement:
I’m not going anywhere.I took this job to fight Republicans, not Democrats. As I said when I was elected, our fight is not within the Democratic Party, our fight is and has to be solely focused on Donald Trump and the disastrous Republican agenda. That’s the work that I will continue to do every day.
The outlet also reached out to Hogg for a comment. He did not respond.
This is a tough time for the Democratic Party. Still reeling from their triple loss in November, the party’s favorability rating hovers near a record low. The last thing they need is infighting.
Hogg, 25, is a survivor of the February 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida. Politico reports that while he has won the support of Democratic strategist James Carville and radio host Charlamagne tha God, “other Democrats have accused Hogg of hurting, not helping, the party.”
Jane Kleeb, president of the Association of State Democratic Committees, who was on the Zoom call, later told Politico, “Instead of helping to rebuild the party he’s [Hogg] supposed to serve, he’s attacking it for personal gain. That might boost his PAC’s fundraising, but it erodes trust in the very institution we’re trying to reform and strengthen.”
In a statement to Politico following the call, DNC Associate Chair Stuart Appelbaum wrote, “The stakes are so high right now that we can’t afford distractions like the ones that David is creating.”
For all I know, Hogg could one day emerge as a leading force in the Democratic Party—a rising star with real impact. But at this moment, he comes across as a brash young man in too big a hurry, eager to lead but not yet seasoned enough to navigate the complexities that leadership demands. Simply put, he doesn’t know what he doesn’t know, and he appears to be burning a lot of bridges. That’s not a promising way to build lasting influence.
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on LinkedIn or X.
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