Democratic strategists are urgently retooling how candidates respond to a fresh wave of Republican attacks, determined not to repeat the mistake that helped sink the party in 2024, Politico reported on Friday
Third Way senior vice president Lanae Erickson didn't mince words about what went wrong last cycle when it came to commentary on transgender rights.
"Silence is deadly on these issues and that's the playbook we tried in 2024," Erickson said.
Her advice for candidates this time: address the topic head-on, state a clear position, then pivot immediately to pocketbook issues voters actually care about. Erickson suggested Democrats emphasize support for fair sports rules set by athletic associations and parental authority over their children's healthcare decisions, then redirect the conversation toward costs.
Republicans made clear this week they're leaning hard into the same playbook that worked for them in 2024, when the party spent more than $110 million on ads tied to transgender athletes and gender-affirming care, the report noted.
Trump's own campaign reportedly poured more money into attack ads on that single issue than any other during the closing weeks of the race. Nearly every major Republican speaker at the party's midterm convention in Dallas hit the theme this week, including Vice President JD Vance, Speaker Mike Johnson, and Trump himself.
"It's one of our great soundbites of all time," Trump said, adding that he was deploying the message "much too early" before conceding it's typically saved for closer to Election Day.
Elon Musk's America PAC is already reinforcing the strategy with a fresh round of digital ads in key Senate battlegrounds like Texas and Iowa. Ross Hemminger, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, called the approach a genuinely effective way to mobilize occasional voters.
Texas-based Democratic strategist Matt Angle pointed to Senate nominee James Talarico as a model for how candidates should handle the attacks, especially given that many Republican convention speeches specifically targeted Talarico's past comments on gender.
"James should continue to respond the way he has, very disciplined," Angle said, referencing Talarico's recent Fox News interview stating he'd oppose transgender athletes competing in girls' sports if it compromised safety or fairness.
Angle argued the GOP's fixation on the issue won't work if Democrats stay disciplined.
"Republicans are trying their best to change the subject and divert attention away from a profound failure, but it's not shaking James' focus on gas prices and what it costs to make a living," Angle said.