This Squad member drives MAGA wild — and she’s primed to make history

When voters delivered a full congressional flip to blue on Election Night, it was a repudiation of Trumpism as well as a demand for accountability for the current administration.

The momentum from that night was also a demand from voters for progress within the Democratic Party. The will of the voters has always mattered at the polls, but seems to evaporate once the candidates are sworn in. Real progress can only occur if the people we elect then implement real change.

That’s why calls to replace Democratic leadership began before the sun rose the next day, including from yours truly, because it’s time for Democrats to fight harder as well as smarter.

Our elected officials work for us. When we vote, we hire them to do the most important jobs in the country. Once the 120th Congress is sworn in, they’ll be facing the seemingly insurmountable task of cleaning up the messes Trump has made. Democrats are already getting to work and are preparing to hold this administration accountable for its multiple failures, with Committee assignments being prepared amid ongoing investigations.

But the top issue online for the last two weeks has been about replacing leadership, a conversation that had only grown louder leading up to the midterms. Democrats would seemingly make some ground, then immediately lose it. In just one example, voters were disappointed to learn that Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the presumed next Speaker of the House, had held multiple secret meetings with his “friend,” unelected Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Both Jeffries and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) had each grown increasingly unpopular within the party for their continued support of Israel and the influence of AIPAC on their votes. Schumer was considered a lock for Senate Majority Leader, but the will of the voters actually shifted the online conversations as Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who’s incredibly popular both with voters as well his Democratic colleagues, was consistently suggested as a challenger to Schumer. Sen. Van Hollen, a proper fighter who’ll do a whole lot more than send some “strongly worded letters” to Trump (that probably all ended up in the shredder), did what no one thought was possible: he honored the will of the voters and announced his challenge on Thursday.

While I’m ready for that challenge, I had been making the case for an all-female Democratic leadership in the 120th Congress to reflect the historic Election Night results for Democratic women. There’s never been a female Senate Majority Leader, and it’s been too long since the first and only female Speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), held the gavel. I’ve been advocating for a woman of color in that role, particularly after the whitest man alive did the worst possible job. I love the idea of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) taking over for Speaker Jesus Freak Mike Johnson, but word is she’s not interested because she’s eyeing a Senate run in 2028.

While some have made the argument that Jeffries could be the first Black Speaker, the stronger argument is that distinction should also be bestowed on a woman: Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), who fits all of the requirements for Speaker, as far as I’m concerned: She’s a member of the Squad who scares Trump and triggers MAGA. Rep. Pressley just made another fiery appearance on the House floor that merits attention and also serves as the perfect audition for the Speaker gig.

Women are natural multitaskers who lead with compassion and create overwhelmingly positive work environments, with low absenteeism and higher productivity. Men tend to lead with their egos first and empathy somewhere after that. If we have to wait a bit longer to make history in the Senate, then we need to see it happen in the House for a properly balanced Democratic leadership.

Sen. Van Hollen is a strong challenger for Sen. Schumer and should hopefully inspire Rep. Pressley to announce her challenge to Rep. Jeffries. My social media feeds are full of praise for both, a strong indicator that the will of the voters is making a real difference and our votes will be implementing real change.

Speaking of real change, I’d like to see Democrats walk away from special interest donor money altogether. I’d still like to know why any Democrats, especially women, are taking AIPAC money. The recent Pete Hegseth vote scandal shows why the party needs to break ties with AIPAC. Eleven House Democrats missed the vote for various reasons, but I’m mostly concerned about the five who attended an event held by an innocuously named PAC called “Elect Democratic Women,” which turns out to be partially funded by AIPAC, and because they left late, they got caught in traffic and missed the House vote to impeach Pete Hegseth.

Reps. Julia Brownley (D-CA), Melanie Stansbury (D-NM), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), and Laura Gillen (D-N.Y.) missed the vote and attended the event. Rep. Brownley is an executive board member of EDW, and Rep. Stansbury is a board member.

But I’m specifically interested in hearing from current House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA), a founding member of Elect Democratic Women, who helped organize the event. It’s a disappointment, especially considering she’s poised to be House Majority Leader.

Ultimately, we need leaders who are going to push progressive legislation while also overseeing investigations and potential impeachments; Hegseth’s is just delayed at the moment. Rep. Al Green (D-TX) is still pushing for a vote on his Articles of Impeachment next week, which should be supported by all House Democrats. While that vote won’t get the support of enough Republicans, it’ll set the stage for when the next Congress is sworn in.

Democrats have a lot of work to do, including solidifying the public trust. Strong leadership trickles down, and when they adhere to the will of the voters who put them in office, it creates trust in the process.