The Note: Democrats split over party identity

Trump's capacity to divide extends deep into the party that wants to defeat him.

By
Rick Klein
 and
MaryAlice Parks
July 12, 2019, 6:54 AM ET
5 min read

The TAKE with Rick Klein

Being a Democrat in the age of President Donald Trump is hazardous work.

It's not just the presidential insults one might suffer, or the reality that even in a week where one 2020 candidate drops out, another candidate gets in.

It's that the party retains deep and active disagreements about what it means and what it takes to be a Democrat these days.

That's evident in a presidential campaign where issues of race continue to dominate. Sen. Kamala Harris, who will appear on ABC's "The View" on Friday, is issuing a new warning for former Vice President Joe Biden along those lines: "I'm not going to allow us to engage in revisionist history."

It's evident in what might be the marquee Senate race of 2020. The prized Democratic recruit to take on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in Kentucky was barely in the race a day before a flip-flop-flip on the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court nomination showed one of the perils of running in a heavily pro-Trump state.

And the war of words between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the so-called "squad" of freshmen progressive women in the House escalated into suggestions of racism this week, with more votes looming this summer that could split Democrats on Capitol Hill.

Opposition to Trump remains the great unifying force for the Democratic Party. But the president's capacity to divide extends deep into the party that wants to defeat him.

The RUNDOWN with MaryAlice Parks

He may never admit it, but Trump waved a white flag on Thursday, conceding the administration's fight to have a new question on citizenship added on the 2020 census.

Civil rights groups celebrated as he instead directed agencies to compile the data from federal records already in their systems.

The question now though is whether the damage has already been done and if an accurate count can come to pass.

From the threats of raids, to the language the president uses talking about immigrants, this White House is highly effective in stoking fear and distrust in government in urban centers and some minority communities.

A proper census count moves millions of dollars and has the potential to affect the balance of power in legislative districting. The president's bluster and shakeups have left debris, of sorts, for local authorities and government representatives to pick up and wade through as they now have to go block by block and convince some residents that it's safe to fill out census forms.

The TIP with Averi Harper

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, on the second day of her three-state bus trip -- dubbed the "Trump Broken Promises Tour" -- is drawing a contrast between herself and the president.

And for the reporters along for the ride, she's offering unfettered access to her and her team -- and sharing more of her softer side.

Gillibrand loves the musical artist Lizzo and dances unabashedly with her team while the cameras capture it all. She snacks on popcorn and apples. And, if she's going out for drinks, her favorite is whiskey.

Her presidential campaign has struggled to gain traction, and Gillibrand hopes that showcasing her policies and personality will get her the attention she needs to break out.

THE PLAYLIST

ABC News' "Start Here" podcast. Friday morning's episode features ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl, who explains why President Donald Trump backed down from his fight over the citizenship question on the 2020 census, while still exploring alternative methods. Then ABC News' Serena Marshall walks us through what Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention raids -- reportedly planned for this weekend -- could look like. http://apple.co/2HPocUL

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY

  • Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., appears on ABC's "The View."
  • President Donald Trump attends a fundraiser and then delivers remarks at 2:30 p.m. at Derco Aerospace in Milwaukee. He attends another fundraiser in Cleveland before returning to Washington.
  • Vice President Mike Pence visits the Donna holding facility and Customs and Border Protection station in McAllen, Texas.
  • Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., is in Boston; South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Vice President Joe Biden and former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-Texas, are in New Hampshire; former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and former Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., are in Iowa; Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is in Washington, D.C.; Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., is in Michigan; and Marianne Williamson is in Wisconsin.
  • On Saturday, Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., Biden, Booker and O'Rourke are in New Hampshire; former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro is in Philadelphia; Harris is in New Jersey, Andrew Yang is in Oregon; Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Sestak, Buttigieg, Hickenlooper, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and former Rep. John Delaney, D-Md., are in Iowa.
  • On Sunday, Harris and O'Rourke are in New Hampshire; Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, Sestak, Buttigieg, Hickenlooper, Bennet, Moulton, Klobuchar, de Blasio, Delaney, Williamson, Gillibrand and Inslee are in Iowa.
  • Sunday on “This Week”: ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl goes one-on-one with 2020 Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Tom Steyer, only on “This Week” Sunday. And the Powerhouse Roundtable debates all the week’s politics, with former New Jersey Governor and ABC News Contributor Chris Christie, former Chicago Mayor and ABC News Contributor Rahm Emanuel, Washington Post Congressional Reporter Rachael Bade, and Axios National Political Reporter Alexi McCammond.

    • Download the ABC News app and select "The Note" as an item of interest to receive the sharpest political analysis every weekday.

    The Note is a daily ABC News feature that highlights the day's top stories in politics. Please check back Monday for the latest.