Former Democrat megadonor John Morgan warned that Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “Fighting Oligarchy” tour could backfire by energizing President Donald Trump’s supporters. Speaking to NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo on Thursday, Morgan argued that Democrats should refrain from openly opposing the Trump administration, as it only strengthens his base.
Sanders launched his tour in February, with Ocasio-Cortez set to appear at multiple rallies. Morgan, who previously criticized Kamala Harris’ 2024 campaign, echoed Democratic strategist James Carville’s call for Democrats to step aside and allow Republicans to self-destruct.
“It’s a mistake … I agree with Carville,” Morgan said. Carville wrote in a New York Times op-ed that Democrats should “roll over and play dead,” predicting Republican infighting would cause their downfall.
Morgan elaborated, stating, “Look, the new [Democratic National Committee] says this to me: They learned nothing from the last election. What they need to do, Chris, is they need to do nothing. They need to let the dumpster fire rage. Let everybody suffer, fight back, push back, be against it, but at the end of the day, Carville is right. Let the dumpster burn, get a lawn chair, get some popcorn, watch it.”
He further explained that Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez do more to rally Trump’s base than help Democrats. “See, AOC and Bernie [galvanize] MAGA because MAGA hates them,” Morgan said. “The thing MAGA loves the most other than what they love, they love watching them twisting and turning. They enjoy that as much as they enjoy destroying the Department of Education.”
Polls released Sunday by CNN/SSRS and NBC News show Democratic favorability dropping below 30%. Meanwhile, former Clinton pollster Mark Penn warned that Ocasio-Cortez challenging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in 2028 could be disastrous for the party.
“I don’t think she’s going to challenge Schumer, but if she does … already the Democratic ratings are down to 29%. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Penn said. “That means the left base is with the Democratic Party and the moderates are all leaving the party. So AOC taking off Schumer, wow, that could finish this party off.”
Trump’s approval rating, meanwhile, has surged to 47%, the highest of his presidency, according to the NBC News poll.
