Senator Cory Booker’s appearance on CNN’s State of the Union was yet another example of the Democratic Party scrambling to explain how their so-called strategy to stop Donald Trump is “working”—despite overwhelming evidence that it isn’t. With Trump’s approval rating at its highest level ever and his administration systematically delivering on campaign promises, Booker’s attempt to paint the Democratic resistance as some grand success felt more like an exercise in wishful thinking than a reflection of reality.
Booker laid out what he claimed were the four pillars of the Democratic strategy:
- Legal challenges—attempting to block Trump’s policies in the courts.
- Legislative and oversight efforts—which, in practice, means obstructing wherever possible.
- Messaging and media pressure—essentially relying on their allies in the press to frame Trump’s policies as dangerous.
- Public activism—trying to stir up outrage through protests and social media campaigns.
The problem? None of these efforts are resonating with voters. In fact, if recent polling is any indication, the more Trump delivers on his promises—whether on immigration, government spending cuts, or foreign policy—the more the American public approves of his leadership.
One of the most telling moments of the interview was Booker’s desperate attempt to spin Trump’s overhaul of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as a threat to American safety. Democrats and their allies in the media have been up in arms ever since Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) uncovered billions in taxpayer waste—including funds that were at risk of falling into the hands of the Taliban and even aiding an organization linked to the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Rather than acknowledge the legitimate concerns over USAID mismanagement, Booker tried to argue that Trump’s reforms would make America less safe. His reasoning? That cutting bureaucracy and wasteful spending somehow makes us more vulnerable to Ebola and tuberculosis—a claim so absurd that even CNN’s Dana Bash had to push back.
When Bash brought up journalist David Corn’s assessment that the Democratic Party’s messaging against Trump was like “bringing a teaspoon to a gunfight,” Booker struggled to respond with anything other than vague references to social media engagement and public awareness.
This is the fundamental problem Democrats face: They are relying on Twitter outrage and media narratives, while Trump is actually delivering real policy results. Their strategy hinges on convincing the American people that Trump’s policies are dangerous, yet every week, more voters are coming to the conclusion that his policies are exactly what the country needs.
The latest CBS News poll shows Trump at 53% approval, the highest of his presidency. More importantly, 70% of voters say he is following through on his campaign promises, whether they support him or not.
The poll also reveals that:
- 69% describe Trump as tough.
- 63% say he is energetic.
- 60% say he is focused.
- 58% say he is effective.
On immigration—one of the defining issues of the election—59% approve of his crackdown on illegal immigration and deportations. Meanwhile, Democrats are more concerned about whether it’s legal to send illegal immigrants to Guantanamo Bay, rather than acknowledging the crisis at the border.
The one area where Americans have lingering concerns is the economy. 66% say the administration isn’t focusing enough on lowering prices, though inflation itself has been largely stabilizing compared to the previous administration’s disastrous policies.
Meanwhile, Trump stirred controversy by announcing a potential U.S. takeover of the Gaza Strip, which left 47% of respondents opposed, 40% unsure, and 13% supportive. However, the poll also showed that most Americans aren’t paying close attention to the issue, with only 28% saying they had read “a lot” about Trump’s comments.
