The deep decay of capitalism and society are on full display in the US political system. A decade of Trump has transformed the Republican Party from an establishment conservative party to an openly far-right caricature. The extent of their dictatorial and warmongering actions have meant an increasing section of Trump’s voter base losing faith. 

Rather than fighting back, the Democratic Party has shifted further right, offering increased support for war and police budgets, deportations, anti-trans laws, fracking, data centers, and genocide. Without left alternatives in most races, Democrats benefit in the midterms from Trump’s failures. But the “lesser evil” party won’t stop the rise of the right.

The Democrats are toothless. We urgently need to take up winning tactics to fight Trumpism and build a workers’ alternative to campaign on them. Here are four arguments to make that case:

1. “This is the most important election of our lifetimes—the stakes are too high!”

Given Trump’s reckless, impulsive nature and dictatorial aspirations, it’s true the stakes are high. Too high to make even one more attempt at the same corporate-approved political strategy that has brought us to where we are today. 

On January 23, Minneapolis showed us exactly how to push back Trump: workers collectively shutting down business as usual with a general strike! But the Democratic Party, including its most progressive elements, has no interest in taking up this powerful tool, a threat to their corporate donors and corporate interests. Instead they downplayed and clouded the whole scenario, and tried to claim credit for the victory.

Every day that unions and left organizations spend campaigning for Democrats is a day lost to organizing the kind of mass action we need to fight Trump and the billionaires.

2. “I agree with grassroots organizing, but we need to use every tactic, and electing more Democrats slows Trump down.”

Rather than supporting and building grassroots movements, Democrats disorganize them and co-opt them as much as possible to become footsoldiers for “get out the vote” campaigns. 

This was on full display when many leaders of the Justice for George Floyd movement were given well-paying jobs at non-profits deeply tied to the Democratic Party or were attacked and isolated by those same organizations for refusing to play along. 

Under both Biden and Obama, the Democrats had a full congressional session controlling both houses and didn’t even make meaningful attempts to win abortion rights, an end to war and genocide, or any other serious progress. Both of those presidencies were followed by the election of Trump, the second time on a far stronger and further right basis. Most large US cities have long-held Democratic supermajorities, yet none commonly achieve substantial progressive victories.

The truth is Democrats do not slow down the right; their failures to address working-class needs actually grease the tracks for Trump’s politics. Democrats may look like well-meaning cowards who are doing their best, but both Republicans and Democrats serve the billionaire class. Workers need to build our own party.

3. “By electing progressives as Democrats, we can use or take over the party.”

When progressives or socialists run in the Democratic Party, even with the best of intentions, they don’t change the party; it changes them. They end up providing left credibility for the party which can boast that they accept left ideas, even as they squash them. 

Bernie Sanders, “the Squad,” and Zohran Mamdani are just the latest examples of attempts to reform the party. While Socialist Alternative has supported the movements and platforms of a handful of Democratic Party candidates, we’ve been clear that the party is not reformable and that it will take a mass grassroots movement to win their platforms. Instead, when each election campaign ends, these candidates dismantle their entire grassroots movement apparatus. To win, they should break from the Democratic Party and, alongside their movements, build a new party of and for workers.

When Kshama Sawant was an independent Seattle city councilmember and member of Socialist Alternative, it was not reason, debate, or clever social media that forced her fellow councilmembers—all Democrats—to swing from unanimously against to unanimously for a series of major reforms, including the first $15 minimum wage and a massive corporate tax. It was that she openly exposed the corporate interests of the Democratic Party and fought them every step of the way with the power of a dynamic mass movement.

4. “I like the sound of a new party, but what do we do about that now?”

Every election, we’re told choosing one of the two options is vital, but no matter which one wins, nothing fundamentally improves. The question can no longer be kicked down the road; we have seen the result thus far. We must actively build an independent workers’ party right now.

Countless time and money is spent on Democrats each year instead of on building working-class political independence. We need a party that’s not just an electoral vehicle, but a political home that could collectively learn lessons to not make the same mistakes, train activists and organizers, democratically determine what we stand for, and coordinate mass action.

This must be a party born of struggle: we can’t simply convince this system to do what’s right—we must force change by using our collective power in our workplaces and the streets. Labor leaders who called for a national May Day of action said it should be a structure test for future mass action against Trump, but it will take grassroots pressure and organizing from below—including from every reader here—to make this a reality!

Labor and social movements coming together against ICE, war, and genocide can be the very basis for a clean break with the Democrats and for a powerful new party of the working class to emerge and win.

Socialist Alternative has and will support pro-worker independent candidates, especially when they run on the basis of, and are accountable to, a real mass movement. Such candidates can use the power and profile of the position to build the movement further. Voting for the “lesser evil,” however, moves what’s acceptable further and further right.

Take On Trump & The Billionaire Class With A New Party

To many, a genuine left party that beats Republicans and Democrats seems like a pipe dream. Like so many times before in history, radical changes to laws and traditions are carried in under the pressure of mass movements. We need a party run by working people that takes on the system itself, where our movement can be democratically discussed, debated, and organized, and where our electoral campaigns can be deeply rooted in that same strategy.

The first step is politically breaking with the Democratic Party now, once and for all, and committing to vote proudly for independent left candidates and parties. Above all, now is the time to get organized—so join Socialist Alternative!