‘It Was Wrong’: David Axelrod Calls Out Dems Over Major Policy Mistakes

President Barack Obama’s former chief campaign strategist, David Axelrod, on “Fast Politics w/ Molly Jong-Fast,” rebuked the Democratic Party for its border and COVID-19 policy.

The Democratic Party’s favorability is only 33.3%, while its unfavorability is 60.5%, according to the RealClearPolling average. Axelrod argued on the podcast that the party appeared more focused on “vulnerable populations” than the issues many Americans face. (RELATED: DC Mayor Orders Local Cooperation With Federal Crime Crackdown)

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“It was insane to spend three years before you did something serious about the border,” Axelrod said. “Insane! And it was wrong not to be much more active in trying to reopen schools!”

“I have great solicitude for vulnerable populations, but Democrats allowed themselves to be portrayed as caring more about vulnerable populations than understanding the vulnerabilities of large numbers of Americans,” he added. “So I think that the party itself has work to do.”

Former President Joe Biden did not sign an executive order to clamp down on the border until the final year of his presidency, after 6 million southern border encounters. He also claimed for months before signing it that there was no action he could take to mitigate the crisis.

The executive action halted new asylum requests once the number of migrants crossing into the U.S. reached a daily average of 2,500 over the span of a week.

Democratic Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz acknowledged on “The Chuck ToddCast” Sept. 2 that the teachers union and partisanship played a role in his party not pushing to reopen schools during the pandemic.

“I said to my Democratic colleagues, I’m like, ‘When we open schools, it’s going to be very popular. When you guys come out and tell parents you want to keep their kids in the house for another year, I’m telling you this is where this is going.’ And none of my colleagues wanted to hear it, Chuck,” he told host Chuck Todd.

Todd asked if their refusal was due to “the power of the teachers union.”

“It’s part teachers union,” Moskowitz said.

“Part also, we were at a point of polarization that if [Republican Florida Gov.] Ron DeSantis wanted to open schools then I had to be against it … things had become so toxic at that point,” he added.

Extended school closures and remote education during the pandemic had deleterious effects on students’ aptitude in key subjects like math and English.

Moreover, framing former Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party as excessively far left on transgender issues was one of the most effective advertising campaigns in increasing support for President Donald Trump and GOP candidates down the ballot during the 2024 election, according to multiple reports.

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