Sen. Elizabeth Warren criticized her party on Monday for taking a “tepid, nibble-around-the-edges approach” that appeals to big donors but not ordinary people — taking a jab at Senate Democrats’ campaign arm in the process.
She said in a speech at the National Press Club that Democratic candidates too often avoid taking bold stances.
“If we’re being honest, that approach has also been a good way to appeal to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee as they decide which primary candidates they will support,” she said. “But it doesn’t take a political genius to conclude that in a democracy, when the choice is between ‘make the rich richer’ and ‘help everybody else,’ winning elections is about choosing ‘everybody else.’”
Her speech focused on the future of the Democratic Party ahead of midterm elections this year that will determine how much of President Donald Trump’s agenda he can enact during the remainder of his term. Warren argued that the key to the midterms and beyond will be ensuring working people know Democrats are on their side.
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“I understand the temptation — in this moment of national crisis — to sand down our edges to avoid offending anyone, especially the rich and powerful who might finance our candidates. But we can’t win unless we rebuild trust,” Warren said. “We can’t rebuild trust by staying silent about abuses of corporate power and tax fairness simply to avoid offending the delicate sensibilities of the already-rich and powerful.”
The DSCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Warren’s remarks.
Warren’s speech was panned by some center-left Democrats, including Third Way’s Jim Kessler, who called it an insult to those who disagree with her.
“It’s time for a new generation of ideas that reject purity tests and aren’t created by the faculty lounge, left-wing DC interest group elitist complex,” Kessler, the group’s executive vice president for policy, said in a statement. “Sorry, there is no way to address affordability without disruptive ideas on supply – like abundance – and big economic, energy, education and social policy reforms that work for the working class.”
Many Democrats agree that the party needs to shift its messaging, although there are plenty of disagreements on what that should look like. Last year, Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin urged Democrats to take tougher stances.
“America is hungry for leaders, hungry for leaders who give a damn about their circumstances,” he said in August 2025. “For a government that gives people freedom, not fascism.”
Warren, who is the ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, said voters are looking for candidates who will take on the “rigged system.” She pointed to Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign in New York and Mikie Sherrill’s gubernatorial campaign in New Jersey as examples of how tightly focusing on working-class people and affordability will help Democrats win.
Warren said that last week, she donated over $400,000 to 23 state parties that will be involved in some of the most competitive state and congressional elections.
“Either we politely nibble around the edges of change, or we throw ourselves into the fight,” Warren said. “Either we carefully craft our policies to ensure that the rich keep right on getting richer, or we build a party that ferociously and unapologetically serves the needs of working people.”
After the speech, Warren posted on X that she received a call from President Donald Trump, where she “delivered the same message on affordability to him directly.”
“Trump has done nothing but raise costs for families,” she wrote. “I said that if he really wants to get something done, including capping credit card interest rates or lowering housing costs, he would use his leverage and pick up the phone.”
This article has been updated with additional comments.
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