Congress has been headed for a boiling point. A full-scale meltdown has arrived.
That’s why the U.S. Senate exploding into a shouting match with palpable anger during a hearing.
Senate Democrats Clash Over Strategy and Trump Opposition
A heated confrontation unfolded on the Senate floor Tuesday as New Jersey Democratic Senator Cory Booker sharply criticized his party colleagues, accusing them of enabling authoritarianism and failing to stand up to President Donald Trump. The dispute erupted over bipartisan police funding legislation, highlighting deep divisions within the Democratic Party.
Booker took to the Senate floor to challenge a set of police funding bills, authored by Democratic Senators Amy Klobuchar and Catherine Cortez-Masto alongside Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, which had unanimously advanced from the Senate Judiciary Committee. In a fiery speech, Booker condemned his fellow Democrats for what he saw as insufficient resistance to Trump’s policies, arguing that their bipartisan efforts aligned too closely with the administration’s goals.
“What I am tired of is when the President of the United States of America violates the Constitution, crashes our norms and traditions, and what does the Democratic Party do?” Booker said on the Senate floor. “Comply? Allow him? Beg for justice?”
“No, I demand justice,” Booker continued. “The Democratic Party needs to wake up.” Booker proposed an amendment to block the president’s ability to withhold grant funding from certain state and local governments, but Klobuchar and Cortez-Masto rebuked him, noting he had not raised the amendment during the committee markup. They argued he missed his opportunity to shape the legislation earlier.
Tensions within the Democrat Party have been getting worse by the week ever since their disasterous 2024 election showing. Booker, who some speculate may run for president in 2028, criticized Democrats for not adopting a more confrontational stance.
“The Democratic Party was about to give Donald Trump tens of millions of dollars when he has already told the Democratic Party, ‘I’m not gonna let blue states have this,’” Booker told reporters after the dispute. “Democrats need to learn to fight and fight him and stop him from hurting people.”
“There’s a lot of us in this caucus that want to fucking fight,” Booker told reporters after his public broadside against his Democratic colleagues on the Senate floor. “This, to me, is a problem with Democrats in America right now is we’re willing to be complicit.”
Klobuchar responded sharply, pointing out that Booker, a Judiciary Committee member, did not attend the hearing where the bills were approved, suggesting he had ample chance to voice concerns earlier.
“One of the things I don’t understand here is that we have committees for a reason, and we have hearings for a reason, and you can’t do one thing on Police Week and not show up and not object and let these bills go through and then say another [thing] a few weeks later in the big speech on the floor,” Klobuchar said.
“These and the other police bills passed during Police Week — police officers are sitting there in the hearing room when no one objected,” Klobuchar said. “I can’t help it if someone couldn’t change their schedule to be there.”
Booker fired back, defending his commitment and taking issue with Klobuchar’s remarks. “Don’t question my integrity. Don’t question my motives,” Booker responded. “Dear God if you want to come at me that way, you’re going to have to take it up with me because there’s too much on the line in America.”
“When are we going to stand together if we don’t stand as Democrats,” Booker continued. “We deserve to lose.”
Democratic Party Faces Record Low Approval, Polls Show
Recent polling data reveals a significant decline in public support for the Democratic Party, compounding the internal strife seen in the Senate clash. A Wall Street Journal survey conducted in June 2025 found that 63% of voters view the Democratic Party unfavorably, marking the highest disapproval rate in 35 years.
A Gallup poll from July 2025 further highlights the party’s struggles, with only 39% of Americans identifying with or leaning toward the Democratic Party, compared to 45% for the Republican Party. This gap represents a notable shift from previous years when Democrats often held a slight edge in party identification. The poll also noted that independent voters, a critical demographic, increasingly view Democrats as out of touch with their priorities.
The Pew Research Center’s July 2025 survey provides additional insight, showing that only 27% of Americans believe the Democratic Party effectively addresses issues like economic inequality and healthcare. This is a decline from 34% in 2023, suggesting erosion in confidence even among traditional Democratic strongholds. The survey pointed to voter frustration over perceived inaction on key issues as a driving factor.
An NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll from early July 2025 revealed that 58% of registered voters disapprove of the Democratic Party’s handling of immigration, a contentious issue that has gained prominence. This disapproval is particularly pronounced among suburban voters, who have shifted toward Republicans in recent elections. The poll also indicated that 61% of voters feel the party has not articulated a clear vision for the future, further eroding its appeal.
