In this week’s off-year elections, voters gave Democrats a boost in their oft-criticized efforts to slow President Donald Trump’s second-term rampage. Victories in New Jersey, Virginia, and elsewhere strengthened the party’s hand in talks with Republicans over ending the government shutdown.
Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland says the election results also lifted Democratic hopes of recapturing both the Senate and the House in 2026. We talked about the challenges of negotiating with a lawless president – whether on the shutdown, tariffs, or deportations – and the role of public opinion in bolstering resistance.
Watch the full video above to hear Senator Van Hollen discuss what Zohran Mamdani’s victory means for the party’s future, whether Chuck Schumer erred by withholding his endorsement, his stance on abolishing the filibuster, and how his visit to Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador connects to the political moment we’re in.
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