Jake Tapper leaves Democratic senator dumbfounded after asking why party is so 'staggeringly unpopular'

Jake Tapper near Democrat Senator Tim Kaine dumbfounded erstwhile helium asked astir a caller canvass showing the nationalist enactment is wide unpopular.

The CNN big referenced a recent Quinnipiac canvass as helium interviewed the 1 clip vice statesmanlike campaigner connected Sunday.

It showed that conscionable 31 percent of Americans person a favorable presumption of the Democratic party, portion 57 percent spot it arsenic unfavorable. 

This led Tapper to ask: 'Why is your enactment truthful staggeringly unpopular with the public?'

'Jake, you cognize maine - I'm a Virginian,' Kaine stumbled. 'I cognize 1 authorities good and not truthful good the different 49.'

He past attempted to the dodge the question by focusing connected however his location authorities flipped from 'ruby red' to reliably blue, claiming the Democrats successful Virginia focused connected the system to summation support.

'We absorption connected competent authorities and moving the system successful a large large mode that focuses connected innovation and advancing,' Kaine said.

'We privation to marque it here, we privation to physique it present and successful ag and forestry, we privation to turn it here.'

'Let's instrumentality to the breadstuff and food basics that radical privation to rally absorption on,' helium suggested of the Democratic Party. 

'And I deliberation the Democrats tin bash well, particularly erstwhile Donald Trump's tariffs are driving up their prices each day.' 

But the effect seemingly near Tapper to rotation his eyes, arsenic helium threw acold h2o connected the senator's claims astir the occurrence of the Democratic Party successful Virginia.

'I don't privation to get excessively successful the weeds of Virginia politics, but your politician is simply a Republican and helium bushed handily a erstwhile Democratic politician erstwhile helium ran for that position,' Tapper argued.

'By 1.8 percent,' Kaine changeable back. 'The past 2 Republicans that won the governorship successful Virginia won by comfy treble digits.

'Our politician is simply a Republican,' helium continued. 'He ran during a precise bully twelvemonth to beryllium a Republican, and helium won barely.

'We person a governor's contention this twelvemonth successful Virginia,' Kaine added. 'We consciousness truly bully astir our chances.

'I deliberation the governor's contention successful Virginia [in] November 2025 volition beryllium the archetypal bellwether trial of a Democratic comeback,' helium said. 'And I'm feeling really, truly bully astir that close now.'

Tapper's interrogation with Kaine came conscionable 1 time aft the nationalist party elected Ken Martin arsenic the caller leader.

Martin, 51, the seat of Minnesota's limb of the DNC, won the archetypal circular of voting connected Saturday pursuing a hotly contested contention wherever helium was seen by galore arsenic an underdog candidate. 

He won the contention with 246.5 votes, implicit 134.5 votes for constitution favourite Ben Wilker, 44 votes for erstwhile statesmanlike campaigner Martin O'Malley, and 2 votes for Fair Shakir, erstwhile statesmanlike run manager for Sen. Bernie Sanders successful 2020. 

Wilker fell abbreviated contempt endorsements from Democrat heavyweights including House person Hakeem Jeffries, Senate person Chuck Schumer and erstwhile House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.  

In his triumph speech, Martin declared: 'The fight's not successful here. The combat is for our values. The combat is for moving people. The combat close present is against Donald Trump and the billionaires who bought this country.' 

With his predetermination arsenic DNC Chair connected Saturday, Martin becomes the archetypal achromatic antheral successful the occupation since Virginia Senator Tim Kaine near the presumption successful 2011. 

His triumph comes months aft helium raised eyebrows with an quality connected CNN pursuing Trump's predetermination win, wherever helium slammed his ain party.

Serving arsenic the vice-chair of the DNC astatine the time, Martin declared that Republicans are present seen arsenic the enactment that champion represents the working-class.  

Martin pointed to issues wrong the progressive helping of the Democratic Party, with in-fighting implicit arguable policies specified arsenic President Biden's backing of Israel's warfare successful Gaza seen by immoderate observers arsenic undermining the enactment successful the election. 

He told CNN's Jake Tapper successful his predetermination post-mortem: 'For the archetypal time, the bulk of Americans judge that the Republican Party champion represents the interests of the moving people and the poor.

'And the Democratic Party represents the interests of the affluent and the elite.

'That is simply a damning indictment connected our enactment brand,' helium continued. 'And that's thing we person to fig retired arsenic we determination forward.'

But the Democratic National Committee's enactment ballot was widely mocked by conservatives, aft Former Chair Jaime Harrison announced the elections had to be conducted successful a mode that ensured precise sex representation, with non-binary candidates included successful the equation.

Many saw the rhetoric arsenic impervious the enactment has 'learned perfectly nothing' from its crushing 2024 predetermination losses.
Martin volition present enactment behind-the-scenes successful preparing for the 2026 midterms and the 2028 statesmanlike election, chiefly done fundraising and organizing the party's platform.