'Alarming': Expert says Dems went from leading key issue to being 'under Trump's boot'
Raw StoryDemocratic strategist Frank Sharry sounded the alarm in a Bulwark interview released Monday that Democrats let themselves be completely rolled on immigration by Donald Trump. Sharry, who elaborated on his feelings in an Atlantic article he co-authored with former Obama administration strategist Cecilia Muñoz, said that just a decade ago Democrats had broad public backing on the issue. "Let's start with the premise of the piece, which is that Democrats have lost touch with popular opinion on immigration, predominantly by moving left, away from a more balanced approach, which was enforcement in exchange for pathways to citizenship," said interviewer Sam Stein. "We've been very concerned that Democrats have allowed themselves to get defined by Republicans on this issue, and in the aftermath of the election, when there's a necessary if painful conversation among Democrats about which way forward now, we looked around and said, 'You know, there's really no one else who's going to write this story, right?' This led many Democrats to reject giving Republicans anything on immigration going forward, as they felt it would just make them look weak — but along the way, they forgot that border enforcement isn't solely a Republican issue, but something broadly supported by the public.