The Gaza Backlash: How Democrats Flung the Door Open for the Return of Trump

The election results are in, and they’ve delivered a wake-up call to the Democratic Party. With Donald Trump and J.D. Vance headed to the White House, backed by a Republican-controlled Senate and probably, the House, we’re seeing the start of a new chapter for America, that is the direct result of Democrats’ refusal to listen to the people and their failure to uphold the values they claim to represent. For many American Muslims, progressives, and others who believe in justice, this election is the result of Democrats choosing political special interests over doing what’s right.

For the past few years, Democrats have doubled down on policies that ignore their own base and cater to establishment interests. From a hands-off approach to violence in Gaza to weak responses on foreign policy, the Democratic Party has lost credibility among voters who expected them to lead with integrity. They covered up the bloodshed in Gaza, thinking that slogans about inclusivity and empty campaign promises would keep their supporters loyal. But they were wrong. The blood in Gaza has now become the red tsunami at the ballot box, and we only have themselves to blame. 

Trump's political career has been rife with Islamophobic rhetoric. So how is he now making inroads in Muslim communities? https://t.co/5v3jfVzBNc

— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) November 3, 2024

A Broken Promise of Justice

Over the last year, I’ve written extensively about how the Democratic Party has failed to stand for justice. In The Gaza Pier: A Trojan Horse for Resource Exploitation, I examined how foreign policy often treats Gaza as a chess piece rather than a place where real people are suffering. Democrats could have taken a stand, pushing for accountability and real solutions. Instead, they stayed silent, funding military aid and justifying policies that devastate entire communities.

In White House Strategy to Counter Islamophobia Means Nothing While Funding the Slaughter of Muslims Abroad, I questioned how Democrats can claim to care about Islamophobia while supporting policies that harm Muslims around the world. This hypocrisy has driven American Muslims to question the Democrats’ commitment to justice. This election was a referendum on that broken promise. Democrats assumed they could keep our votes, that we would support them no matter what. But people don’t forget. The Democrats’ reluctance to change their foreign policy and their reliance on empty gestures have brought them to this defeat.

With Trump back in power, the next four years promise to be bold and unapologetic. They now have a mandate to make sweeping changes, and they won’t be held back by the Democrats’ cautious approach. This new administration has the opportunity to address issues that have been ignored for far too long. While Democrats failed to hold themselves accountable, Trump’s team can approach the role with a tabula rasa to address America’s challenges with the support of the voters who sent them there. Democrats had the chance to counter this tide, to be a force for change, to lead on issues like foreign policy and accountability. But instead, they doubled down on establishment thinking, clinging to their political alliances and sidelining voices who called for genuine progress. Trump and Vance are now in a position to make good on the demands that Democrats ignored.

Trump declares victory as he inches toward the White House https://t.co/xAFqeWAwqY

— POLITICO (@politico) November 6, 2024

Learning From the Past

In Labor’s New Values: Palestinian Solidarity, I wrote with Dakin Weekley and Carolina Ampudia about how progressive causes are starting to recognize Palestinian rights as part of a broader struggle for justice. Yet Democrats have treated Palestinian rights as a risk, rather than a moral imperative. This silence is a form of political violence. When a party actively avoids engagement on issues that impact entire communities, it does harm. By ignoring the pain of others, they have lost the trust of the very people they need to win.

In Military Aid Vote Reaches Critical Mass for Future Change, I outlined how more people are questioning the U.S.’s role in global conflicts, but Democrats refused to engage in this debate. They banked on the assumption that these issues would go unnoticed by the public. But that’s where they miscalculated. This year’s election echoes 1968, a time when Democrats’ refusal to listen to antiwar voices fractured their base. By sidelining advocates and refusing to confront tough questions on foreign policy, they’ve created a similar situation today, allowing Trump and Vance to capture the spotlight.

The Road Ahead: A Decade of Consequences

This election is the beginning of a long road back for Democrats. Rebuilding the trust the Democrats lost will not be easy, and it will not be quick. In Why an Open DNC Convention Could Revitalize American Politics, I argued that the party needed to open its doors to new voices, to those who feel shut out by the establishment. But they ignored this call for reform, preferring to stick with the status quo. Now, with Trump and Vance poised to lead, the Democrats will face the consequences of their decisions for years to come.

The Democrats cannot simply brush off this election or pretend business-as-usual will work. If they want to remain relevant, they will need to confront their own failures, starting with their unwillingness to listen. Trump and Vance may be in power now, but the Democrats still have a choice: they can either reflect on this loss and commit to real change, or they can continue down a path of complacency.

A Reckoning for the Democrats

This red wave at the ballot box is a reminder to Democrats that people are paying attention. Voters remember the blood in Gaza, the empty promises, and the party’s silence on critical issues. If the Democrats want any hope of recovering, they will need to start listening, to take the values they campaign on seriously, and to realize that justice is not something they can ignore for political convenience.

For now, Trump and Vance have the mandate. The Democrats might want to move on, but until they address the political violence they’ve been complicit in—both at home and abroad—the consequences will only grow. This election was a reckoning, and the choice is now clear: either confront the hard truths or continue to be left behind.

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Nadia B. Ahmad is an Associate Professor of Law at Barry University School of Law and Ph.D. Student at the Yale School of the Environment. She is also a Fellow at the Center for Security, Race, and Rights at Rutgers University and affiliated faculty at Harvard Law School’s Institute for Global Law & Policy.