WASHINGTON (AP) — For Democrats demoralized at being shut out of power in Washington, the past several months have offered reason for optimism.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. WASHINGTON — For Democrats demoralized at being shut out of power in Washington, the past several months have offered reason for optimism.
A party often beset by ideological division has largely been unified in opposition to President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration tactics, particularly after two U.S. citizens were killed in Minneapolis. Heading into a midterm election year in which they are just a few seats shy of reclaiming the U.S. House majority, Democrats have also kept the White House on defense with criticism of Trump’s economic policies and ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender. But the U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran could test the durability of that cohesion. Initially, Democrats balanced condemnation of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed over the weekend, with calls for Congress to quickly pass a war powers resolution that would restrain Trump’s attack options. “We need a strong, clear, vocal united opposition party to fight back and put a check on his power,” Daniel Biss, the mayor of Evanston, Illinois, who is competing in a Democratic congressional primary this month, said in an interview. But some divisions are surfacing as a handful of Democrats, especially those who are strongly aligned with Israel, express reservations about the war powers measure. Reps. Greg Landsman of Ohio won’t back an Iran resolution. Before the strike, Rep. Josh Gottheimer also said he would vote no. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who backed a war powers vote tied to Venezuela in January, also has broken with Democrats over the Iranian measure and rejected arguments that the attack was illegal, spurring frustration among some party leaders. “John Fetterman knows better,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Monday on CNN as he pressed for an Iran vote this week. Republicans are also facing internal dissent, with prominent supporters of Trump’s “America First” movement openly questioning how the strikes square with his longtime condemnation of military adventurism. Trump, who did little to prepare Americans for the prospect of such a dramatic conflict, said Monday the operation could last four to five weeks. He hasn’t articulated a clear exit strategy and warns that American casualties could mount, which will pose a severe test of voter patience for the conflict. The war could also lead to rising gas prices and economic volatility that may only bolster Democratic arguments that the president is out of touch with the financial realities facing many Americans. But the dynamic nonetheless poses challenges for Democrats, who have faced a searing internal debate over the party’s relationship with Israel in the wake of the war in Gaza. Then-President Joe Biden’s loyalty to Israel during the heat of the 2024 campaign was starkly at odds with younger generations outraged by the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza. By the time Kamala Harris rose to the top of the ticket that year, she struggled to win over some younger voters who are critical to Democratic success. When asked whether he was concerned those divisions could resurface, Paco Fabian, the political director for the progressive advocacy group Our Revolution, said “definitely” and acknowledged that Democrats “aren’t monolithic.” But he also suggested a shift was underway, noting the results of a New Jersey special election last month. During that campaign, the affiliated super PAC of the pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs committee sought to thwart the moderate candidate, Tom Malinowski, after he questioned unconditional aid to the Israeli government. Those efforts appeared to backfire with the more progressive contender, Analilia Mejia, winning the primary. “A lot of folks are waking up to that influence,” Fabian said. “Given what’s going on right now, I don’t think the moment is doing AIPAC and Israel any favors.” Sympathy toward Israel appears to be shifting. Three years ago, 54% of Americans sympathized more with the Israelis, compared with 31% for the Palestinians, according toreleased last month. Now, their support is about evenly balanced, with 41% saying their sympathies lie more with the Palestinians, and only 36% saying the same about the Israelis. Americans’ initial reactions to airstrikes also appeared more negative than positive, early polling suggested. About 6 in 10 U.S. adults disapproved of the U.S. decision to take military action in Iran, according to a CNN poll conducted via text message over the weekend. A separate snap poll from The Washington Post conducted via text message on Sunday suggested that about half of those polled opposed the strikes, while 39% were in support. Roughly 1 in 10 were unsure. Democrats and independents drove much of the disapproval in those early polls, while Republicans were much more supportive. The CNN poll found majorities of Americans thought Trump should be required to get congressional approval for any further military action in Iran. About 8 in 10 Democrats and roughly 7 in 10 independents said that, compared to about 3 in 10 Republicans. The initial political impact of the attacks in Iran could emerge as soon as Tuesday during the first primary elections of this year’s midterm campaign. In North Carolina, Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam was already going into her bid to unseat two-term Rep. Valerie Foushee with backing from Our Revolution and other top progressives. After receiving support from groups tied to AIPAC during her 2022 campaign, Foushee’s campaign rejected such contributions this cycle. Over the weekend, she said she doesn’t support “Trump’s illegal war with Iran” and would back the war powers resolution.ahead of Tuesday’s vote criticizing Trump for “starting another endless war” and promising to never accept support from “the pro-Israel lobby.” Ahead of the March 17 primary in Illinois, AIPAC-aligned groups have also criticized Biss, the Evanston mayor who is aiming to become the Democratic candidate to succeed the retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky. In the interview, Biss spoke of the “backlash I’m hearing people have against AIPAC, their MAGA-aligned money and their Trump-aligned policy agenda.” Asked about such predictions, Patrick Dorton, a spokesman for AIPAC’s affiliated super PAC, said “the key distinction will be between those who recognize that Iran is a murderous regime that tortures women for leaving their hair uncovered, hangs gay people, and executes peaceful democratic protestors, and those who will turn a blind eye to the regime’s atrocities.”WASHINGTON — For Democrats demoralized at being shut out of power in Washington, the past several months have offered reason for optimism. A party often beset by ideological division has largely been unified in opposition to President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration tactics, particularly after two U.S. citizens were killed in Minneapolis. Heading into a WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday pushed back against mounting criticism that he hasn’t done enough to explain why it was necessary to start a war with Iran now or to articulate his vision for an endgame to the escalating conflict. The frustration is coming not just from the political left but also BILLINGS, Mont. — Ryan Zinke, a Montana Republican who served as interior secretary during President Donald Trump’s first administration, said Monday that he will not seek reelection to a fifth term in the U.S. House, citing health concerns. The decision gives Democrats an outside chance to pick up a House seat in a state WASHINGTON — Videos of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton answering questions about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were released Monday by a House committee investigating the late financier. The recordings of the depositions, which spanned hours over two days last week, were expected to show how both Clintons ATLANTA — The Georgia father of an accused school shooter could have prevented an attack that left two students and two teachers dead and many others wounded at a school northeast of Atlanta in 2024, a prosecutor said in her closing argument. “After seeing sign after sign of his son’s deteriorating mental state, his NEW YORK — U.S. women’s hockey gold medal-winning captain Hilary Knight revealed Monday in a television appearance that she played in Milan with a torn medial collateral ligament in one of her knees. “I’m not walking around the best, and I’m missing a few games for the Seattle Torrent,” Knight said on “CBS Chrystal Ortega's tireless dedication recently earned her the WSECU Community Champions Award and a $1,000 grant to further the mission.When Shawn Tibbitts opened Tibbitts FernHill, he was just trying to survive. The small Tacoma restaurant has since earned culinary awards and praise.Wilcox Family Farms is continuing its cherished holiday tradition of giving back by donating nearly one million eggs to food banks across the South Sound region this season.Matthew Ballantyne has transformed that early awareness into action, embodying the organization's mission:"No Kid Sleeps On The Floor In Our Town."Discover Kitsap County’s creative soul: Where Nordic charm meets gothic gardens and ancient traditions thrive Kitsap County is full of wonderfully weird, authentically artsy, and unexpectedly magical corners that make visitors become locals and locals never want to leave.
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