❓WHAT HAPPENED: Democrat lawmakers claim their base is frustrated with their inability to counter Republican policies and are demanding more drastic action, even suggesting violence.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: House Democrats, unnamed lawmakers, Rep. Brad Schneider, and leftist constituents.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Recent events across cities like Portland, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, DC, as reported by Axios.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Our own base is telling us that what we’re doing is not good enough … [that] there needs to be blood to grab the attention of the press and the public.” – Anonymous lawmaker to Axios.
🎯IMPACT: Heightened tensions and potential for escalated unrest as Democrat leaders struggle to appease their increasingly radicalized base.
Democrat lawmakers are now noticing the increasing radicalism among their political base over their inability to effectively counter President Donald J. Trump’s agenda, especially the America First leader’s nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration. According to Axios, at least 24 House Democrats who spoke with the media outlet expressed alarm over the increasingly violent feedback they’re receiving from their constituents.
“Our own base is telling us that what we’re doing is not good enough … [that] there needs to be blood to grab the attention of the press and the public,” one lawmaker said. Another Democrat noted that their constituents are done with “civility” and are urging preparation for “violence… to fight to protect our democracy.”
“Some of them have suggested … what we really need to do is be willing to get shot,” another lawmaker stated, noting their voters have suggested Democrat lawmakers should ramp up protests outside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities in an effort to elicit a violent response from federal agents. Notably, several major U.S. cities have seen instances of violent riots in recent months, including Antifa-led blockades in Portland, Oregon, and riots in Los Angeles, California. Protests have also erupted in New York City and Washington, D.C., among other locations.
Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL) commented, “We’ve got people who are desperately wanting us to do something… no matter what we say, they want [more].” Another lawmaker recounted a meeting where someone suggested using “gasoline” instead of an “extinguisher” when responding to political fires. “It’s like … the Roman coliseum. People just want more and more of this spectacle,” one Democrat observed.
The Axios report was published the same day as Border Patrol agents were ambushed at an immigration facility in Texas by a man with a rifle. A local law enforcement officer was wounded in the gunfight, while the shooter was killed.
Stephen Miller, the Trump administration’s Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor, said in reference to the Axios report, “Democrats [are] inspiring domestic terrorism against ICE.”
Democrats inspiring domestic terrorism against ICE. https://t.co/cIrNHFk6U0
— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) July 7, 2025
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