Democrats Saw This Week as a Turning Point. Some Young Californians Aren’t So Sure

When Sen. Cory Booker delivered a passionate 25-hour speech on the Senate floor this week, railing against President Donald Trump’s policies, Democrats across the country saw an electrifying act of resistance against the Trump administration.

Hours after he ceded the floor on Tuesday evening, a liberal judge claimed victory over a Trump-endorsed opponent backed by millions in spending from Elon Musk in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race.

California Democrats, like many across the country, were galvanized, expressing optimism that Booker’s rallying cry and the battleground state victory in Wisconsin could signal a shift in momentum for the party after Trump’s directives threatening immigrants, federal research funding, health care, transgender rights and DEI have dominated the news cycle. However, some young voters, frustrated by what they describe as months of inaction, are worried that the impetus will stop on the Senate floor.

“It was inspiring, and seeing other Democrats support Booker was uplifting. … Maybe things are going to start happening,” said Lauren Utne, a graduate student at UC Berkeley. “But overall, I just want to see more people stand up to Donald Trump and the Republicans.”

House Democrats say there are limits to what they can do in the face of Republicans’ hold on the federal government with control of the executive office and both chambers of Congress.

Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, said he’s been holding town hall meetings and rallies, meeting with constituents and speaking out whenever he can. He’s also joined Democrats like California Attorney General Rob Bonta in pursuing legal action against the Trump administration, he said.

Bonta is leading the charge against many of Trump’s policies, joining suits against orders that impose new voting restrictions and guidelines and cut funding for universities and other research institutions.

“We should organize. We should get together,” Thompson said. “There’s a ton of opportunities out there. The rallies have been going well. The court cases have been going well. We’ve got a midterm election right around the corner. We’re going to do well by sticking together and being unified.”

Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-San José, who represents a section of Silicon Valley, said he’s focused on fighting Trump policies that are hurting Californians economically — especially as new tariffs go into effect this week that he said will disproportionately affect working families.

“You’ll see me on the House floor next week, battling against a bill Republicans are introducing to lift the caps on overdraft fees that we know have cost American families $1 billion a year,” he said. “You’ll see me certainly in lots of other districts in California [where] residents do not have a representative willing to have a town hall because the Republican leadership told their delegation not to have town halls in their district. We’re going to go there and talk to folks about the impacts of cutting Medicaid and the impacts on Social Security.”

Since succeeding Rep. Barbara Lee in November, Rep. Lateefah Simon, D-Oakland, said she’s been in her East Bay district talking to constituents and hosting round tables with local businesses and experts every weekend. This Saturday, though, she’s staying in Washington to join the “Hands Off” protest against the Trump administration happening there.

Other demonstrations are planned across the country, including in San Francisco and Oakland.

“Folks need us and want us to have a visceral but also strategic reaction to the dismantling of government,” said Simon, who has a background as a liberal activist and organizer. “We have been in very dangerous governments before, and the newness of this country demands that we use everything that we have.”

Simon said Democrats have been working behind the scenes to pressure Republican colleagues in committee meetings and on the floor. Booker’s marathon speech gave them the fuel they need to keep pushing, she continued.

“It was one of the most impactful moments I have seen in government,” Simon told KQED.

Not all constituents are convinced, though.

Utne, who is studying natural resources at UC Berkeley, said she’s disappointed at how Democratic leaders have reacted to Trump’s election.

She was shocked when several Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, voted in favor of a Republican stopgap funding bill last month to avoid a government shutdown, one of the few ways the minority party could have exerted power over the federal government.

Utne said the decision felt particularly disheartening because so many of her friends either lost their jobs in departments where spending is being slashed or are struggling to find work as a result of the federal hiring freeze.

She also pointed to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who launched a podcast in February on which he has drawn fire for hosting right-wing guests such as Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon.

In his first episode with Kirk, Newsom made headlines for saying it was unfair for transgender athletes to participate in women’s sports. In liberal strongholds like California, representatives need to use their power to stand up for issues that are hurting residents, Utne said.

“California has always been such a big economic leader and a leader in environmental rights and queer rights and all these other things,” Utne said. “We should be at the front.”

Angie Zhu, a sophomore at UC Berkeley, said most of the headlines she’s read center on what Republicans and Trump are doing.

Democrats need to stir up more publicity around what they are doing to fight back, she said. The Republican Party is better at maintaining an active social media presence, she said, adding that social media is the best way to engage young voters.

“For people who are not involved in politics, our sources are through what’s popping up on Instagram and TikTok,” Zhu said.

Max Suckley, a senior at UC Berkeley, said older politicians have been too complacent since Trump’s election. It feels like many Democratic leaders are giving up and waiting for the next election before they make a move, he said.

Suckley said he wants to see politicians stand alone and “do the right thing” regardless of political affiliation or possible cuts to federal funding. If representatives are unwilling to aggressively defend Californians, voters need to replace them, he said.

He said he’s tired of receiving text messages and emails from politicians who promise to fight on behalf of their constituents before turning around to approve Republican funding bills, referencing the Democratic Party fracture last month.

“I want to see action,” Suckley said. “Go vote against the bill. Go speak against it. Go filibuster for 25 hours and piss down your leg like Cory Booker. Go do something about it.”

To be clear, Booker did not relieve himself on the Senate floor.