President Donald Trump criticized Democrats during a Monday Cabinet meeting for their stances on crime and transgender athletes, claiming these positions are politically unpopular. He singled out Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., suggesting that ongoing political battles are likely. Trump also made jokes about the party’s voter registration numbers, noting that Republicans have gained 4 million new voters while Democrats have lost 2.5 million. The president warned that Democrats, particularly Schumer, would continue to fight him over these issues. This comes as the Democratic Party seeks to recover from last year’s election losses and faces fundraising challenges against the Republican National Committee.
Trump’s comments come as the Democratic Party is trying to escape the political wilderness after last year’s elections, when Democrats lost control of the White House and the Senate, and fell short in their bid to win back the House majority. Republicans, meanwhile, made gains with voters who make up key parts of the Democratic Party’s base. The Democratic National Committee also faces a massive fundraising deficit at the hands of the rival Republican National Committee, fueled in part by major party donors cutting back their contributions as they express their frustrations with the national party committee.
Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.