Progressive Democrats wrestling with how to navigate a second Donald Trump presidency are settling on a new approach: Take his populist, working-class proposals at his word — or at least pretend to.
If he succeeds, they can take some credit for bringing him to the table. If he doesn't, they can bash him for it.
It's a change in strategy, emerging in private conversations among some liberal elected officials and operatives, that comes after years of resisting Trump ended with him returning to the White House.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said in an interview that she would likely work with Trump if he pursues antitrust promises he made on the campaign trail. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said he sees himself partnering with Trump to tackle "large corporate consolidations," while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) posted on X that he "looked forward" to Trump "fulfilling his promise" to cap credit card interest rates.
Even Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), the resistance icon who popularized the motto "nevertheless, she persisted" while skewering a Trump cabinet pick in 2017, is finding common cause with the president-elect.
"President Trump announced during his campaign that he intended to put a 10 percent interest rate cap on consumer credit," Warren told POLITICO. "Bring it on."
But, she added, "if he refuses to follow through on the campaign promises that would help working people, then he should be held accountable."
An aide to a progressive member of Congress, who was granted anonymity to discuss internal strategy, stated the obvious: Liberal Democrats will continue to oppose most of what Trump does "tooth and nail."
However, the person said, "For the few policy proposals that we think will help the working class, capping credit card interest rates being one of them, we'll say, 'Put up or shut up.' Because if he does, it's a great win for millions of people across this country. And if he doesn't, it exposes him as a fraud that he is."
Some of Trump's populist campaign promises fall in line with progressives' own aspirations. Those include making in vitro fertilization treatments free, ending taxes on tips and capping credit card interest rates. He has also promised for years to protect the popular programs of Social Security and Medicare. At times, he has promoted directing Medicare to negotiate drug prices.
. Where'd you find that for so cheap? 
