Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan has launched what she is calling a “military-style operational plan” to counter Donald Trump, urging her party to adopt a more aggressive posture heading into the 2026 election cycle.
In a speech to Michigan Democrats, Slotkin proposed a wide-ranging strategy to change public perception of the party and shift focus to economic messaging, institutional accountability, and pragmatic leadership.
Slotkin, a former CIA analyst and national security official, said the Democratic Party must stop appearing “weak and woke” and instead project strength by embracing what she referred to as “the goddamn Alpha energy” of Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell.
“Trump is doing a whole bunch of things that I think are a threat to our economy and a threat to our democracy,” she told POLITICO, “and I have a responsibility on behalf of my state to point that out and try to do something about that.”
At the core of her plan is a call to reclaim patriotism, support a contested 2028 primary to showcase Democratic leadership, and push for a “shadow Cabinet” to actively challenge Trump’s policies. “If you want to counter something that you see as a problem, you got to have a plan or what else are you doing?” she said.
Slotkin has recently advocated heavily for Democrats to frame issues more clearly to the public. She suggested replacing terms like “oligarchy” with simpler language such as opposition to “kings” and emphasized the need for a blunt, relatable tone. “We need to retake the flag,” she said, adding that Democrats should focus on winning back voters through “a no-bullshit” economic message.
Her strategy includes legal confrontation as well. She cited the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the American resident wrongfully deported to El Salvador, as a test of executive compliance with court rulings. “We need to have this fight as a nation about whether we still believe there are three co-equal branches of government,” Slotkin said.
Slotkin has also been critical of the Democratic party’s left flank. At a recent town hall, she questioned the effectiveness of progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders in challenging Trump, claiming that “they have a lot of words” but asking rhetorically: “what have they actually done to change the situation with Donald Trump?”
In a TIME magazine interview published last week, Slotkin said Democrats must stop merely reacting to Trump and instead organize around strategic goals:
“I don’t think it’s a secret that Democrats have been on their heels since Trump was elected. And I come from the national-security world, so what I constantly am looking for is a strong, comprehensive strategy in whatever I’m doing, but certainly to counter Trump. It can’t be kind of reacting every single day to every single thing that he does”
Originally published on Latin Times
