Democrat Seth Moulton scolds party for shutting down free speech, not listening to voters, in brutal op-ed

Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., scolded his party for shutting out opposing opinions and failing to address voters' fears in a brutal opinion article published in the Washington Post on Friday.

"Until not so long ago, we were the party of free speech. We welcomed real, rigorous debate when orthodox conservatives in the Republican Party were afraid of change," he argued, citing his party's fight for Obamacare, abortion and same-sex marriage.

"In every case, we listened, we built trust, and we welcomed those who disagreed into our expanding tent - the definition of a majority party. Just 12 years ago, we even nominated a Democrat who was against gay marriage for president," he continued.

Moulton argued the tide had changed in recent years and his party now seemed opposed to making room for different opinions.

"Independents and Republicans see what we do to fellow Democrats who disagree with the party line. Why would they think they'd have a prayer with us?" Moulton challenged.

Pivoting to the 2024 election, Moulton argued that the Democratic Party often went "straight to denial" when voters brought up concerns on immigration, crime and the economy that they didn't agree with, and it wound up costing them.

"But it turns out that voters knew better, and wanted answers. When 94 percent of Americans said they worried about the border crisis, Trump said he'd fix it. Trump, for all his bluster and lies, sees and understands real fears," Moulton wrote.

"When Democrats don't engage honestly on real issues important to Americans, we give the impression that we either don't understand or, worse yet, simply don't care," he went on. "According to one exit poll, the No. 1 reason swing voters chose Trump was 'Harris is focused more on cultural issues like transgender issues rather than helping the middle class.'"

Moulton chided his party for letting an "easy election" get away from them.

"We lost the White House to a felon who has alienated many of the Republican faithful. Republicans are so dysfunctional that they couldn't even elect a Speaker of the House for three weeks last year, another first in modern history," Moulton wrote. 

"But the American people voted for Trump because he articulated a vision, however twisted and unconscionable, for solving their problems and addressing their fears."

The congressman called on his party to return to its "proud history" of working to solve the challenges of working-class Americans rather than telling them "what to think or how to feel."

"I have two little girls, I don't want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat I'm supposed to be afraid to say that," he said at the time.