This was shocking to hear.
A longtime Democrat with deep ties to the Clinton political world is turning heads after publicly breaking with his own party — and accusing major media outlets of failing to recognize the political battle unfolding right in front of them.
Julian Epstein, a veteran Democratic attorney who served as chief legal counsel for House Democrats during former President Bill Clinton’s impeachment proceedings and later worked on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, is now backing Republican Mike Rogers in Michigan’s closely watched U.S. Senate race.
His decision comes as Rogers prepares to face Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive whose victory has intensified the debate over the future direction of the Democratic Party.
For Epstein, however, this is about much more than one Senate election.
He believes Democrats are already engaged in an internal political “civil war” between the party’s traditional moderate wing and a growing progressive movement — and he says much of the national media is failing to adequately explain what is happening.
Clinton-Era Democrat Turns on His Own Party
Epstein made his position clear in a New York Post opinion column explaining why, after spending decades in Democratic politics, he is supporting a Republican in Michigan.
He later expanded on his concerns during an interview with Fox News Digital.
One of his biggest targets wasn’t simply the Democratic Party.
It was the media.
Epstein argued that Americans who depend heavily on some left-leaning cable outlets are receiving an incomplete picture of the ideological struggle taking place among Democrats.
“If you depend on [MS NOW] for your source of news, I believe you are practically illiterate and uninformed about what is really going on,” Epstein told Fox News Digital.
He said he believes the problem exists at CNN as well, although to a lesser extent.
But Epstein’s larger argument may be even more significant.
While political commentators frequently speculate about whether Democrats could eventually face an internal party revolt, Epstein says that moment has already arrived.
“We are in a civil war now,” he said.
Epstein Says Democrats Have a Serious Problem
Political parties have always contained competing factions.
Republicans have experienced their own highly publicized battles between establishment conservatives, populists, libertarians and President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement.
Epstein believes Democrats are now confronting an equally important divide.
On one side are traditional liberals and moderates who historically emphasized issues such as wages, jobs, economic growth and America’s middle class.
On the other is a progressive movement that Epstein believes has pushed Democrats substantially further to the left on cultural, economic and foreign-policy issues.
His concern is that party leaders aren’t doing enough to challenge that shift.
Epstein argues that Democrats have become too dependent on identity politics and ideological policies that could alienate working-class and independent voters.
Progressives strongly disagree with that assessment and argue that their policies are intended to expand economic opportunity, protect civil rights and provide additional assistance to working families.
But Epstein clearly isn’t buying that argument anymore.
And his decision to support a Republican suggests his concerns have moved well beyond ordinary disagreements within his party.
Media Coverage Comes Under Fire
Epstein also believes America’s major news organizations aren’t treating the Democratic divide with the seriousness it deserves.
That criticism could resonate with conservative voters who have long argued that national media organizations apply different standards when covering Republicans and Democrats.
Epstein’s argument is essentially that disagreements within the Republican Party frequently become major national stories, while comparable ideological battles among Democrats can receive considerably different treatment.
Whether that assessment is fair will depend largely on which news coverage Americans consume.
But Epstein’s Democratic credentials make his criticism harder to dismiss as ordinary partisan rhetoric.
He isn’t a Republican strategist attacking Democrats from the sidelines.
He spent years working inside Democratic politics.
Now he’s warning that the party has changed dramatically.
A “Road to Damascus” Moment for Moderate Democrats
Epstein described the current political environment as a “road to Damascus” moment for Democrats like himself.
He said he has reached the conclusion that today’s Democratic Party “does not have a moral center.”
That’s an extraordinary accusation from someone with such longstanding Democratic connections.
Epstein also criticized the party’s embrace of identity politics and what he considers an excessive expansion of government programs.
He pointed toward economic problems facing parts of Europe as a warning about what can happen when governments continually increase the size and cost of the welfare state.
Supporters of larger social programs would strongly dispute that conclusion, arguing that government assistance can provide families with healthcare, retirement security and an important economic safety net.
But Epstein believes Democrats are moving too far in that direction.
His concern appears to be that the party is abandoning the moderate political territory that helped Democrats compete for generations of working-class Americans.
Why Michigan Could Matter Nationwide
That brings the debate directly to Michigan.
The contest between Mike Rogers and Abdul El-Sayed could become more than another battle for control of the U.S. Senate.
It may also provide an important test of which political message appeals to voters in a crucial battleground state.
Michigan contains many of the voters both parties desperately want: union households, suburban families, retirees, independents and working-class voters who aren’t necessarily loyal to either political party.
Those voters could ultimately determine whether Epstein’s concerns represent an isolated disagreement or evidence of a larger political shift.
If longtime Democrats begin crossing party lines because they believe their party has moved too far left, Republicans could gain an important advantage.
If Democrats successfully unite moderates and progressives behind El-Sayed, however, Epstein’s defection could prove less consequential than Republicans hope.
That’s what makes the race worth watching.
Democrats Face an Uncomfortable Question
Epstein’s break with his party raises a broader question Democrats may have to confront before the November election:
How far can the party move toward its progressive wing without losing voters in the political center?
It’s a difficult balancing act.
Progressive activists want Democrats to pursue more ambitious changes, while moderates often argue that winning national elections requires appealing to independents and voters who don’t identify with either political extreme.
Republicans face ideological disagreements of their own.
But Epstein believes Democrats have reached a particularly important crossroads.
And instead of quietly complaining from inside the party, he’s doing something that will get considerably more attention.
He’s supporting the Republican.
A Warning Democrats May Not Want to Hear
The Democratic Party, CNN and MS NOW did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital, according to the outlet.
Epstein acknowledged that abandoning his traditional political home isn’t something he views happily.
“This is not a happy time, I think, for a Democrat,” he told Fox News Digital, adding that he believes the consequences extend beyond partisan politics.
That’s ultimately what makes Epstein’s criticism noteworthy.
Democrats are accustomed to hearing Republicans say the party has moved too far left.
Hearing it from a veteran Democrat who worked during the Clinton years is different.
And his endorsement of Rogers turns those complaints into political action.
The bigger question now is whether voters — particularly older Democrats, independents and working-class Americans — are reaching similar conclusions.
Michigan could soon provide part of the answer.