CNN has made a major confession.
In a striking admission on CNN NewsNight, senior political commentator Scott Jennings revealed the truth many Americans already feel: the Democratic Party has lost its connection with the working class — and President Donald Trump has welcomed them with open arms.
Jennings explained how the shift unfolded over a generation.
“All the Clinton guys you are speaking about — those working-class people from the 90s — they are Trump supporters now,” Jennings said. “It also shows how the GOP’s platform has progressed to represent everyday Americans.”
Jennings’ remarks followed an emotional statement from liberal podcast host Chuck Rocha, who criticized Democrats for losing touch with real people.
“I’m a non-college-educated brown man who was a teenage father,” Rocha shared. “I remember what it was like scraping together money just to buy diapers. That’s the world regular Americans live in — and Democrats have forgotten about it.”
Rocha called on his party to reconnect with hardworking citizens instead of catering to the “overeducated elite.”
Personal Stories Reveal the Truth
Jennings shared a powerful personal story, illustrating just how far the Democratic Party has drifted.
“My dad worked in a factory. He was a garbage man. In the 90s, he was the biggest Clinton supporter I knew,” Jennings said. “But he was the first person who told me Donald Trump would win the presidency. I didn’t believe him then — but he was right.”
Jennings emphasized that the working-class men who once formed the core of the Democratic Party “are gone.”
CNN’s Shermichael Singleton echoed these concerns, noting that today’s Democratic leaders are far removed from real life.
“Most Democrats I know are corporate elites,” Singleton said. “They attend fancy universities and live lives completely disconnected from the daily struggles of average Americans.”
Top Democrats Admit Their Party Has Failed
Even leading Democrats have been forced to acknowledge the shift.
In the days following President Trump’s 2024 victory, Senator Bernie Sanders acknowledged that it was no shock the working class turned away, stating that a Democratic Party which neglects working people should expect to be abandoned in return.
Former Obama adviser David Axelrod offered a similar reflection, warning that Democrats often approach working-class Americans with “unspoken and unintended disdain,” pushing voters straight toward Donald Trump and the GOP.