The new Democratic Party is leaving the Old Guard behind

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

July 20, 2026

Duration

52m

Channel

On with Kara Swisher

Watch on YouTube

▶ Open ↗

📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

With just months until the midterms and President Trump’s approval ratings stuck in the 30s, Democrats believe they have a real chance to retake Congress. But a wave of insurgent progressive candidates is shaking up the party, defeating establishment-backed incumbents in primaries from Colorado to New York and exposing a growing divide over the party’s future. Kara is joined by three experts to unpack what’s driving this political shift: Adam Jentleson, president and founder of the Searchlight Institute and author of the forthcoming book Supermajority: How Democrats Can Build Lasting Power; Amanda Litman, co-founder and president of Run for Something, the organization that recruits and supports first-time progressive candidates; and Roshni Nedungadi, founding partner and chief research officer of HIT Strategies, a public opinion research firm focused on young voters and communities of color. Together, they discuss why anti-establishment candidates are gaining momentum, what Democratic voters are demanding, what Zohran Mamdani and Abdul El-Sayed's campaigns reveal about the party's direction, and whether Democrats can unite in time for the midterms and the 2028 presidential race. Chapters 00:00 Why progressives keep winning Democratic primaries 02:16 Why the Democratic establishment is losing voters 09:30 What Zohran Mamdani got right 15:14 The Graham Platner warning for Democrats 20:42 Abdul El-Sayed and Michigan's pivotal Senate race 25:24 Why young Democrats are fed up 34:20 Gaza, AIPAC and the Democratic divide 40:00 The politics of ICE and immigration 47:03 Who could lead Democrats in 2028 — Subscribe: https://goo.gl/FRleYo Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-with-kara-swisher/id1643307527 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/42ntT7XnfdbbYetUQu0vu5?si=ddbc94321e3948af FOLLOW US Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onwithkaraswisher/?hl=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@onwithkaraswisher?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kara-swisher-b7213 Threads: https://www.threads.com/@onwithkaraswisher Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/onwithkaraswisher.bsky.social

🎤 SPEAKERS

• Amanda Litman

  guest

  Leads Run for Something, a group that recruits and supports first-time and young progressive candidates for local and state office.

• Roshni Nedungadi

  guest

  Partner at HIT Strategies, a public opinion research and polling firm.

• Kara Swisher

  host

  Host of the podcast On with Kara Swisher.

• Adam Jentleson

  guest

  Political strategist at The Searchlight Institute and author of the forthcoming book Supermajority.

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of On with Kara Swisher, featuring Amanda Litman and Roshni Nedungadi, The new Democratic Party is leaving the Old Guard behind explores Insurgent Democrats rise as voters reject status quo and demand delivery The episode examines why progressive and insurgent candidates are toppling Democratic incumbents, with panelists emphasizing a mix of ideological conflict and a powerful outsider-versus-status-quo backlash.

🔗 RELATED EPISODES

How it took Jeff Hiller 20 years to become an overnight success

The AI job disaster Congress refuses to fix

One man’s bold plan to defeat Trumpism—once and for all

The Pope’s AI advisor has a warning for Silicon Valley

Kara Swisher puts NYT and Vox Media CEOs in the hot seat

Quit your job! And other career advice from Kara Swisher.