Former ‘Today’ show host Katie Couric has suggested that Democrats have “kind of lost” the working-class vote due to being too disconnected from their concerns.
She pointed out Democrats need to “do better” to appeal to “regular Joes” on her ‘Hysteria’ podcast during an episode featuring former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco.
Couric she pinpointed the beginning of the phenomenon to Hillary Clinton’s campaign against Republican nominee Donald Trump during the 2016 election, when the former Secretary of State labeled his supporters as a “basket of deplorables.”
That comment sparked national outrage and is often seen as a pivotal moment that helped Trump secure his unexpected victory.
Katie Couric Sounds Alarm On Dems Losing ‘Working Class’ pic.twitter.com/0P9xcBKuMr
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) August 1, 2024
Couric, a hardcore liberal, cautioned that a similar scenario could play out if Democrats don’t reconnect with the working class by November.
She emphasized the need for a “greater connection” between the working class and the Democratic Party, noting that “the Democrats have kind of lost the working class.”
“It was never that way during all my years of covering politics,’ she went on,” Couric noted.
This is big.
President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Sean O'Brien just finished a powerful speech at the RNC as Trump attended. While The Teamsters Union has not officially endorsed President Trump, they recognize that his policies benefit the members and the… pic.twitter.com/S4Pu5JvgqG— 🇺🇸🇺🇸Red White and True News🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@RWTNews) July 16, 2024
“You had the head of the Teamsters at the RNC, you have people buying into this notion that Republicans care about dinner table issues much more than Democrats,” she said about Sean O’Brien, the head of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who spoke at the Republican National Convention this year.
“And these narratives, I think, have become too deeply entrenched about liberal college-educated elites who are condescending,” Couric added.
During his speech at the RNC, O’Brien criticized large corporations like Walmart and Amazon, as well as the Chamber of Commerce and the federal government for neglecting workers’ interests.
“The American people aren’t stupid, they know the system is broken,” he commented. “We all know how Washington is run. Working people have no chance of winning this fight.”
“That’s why I’m here today, because I refuse to keep doing the same things my predecessors did,” he added.
O’Brien said that Trump, who survived an assassination attempt two days prior, is the “candidate who is not afraid of hearing from new, loud, and often critical voices.”
“And I think we all can agree, whether people like him or they don’t like him, in light of what happened to him on Saturday, he has proven to be one tough S.O.B.,” he concluded.
Couric told Mastromonaco that the Democrats shouldn’t abandon this voting demographic and suggested the party should try to make a “much stronger connection” by November.
She suggested they should communicate to blue-collar workers, “Hey, we care about you, we care about your issues, we know a lot of things have really been hard…but this is how we’re going to help.”
Couric expressed a desire to see Vice President Kamala Harris engaging more with “regular Joes,” metaphorically suggesting she don a “welding hat” and get her hands dirty to appeal to the demographic.
Harris has actually has some “regular Joes” in her pocket, as proven on Wednesday, when the United Auto Worker’s Union gave her their endorsement.
The UAW’s endorsement isn’t surprising, given UAW President Shawn Fain’s tumultuous past with Trump and the Detroit-based union long-standing support of Democrats, including President Joe Biden.
When endorsing Harris, Fain emphasized the union’s goal to defeat Trump and elect Harris to advance a pro-working-class agenda.
“Our job in this election is to defeat Donald Trump and elect Kamala Harris to build on her proven track record of delivering for the working class,” he remarked in a statement.
“We can put a billionaire back in office who stands against everything our union stands for, or we can elect Kamala Harris who will stand shoulder to shoulder with us in our war on corporate greed.”
Fain and Trump have had a contentious relationship, publicly clashing since Fain’s election as UAW president in 2023.
Trump demanded that Fain be let go from his position during a speech at the Republican National Convention.
The union clapped back by labeling Trump a “scab and a billionaire,” reiterating their opposition to him and his policies.
After President Biden exited the 2024 race, the union released a statement on July 21 asserting their commitment to defeating Trump’s “billionaire agenda” and electing a working-class “champion,” though they did not endorse Harris at that time.
The UAW’s endorsement is pivotal for any candidate seeking to win Michigan, a key battleground state, due to their sheer volume of active and retired members in the state.
“For our one million active and retired members, the choice is clear: We will elect Kamala Harris to be our next President this November,” Fain declared.
Couric’s full “Hysteria” podcast can be seen here: