Over a short stretch on Tuesday, top Democrats showed why their reeling party still cannot agree on the best way to seize back power in Washington.
From his perch on his new podcast, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California made the case for not only hearing out some of the most hard-line figures on the American right, but also welcoming them onto his show — a choice that prompted pushback from his latest guest, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, the 2024 Democratic vice-presidential nominee.
Hours later, Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois took a different approach in a speech at the Center for American Progress, an influential liberal think tank.
The Trump administration, he implied, had plunged the country into a “villainous cruelty” that must be fiercely opposed by a unified Democratic front.
“We have to take any opportunity where we have leverage in order to stand up and fight,” he said.
For an unpopular Democratic Party that is struggling to find a way forward, the most significant dividing line — for now — is not one of ideology.
Instead, as Democrats try to craft a new vision, they are clashing over a simpler question: How hard should they resist?
It is a debate that has played out in angry protests and on Capitol Hill, as Democrats grapple with Senator Chuck Schumer’s decision to vote with Republicans to stave off a government shutdown, a move that, Mr. Walz suggested, “gave up our leverage.”
And the Tuesday appearances by three high-profile governors — all of whom could run for president in 2028 — crystallized Democrats’ political, tactical and messaging tensions as the party faces its lowest favorability ratings in at least a generation.
Battle President Trump at every turn, or focus on finding common ground? Move right on some cultural issues, or offer a full-throated defense of liberal values? Try to win back some Trump voters, or prioritize those turned off by both parties?
“I don’t think we’re going to win over those 77 million that voted for Donald Trump,” Mr. Walz told Mr. Newsom. “I’m concerned with the 90 million who stayed home.”
Certainly, those approaches are not mutually exclusive, and many Democratic officials, including these governors, are navigating a balancing act.
Mr. Newsom, long a proud liberal, is one of the many Democrats wrestling with how to respond to Mr. Trump’s comfortable victory in November.
It was to Mr. Kirk that Mr. Newsom suggested that the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports was “deeply unfair,” openly voicing an opinion that few top Democrats had.
And on Tuesday, while the conversation with Mr. Walz was friendly, it also revealed flickers of more fundamental disagreements about the party’s direction.
During the campaign, Mr. Walz served as a walking, talking, cussing permission structure for white men to vote Democratic.
But Mr. Newsom’s recent guests, he signaled, went beyond the bounds of the bigger tent Democrats are hoping to build.
“These are bad guys,” Mr. Walz said, suggesting that they trafficked in racism and misogyny.
“But they exist,” Mr. Newsom replied. “Not only do they exist, they persist. And they’re actually influencing young kids every single day.”
Mr. Newsom defended his decision to host Mr. Bannon, saying he was highlighting “real issues that our party needs to come to grips with.”
Mr. Bannon, he said, “reminded me a little bit of my grandfather when he talks about working folks.”
“He denies the election,” Mr. Walz replied. On that, Mr. Newsom agreed.
At another point, Mr. Walz asked Mr. Newsom about laying down a “clear marker” against demonizing L.G.B.T.Q. people, as the Trump administration targets transgender Americans.
“We have the back of our diverse communities — we don’t just rhetorically say that we’ve done it,” said Mr. Newsom, a longtime defender of L.G.B.T.Q. rights. “I just think there are areas where we may overreach.”
“If you don’t acknowledge that,” he added, “you’re going to lose people on everything else.”
Mr. Pritzker has taken a radically different approach. Rather than cede any ground to Republicans, he has used high-profile appearances to raise alarms about an administration that he compares to the rise of Nazism in Germany.
“Americans are experiencing the cruelty that comes with authoritarian rule,” he said. “I wish there were more people, more elected leaders, community leaders, who would step up and speak out.”
Still, simply resisting Mr. Trump is not enough for Democrats to win in the future, he said.
“We have to call out the B.S. that Republicans have been selling,” he said. “Meanwhile, Democrats have to make people’s lives better.”
On that point, at least, all three of the governors seem to agree.
“We’ve got to offer them something,” Mr. Walz said.
“Exactly,” Mr. Newsom replied. “That’s the soul-searching that we need.”
