Democrats have worried for years about shrinking support among men, yet the concern has rarely broken through the daily news cycle. That is changing more so following the party’s 2024 loss to President Donald Trump, particularly this month as three high-profile Democrats delivered almost the same message in separate forums: Young and working-class men are drifting away, and the party cannot win future national elections without them.
Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was the latest voice. On a podcast hosted by Megyn Kelly, he said the party “lost it with young men” after years of “walking on eggshells” about cultural issues. Emanuel argued that voters, especially men, want a sense of “strength, confidence, and optimism,” and he blamed his party for spending more time “focused on bathroom access rather than classroom excellence.”
