The Democratic National Committee is facing serious internal fractures and a sharp decline in donor support, according to a Wednesday report from The New York Times. The party’s national infrastructure, already reeling from a disappointing 2024 election cycle, is now grappling with what some insiders describe as “worse than some high school student council drama.”
Under new chair Ken Martin — elected in February after the 2024 election losses — the DNC has seen major donors hesitate or outright refuse to contribute, raising concerns about future viability. Six anonymous sources cited by the Times confirmed that fundraising has slowed to such an extent that some senior officials have floated the idea of borrowing money just to meet expenses.
Martin acknowledged the frustration of party backers. “People invested more money than they ever had before… and they are quite frustrated by the result,” he said. He attempted to deflect criticism by noting he “wasn’t in charge” during the election cycle that prompted the backlash. Still, party insiders say donors want more than excuses — they want accountability and direction.
Fueling the dysfunction is an ideological and generational tug-of-war inside the party. One flashpoint has been David Hogg, a prominent gun control activist and progressive voice, who was elected as a DNC vice chair earlier this year. His announcement in April that he planned to challenge sitting Democrats triggered fury within the party establishment. On June 11, the DNC voted to remove Hogg from his post and require him to seek reelection due to procedural issues — a move widely seen as a power struggle cloaked in bureaucracy.
we’re finding out how many licks it takes to get to the bottom of a self-licking ice cream cone… https://t.co/brDAMR0fdu
— Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) June 18, 2025
A leaked audio recording on June 8 further complicated the situation, with Martin heard expressing emotional concern about Hogg’s polarizing leadership and the unrest it had generated. The turbulence appears to have wider consequences. Two prominent union leaders — Randi Weingarten of the American Federation of Teachers and Lee Saunders of AFSCME — announced they were leaving the DNC. Both had supported Martin’s rival, Ben Wikler, in the party’s chair election earlier this year.
Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin likened the current atmosphere to “student council drama,” underscoring the depth of disarray.
Despite these fractures, some DNC figures still support Martin. Longtime member Maria Cardona said the new chair “does the work” and insisted his actions, though controversial, have been “the right moves.”
The growing donor freeze, however, could signal deeper trouble. Financial chairman for Kamala Harris’s 2024 campaign, Rufus Gifford, emphasized that public perception is shifting. “What they are seeing is headline after headline of incompetence and infighting,” Gifford warned, calling on Democrats to “shift course” immediately if unity cannot be achieved.
