Fareed Zakaria, on his show “Fareed Zakaria GPS,” critiqued the Democratic Party and Vice President Kamala Harris, attributing their election losses to what he calls “lawfare” against Donald Trump and divisive cultural policies. Zakaria highlighted the national popular vote, where Harris appears poised to lose by a narrow margin—a rarity for Democrats since 2004.
He suggested this outcome reflects growing dissatisfaction among voters, particularly due to the party’s handling of immigration, legal actions against Trump, and identity politics. Zakaria argued that these issues alienated mainstream and working-class voters, paving the way for Trump’s resurgence in the face of criticism from the left.
Zakaria criticized the Biden administration’s failure to address border security effectively. He noted that the U.S. asylum system, originally intended to protect small groups of persecuted individuals, has been overwhelmed, with millions seeking entry through it. He argued that Democrats failed to act on this crisis and instead dismissed critics as heartless or racist, ignoring the shifting public opinion on immigration.
Zakaria cited a stark rise in Americans wanting to decrease immigration, from 28% in 2020 to 55% today. He argued that Harris missed an opportunity to differentiate herself from Biden’s approach by not advocating for stronger border control earlier.
The Democratic Party’s handling of legal cases against Trump was Zakaria’s second critique. He argued that Democrats weaponized the legal system to target Trump through a series of lawsuits, some of which he felt were questionable, like the New York case led by Alvin Bragg.
Fareed Zakaria Critiques Democrats’ ‘Lawfare’ and Cultural Policies, Citing Reasons for 2024 Election Losses
Zakaria suggested that while some cases, such as the one in Georgia, were valid, the cumulative effect of so many cases made it appear as though the legal system was being manipulated against Trump. This, Zakaria said, reinforced Trump’s support base, who saw these actions as hypocritical and politically motivated, strengthening Trump’s appeal among his followers.
Zakaria also pointed to the Democrats’ use of identity politics as a major misstep. He argued that their push for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, especially the use of terms like “Latinx,” alienated many voters.
For example, he highlighted that many Latinos find “Latinx” strange and unnecessary, showing how out of touch the Democrats are with working-class and socially conservative Latinos who might be drawn to Trump’s rhetoric on social issues. Zakaria suggested that by focusing so heavily on identity, Democrats missed out on connecting with voters on more unifying concerns.
Finally, Zakaria addressed the broader implications of the Democrats’ focus on identity and restrictive cultural policies, which he labeled “deeply illiberal.” He argued that this emphasis risks judging people by identity rather than merit or character, diverging from traditional liberal values like free speech and individual rights.
He noted that policies like cancel culture on college campuses symbolize this shift away from freedom of speech. According to Zakaria, the election results signal that liberal goals must be pursued through liberal means, avoiding the alienating effects of identity-driven and restrictive cultural agendas.
