Democratic California donors blast party leaders as Rep. Jeffries fundraises in the Golden state

Several California Democratic donors on Wednesday slammed the Democratic Party as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries headlined a big-ticket fundraiser in Los Angeles.

Some of the donors said they decided to skip the Wednesday event because of the Democratic Party's response to President Donald Trump's agenda, accusing the party of not being prepared to push back on the president and instead focusing on next year's elections.

The president's agenda includes reducing the federal workforce in order to restructure the government and reduce wasteful spending and fraud.

“Why is there no plan, no strategy besides showing up on MSNBC?” one anonymous donor told Deadline. “Trump said what he was going to do, even if they thought only half of it could happen. They should’ve been prepared, they should [be] protecting people, vets, from Trump and [Elon] Musk.”

Another source, identified as a publicist who had clients that helped Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign, said their clients felt betrayed and lied to by the party.

“They told us [Kamala] Harris was going to win, they told us they had the votes, and then they lost every single swing state,” the publicist said. “We were lied too, or misinformed at best, and we got Trump again.”

A third source specifically said that Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer were to blame for the issues in Washington. 

The criticisms come after congressional Democrats failed to block a continuing resolution that funds the government through September. Jeffries voted against the resolution but Schumer voted to advance the resolution, which allowed it to pass.

Mathew Littman, a partner at HowLitt, claimed Democrats are not properly messaging voters, or sharing how they are standing up to the president. 

“I think people in the entertainment industry are very, very frustrated by what is going on in D.C.," Littman said. “One thing that Democrats are not doing is messaging 24/7. You are not going to get people enthusiastic unless they see you fighting."

The backlash prompted some donors to decline exclusive invitations to an even more intimate dinner with Jeffries. Tickets for the main event ran from $10,000 a couple to $100,000, which went to the Jeffries Victory Fund. 

The victory fund often doles out money for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and other Democratic initiatives.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.