DNC Chair Ken Martin draws flak over tumultuous tenure

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin is under fire after just a few months on the job over his stewardship of the party and handling of internal strife within the leadership.

“We’re in the most serious existential crisis with Donald Trump both at home and abroad — and with the biggest political opportunity in a decade,” former Obama White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel told Politico. “And the DNC has spent six months on a firing squad in the circle, and can’t even fire a shot out. And Trump’s world is a target-rich environment.”

One member of the DNC told the outlet that Martin was "weak and whiny", while another called him "disappointing" and said he'd been "invisible." Martin, for his part, told the outlet that "too many people in DC want to point fingers, and play the blame game."

Martin secured his slot in the wake of the 2024 election in which President Donald Trump retook the White House. His tenure, thus far, has seen the party struggle to find a coherent message in opposition to the president. It has also witnessed a leadership shakeup, with the DNC holding a second vote on the vice chairs to comply with its own diversity rules.