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A former Democratic operative ditched the party, explaining how the “hypocrisy” and affinity for “out-of-touch” celebrity support has left her feeling hopeless about the party’s future.
Evan Barker, a former Democratic Party campaign fundraiser, explained why she is now “fed up” with the Democrats during “Fox & Friends” after Vice President Kamala Harris attended a star-studded virtual campaign event with Oprah Winfrey on Thursday.
“I’ve worked in Democratic politics a long time. I’ve raised the millions of dollars and I went to the DNC last month hoping to feel re-inspired, and instead, I just felt like I was in a room with the most out-of-touch and elite people in the world,” Barker told Lawrence Jones on Friday.
In a Newsweek op-ed published this week, Barker described how she went from raising “tens of millions of dollars” for Democrats to distancing herself from a party she now believes is “totally out of touch” with everyday Americans.
Barker said she was initially “thrilled” to volunteer at the DNC, where Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the nomination for president.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 22: Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks on stage during the final day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 22, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
“But once there, wandering amidst the glitz and glam, imbibing the gloss and schmaltz of it all, I couldn’t escape a sinking feeling. I felt submersed in a hollow chamber whose mottos were ‘Brat summer’ and ‘Joy’—totally out of touch with regular, every-day Americans and their pressing needs; instead, the most elite people in the world chanted in unison that ‘We’re not going back,'” Barker wrote.
Barker said the Democrats’ “hypocrisy” is a primary reason as to why she distanced herself from the party overall. Donors are the actors who “control everything,” including the candidates’ policy positions, she argued.
“I’m originally from the Midwest. A lot of the people in my family are union workers or have been in unions, and they are people who once voted for Barack Obama, and now they vote for Donald Trump. And for a long time, I did not understand why, and after raising money for Democrats and just being in these circles, I have realized that the donors control the party,” Barker said.
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“They control everything. They control what the candidates prioritize, and I know that Republicans also have this issue, too, but Democrats are much bigger hypocrites about it,” she continued. “I think what it comes down to is just the hypocrisy and the fact that I don’t recognize this party anymore.”
Oprah Winfrey hosted the “Unite for America Rally,” a livestream event, featuring several celebrities as well as questions and stories from citizens across the country. The event was held by the “Win with Black Women” organization in support of Harris. Over 140 other grassroots organizations took part in the virtual rally, including “White Women: Answer the Call,” “Latinas for Harris” and “White Dudes for Harris.”
Oprah Winfrey headlined an online rally for Vice President Kamala Harris. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images | Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
The event itself took place in Oakland County, Michigan, to an audience of 400 people with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also speaking. Celebrities like Bryan Cranston, Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, Jennifer Lopez, Tracee Ellis Ross, Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep were in virtual attendance as well.
Barker argued the celebrities in attendance are not the everyday Americans impacted by the rising cost of goods as inflation continues to soar, crippling families financially across the country.
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“They’re just telling us basically that all we need to have is optimism and joy, and that’s going to fix our lives,” Barker said. “And I’m just tired of it. I’m completely fed up… My grandmother, she lives in Missouri. She voted for Obama twice. She’s voted for Trump the last couple of times… She’s getting by just on her Social Security check right now.”
“Things have gotten so outrageously expensive, it is so difficult for her,” she continued. “I want to see the Democratic Party talk about what they’re going to do for my grandmother, not just have a bunch of celebrities fly in and tell us all to be joyful and optimistic. It’s cringy. It’s embarrassing.”
“They have become the party of Dick Cheney, of Goldman Sachs, of endless proxy wars, of identity politics,” she said. “I’m just at a point… I’ve been very brave the last couple of weeks, and I’ve gotten a lot of flak from a lot of people. And I’m just at the point where I can’t stand it anymore, and I have to speak out.”
Fox News’ Yael Halon and Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.
