U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen called on Iowa Democrats to stand together against the GOP to elect Democrats in the U.S. House and Senate and push back on the Trump administration's actions. The Democrat from Maryland was the keynote speaker a the Polk County Democrats' Steak Fry at Water Works Park in Des Moines Saturday afternoon.
Facing over 90 degree heat, hundreds of attendees came to hear from the party's candidates for Senate, Iowa's 3rd Congressional District and the 4th Congressional District. With an open Senate and governor's race, as well as potentially an open race in the 4th District, the event provided a chance for candidates to make their pitches to voters ahead of primaries next June.
Van Hollen said the Democratic party has "drifted too often" and allowed itself to be influenced by powerful interests. He said Democrats must be ready to take on special interests and fight for working people.
"I will just say this, it is up to us," he said. "There is no cavalry coming. There's no rescue operation from the DNC [Democratic National Committee]. There's no magic hand from Washington ... It really is up to all of us to seize responsibility for our country in this moment."
Van Hollen also criticized the president's response to conservative activist Charlie Kirk's death on Wednesday. Kirk was shot and killed by a gunman while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. In a speech Wednesday night, after Kirk's death, President Trump blamed what he called the "radical left."
"The answer cannot be more violence. The answer cannot be vengeance," Van Hollen said. "Sadly, the president is using this moment not to unite America against political violence, but to engage in finger pointing."
Van Hollen said the U.S. is complicit in the civilian death toll in Gaza and that it has severely damaged the nation’s international standing.
Earlier this week, Van Hollen released a report alongside Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley following an official visit to the region. The report highlighted the destruction of civilian infrastructure, accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of using food as a weapon of war and concluded the Netanyahu government is carrying out a plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza of Palestinians.
Van Hollen called the Biden administration "feckless" for not holding the Netanyahu government accountable for things he says violate international law.
"Not only Republicans, but far too many Democrats in Congress have looked the other way. Too many voted to send the Netanyahu government more bombs for Gaza, even as Netanyahu had cut off all food for Gaza," he said.
Van Hollen also called for "sane and fair" immigration policy. In April, he travelled to El Salvador to meet with Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who the Trump administration said was mistakenly deported. The White House described Van Hollen's actions as "truly disgusting" after news of their meeting broke.
"Yes, we must secure the border," Van Hollen said. "I've long said that, yes, we should remove the worst of the worst who have committed terrible crimes, but no to mass deportation; no to tearing families apart; no to concentration camps; no to surrendering the right of due process; and yes to improving our legal immigration system so that we can continue to represent the value symbolized by the Statue of Liberty."
Candidates respond to Senate race shakeup
Democratic Senate candidates Nathan Sage, state Rep. Josh Turek, state Sen. Zach Wahls and Jackie Norris all told reporters before the event their campaign messaging remains the same despite Sen. Joni Ernst's announcement that she will not be running for reelection.
Iowa's 2nd Congressional District Rep. Ashley Hinson quickly entered the race after Ernst made her decision and collected high profile endorsements from Trump and other national GOP leaders. Former state Sen. Jim Carlin and Joshua Smith are also running on the Republican side.
Turek called the shuffling of seats "same votes, same ideology, new face."
Norris said her messaging also doesn't change.
"Ashley Hinson has to own the same thing that Joni Ernst did, so Medicaid cuts, rural health care being decimated, veterans' health care cuts," said Norris. "It's all of it. It's the same thing. She's going out, she's gotta defend it. So she has to own it and she has to defend it."
Voters say Democrats struggle with messaging
Mary Ann Ahrens, 82, of West Des Moines, attended Saturday's event. She said she thought the speakers were fired up about making changes without always being nice.
"They're sick of all of the game playing and criminal activity that has seemed to [have] taken over," she said. "People are so angry that they're looking at themselves about 'Wait a minute, I don't like this.'"
She said she believes the Iowa Democratic Party has struggled with messaging for a while.
"I think we need something short and sweet and to the point," Ahrens said. "I think Republicans have been better at doing that, not that it's the best thing that they're saying, but it's how they're doing it. But I think we [Democrats] really need more help along those lines."
John Hale, 73 of Ankeny, said he came to the steak fry to hear from multiple candidates in one place. He called winning the 3rd District U.S. House seat and the U.S. Senate seat a necessity for the party.
"I think the key challenge is going to be outreach, getting to all of those people who haven't voted before, or who have voted sporadically in the past — those folks have got to show up for Democrats to win," he said. "It's not just reaching Democrats. It's also reaching out to and appealing to independents."
