Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said Democrats need to show they can get “s*** done” if they want to win voters away from Republicans.
“I think the, actually, the path back to power for the Democratic Party is to show that we can get sh*t done again,” Schiff said during a Thursday appearance on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!
“We need to be able to build housing quickly and cost-effectively. We need to build more hospitals and schools. We need to make it clear we’re the party of getting things done,” he continued.
Democrats lost the party-of-action image, but opportunities such as responding to the California wildfires are chances to repair that image, according to Schiff.
“I think the chance to respond well to these fires is a real good test case for us,” he said. “We damn well better pass the test.”
Schiff said Democrats also have to respond to a climate of fear created by President Donald Trump’s actions against universities, press organizations, law firms, and businesses.
“We have to band together. We have to speak out. We have to push back. We have to show courage,” he said. “The dictator wannabes, this is part of their playbook, and the only way to defeat it is by standing strong and saying, basically, screw you. I won’t be intimidated.”
Later in the interview, host Jimmy Kimmel gave Schiff an early birthday “gift” by compiling a montage of Trump’s insults against the California senator, who served as the lead impeachment manager during the president’s first failed impeachment trial.
KATIE PORTER LAUNCHES BID FOR CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR ‘TO HOLD TRUMP ACCOUNTABLE’
“Sleazebag,” “pencil neck,” and “watermelon head” are some of the insults the president has thrown at Schiff.
“I’m a good Democrat,” Schiff responded. “So, my view, of course, is when they go low, we go high … he can go fu*k himself!”