Democrats have a new strategy to soar to victory in 2026 and beyond and rally the country around their message: get arrested.
Evidently jealous of the success of President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign after Democrats prosecuted him, resulting in a mug shot that Trump turned into campaign merchandise, Democrats have decided to try and replicate Trump’s strategy by getting themselves arrested. So the logic goes, it will rally their base and also paint Trump and Republicans as fascists who are arresting their political opponents.
It started in New Jersey with Ras Baraka, the mayor of Newark, who was running for governor. Trailing the top candidate in a crowded field, Baraka was looking for something to boost his campaign, and so he descended on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in his city. He and a few Democratic members of Congress tried to push past federal agents to enter the facility. Baraka was warned multiple times that he was trespassing, and he was then arrested.
Not to be outdone, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) decided that now was his opportunity to stop being the most unknown major politician from California. Padilla stormed a press conference being held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and did so without any identification indicating that he was a senator. He shouted questions at her like a madman and tried to push through her security, only claiming to be a senator as security hauled him out of the room. He was put in handcuffs briefly and then released. Now, he is crying on the Senate floor.
This was followed by a Democrat in a similar position to Baraka. Brad Lander is the third wheel in the New York mayoral race, trailing major candidates Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani. When ICE moved in to arrest an illegal immigrant at a courthouse, Lander locked arms with him, forcefully preventing agents from carrying out an arrest. That is a crime, for those of you who think you can interfere in an arrest being made by law enforcement.
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Those are the big three examples, but others have been trying to get in on the action as well. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) practically begged Trump “border czar” Tom Homan to arrest him, as Newsom is desperate to have something to hang his future presidential campaign on other than how he has destroyed California. Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) boasted that if “you come for my people,” or illegal immigrants, then “you come through me.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) may have been the trendsetter here, as back in 2022, she faked being handcuffed when she was arrested at an abortion protest.
All of it is a bit gross when you think about it for a couple of minutes. Democrats are using illegal immigrants as human props for their own campaigns and fundraising. They are also getting themselves arrested because they know they likely won’t face any real consequences. Getting arrested for a crime is, for most people, a terrible day. For Democrats, it is the hot, new political strategy. Every Democratic politician now wants their mug shot moment, and they will happily break the law in pursuit of it.