Democrat Friendly-Fire Incidents Rising Ahead Of Midterms

Democratic candidates and elected officials are increasingly running campaign ads that attack their own party, with the trend accelerating noticeably as the 2026 midterm elections approach. The pattern reflects a broader, dour mood among many Americans who view politicians as self-serving and dishonest, and who believe elected officials pay too little attention to basic, everyday economic concerns, according to Daily Caller.

The finding is based on an Axios analysis of hundreds of campaign ads spanning eight years of House, Senate, and statewide races, from the 2018 cycle through 2026. For most of that period, ads that praised the Democratic Party or highlighted its leadership significantly outnumbered ads with a negative message. That balance reversed sharply in 2024: the number of ads portraying the Democratic Party, or both major parties, as corrupt and ineffective climbed significantly, while the number of positive, party-boosting ads dropped off just as sharply.

The reversal breaks with the pattern that held for most of the period studied, when Democratic campaigns more often ran ads promoting the party than criticizing it. The trend has continued into the run-up to the 2026 midterms, with Democratic-aligned advertising now more likely to attack the party, or both major parties, as corrupt and ineffective than to defend them.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Daily Caller’s reporting. Read the full story at Daily Caller →