The Aporia · Are Never-Trumpers Welcome in the Democratic Party? Mehdi Asks Sarah Longwell

In an interview with Mehdi Hasan on The Bulwark co-founder Sarah Longwell's insights from her new book "How to Eat An Elephant: One Voter at a Time," Longwell discusses why Kamala Harris' 2024 Democratic presidential campaign failed due to undefined messaging. She also addresses the left's skepticism towards Never-Trumpers like herself and debates whether Democrats should adopt more centrist policies to appeal to former Trump voters. The interview explores the complexities of cross-partisan advice in a politically divided America, with Longwell defending her strategic approach while acknowledging criticism from both sides of the aisle.

Written by AI on 2026-10-31, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

In an October 29, 2026 interview with Mehdi Hasan for Zeteo, Sarah Longwell, co-founder of The Bulwark, discusses her insights from hundreds of focus groups on why the 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris failed to win. Longwell argues that Harris was perceived as too centrist by progressives and too progressive by centrists, lacking a clear identity. Mehdi presses Longwell on whether former Republicans like herself should influence the Democratic Party's strategy towards the right, and questions her role in shaping Kamala Harris’s messaging during the 2024 campaign. The interview highlights internal party tensions over strategic direction heading into upcoming midterms and the 2028 presidential election.

Written for “Never-Trumpers Welcome Debate” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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If she and other former Republicans want to push the Democratic Party to the right

right suggests that Never-Trumpers are pushing Democrats towards a more conservative position

Reading Leans right (beta estimate) Confidence medium

Leaning: leans right for article 115804 (medium confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-10-31

📰 Never-Trumpers Welcome Debate

Politics · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

Nothing to compare against. No article is close enough to this one for the pipeline to have linked or judged the pair.

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Zeteo · 220 article(s) · 0 correction(s) detected

No corrections detected for this publisher. That may mean careful reporting, or simply that nothing has been checked.

Mehdi Hasan

25 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

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🔮 And will the Democrats be able to successfully sway not just independents, but former Trump voters?

2026-10-29 · assertive framing · Are Never-Trumpers Welcome in the Democratic Party? Mehdi Asks Sarah Longwell

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🔮 In this special, live edition of ‘Mehdi Unfiltered,’ Ramirez discusses the growing support for her bill to block weapons to Israel, whether Gaza and AIPAC will be litmus tests in the 2028 Democratic presidential primaries, and how the lobbying group’s fading influence has forced it into operating “in the shadows.”

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🔮 The author and friend of Zeteo attended the hearing to protest the county’s massive investments in Israeli bonds (the largest globally), a matter the county’s mayor, Sarah Baxter, had no appetite for.

2026-09-19 · assertive framing · Noura Erakat On Why She Was Arrested for Protesting Israeli Bond Investments

🔮 With just over six weeks until the midterm elections, Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is in a tight race against GOP candidate Mike Rogers, one that could determine which party controls the Senate during the second half of Trump’s presidency.

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And with midterms around the corner and the 2028 presidential election looming ahead, the Democratic Party has a lot of work to do. asserted

Party → loom → work

But what, exactly, went wrong in 2024? asserted

what → go → 2024

And will the Democrats be able to successfully sway not just independents, but former Trump voters? asserted

Democrats → sway → independents

To get to the bottom of these questions, The Bulwark co-founder Sarah Longwell has conducted hundreds of focus groups across the United States and now provides key insights from those sessions in her best-selling new book, How to Eat An Elephant: One Voter at a Time. asserted

Longwell → get → Time

Reflecting on the failure of the Harris campaign in 2024, she tells Mehdi, “People who were more centrist thought she was too progressive, and people who were more progressive thought she was too centrist. asserted

she → reflect → Mehdi

She was ill-defined and she didn’t come out and define herself.” But as a former Republican operative turned Never-Trumper, how much weight should the Democratic Party put into Longwell’s strategic advice? asserted

Party → define → advice

In this interview, Mehdi presents much of the left’s criticisms to Longwell and presses her on: If she and other former Republicans want to push the Democratic Party to the right Whether Kamala Harris listened too much to The Bulwark and its centrist messaging during her 2024 campaign Why she believes Liz Cheney campaigning with Kamala Harris is defensible while Democratic candidates campaigning with Hasan Piker isn’t Whether she understands why some on the left are suspicious of her and Never-Trump colleagues If she agrees that the Republican Party she was previously a part of played a role in creating Trump and MAGA Whether she prefers House Democrats prioritizing the investigation of Trump administration officials or the impeachment of Trump himself if they take control of Congress What it was like working for the notorious right-wing lobbyist nicknamed ‘Dr. Evil’ and whether she has any regrets. Watch the full interview above to also find out why Trump voters are finally ditching him and what Democrats can actually do to gain their votes. asserted

Democrats → present → votes

Paid subscribers can watch the 55-minute conversation in full, while free subscribers can access a four-minute preview. asserted

subscribers → watch → preview

If you’ve already read it, feel free to share your review of the book in the comments below! asserted

you → read → comments

Are Never-Trumpers Welcome in the Democratic Party? Mehdi Asks Sarah Longwell

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