
'The Rebels' explores populism in the Democratic Party
Clip: 1/16/2024 | 6m 15sVideo has Closed Captions
New book 'The Rebels' explores how populists have transformed the Democratic Party
Between the House GOP’s funding fight and Donald Trump’s hold on the Republican party, much has been made of the far-right’s sway. But what doesn’t get as much attention is the far-left’s influence in the Democratic party. Geoff Bennett discussed that with Joshua Green, author of “The Rebels: Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the Struggle for a New American Politics.”
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Major corporate funding for the PBS News Hour is provided by BDO, BNSF, Consumer Cellular, American Cruise Lines, and Raymond James. Funding for the PBS NewsHour Weekend is provided by...

'The Rebels' explores populism in the Democratic Party
Clip: 1/16/2024 | 6m 15sVideo has Closed Captions
Between the House GOP’s funding fight and Donald Trump’s hold on the Republican party, much has been made of the far-right’s sway. But what doesn’t get as much attention is the far-left’s influence in the Democratic party. Geoff Bennett discussed that with Joshua Green, author of “The Rebels: Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the Struggle for a New American Politics.”
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipformer President Donald Trump's# hold on the Republican mu ch has been made of the far right's# strong sway over the GOP and Bu t what doesn't get nearly as much attention is# the far left's influence in the Democratic Party.
I sat down last week with Joshua# Green to discuss just that.
It's## the focus of his latest book called "The# Rebels: Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders,## Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the# Struggle For a New American Politics."
Joshua Green, welcome to the "NewsHour."
JOSHUA GREEN, Author, "The GE OFF BENNETT: In the bo progressive movement to the 2008 financial crisis.
How was that a clarifying# moment and a catalyst for## progressive politics and progressive politicians?
JOSHUA GREEN: I mean, to me, the 2008 crash in its## aftermath was the defining event# in recent U.S. political An d then it gave rise to this furious# populist backlash on the right, which## eventually gave rise to Donald Trump, but also# on the left, which gave rise to my characters,## first Elizabeth Warren, then Bernie Sanders,# who nearly succeeded in winning the Democratic## nomination in 2016, and then ultimately to# this new generation of younger progressives,## such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and# the cohort around her in Congress.
GEOFF BENNETT: You mentioned Elizabeth Warren.
And in the book, you exp the government's response to the# financial crisis.
And, at the time,## she was an unlikely voice in that regard.
Walk us# through her evolution, based on your reporting.
JOSHUA GREEN: Yes, Warren is a fascinating# figure.
I got to know her just after## the crisis.
She was still a Harvard law# professor, but she had jus one of the overseers of the government's# bailout of Wall Street after the crash.
And she used that fairly obscure position# as a platform to really go after the Obama## administration, the banks, and articulate# this version of left-wing populism that## really hadn't had a voice in recent American# political history.
It wound up catching fire,## really starting a movement.
And within a few# years, even before she ran for Senate in 2012,## people in Washington would talk about the# Elizabeth Warren wing of the Democratic Party.
So it helped give rise to this new brand of## progressivism that we saw rise# up in the wake of the GEOFF BENNETT: And fast-forward# to the current moment.
How do you## view the progressive influence on# President you could argue that he has governed like# an economic populist and in many ways far## less than the centrist Democrat that he was# expected to be, given his long track record.
JOSHUA GREEN: Which is really# a remarkable evolution.
I mean, when I first came to Biden was a senator from Delaware, was# known as a great friend of bu was sometimes jokingly referred to as the# senator from corporate America.
I think## Biden's evolution in particular has been an# interesting one, because he was in the White## House with Barack Obama as his vice president# when that first crash hit, and then, when h was elected president, inherited another great# economic crash that followed the COVID pandemic.
And the response to those two crashes, I think,# illustrates what an effect these populists have## had.
After COVID, Biden put in place multiple# rounds of stimulus, unemployment benefits,## student loan freezes, small business loans,# but all of it focused on the middle class## in a way that hadn't necessarily been# true of the response to the '08 crisis.
And so, when you hear Biden speak today# about the economy, he talks about building## it from the middle out.
He shows up on union# picket lines.
He does things that would have## been fairly unimaginable for a centrist# Democrat to do 10, 15 or 20 years ago.
GEOFF BENNETT: What is it about# the Democratic brand of populism## that's different from the kind of# populism that Trump supporters JO SHUA GREEN: Well, the populism# that I write about with Warren,## Bernie and Ocasio-Cortez is really# focused on economic populism And I think my last book, "Devil's Bargain,"# was about the rise of Steve Tr ump in right-wing populism.
And mostly, I think# that's focused on a kind of cultural populism,## a lot of anger toward immigration,# America first nationalism.
Certainly,## there are some economic components.
Trump# is very hawkish toward trade.
He's put in## place -- he put in place steel tariffs the# Biden administration has kept in place.
There are areas of overlap.
But, to me, it's# the cultural element that distinguishes the## right-wing populism from the left-wing# populism that I write about in this book.
GEOFF BENNETT: What about the# politicians themselves?
Is there## a ceiling of support for progressive Democrats who might support progressive# policies, there hasn't been en from the Democratic base to propel one of the# progressive politicians into the White House.
JOSHUA GREEN: You know, it's an interesting# question, because, if you go back to 2019,## I was embedded with Warren and with Sanders# for a time during the Demo when they were both running for president.
It seemed like in the moment# that progressi really taking off, and yet neither one of# them emerged as the Democr partly because there were two of them# running and they split the progressive vote.
But, really, I think there is a ceiling on# candidates who are explicitly described -- defined## as left-wing progressives in Democratic# primaries.
It's really only in deep blue## places like Ocasio-Cortez's district in New# York and a few other places where these true## left-wing progressives, democratic socialists,# have been able to get themselves elected.
But we have seen in a lot of races since then,# in Democratic primaries and general elections,## that they try and they fail.
So, one# of the arguments I make in the book is,## the future of this brand of progressivism may# not be through these particular politicians,## but through politicians like Joe Biden, who# kind of code as more moderate, as more centrist,## but who still take up and put into place a lot# of the politics that my characters gave rise to.
GEOFF BENNETT: The book is "The Rebels:# Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders,## Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the# Struggle For a New America Joshua Green, thanks for# coming in.
Good to talk to you.
JOSHUA GREEN: Thanks so# much
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