If it’s to have a future, the Democratic Party must not only condemn Trumpism but explain why so many Americans are struggling and offer a credible path for most people to share in the nation’s prosperity. That means forgetting about moving to the so-called center and instead embracing the passion, energy, youth, and big ideas of young Democrats like Zohran Mamdani in New York City and Senate candidates such as Graham Platner in Maine, Dan Osborn in Nebraska, Mallory McMorrow in Michigan, and Nathan Sage in Iowa.

Most Americans are justifiably angry that our political-economic system is in the hands of a bevy of multimillionaires and billionaires who have rigged it for their own good. Trump talks as if he’s a tribune of the people, but he’s been the rigger-in-chief — cutting Medicaid, food stamps, veterans’ benefits, funding for education, and much of what average Americans depend on, so he can give another big tax cut to his wealthy backers.

Meanwhile, he’s handing over the environment to Big Oil and Gas, giving our financial system to Big Crypto (from which he’s already made billions), and turning over our cities to ICE and the National Guard.

He’s handing over our universities, museums, and research institutions to cultural fanatics peddling straight white male Christian nationalism.

Where are the Democrats in all this? Dazed, asleep, mum, frightened.

Trump has baselessly attributed America’s real problems — such as stagnant wages, insecure jobs, and homelessness — to immigrants, the “deep state,” transgender people, socialists, and communists.

Why don’t Democrats tell America the truth — that these problems are largely due to monopolistic corporations and robber-baron billionaires? Because too many Democratic politicians are afraid to bite the hands that feed their campaign coffers.

Hopefully, that’s beginning to change. A cohort of new young progressive Democrats appears willing to take on the moneyed interests.

They’re calling for higher taxes on the superwealthy to finance what average working Americans need — child care, elder care, universal health care, and better schools. And they want big money out of our politics.

Mamdani’s remarkable win in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary was based on the simple message that New York has an affordability crisis and the wealthiest New Yorkers must do their part to respond.

Mamdani’s three main proposals to help working families cope are to make city buses free, freeze the rent for stabilized apartments, and expand free child care.

Under Mamdani’s plan, most of the financial burden of paying for these policies would fall on wealthy taxpayers and businesses.

The young progressive Senate candidates include Maine’s Graham Platner, a 40-year-old veteran and oyster farmer who’s challenging Susan Collins, the incumbent Republican senator.

Platner describes his candidacy as a referendum on wealth and power. He’s pledging to “topple the oligarchy.”

As he pilots a fishing boat in his launch video, Platner rails against billionaires, corrupt politicians, unaffordable housing, and decades of stagnant wages:

“People know that the system is screwing them. No one I know around here can afford a house. Health care is a disaster, hospitals are closing. We have watched all of that get ripped away from us, and everyone is just trying to keep it all together. Why can’t we have universal health care like every other First World country? Why can’t we take care of our veterans when they come home? Why are we funding endless wars and bombing children? Why are CEOs more powerful than unions? We’ve fought three different wars since the last time we raised the minimum wage.”

Nebraska’s Dan Osborn — a union president and former machinist who organized his state’s workers during a nationwide strike at the cereal giant Kellogg’s — has a similar message. He’s attacking both CEOs who care more about wealthy shareholders than workers and politicians who are more loyal to donors than voters.

Osborn captured national attention during his independent Senate run in 2024 against the Republican senator Deb Fischer. Although he lost that race, he narrowed Fischer’s margin of victory to the single digits in a state that Trump won by 20 points.

Now he’s back, challenging the incumbent Republican senator Pete Ricketts in a contest Osborn characterizes as a struggle between the working class and the wealthy.

Osborn contrasts himself with Ricketts, whose father founded the brokerage firm TD Ameritrade and whose net worth is estimated to be $184 million. “Our government doesn’t look like me,” says Osborn, “so that’s certainly what I want to get in there and change.”

Mallory McMorrow, 38, a Michigan state senator who’s running for the US Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Gary Peters, is also taking on the status quo. In her view it includes Republican culture warriors more interested in scoring ideological points than lowering health care costs and Democratic Party leaders who spout “the same old crap out of Washington.”

McMorrow says: “I graduated right into the recession. I had a great internship that did not lead to a job. I had tens of thousands of dollars in student loans. I spent a couple of nights sleeping in the back seat of my car. And what I know is that there are so many people who simply do not believe that the American dream is possible for them anymore.”

McMorrow’s campaign emphasizes the need for a generational shift within the Democratic Party. As the first woman to be the majority whip of the Michigan state Senate, she was instrumental in expanding child care and putting the state on a path to universal pre-K and universal school meals.

Another person I’m watching in that Michigan primary is Abdul El-Sayed, former public health professor and civil servant who was the director of the Department of Health, Human, and Veterans Services for Wayne County, who has what it takes to be a progressive leader — ideas, charisma, keen intelligence, and commitment to social justice.

Iowa’s Nathan Sage is challenging the Republican incumbent senator Joni Ernst. He’s a military veteran, mechanic, and longtime sports radio personality, whose campaign emphasizes his working-class identity and the needs of Iowa’s working class.

The Democratic establishment doesn’t like any of the people I’ve named.

Mamdani is making corporate Democrats cringe. Hillary Clinton endorsed Andrew Cuomo for New York mayor. There’s talk that Trump may as well.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is eschewing the progressive candidates I’ve mentioned in favor of so-called moderates.

That’s a mistake. The Democratic establishment is looking in the rearview mirror.

What about the Democrats’ presidential candidate in 2028? My personal favorites are Representative Ro Khanna of Ohio and former senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio.

I’m also hearing from young people across the country — not only in the Democratic strongholds of New York, California, and Massachusetts but also in Texas — that they’re moved and excited by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

In 2028 — assuming Trump doesn’t call off the next presidential election — she’ll turn the ripe old age of 39.

A new day is dawning for the Democratic Party — if it’s able to see the sunrise.