The mistake newly-elected Dems admit they can't afford to make with Trump after sweeping 2026 wins

Congressional Democrats are heading into the next two years with a critical choice: focus on investigating President Donald Trump and his administration or seek ways to work with him to deliver results for Americans. The party, after sweeping pickups in last week's midterms, initially warned Trump and Republicans to "lawyer up" and began outlining investigations into the administration, including its handling of immigration enforcement, the president's business interests and the Justice Department's actions.

New voices urge cooperation

However, newly elected Democrats and strategists at the "What's Next" conference in Denver told Fox News Digital that their party should seek opportunities to work with Trump. The new guard argues that voters who elected them want to see results over partisan fights.

Caution against investigations

Iowa Gov.-elect Rob Sand cautioned his party against making investigations and impeachments the focus of its new political momentum, particularly when the underlying issues have already been reported. He said he did not want to see Democrats "throwing bombs" at Republicans, noting that voters need public servants focused on improving their lives.

Sand questioned the value of investigating matters already covered by the media instead of pursuing work that could help ordinary people. When asked if that meant working with the Trump administration, he confirmed: "He's there, he was put there two years ago. He's gonna be there another two years."

Focus on immediate results

Sen.-elect James Talarico, D-Texas, called on Democrats to focus on what they can accomplish now, even as they push for longer-term reforms. He emphasized that the country "cannot wait two years for change" and urged Democrats to make Trump's final two years in office "the most productive of any presidency in American history." Talarico, who became the first Democrat in nearly four decades to win a statewide election in Texas, also warned against getting "bogged down in the same petty fights."

Democratic strategist Lis Smith offered a related caution, saying the election was "largely a referendum on Donald Trump and less a validation of Democrats and their policies." She emphasized that the party still needs to earn voters' trust and should focus on costs and corruption rather than treating their wins as a mandate for policies they did not campaign on.

Voter expectations

President Donald Trump has two years left in his term, setting up a period in which Democrats will have to decide how much to confront him and where they can work with his administration. A Reuters/Ipsos poll published this month indicated that nearly three-quarters of Americans wanted Democratic leaders in Congress to make a concerted effort to work with the president.

The challenge for Democrats now is to balance accountability with cooperation, delivering on the affordability concerns that drove voters to punish Republicans while navigating the complex political landscape of a Trump presidency with two years remaining.