According to the Washington Examiner, David Hogg’s tenure as DNC vice chairman is on the chopping block, and it’s no surprise why. The gun control activist turned political firebrand has ruffled feathers with his brash plan to primary “ineffective” Democrats, a move that’s got the party’s old guard clutching their pearls. Turns out, actions have consequences.
In April 2025, Hogg, leading his group Leaders We Deserve, vowed to challenge sitting Democratic members of Congress, especially the older ones, who he claimed weren’t cutting it. This bold pledge, aired on MSNBC, sparked immediate backlash for violating the DNC’s sacred vow of neutrality. The party frowns on its leaders openly plotting against their own.
Hogg’s comments didn’t just raise eyebrows; they lit a fuse. By May 12, 2025, the DNC Credentials Committee passed a resolution challenging the February 1, 2025, election that put Hogg and fellow Vice Chairman Malcolm Kenyatta in their seats. The vote, 13-2 with three abstentions, signals a party ready to clean house.
The resolution stemmed from a challenge by Kalyn Free, a Native American attorney who lost to Hogg in the vice chairman race. Free called the February election “fatally flawed,” alleging it broke the DNC Charter and discriminated against three women of color candidates. Sounds like the DNC’s got bigger problems than just Hogg’s big mouth. Hogg, never one to stay quiet, took to the airwaves on May 12, 2025, claiming the DNC was fast-tracking his removal. “Today, the DNC took its first steps to remove me from my position as Vice Chair At-Large,” he said. But crying foul won’t erase the fact that his own words dug this grave.
“While this vote was based on how the DNC conducted its officers’ elections, which I had nothing to do with, it is also impossible to ignore the broader context of my work to reform the party,” Hogg added. Reform? More like a wrecking ball aimed at the party’s elders, who aren’t thrilled about being called “asleep at the wheel.”
Hogg’s rhetoric has been relentless. “Our country is in crisis, and too many leaders in the Democratic Party are asleep at the wheel,” he declared, painting Democrats as weaker than their opponents. Bold words, but when you’re a DNC vice chairman, you’re supposed to cheer for the team, not bench the veterans.
“Trump is on a mission to crash our economy, disappear people without due process, and participate in flagrant public corruption,” Hogg continued, “and voters still trust him more than Democrats.” He’s not wrong about the trust gap, but airing the party’s dirty laundry on national TV isn’t exactly a loyalty play.
The DNC’s neutrality rule exists to keep the party from fracturing, but Hogg’s pledge to primary “ineffective” members of Congress threw that out the window. “A lot of our members of Congress are failing to meet the moment,” he said, promising young challengers with “resources behind them.” That’s less a reform and more a declaration of civil war.
The Credentials Committee’s resolution isn’t just about Hogg; it also targets Malcolm Kenyatta, though Hogg’s the one stealing the spotlight. The committee’s move suggests deeper issues with the February election, but Hogg’s primary threats made him the poster child for this mess. It’s hard to feel sorry for a guy who keeps lighting matches in a powder keg. DNC Chairman Ken Martin tried to play peacemaker, acknowledging the election’s “procedural error” while praising Hogg and Kenyatta’s service. “I trust that the DNC Members will carefully review the Committee’s resolution and resolve this matter fairly,” Martin said. Translation: let’s all pretend this isn’t a bloodbath.
“I thank all of our officers for their service, including Vice Chairs Kenyatta and Hogg,” Martin added, “and look forward to continuing to work with them in their officer posts as this matter is resolved.” Nice words, but when the party’s already sharpening the guillotine, those platitudes ring hollow.
Hogg remains defiant, framing his ouster as a backlash against his push for change. “I ran to be DNC Vice Chair to help make the Democratic Party better, not to defend an indefensible status quo,” he said. Noble, maybe, but picking fights with your own party’s elders isn’t how you win friends—or keep your job.
“The DNC has pledged to remove me, and this vote has provided an avenue to fast-track that effort,” Hogg claimed. He’s right that the party’s gunning for him, but let’s not kid ourselves—he handed them the ammo with his primary threats.
“What we’re seeing around the country right now is our base—we’re failing to meet the moment,” Hogg said, doubling down on his critique. He’s got a point about the Democrats’ struggles, but when you’re a leader, you fix the ship, not set it ablaze. Hogg’s learning the hard way that even the wokest warriors can’t outrun their own words.
