{"id":21926,"date":"2025-06-08T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-08T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/sen-michael-bennet-is-frustrated-and-not-just-with-trump\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T22:10:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T04:10:27","slug":"sen-michael-bennet-is-frustrated-and-not-just-with-trump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/sen-michael-bennet-is-frustrated-and-not-just-with-trump\/","title":{"rendered":"Sen. Michael Bennet is frustrated \u2013 and not just with Trump"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"Sen.
Sen. Michael Bennet leads a news conference on Wednesday with other Democrats to push for a permanent expansion of the child tax credit with the American Family Act of 2025. Expanding the child tax credit has been one of Bennet's priorities since 2015. (Kathryn Squyres\/Durango Herald)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

WASHINGTON \u2013 Like most Democrats in Washington, Colorado\u2019s Sen. Michael Bennet has publicly criticized many of President Donald Trump\u2019s actions since January. But unlike most Democrats, he has also publicly criticized \u2013 albeit less frequently and less loudly \u2013 the Democratic Party for its inability to respond to Trump or provide voters with a viable alternative.<\/p>\n

His frustration with the Democratic Party has become increasingly apparent over the last year, especially when he became one of the first Senate Democrats to publicly say<\/a> he didn\u2019t think then-President Joe Biden could win reelection. This concern \u2013 that the party had lost support among voters and its ability to cohesively oppose Trump \u2013 contributed to his decision to run for governor and, if he wins, leave the Senate.<\/p>\n

\u201cI blame Donald Trump for many things, but getting elected is not one of those things,\u201d he said in an interview with The Durango Herald<\/em>. It\u2019s a line he has repeated to other reporters<\/a>, a nod to his dissatisfaction with the Democratic Party.<\/p>\n

Bennet said Democrats must reassess their platforms and refocus on rebuilding an economy that serves the middle class and answers the question of \u201chow we leave a better country to our kids?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPointing out the chaos itself is not enough,\u201d he said of the Democrats\u2019 current messaging. \u201cPointing out the corruption itself is not enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a key part of why he has made the unusual decision to run for governor as a sitting senator not up for reelection until 2028: He believes he can be more effective rebuilding the Democratic platform and challenging Trump from Denver, not Washington.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a climate denier who is incredibly corrupt,\u201d Bennet said of Trump. \u201cAnd yet he\u2019s managed to win two national elections \u2013 I think because the Democratic Party has been repudiated, because we have not had a clear answer to the concerns of the American people who have been struggling in an economy where they feel like no matter how hard they work, they can\u2019t get ahead. No matter how hard they work, their kids can\u2019t get ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bennet believes he can provide that alternative to voters in Colorado, ultimately making it a model for productive policies for the nation. But until then, he\u2019s remaining in the Senate.<\/p>\n

\"Sen.
Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., questions U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer as he testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on April 8. (Mark Schiefelbein\/Associated Press file)<\/span>dur-i-syn<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
Bennet\u2019s frustration with Trump \u2013 and with Democrats<\/div>\n

Being in the minority in both houses of Congress, with limited legislative tools at its disposal, the Democratic Party has found itself scrambling to respond cohesively to Trump.<\/p>\n

Many members have taken to criticizing Trump\u2019s every move on social media. Others have led protests and rallies at federal agencies<\/a> and across the U.S., including in Denver<\/a>. Some senators have sought to delay large numbers of Trump\u2019s nominations<\/a>. Judges appointed by both Democratic and Republican presidents, including Trump, have blocked or temporarily paused<\/a> many of his executive orders.<\/p>\n

Bennet has signed onto numerous letters to the administration and Republicans in Congress. He has delivered impassioned floor speeches denouncing the Trump administration, maintained a steady stream of strongly worded statements on social media, and engaged in fiery exchanges with Cabinet picks such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr<\/a>. and Tulsi Gabbard<\/a> during confirmation hearings.<\/p>\n

He has also hosted a series of in-person town halls across Democratic and Republican areas of the state \u2013 something Colorado\u2019s Republican members of Congress have yet to do this year.<\/p>\n

Bennet said the \u201ceconomic chaos driven by the lack of strategy around the tariffs that (Trump has) imposed\u201d and the cuts to public lands agencies on the eve of fire season are two of his top concerns.<\/p>\n

Like fellow Colorado Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper, Bennet has supported a handful of Trump\u2019s Cabinet picks, citing a desire to build productive relationships with people such as Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins or Secretary of Energy Chris Wright<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To some, including Hickenlooper, this piecemeal strategy \u2013 involving court challenges, whistleblower accounts and public pressure \u2013 appears to be working<\/a>, at least somewhat.<\/p>\n

But Bennet says pointing out the \u201cchaos\u201d and the \u201ccorruption\u201d is not sufficient.<\/p>\n

\"U.S.
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet was among those who joined Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland at Camp Amache National Historic Site on Feb. 19, 2022. (Hart Van Denburg\/CPR News)<\/span>cca<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

\u201cThe American people know that Donald Trump brings chaos and that he brings corruption,\u201d Bennet said. \u201cBut what they\u2019re saying to us \u2013 what they\u2019re yelling to the Democratic Party \u2013 is \u2018You need to provide a better plan so that we can be confident that you\u2019re going to pursue a set of policies that are going to make the lives better for working people and for our children.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

He believes that the Democratic Party can provide that plan, but it won\u2019t happen on its own and will require \u201ctough conversations about how we got to this place to begin with and how we dig ourselves out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t keep doing the same thing we\u2019re doing and expect to change the result,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Taking this rehabilitative mission to the governor\u2019s mansion, he says he wants to make Colorado a model of productive policies and a thriving economy because he believes \u201ceconomic opportunity is the antidote to Trumpism.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bennet didn\u2019t outline specific policies he would pursue as governor to realize this economic opportunity but said creating economic mobility in Colorado and across the nation was key to \u201cdriving a stake through Trumpism.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s not a county or a neighborhood in our state where people aren\u2019t worried that their kids aren\u2019t going to be able to afford to live there, and that\u2019s a terrible feeling for us to have,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I think Colorado can answer that question. I think Colorado can be the best place in America to raise a kid and can create a model for the rest of the country \u2013 both in terms of the way we do our politics, but in terms of the way our economy operates.\u201d<\/p>\n

This lack of economic opportunity, he said, is \u201cthe biggest threat to our democracy,\u201d adding that Trump\u2019s rise is a symptom of the issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the meantime, we\u2019ve got to stand in the breach and make sure that we are fighting \u2013 both in Washington and in Colorado \u2013 to preserve our institutions, to preserve the rule of law, to make sure that our courts are respected and that we stand up to Donald Trump\u2019s complete lack of attention to these issues,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd stand up to the wrecking ball that he represents to our democracy and to our economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Making the most of his remaining time in Washington\u2019s \u2018broken\u2019 political arena<\/div>\n

When Bennet was appointed to the Senate in January 2009, Barack Obama was beginning his first term and Democrats held comfortable majorities in both chambers of Congress.<\/p>\n

Since then, the country has become more polarized, bipartisanship less common and gridlock more regular. Trump has transformed the Republican Party, and the Democratic Party has lost the presidency to him \u2013 twice.<\/p>\n

This year, Trump returned to office with more allies in Congress as several top Republicans willing to challenge him have either left or been voted out.<\/p>\n

To enact several of Trump\u2019s top domestic policies, Republicans in Congress are using a process called reconciliation, which requires a simple majority in both chambers instead of the 60 votes typically needed in the Senate. With majorities in each chamber, they don\u2019t need Democratic support or input to pass legislation.<\/p>\n

Changes to Senate procedure \u2013 initiated by Democrats in 2013 and expanded by Republicans in 2017 \u2013 removed the 60-vote requirement for executive nominations. Previously, that threshold often required bipartisan support to confirm nominees.<\/p>\n

This term, with 53 Senate seats, Republicans have been able to confirm all of Trump\u2019s nominees without needing Democratic support.<\/p>\n

Bennet isn\u2019t convinced meaningful bipartisanship is possible on issues such as immigration and energy policy in today\u2019s Congress. Instead, he believes Colorado can become a model for bipartisan cooperation, which he sees as more likely to originate at the state level.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis country will never address its problems with a permanent game of shirts and skins,\u201d he said. \u201cI think that Congress\u2019 \u2013 that Washington\u2019s \u2013 broken politics right now is dedicated to that permanent game of shirts and skins.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bennet pointed to his work as part of the 2013 \u201cGang of Eight\u201d \u2013 four Republicans and four Democrats who authored the first major immigration reform bill in decades \u2013 as an example of the bipartisanship the country needs to rebuild. That bill passed the Senate with 68 votes \u2013 all Democrats at 14 Republicans \u2013 but never received a vote in the Republican-controlled House.<\/p>\n

Given the Republican trifecta, some of Bennet\u2019s longtime priorities \u2013 such as a permanent expansion of the child tax credit and protecting more of Colorado\u2019s public lands through his CORE Act \u2013 are likely to remain unfinished if he leaves for Denver in January 2027.<\/p>\n

He said he\u2019ll continue to advocate for both from Denver.<\/p>\n

Aside from those policies, he says there is still significant work to do in Washington, pointing to the House reconciliation megabill that includes major cuts to Medicaid and SNAP.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re in the midst of this fight against the Republican reconciliation bill that is going to benefit the wealthiest Americans and cut health care for many people in Colorado in rural and urban parts of the state,\u201d he said. \u201cI think we\u2019ve got to fight very hard against that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bennet also said he will fight to restore clean energy tax credits, which were substantially cut in the House\u2019s final version of the bill.<\/p>\n

Bennet said he has also been working to establish regular meetings with Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and a group of senators from other Western states to \u201censure she understands what is happening on the ground in Colorado and throughout the Rocky Mountain states as we prepare for fire season.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said meetings such as those are critical given the number of workers terminated from the public lands agencies typically responsible for fire preparedness and mitigation.<\/p>\n

Beyond domestic issues, Bennet said he intends to continue advocating for U.S. support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.<\/p>\n

\u201cUkraine is not just a fight for Ukraine, but a fight for democracy and a fight for the West,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Of what could be his final year and half in the Senate, Bennet said, \u201cEvery day there\u2019s work to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kathryn Squyres is an intern for The Durango Herald and The Journal in Cortez and a student at American University in Washington, D.C. She can be reached at ksquyres@durangoherald.com<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2018Pointing out the chaos itself is not enough\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21927,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[28,25],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-21926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-headlines","tag-u-s-sen-michael-bennet"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21926"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21926\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77510,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21926\/revisions\/77510"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21926"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=21926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}