Senate Democrats are accusing President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk of breaking the law, but their response to what some are even calling a ‘coup’ is far from unified.
Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week sounded the alarm over reports that Musk’s team of DOGE outsiders had gained access to the Treasury payment system and millions of taxpayers’ information including social security numbers.
At the same time, they’ve accused the administration of illegal activity and a gigantic power grab as it moves to shutter agencies that were created and funded by Congress like the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
But lawmakers have been reacting to the ‘five-alarm fire’ in a series of different ways from protests outside government buildings, calls for investigations and a series of press conferences.
And being in the minority, they appear to have limited tools in their toolbox without Republican lawmakers stepping in.
And while Democrats have told DailyMail.com that GOP senators are raising concerns in private with them, few Republicans on the Hill have openly expressed any reservations and have largely remained in ‘wait and see’ mode.
But only some Democrats so far have taken a hard approach in their response to the new administration’s activities.
The divide has become most apparent this week when it comes to confirming Trump nominees.
Despite some colleagues accusing Trump and Musk of a corrupt bargain and thwarting Congress, some Democratic senators have continued to vote for Trump nominees.
On Tuesday, two dozen Democrats voted to confirm Doug Collins to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. Senator John Fetterman (D-Penn.) was the lone Democrat on Tuesday to vote to confirm Pam Bondi as attorney general.
On Wednesday, Scott Turner was confirmed to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development with the support of two Democratic senators.
But some Democrats are starting to shift their stances on allowing the nominations to go through this week. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) is one of them.
‘Over the past month, I have endeavored to consider President Trump’s cabinet nominees,’ she said in a statement on Tuesday.
She said she had been asking nominees in her meetings if they would be willing to stand up to the president if they believe what he is doing is illegal or wrong but those commitments have been broken.
‘This chaos and confusion does not give me confidence that any of them will do their part to uphold the rule of law,’ she said noting ‘unlawful’ budget freezes and layoffs.
‘This is unacceptable and dangerous. For these reasons, I plan to oppose every cabinet level nominee that is considered on the Senate floor going forward,’ she vowed.
Her declaration was praised by some House Democrats who don’t get a say in nominations including Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) who called it leadership and thanked her.
Some Democratic House members and activists have been pressuring other senators to do the same.
‘I’m voting against all Trump Cabinet members,’ Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told DailyMail.com on Wednesday. ‘I think we’re looking for any and every way to signal our opposition to the kind of illegal and reprehensible actions that Trump and Musk are taking.’
Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who has been out on the frontlines at protests in Washington, accused Republicans of abdicating their responsibility.
‘I’ve been opposing these nominees because the lesson that I’ve learned anyway is regardless of what they say in a hearing, as soon as they get into the executive branch, they do exactly what Donald Trump tells them to do, even if it conflicts with what they told the Congress,’ he told DailyMail.com.
Van Hollen would not weigh in on how the thinks colleagues should approach nominations moving forward.
Senators were unanimously when they voted to confirm their former Senate colleague Marco Rubio as secretary of state must weeks ago.
Rubio previously advocated for the importance of foreign aid and USAID in Congress. Since moving to the State Department, there has been a pause on foreign aid and this week the U.S. is pulling nearly all USAID workers worldwide.
In his own response to the effort to dismantle USAID, Hawaii Senator Brian Schatz announced this week that he was putting a blanket hold on all of Trump’s State Department nominees.
He said he would keep it until the ‘brazenly authoritarian action’ is reversed. The move will slow down and potentially prevent Trump from getting members of his team in place.
While some have taken procedural action, a growing number of Democratic lawmakers have been showing up to protest.
Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.) was the first to give remarks outside the shuttered USAID building in Washington on Monday before others held a small rally outside.
‘I had a number of conversations with Republicans here who when they talk to me, they will tell me about how they support a lot of what USAID does,’ Kim told DailyMail.com.
Kim, who once worked at USAID said there is nobody ‘more excited about the demise of USAID than Vladimir Putin, than President Xi.’
The day after protesters rallied there, a larger gathering of lawmakers and activists also came together outside the Treasury Department to protest Musk and DOGE being given access to systems and taxpayer data.
‘The people deserve transparency. The fact that an unelected billionaire has all your private information is a problem,’ said Florida Congressman Maxwell Frost.
Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) warned they have just days to ‘stop the destruction of our democracy’ and Democrats warn of a constitutional crisis.
But not all Democrats were onboard with how the scene has played out.
Former Democratic congressman and Senate candidate Tim Ryan reposted a video of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and others chanting outside the Treasury in which he called it depressing.
‘I just don’t even know what to say anymore when I see this kind of stuff. Is it Saturday Night Live or real life?’ he wrote on X. ‘Does anyone really think this is the future of the country? This is the only alternative to Trump’s America?’
At both protests, Democratic lawmakers attempted to enter the government buildings but were barred by security.
When it comes to legislative actions, Democrats have vowed to use all the tools at their disposal, but some have acknowledged their limited abilities in the minority.
Other senators have suggested there is more they can do but declined to preview how they plan to stop or delay the Trump agenda without Republican input.
Democrats are gearing up for a budget battle as funding for the federal government runs out next month. Lawmakers also need to address the debt limit.
Several have indicated that the appropriations process could give Democrats some leverage moving forward.
House Democratic leaders indicated on Wednesday they will work with Republicans where they can but suggested GOP members are not willing to protect funding by Congress.
‘We will meet with them, we will talk with them about funding government and the issues of the day, but I think it’s pretty clear based on what happened in December who they answer to. They answer to Donald Trump and Elon Musk,’ said Congressman Pete Aguilar (D-CA).
‘We need the certainty the work, the legislative work that we do will actually be implemented and passed,’ he added.
Kim suggested it remains to be seen whether Republicans can come up with a spending deal.
‘The more and more they take these blatant actions that violate law and are trying to undermine our governance, the less likely that makes me to want to work with them on some of the things that they will need from us,’ he said.