The Democratic Party really needs to make it clear to voters what’s going on, and why they should care.
In case you missed it, the cuts made by Trump and Musk’s so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) have been wreaking havoc globally. These cuts, which have slashed funding for things like nutrition support, tuberculosis treatment, and the PEPFAR HIV program, have created what’s being called a “disease holocaust,” likely putting millions of vulnerable people at risk. Ryan Cooper from the Prospect described it perfectly.
And it’s not just happening abroad. The same approach is putting Americans in danger too. The impact of Trump and Musk’s cuts to federal agencies, especially those like NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), is already starting to show. In fact, the deadly weather events that tore through the Midwest and South last weekend tornadoes, dust storms, and wildfireshappened just days after more than a thousand NOAA employees were let go. The cuts happened right before tornado season, which couldn’t have come at a worse time.
These cuts are also affecting how NOAA issues weather warnings. Early reports say that a plea from Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) helped keep an NWS office in Norman, Oklahoma, open, which likely saved lives with their timely warnings. But what about the other offices? How many were affected?
The National Weather Service issued over 250 tornado warnings in just three days, so it’s clear many offices were still able to operate, but things are already starting to break down. NOAA’s website even admitted to having some major issues with its communications and data.
The bigger picture here is that Trump and Musk’s ongoing dismantling of federal agencies is only going to get worse. The government bodies that monitor and warn us about disasters, like NOAA and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), are getting weaker. And with extreme weather events becoming more frequent and intense because of climate change, this lack of preparation could cost even more lives. Trump and Musk’s drive for more fossil fuel production isn’t helping either.
What’s happening is an attack on government services, all in the name of privatization. They’re deliberately breaking these systems down to “prove” that the government is useless, setting the stage for private companies to take over. This is where the Democratic Party needs to step up.
Democrats need to explain to the public how these cuts are directly harming people—how it’s not just bad for science, but also bad for public health and safety. For example, the cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are preventing medical breakthroughs that could help treat diseases. And cuts to food safety programs are allowing more contaminants in our food. Plus, with fewer FAA employees, flying is becoming riskier, unless you’re rich enough to fly on Musk or Trump’s private jets.
Sure, it’s hard to directly link every single consequence to the cuts, but we know that cutting government agencies has consequences. We’ve seen it before, and we’ll see it again if we don’t speak up now. Democrats need to be more vocal about how DOGE’s actions are making things worse, like linking cuts to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to the next flu season, or the lack of funding for environmental protections leading to asthma or lead poisoning.
The public won’t automatically connect the dots on their own. It’s up to the Democrats to draw those connections and show how these cuts lead to real, tangible harm. For example, cuts to the Bureau of Reclamation, which provides water to Western states, could result in water shortages, leaving farmers high and dry. This kind of stuff can lead to crop failure and more extreme heatwaves, like the one that killed hundreds of people in 2021.
In the long run, these cuts will only make life harder for everyone. DOGE’s attack on social safety nets like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid will make poverty worse, which leads to more deaths from hunger, homelessness, and neglect.
Trump and Musk’s assault on these essential services needs to be brought to light. The Democrats have to step up and make it clear to the public how these cuts are endangering people’s lives. If they don’t, people might forget who’s really to blame when things go south.
It’s not enough to wait for the public to wake up to the harm being done. Democrats need to speak out and make sure voters know what’s happening and how it’s going to impact their lives. If they want to regain their footing, they need to show how DOGE’s agenda is putting everyone at risk.
