I have been a political moderate my entire adult life. I’ve always preferred slow, deliberate progress over aggressive but risky swings toward one extreme or the other. But watching what Trumpism has done to this country has changed my perspective, and the 2026 midterm election has me thinking about the leadership the Democratic Party needs.

The Democrats won decisively, gaining 8 or 9 seats in the Senate and more than 40 seats in the House of Representatives. Post-election analyses (for example, here and here) attribute Democratic gains primarily to economic issues and to an unpopular war that has caused fuel prices to rise.

Those economic issues are real, and Democrats would be wise to focus on addressing them. But many of their voters care deeply about other issues too. Voters are angry about overzealous immigration enforcement that has led to many American citizens being detained and even killed. They are angry about the Trump administration’s embrace of technology “broligarchs” and its unconditional support for AI and data center expansion. They are angry about the erosion of free speech caused by attacks against the press, against higher education institutions, and against entertainment personalities. They are angry about the way this administration has disrespected our allies and cozied up to our adversaries. Voter anger over these issues and others should not be ignored.

The new Democratic majority must find a balance between the economic issues that unite their voters and the other issues that drive so much of their anger. If they fail to improve the economic outlook for voters, then their congressional majorities will be short-lived. But if they ignore those other issues, they risk their long-term credibility as a party that can rise to the moment. Striking this balance will require aggressive leaders who are eager to fight on many fronts at once. This is not the time for cautious leaders who will only fight on the issues everyone already agrees on.

It appears likely that the Democrats will elect Chuck Schumer as majority leader and Hakeem Jeffries as Speaker of the House. With all due respect to these leaders and the work they’ve done as minority leaders, both seem more cautious than this moment calls for. Each has already made comments suggesting they’d take the safe road rather than risk alienating some of their moderate voters by being too aggressive. That approach might buy them a short honeymoon period with voters, but it won’t inspire the kind of long-term support needed to make a real difference.

I’ve never been one to call for bolder leadership, but Trumpism changed that. Donald Trump and those who support him have shown just how much a motivated administration can do to destroy everything this great country stands for. Trump will be gone before long, but the xenophobia and bigotry of Trumpism will remain. The only way to prevent its return to power, in my opinion, is to be just as motivated in opposing Trumpism as its backers have been in supporting it. Anything less would be a failure, with devastating consequences for our children and future generations of Americans.

Choosing the right leaders isn’t really about age. It’s about willingness to fight, and right now that energy is coming from the younger and more progressive generation. Younger Democratic voters don’t know everything my generation has learned, but they aren’t naive either. They understand the difference between European social democracy and the bogeyman conservatives warn about. And they understand that this moment calls for a Democratic response that they aren’t likely to get from Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries.

It’s time for people of my generation and older to accept that we don’t know everything. It’s time for us to acknowledge that we failed younger generations when we allowed fear and anger to fester into a force that has enabled Trump’s ilk to flourish. It’s time for us to step out of the way and allow the kids to lead. The best way to start is to listen to them when they express a clear preference for more progressive voices.

The kids are alright. Let’s act that way.