Ezra Klein to Fellow Liberals Blaming Trump Win on Fox: ‘Shut the F*** Up’

As Democrats continue dissecting their 2024 defeat, New York Times columnist Ezra Klein criticized liberals for dismissing voter concerns about the economy and crime as “just Fox News.” He urged Democrats to “talk to some people” and engage more directly with voters.
In a recent Pod Save America episode, Klein urged Democrats to stop attributing Donald Trump’s re-election solely to conservative media narratives, calling for the party to refocus on issues affecting everyday lives rather than niche policy positions that appeal to only part of their base.
“This idea that, like: ‘Oh, no, the economy is actually good or crime is actually down.’ This is all just Fox News. Like, shut the f*** up with that! Like, talk to some people who live near you,” Klein said in a conversation with host Jon Favreau.
Klein downplayed the progressive wing’s focus on issues like trans rights in prison as a key factor in Democrats’ losses, arguing that while these topics are “unbelievably hot-button issues,” they may not resonate with the broader electorate.
“If you look at where Democratic vote share dropped the most, it is where the cost of living is highest,” he said, emphasizing that for many voters, economic concerns and crime weigh far more heavily than niche social issues.
Klein pointed to recent Democratic losses in high-cost urban centers, noting that many residents feel disillusioned by the party’s perceived detachment from issues impacting their day-to-day lives. “The thing that surprised me least about the election was the sharp red shift in these big cities,” Klein observed. “If you just talk to anybody who lives in them, they are furious.”
He explained that, having lived in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York, he regularly encounters people expressing frustration over rising crime and economic hardship, which some progressives have dismissed as media exaggerations.
He also highlighted Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s recent policy of busing migrants to New York as an example of real-world issues fueling urban discontent. The presence of large numbers of recent migrants has put pressure on city resources, and, according to Klein, adds to a growing list of urban challenges that Democrats need to address seriously.
“The rage I just hear from people in New York,” Klein added, “is partially Greg Abbott busing huge amounts of migrants here. But that does mean, by the way, there were enough migrants that Greg Abbott could bus actual human bodies to New York City.”
Klein also expressed concern over the influence of advocacy groups on Democratic campaigns, pointing to the ACLU’s role in pushing “edge-case” issues. He cited a 2020 ACLU questionnaire that asked Democratic candidates about providing gender reassignment surgery for undocumented immigrants in detention facilities.
“What in God’s name was the ACLU doing?” Klein asked. “Did they think they were helping trans people with this? Because it wasn’t,” he argued, suggesting that such policies only served to alienate moderate voters and distract from pressing issues like healthcare, housing, and public safety.
These niche priorities, Klein argued, may be hindering Democrats’ ability to address issues that resonate with a wider voter base.
“The consistency of what they’re hearing matters,” Klein said, urging Democrats to avoid “pushing all the way to where…public support collapses under you.” Instead, he advised a more grounded approach that prioritizes economic and safety concerns that are central to the everyday lives of most Americans.