Ex-Democratic National Committee (DNC) vice chair David Hogg — who was ousted by party leadership after vowing to back far-left primary challengers against incumbents — said in a recent appearance on CNN that moderate Democrats should get in line with the party’s leftist wing or get out of the way.
While speaking with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on “The Source,” Hogg was asked about concerns from moderate Democrats on the rise of progressive/far-left candidates. At one point in the discussion, Collins asked what Hogg would tell moderates worried that progressive nominees could face difficulties against Republicans in general elections.
“The reason why the establishment of our party is being defeated over and over and over again is because they don’t have the right values that are aligned with, not the Democratic base, but the American people. Where people are sick and tired of listening to Democrats and tell them all the reasons why they can’t solve their problems,” Hogg responded.
He continued by directing comments specifically to moderates. “I would say to the moderates in our party, ‘You need to figure out how to actually offer something new to voters that isn’t just the same message that you gave them in 2024.’”
Hogg further indicated that some Democrats are not sufficiently opposing the Trump Administration. He described efforts to identify candidates from his generation to challenge incumbents, with a focus on effectiveness rather than age.
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Former DNC Vice-chair David Hogg thinks that there is no room for moderates in the Democrat party:
CNN: “What would you say to the moderates in your party?”
HOGG: “They don’t have the right values.” pic.twitter.com/JH9INFoALs
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 7, 2026
Throughout the current primary election cycle, Hogg has supported primary challenges through his organization, Leaders We Deserve, which aimed to raise $20 million for more than a dozen such efforts against Democratic members of Congress he described as asleep at the wheel. The group raised approximately $15 million between 2023 and October of the prior year.
Hogg was elected as a DNC vice chair in February 2025 during the party’s winter meeting. He became one of the officers following the 2024 election results, in which Democrats lost the presidency and control of both chambers of Congress.
Shortly after assuming the role, Hogg announced plans through Leaders We Deserve to support progressive candidates in primary contests against certain Democratic incumbents in safe seats. He stated that the culture on Capitol Hill rewards seniority and protects complacency, and that change requires competition within the party.
This approach led to disagreements with DNC Chair Ken Martin. Martin stated that no DNC officer should attempt to influence the outcome of a primary election and indicated that Hogg could challenge incumbents but not while serving as an officer. Martin later discussed expanding the DNC’s neutrality policy, which previously applied mainly to presidential primaries, to cover all primaries and asked officers to sign a related pledge.
Hogg did not relinquish either his DNC position or his work with the PAC, which led to a procedural complaint and his eventual removal. When it came time to elect new chairs, Hogg announced that he would not be seeking re-election.
In a related statement, he noted a fundamental disagreement about the role of a vice chair and stated that comfortable people with power do not change. All told, Hogg’s tenure at the DNC lasted 130 days, though he remains involved with Leaders We Deserve.
