Sarah McBride admits ‘voters feel like Democrats have sort of been a–holes to them’

Voters think Democrats are “a–holes,” prominent freshman Rep. Sarah McBride said, blaming that perception for her party’s electoral setbacks.

“I think voters feel like Democrats have sort of been a–holes to them,” McBride (D-Del.) told Politico’s “The Conversation” in an interview set to drop Sunday.

Democrats, whose party symbol is a donkey, aka a jacka–, have been deep in soul-searching about how they were trounced across the board in the November election.

McBride, the first openly transgender member of Congress, argued voters want “respect,” and Democrats don’t give it.

“I do think that a voter asks two questions when they’re considering who to vote for. The first question is: Does this candidate, does this party like me? And by extension, do they respect me?” the Delaware Democrat told host Dasha Burns. 

“If you can’t answer that first question to a voter’s satisfaction, they won’t even get to the second question, which is: What does this party think? What does this candidate think? And I think we lost that first question.”

Other prominent Dems have raised similar concerns their party has become too elitist and engaged in excessive culture war battles which have repelled the working class.

Following President Trump’s win in November, for example, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) contended many Dems came across as “condescending” and had an attitude that working-class voters should be “smart enough to realize they’re voting against their interests.”

Others have raised concerns that Democrats had been too hostile towards men, and some, such as Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), dinged the party for being too dismissive towards voters who had concerns about transgender competitors in women’s sports.

“I do think that we have to basically create a tent that is united on three fundamental principles,” McBride continued.

“One is working people need more support and help. Two, democracy and freedom are good. And three, we’re not going to be a‑‑holes to voters.”

Much of the off-putting attitudes voters are reacting to aren’t necessarily from elected Democrats, but rather from influencers and big-name commentators, she cautioned.

“The reality in today’s environment is that your party ecosystem is defined not just by politicians or the party, but also some of the loudest voices online that in voters’ minds reflect and represent that broader coalition,” the Delaware Democrat stressed.

“When we have an environment where we’ve got some very loud people who are shaming and calling people who disagree with them — even in rhetoric — bigots, when we have those folks saying that to a wide swath of voters, including voters we could win, and we aren’t explicitly stating something to the contrary, then a voter will then just paint us all with one broad brush.”

McBride also posited that Trump’s rise to political power has been “fueled by a frustration that government no longer works or delivers for people” — something she blamed on gridlock in Congress.