Rep. Ro Khanna calls for ‘new Democratic Party’
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., addressed young progressives at the 2025 Voters of Tomorrow Summit in Washington, D.C., on Friday, July 25, 2025. (Credit: Leaders of Tomorrow)
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Rep. Ro Khanna criticized the Democratic Party establishment during his speech at the Voters of Tomorrow Summit for young progressives in Washington, D.C.
“How can we trust government to do big things when government has been corrupted? My friends, for those who want a progressive future, for those who want a government that works to build security and opportunity for the working class, we must get rid of the big money in politics,” Khanna said in his address on Friday afternoon.
The California Democrat also referenced the Jeffrey Epstein files, which have sparked controversy in Washington.
Rep. Ro Khanna. D-Calif., appears on “Meet the Press” in Washington D.C., Sunday, Sep. 1, 2024. (William B. Plowman/NBC via Getty Images)
“We must restore a government for the people, by the people, of the people. The release of the Epstein files is not a magic cure for trust, but it is a first step. It’s a first step to say we will have a new era of transparency,” he continued.
Khanna concluded his speech by calling for a change within the party’s establishment.
“I’ll end with this clear point: The old guard needs to go. The old ways have not been working. This party needs a new rebirth. This party needs a rebirth to stand for human rights,” he said. “This party needs a rebirth to stand for the working class. This party needs a rebirth to stand for people over the donor class.”
Former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi were also notable speakers at the summit.
Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told the young audience at Friday’s Voters of Tomorrow Summit that she has “no doubt” that the Democratic Party will take back the House. (REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)
“It’s important to be strong in the year in advance, because that’s when the troops line up. We have our messaging, we have our mobilization, we need the money to do it, but they go only next to a school to hold up the most important part: the candidate,” she continued.
Younger Democrats, like freshman Arizona Rep. Yassamin Ansari and Illinois congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh, participated in panel discussions at the summit.
Khanna’s speech comes as the Democratic Party navigates the second Trump administration and adapts to shifts in voter demographics following the 2024 election, especially among Generation Z. The upcoming 2026 election is seen as an opportunity to gain more insight into Gen Z voters, many of whom cast their first votes in 2022 and 2024.
Some within the party advocate for a more moderate approach, while others align with Khanna’s populist views.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., has frequently criticized the Trump administration. (Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)
“This party needs a rebirth to find our courage in standing up for immigrant rights instead of running away when people talk about immigration. This party needs more people like you in Congress than the current people we have in Congress,” Khanna added.
“I’m here to say that a new Democratic Party, a reborn Democratic Party, a populist Democratic Party, a multiracial Democratic Party, a Democratic Party that centers the working and middle class, a Democratic Party that looks like the future is a Democratic Party that can lead us back to victory and lead us to a better America. It’s time to take back our party and then to take back our country,” he continued.
