Influential lawmaker demands 'old guard must go,' calls for 'rebirth' of Democratic Party

Rep. Ro Khanna sounded off on the Democratic Party establishment in his address to 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 then mentioned the Jeffrey Epstein files, which have become a major point of debate in Washington as some demand more information about the case.

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"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 then bluntly called out his party’s establishment in his closing call to action.

"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 is expected to give virtual remarks at the summit on Friday, and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi was also a major speaker at the event.

"We have no doubt that we will win the election with the House of Representatives," Pelosi said during her speech. "No doubt."

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"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, took part in panels at the summit.

Khanna’s address comes as the Democratic Party is striving to navigate the second Trump administration and adapt to the major shifts that occurred across voter demographics in the 2024 election, including among Generation Z. The 2026 election is being seen as an opportunity to get more information about Gen Z voters, as many voted for the first time in 2022 and 2024. 

Some in the party have encouraged a more moderate direction, while others have echoed Khanna’s populist sentiment.

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"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.