'Capitalism isn't working': Chris Murphy urges Democrats to court Trump voters or fall behind

WASHINGTON, DC: Amid pushback against the rise of the progressive wing in the Democratic Party, Sen Chris Murphy argued that the party should be a big tent and try to win over Trump voters because the current version of capitalism isn't working.

He said the party should make room for Democratic socialists elected from New York City.

Chris Murphy says Trump voters could support Democrats

Murphy argued that many Trump voters backed the president because they believed he would fix what they saw as a rigged economic system.

He said those voters were now realizing that Trump was a “fake populist” and could be open to supporting Democrats if the party focuses more on issues such as raising the minimum wage, curbing corporate power and strengthening labor unions.

The Connecticut senator said Democrats have been too quick to judge some Trump voters over differences on social and cultural issues.

While insisting the party should not change its positions on issues like abortion, climate change, or gun policy, Murphy argued that Democrats should make room for voters who share the party’s economic priorities, even if they do not agree on every social issue.

Chris Murphy calls Democrats a 'big tent party'

“I want us to be a big tent party. I mean, I’ve been saying this for years. I think that it’s actually a sign of a party that is alive and growing when there’s a contest of ideas inside the party,” Murphy said responding to the New York elections during an appearance on NBC’s 'Meet the Press'.

“So I’m not a democratic socialist, but I do believe that the Democratic Party has been historically way too timid in taking on corporate power. I think our party should have bigger ideas,” he added.

Murphy said a full-on switch to socialism shouldn't be an objective for the Democratic Party but that the current version of capitalism cannot be sustained.

“This version of capitalism isn’t working. Now, I make the argument in the book that we should embrace, you know, what I call a common good capitalism. A capitalism where we have more shared prosperity, where we want more millionaires and less trillionaires,” Murphy told guest host Ryan Nobles. 

He further cited statistics from US News & World Report that said 43% of Americans cannot pay for a $1,000 emergency expense with their savings.