Some men just want to go Hogg-wild.
David Hogg, vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, criticized his party for its overly critical stance towards men, suggesting it significantly contributed to the Democrats’ major loss in the 2024 election.
“In the last election, younger men seemed to lean towards candidates they didn’t fully agree with but didn’t feel judged by,” Hogg commented on “Real Time with Bill Maher” on Friday, “rather than those they agreed with but felt the need to constantly tiptoe around due to fears of judgment or social exclusion.”
At 25, Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland shooting and a gun control advocate, argued that Democrats have become too elitist and should focus more on connecting with individuals in their present circumstances.
Last election, young men age 18 to 29 backed President Trump 56% to 42%, compared to women in that age group who preferred former Vice President Kamala Harris 58% to 41%, according to Tufts University’s Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement.
“Ultimately, what we have to do here is figure out how to bring people back in and work towards the bigger goal of advancing the future of this country,” Hogg said. “Young people should be able to focus on what young people should be focused on, which is how to get laid and how to go and have fun.”
Hogg was elected as one of three DNC vice chairs back in February.
Recently, he has faced a firestorm over plans to tap into his Leaders We Deserve organization to shell out at least $20 million to meddle in Democratic primaries in safe districts.
Notably, Hogg had used the DNC contact lists to solicit donations for his Leaders We Deserve political action committee, which also drew criticism of him using party resources to further his own agenda.
Amid the uproar over his plans to target Democratic incumbents who are “asleep at the wheel” and “out of touch,” Hogg is facing a complaint from one of the activists he bested to become vice chair.
Native American Kalyn Free filed a complaint last month, contending that she was defeated in a “fatally flawed election that violated the DNC Charter and discriminated against three women of color candidates,” Semafor reported.
The DNC is slated to convene a virtual meeting Monday to deliberate over her concerns.
Free’s complaint alluded to the DNC’s bylaws, which essentially stipulate that party leadership composition must be as close to gender equality as possible.
The longtime Democratic operative complained that “by aggregating votes across ballots and failing to distinguish between gender categories in a meaningful way, the DNC’s process violated its own Charter and Bylaws, undermining both fairness and gender diversity.”
Hogg countered that Democrats should focus on merit.
“I don’t even know if it makes sense for us to have the gender balance rule anymore in this day and age, because I want to focus on whoever’s just best at the job, great at this point, that’s my idea,” Hogg explained.
Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), a fellow panelist on the overtime segment of “Real Time With Bill Maher,” noted that the Republican National Committee has a rule that when there’s a male chair, the vice chair has to be female.
Earlier in the conversation, the panelists discussed murmurs that Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) may run for president in 2028 and groused over the hype about him potentially being the first Latino president.
Hogg similarly seemed displeased with the focus on identity politics and said the important factor should be, “Are you good at your job?”
The 25-year-old activist is at risk of losing his DNC vice chairmanship role over his plans to meddle in primaries.
DNC chairman Ken Martin has opposed Hogg’s plans and called for top party brass to adhere to a neutrality policy.
“Our job is to be neutral arbiters,” Martin told DNC members in a call last month. “We can’t be both the referee and also the player at the same time.”
Martin has pushed to tweak party rules so that DNC officers are required to stay neutral in primaries. The DNC is expected to vote on that measure in August, which would force Hogg to make a decision about his future.
Lawler praised Hogg’s plans to intervene in primaries.
“I can tell you, having been in politics for quite a while, as far as an intern for [John] McCain. Some of these people don’t know when it’s time to go,” Lawler said.
“Chuck Schumer has been in elected office for 50 years. 1974, he was first elected,” he added. “AOC will absolutely kick his a—. She is the leader of the Democratic Party in this moment, and will continue to be.”
Hogg added that longtime Dem incumbents have essentially grumbled that “if I retire, my life is effectively over.”
“What I would say is, ‘Get over yourself.’ This is about our country, and it’s about your constituents,” Hogg said. “That seat is not yours, it is your constituents.’”
