Julian Epstein, a Democrat commentator and former adviser, sounded the alarm on Fox Business, saying the party has abandoned working-class voters in favor of fringe ideological battles. He pointed to collapsing registration numbers, weak fundraising, and dismal polling as proof Democrats are on the verge of political ruin.

“The Democratic Party is in the dumps,” Epstein declared. “Every single indicator, whether it’s fundraising, party registration or ID, whether it is all of the public polling that we have on all of the lead issues from the economy to cultural issues, Democrats are cratering.”

He argued the party’s obsession with activist-driven cultural experiments — like erasing gender, erasing borders, ignoring crime, and dismantling energy independence — has left Americans feeling betrayed. “To most people, these things are nuts,” Epstein said. “But they come from the academic and the activist left who is not concerned with voters.”

Epstein’s comments reflect a growing divide inside the Democratic Party. As elites push aggressive cultural policies, traditional voters are walking away. The New York Times recently revealed Democrats shed 2.1 million registered voters between 2020 and 2024, while Republicans added 2.4 million in the same period — their strongest advantage in decades.

The fallout is being felt in swing states, where Democrats once counted on working-class support but now find themselves out of touch. Epstein explained that activist academics thrive by portraying Americans as “victims of the oppressed” while casting themselves as saviors. “It serves their career interests, but it is devastating for the party,” he warned.

Republicans, meanwhile, are surging. Analysts say President Trump’s relentless focus on jobs, security, and culture has helped lock in gains across battlegrounds like Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Nevada. Even CNN’s Harry Enten admitted this week that GOP registration strength is the highest in over 20 years.

For Democrats, the outlook is grim. Epstein admitted the rebrand effort after the 2024 collapse has failed, with party messaging sounding more like academic lectures than campaign pitches. Voters, he said, see Democrats as more interested in ideology than solutions.

“The party’s brand is toxic,” Epstein concluded, warning that without a fundamental shift, Democrats could be headed for another wave of historic losses in 2026.

The message from one of their own couldn’t be clearer: abandon the ivory tower experiments or risk total political irrelevance.