Democratic National Committee (DNC) Co-Vice Chair Malcolm Kenyatta ripped into David Hogg, his fellow vice chair, for having what he calls a “casual relationship with the truth.”
Kenyatta’s remarks follow the DNC credentials committee’s passing of a first-round vote to void the internal election that promoted them to their leadership positions.
Newsweek reached out to Hogg via the DNC by email Wednesday for comment.
Why It Matters
Democrats have seemingly been in disarray since losing the White House, Senate and Congress after the 2024 presidential election. Uproar over certain policies and uncertainty surrounding which leader to rally behind have also frayed internal cohesion.
Hogg has also become the face of an initiative urging his party to primary Democratic incumbent candidates. The efforts have sparked division at the DNC, as Chair Ken Martin said no committee official should attempt to influence the outcome of a primary election.
What To Know
This week, the DNC’s credentials committee passed a vote to void both Hogg and Kenyatta’s internal election win following a complaint by Kalyn Free, who lost the vice chair election. Free said the DNC combined questions into a single vote, defying the DNC’s gender balance rules, according to The New York Times.
Martin reacted to the vote in a statement sent to Newsweek earlier in the week, saying, “During my campaign for Chair, I pledged to run the DNC with integrity, openness, and fairness. I am disappointed to learn that before I became Chair, there was a procedural error in the February Vice Chair elections.”
Martin continued, “The Credentials Committee has issued their recommendation, and I trust that the DNC Members will carefully review the Committee’s resolution and resolve this matter fairly. I thank all of our officers for their service, including Vice Chairs Kenyatta and Hogg, and look forward to continuing to work with them in their officer posts as this matter is resolved.”
Kenyatta expressed his frustrations on social media immediately following the vote, calling it “a slap in my face.”
While sitting down with MSNBC‘s The Weeknight on Wednesday, Kenyatta was asked about the vote and his feelings toward Hogg.
“David has a very casual relationship with the truth. And he has not been truthful on so many points that have been raised on this show. And what pushed me over the edge was the statement that he put out after this vote of the Credentials Committee,” Kenyatta said in rushed transcript sent to Newsweek by MSNBC.
Kenyatta later added, “But David’s first statement out of the gate was, here’s the Democratic Party doing some maniacal thing to push me out because of what he’s doing with his pact.
“David knows that that is not true,” Kenyatta said. “And so for all of the people who have, like I had, really high hopes for what David could bring for this party and who are now looking at the message that he’s been pushing out and the e-mails that they have been getting from him about how he wants to reform the party, you have to be honest with people.”
When asked what specifically Hogg is not telling the truth about, Kenyatta elaborated: “So he put out a statement saying that the Democratic Party — that the challenge yesterday is the Democratic Party trying to get him out of here. David understands very well, like I understand, that this challenge was filed back in February, well before David ever said anything about Leaders We Deserve.”
According to the DNC, Free’s complaint was filed on February 28.
Kenyatta also said Hogg was made aware of Martin’s rules reforms package before publicly speaking about his initiative to primary incumbents and elect young leaders.
“And then he goes on ‘Bill Maher,’ he goes on wherever he goes, and says that these reforms are a way to muzzle me. So how do you say to people that I’m going to reform the Democratic Party when you have such tenuous connection to the facts,” Kenyatta said.
What People Are Saying
Kenyatta on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday: “Three words should guide our work as Democrats: Make Life Better. Make life better—for the working mom trying to stay afloat. Make life better—for workers fighting for higher wages and paid leave. Make life better—for young people dreaming of a real future. That’s our work.”
Semafor reporter David Weigel posted Hogg’s statement following the credentials committee vote to X on Monday: “Today, the DNC took its first steps to remove me from my position as Vice Chair At-Large.”
Hogg continued, “While this vote was based on how the DNC conducted its officers’ elections, which I had nothing to do with, it is also impossible to ignore the broader context of my work to reform the party which loomed large over this vote.”
The DNC co-vice chair later added, “I ran to be DNC Vice Chair to help make the Democratic Party better, not to defend an indefensible status quo that has caused voters in almost every demographic group to move away from us. The DNC has pledged to remove me, and this vote has provided an avenue to fast-track that effort.”
What Happens Next
The credentials committee will recommend a full vote by the DNC body to weigh in on Free’s complaint.
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