The rise of DSA is killing off Resistance 1.0 Democrats

Democrats who ooze anti-Trump resistance credibility — even central figures in past Trump impeachments — are struggling to withstand the rise of the Democratic Socialists of America and their allies in party primaries.Why it matters: In the first Trump administration, involvement in impeachment was a fast-track ticket to Democratic stardom. Now it's seen as little more than set-dressing for an unpopular party establishment."Being aggressive on accountability and corruption (such as with impeachment) is not enough," one House Democrat told Axios in a text message. Democratic primary voters, the Democrat said, "are looking for us to be more aggressive and bold on a whole host of issues. ... Standing up to Trump is a must, but it's not enough in 2026."Another House Democrat said of impeachment: "Members now realize that it's not that big of a deal. It's old hat ... Especially when you can't deliver."Driving the news: Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who rose to prominence as a witness in Trump's first impeachment, suffered an upset loss in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Florida on Tuesday to DSA member Angie Nixon.Vindman — like his twin brother, Rep. Eugene Vindman (D-Va.) — used his reputation as a seminal Trump Resistance 1.0 figure to raise astonishing sums of money, bringing in more than $16 million as of July 29.Nixon, a three-term state representative, raised just under $1 million over the same period, while incumbent GOP Sen. Ashley Moody brought in roughly $11 million.Zoom out: Vindman's loss comes after Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), an impeachment manager during Trump's second impeachment trial in 2021, lost to DSA-affiliated challenger Melat Kiros in a June 30 primary.Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), who leaned heavily into impeaching Trump over the past two years, was also unseated by DSA-affiliated state Rep. Donavan McKinney. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), the highly visible lead counsel for the House Intelligence Committee during Trump's first impeachment, lost his primary to progressive former New York City comptroller Brad Lander.Several other well-known anti-Trump figures either lost or withdrew from Democratic congressional primaries this year.The list includes Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), George Conway, Olivia Troye and Lev Parnas — though not all of them lost to more progressive rivals.What they're saying: "In Trump's first term, grassroots anger was primarily focused on Donald Trump and Republicans. This time around … that anger extends to the Democratic establishment as well," said Joel Payne, a spokesperson for the progressive group MoveOn."What we hear from our members is a clear demand for change and that includes within the Democratic Party. Voters are done with the status quo and every electoral result we are seeing validates that."Said progressive Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.): "The key issues motivating Democrats right now are Medicare for all, taxing billionaires, and no foreign wars, including no aid to Israe