Michigan Democrat Announces She’s Done Caucusing With The ‘Totally Disconnected’ Party

As Joe Biden’s deeply unpopular presidency draws to a close, one of the major takeaways has been the emergence from within the Democratic Party of Americans who are no longer buying into the party’s far-left agenda.

In addition to the countless voters who went from supporting Biden in 2020 to backing President Donald Trump this year, a slew of Democratic officials at the local, state, and even federal level have distanced themselves from or entirely disavowed the party in recent years.

One such disillusioned Democrat in Michigan recently made her case to Fox News Channel host Harris Faulkner, as the outlet recently reported:

State Rep. Karen Whitsett revealed why she refuses to caucus with the Democrats for the 2025-2026 legislative session during “The Faulkner Focus” Thursday.

“I’m not going to caucus with them because of their talking points and the fact that they are disconnected,” Whitsett told Harris Faulkner. “They’re still using the same rhetoric that lost in the race, so why am I going to caucus with a group that’s totally disconnected?

“I know how to read a bill, so I don’t need someone to tell me how to vote,” she continued. “Clearly, they have messed up the whole entire voting system as it is, so why would I do that? I’m better off just being by myself, read my bills and get things done for my district.”

Whitsett also told The Detroit News another reason she won’t caucus with the Democrats is because she has a close working relationship with Matt Hall, the Republican House speaker.

Whitsett is just the latest to add her name to a list of Democrats expressing outrage over the party’s direction:

Alan Dershowitz has left the Democrat party. #WalkAway pic.twitter.com/FyrgNgO0p3

— Freyja™ (@FreyjaTarte) September 6, 2024

THIS WOMAN HAS OFFICIALLY LEFT THE DEMOCRAT PARTY!!!!

“There’s two things I am not gonna be and that’s broke and dumb.”

Don’t believe the polls!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/i2h148ocBl

— TONY™ (@TONYxTWO) August 18, 2024

DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN OPERATIVE LEAVES THE DEMOCRAT PARTY 🔥🔥🔥

She says democrats are “out of touch” with everyday Americans!!!!

“I have realized the donors control the party. They control everything.” pic.twitter.com/JlA4zfRUUD

— TONY™ (@TONYxTWO) September 21, 2024

Lifelong Dem says she's leaving party after Pete Hegseth hearing:

"I know in other hearings this grandstanding occurs, but I think the Democrats, and especially women, have not learned a d*mn thing about why Trump won. And as a lifelong Democrat, I am so disappointed, and I've… pic.twitter.com/5aMV0T9GtG

— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) January 15, 2025

The Detroit News offered additional insight into Whitsett’s decision:

Whitsett, whose boycott of session last month brought about an ignominious end to Democratic control of the state House, told The Detroit News Thursday that she did not need to meet with the Democratic caucus to know how to vote.

She said her close working relationship with Republican House Speaker Matt Hall of Richland Township also contributed to her decision.

“I just don’t think it’s wise for me to go to caucus, or fair, because of my relationship with Matt Hall and also being a Dem,” said Whitsett.

She said she believed her Democratic colleagues would suspect her of leaking caucus communication to Hall. Whitsett said she also didn’t attend caucus regularly in her first two terms in the House.

“I don’t need anyone to tell me how to vote for my district,” Whitsett said. “I know my constituents, and when I have any concerns about what I should be voting on, I go directly to them. That’s what matters.”

ADVERTISEMENT

For his part, Trump has been willing to extend an olive branch to some of those former Democrats as he assembles his White House team ahead of a second term:

And here’s a clip of Whitsett’s full segment on Fox News: