The Democrats have been in free fall since Donald Trump’s humiliating defeat of Kamala Harris in the general election.
The party lost the White House after an aging Joe Biden stepped aside for a younger vice president widely regarded as the stronger candidate. They were wrong.
They believed millions of Americans wouldn’t put up with another four years of Trump. They couldn’t have been more wrong.
Instead, they suffered an enormous body blow as Harris was swept across all seven swing states on the way to a wipeout loss in what was supposed to be one of the closest elections in history.
The GOP also maintained control of the House and Senate, leaving the shell-shocked party leaders looking at each other dumbfounded and asking: What now?
The desperate race is on to find the new leader who, in 2028, stands a chance against the candidate picked to carry MAGA into a future beyond its king.
The whispers have already started as candidates quietly make moves behind the scenes, laying the groundwork for a presidential run.
But, if the latest DailyMail+ Power List is anything to go by, the Democrats are in serious trouble if they are considering looking at one of their own for the answer.
Based on exclusive polling, our Power List captures public sentiment around likeability, trustworthiness, perceived bias and knowledge.
The data reveals who Americans like and trust and who they don’t, and the verdict is as damning as it is surprising.
We polled 29 high-profile figures: 22 popular faces with direct ties to the party and seven others who have been floated as candidates.
The result reads less like a political power list and more like a Hollywood guest list, and it has insiders painting an ominous picture of a party in crisis.
The first elected Democrat doesn’t appear until sixth place, and he isn’t the youthful figure needed for the future.
The results pose an existential question: Do they need an outsider like Trump to take back the White House in just over three years?
The Democrats have been in freefall since Donald Trump’s humiliating runaway victory over Kamala Harris in the general election. f the latest DailyMail+ Power List is anything to go by, they are still in serious trouble
The ranking shows that voters have turned their backs on Washington and are instead looking to A-list stars and wildcards.
The findings show the American public has serious trust and relatability issues with the Democrats in power.
The poll’s most likeable, truthful and fun figure is… Tom Hanks.
The 58-year-old Hollywood icon was also voted the most knowledgeable, the least bias, and the most likely to tell the truth.
The Toy Story and Forrest Gump star won every Power List category except for one: Who voters would most like to spend time with.
A lifelong Democrat, he has campaigned for liberal candidates for decades, famously joking when he endorsed Barack Obama in 2008: ‘As an official celebrity, I know my endorsement has just made your mind up for you.’
In an interview with BBC ahead of the 2016 election, he called Trump a ‘self-involved gas bag.’
But every time fans have begged him to throw his hat into the presidential election ring, he hasn’t been persuaded.
And then there’s Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, who voters said they most like to spend time with.
He came a close second to Hanks in every other category.
The former wrestler has teased a political run for years — telling fans in 2021: ‘I don’t think our founding fathers EVER envisioned a six-four, bald, tattooed, half-Black, half-Samoan, tequila drinking, pickup truck driving, fanny pack-wearing guy joining their club – but if it ever happens, it’d be my honor to serve you.’
The 53-year-old actor even admitted in November 2023 that he was approached by both parties after a poll suggested 46 percent of Americans would support his candidacy.
Johnson is followed by George Clooney.
The actor’s scathing New York Times op-ed calling for Biden to step aside was seen by many insiders as the tipping point that forced the then-81-year-old president to end his re-election bid.
Billionaire businessman Mark Cuban and talk show mogul Oprah Winfrey, both staunch supporters of Harris during her 2024 campaign, complete the top five.
They were both part of the cadre of stars who appeared alongside the vice president during her doomed bid.
To critics, filling the stage with celebrities helped paint the picture that Democrats were out of touch with most of the population.
Yet Cuban and Winfrey’s names have both been mentioned in the past as wildcard presidential candidates.
A report in October 2023 revealed that Winfrey considered running for president and even pitched the idea to potential running mate, Utah’s Republican Senator Mitt Romney.
But on 60 Minutes in 2016 she appeared to rule out any White House prospects by admitting: ‘It’s not in my DNA’.
The first elected Democrat on the list is Bernie Sanders, the 83-year-old Vermont senator who has spent decades railing against the political establishment.
Sanders ranks as the most knowledgeable politician on the list and one of the most truthful, but his advancing age and socialist brand hardly scream fresh leadership.
Pennsylvania’s hoodie-wearing Senator John Fetterman and New Jersey’s Cory Booker scrape into contention.
Fetterman, 55, has denied claims he has flirted with switching to the Republicans and has infuriated many in his party with his moderate stances, especially in his support of Israel.
Senator Booker, 56, unsuccessfully ran for president in 2020.
On April 1, he shot back into the headlines and into contention with his record-breaking 25-hour Senate floor speech attacking Trump’s policies.
But the rest of the party’s elected leaders struggle, only breaking the top five in two categories: Whether they are a good hang or biased.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Gretchen Whitmer – two candidates widely considered to have presidential aspirations – come in 10th and 11th respectively.
Governor of Maryland Wes Moore, the rising Democrat star who has been compared to Barack Obama, comes in 12th and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshar comes in 13th.
Former Vice President Harris and California Governor Gavin Newsom, two California power players in the 2028 mix, could only manage 16th and 17th place.
Neither has formally announced a run. Haris has ruled out a bid for Governor of California, clearing the way for another shot at the White House.
Newsom has laid the groundwork with a slew of recent podcast appearances and an increase in attacks on what he perceives as Donald Trump‘s abuse of power.
The results were bleak reading for voters who believe the progressive wing of the party could carve a path to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Firebrand Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s name has been floated as a prospect.
Yet the New York Democratic Rep. finished 24th out of 29, one spot above Biden.
Her fellow members of ‘The Squad’, representing the members on the far left of the party, didn’t fare any better.
Rep. Ilhan Omar finished dead last, two below firebrand Michigan Rep. Rashida Tliab.
The results have sent Democratic operatives into a panic about the future. ‘At this stage in the cycle, name ID is everything,’ admitted John McCarthy, President Biden’s former senior political adviser.
The Democrats’ only saving grace? Tom Hanks topped the DailyMail+ Power List, ranking the figure in the party most popular among voters
‘Democrats have a talented bench, but the next generation of leaders is still largely unknown. Our nominee probably won’t be Tom Hanks — but the fact voters know him better than most of our electeds says it all.’
Democratic strategist Meghan Hays’ assessment was more blunt: ‘Many people hold celebrities in a more favorable view right now because they’re not the ones in power.
‘Some use their platforms to push back on Trump’s policies, while many Democrats feel frustrated by the lack of visible action from elected officials.’
Andrew Bates, former Biden spokesperson, frames it as a broader credibility crisis: ‘This is a moment of cultural skepticism towards those who’ve been in power. Democrats who prove they’re listening about costs and have a genuine hunger to fight for working people will climb.’
George Clooney’s scathing New York Times op-ed calling for Biden to step aside was seen by many insiders as the tipping point that forced the then-81-year-old president to end his re-election bid
Former Vice President Harris and California Governor Gavin Newsom, two California power players in the 2028 mix, could only manage 16th and 17th place
But in key Democratic cities, the mood is grimmer still.
‘They are solid politicians, but none of these folks speak to all Democrats,’ said Malcolm Weems, a Chicago-based operative.
‘Some Black voters here don’t feel like the national party talks to them at all. The list looks like it could have been pulled from five years ago.
‘These are safe bets for risk-averse donors — not the future of the party.’
Rodell Mollineau, partner at ROKK Solutions, summed it up: ‘There are a lot of angry and despondent Democratic voters right now. They’re looking for the energy that meets the moment.’
Last month, DailyMail+ launched the Power List by revealing the best-loved (and most loathed) morning-show hosts and news media stars.
We also ranked the sports analysts who divide the opinion of millions of fans across the country and revealed the nation’s most beloved NFL quarterback.
Our standings of the leading figures in Trump’s inner circle revealed who holds the most influence.
In the weeks ahead, we’ll bring you our power list rankings for more figures in the world of media, US politics, fashion and sport.
