As organizers from the national Women’s March face claims of anti-Semitism, Democrats eyeing bids for the White House appear to be steering clear of the once-celebrated annual event, with no announced plans to attend this Saturday’s march and few candidates willing to weigh in on the controversy.
When reached this week, seven prominent Democratic hopefuls did not respond to questions about the march. Four said they would be traveling elsewhere or had no plans to attend.
Two of the Democrats, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former Housing secretary Julián Castro, have already announced exploratory committees to begin funding a presidential campaign. The rest — former vice president Joe Biden, Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Sherrod Brown, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former member of Congress Beto O’Rourke, and Sen. Bernie Sanders — are all considering campaigns.
The Democratic National Committee, the party’s central arm in Washington, DC, also has no plans to partner with the Women’s March. A DNC official said the party has partnered with Women’s March organizers in the past on various projects, but has never been a sponsor of the national event.“
The DNC stands in solidarity with all those fighting for women’s rights and holding the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers across the country accountable,” the official added.
This year, a slew of groups have decided not to partner with the Women’s March, including the Southern Poverty Law Center and EMILY’s List.
The annual gathering began two years ago, on Jan. 21, 2017, the day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, when millions of women marched across the country in protest — a galvanizing moment for the Democratic Party that became a stand-in for the so-called “resistance” and a precursor to the #MeToo movement that set off an urgent national conversation around workplace misconduct, harassment, and abuses of power.