In the wake of their defeat in the 2024 presidential election, Democratic strategists are working to redefine their messaging and political approach.

One of the latest efforts, gaining traction online and among younger party operatives, is a new communications strategy being referred to as “dark woke.”

The term, popularized on social media platforms, builds off the “Dark Brandon” meme used to satirize and bolster Joe Biden during his term.

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Now, some within the party are turning to a more confrontational tone aimed at countering what they describe as the Republican Party’s edge in unapologetic, attention-grabbing rhetoric.

The New York Times reported this week that a growing number of Democratic staffers and strategists are embracing the “dark woke” label as a way to shed the party’s reputation for cautious political correctness.

According to Bhavik Lathia, the former digital director for the Wisconsin Democratic Party, the new approach is an attempt to escape what he called a “respectability prison.”

“There is an extreme imbalance in strategy that allows Republicans to say stuff that really grabs voters’ attention, where we’re stuck saying boring pablum,” Lathia told the Times.

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Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) has emerged as the most visible example of this new strategy.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett: If you try me you will find out. I am truly a black woman. pic.twitter.com/XX2hbYmxKd

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) April 19, 2025

Known for her outspoken comments on the House floor and confrontations on social media, Crockett’s political style has drawn both criticism and praise.

She previously told tech entrepreneur Elon Musk to “f**k off” and has been publicly vocal on topics ranging from race to online misinformation.

One of Crockett’s viral moments—criticizing a Republican colleague using the phrase “white tears”—has been widely shared and even printed on merchandise. She later appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, further elevating her national profile.

Democratic digital staffers argue that these moments resonate with younger voters and help push Democratic messaging into mainstream pop culture.

“All these new staffers, we grew up seeing extremely vile content overflowing from right-wing spaces into regular spaces,” said Caleb Brock, 23, digital strategy director for Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA).

“We’re ready to combat that by any means necessary.”

The strategy aims to capture attention in the same way President Donald Trump’s bold and unscripted rhetoric galvanized conservative voters.

Democratic operatives now hope to replicate that model without abandoning their party’s core positions.

While the “dark woke” brand may be new in name, critics note that Democrats have used combative tactics for years.

Figures on the right point to past comparisons of former President George W. Bush to Adolf Hitler and Joe Biden’s infamous 2012 remark that Mitt Romney would “put y’all back in chains.”

The approach also comes amid an ongoing shift in how younger Democratic operatives use social media to engage voters.

However, critics argue that replicating Trump’s success will be difficult without a figure who can command a broad, enthusiastic base.

Representative Crockett, while prominent within certain Democratic circles, has yet to demonstrate wide appeal outside the party’s base.

Still, her growing media presence suggests the party is willing to explore new faces and new strategies as it attempts to recover from its 2024 losses and reengage its electorate heading into 2026.

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