The boundaries of the left and the right, conservatives and liberals, are all frayed in U.S. politics, as old ideas and loyalties collapse. The Democratic Party has not figured out a viable response to the chaos unleashed by Donald J. Trump a decade ago, in terms of leadership and ideas. Ambitious politicians are exploring the turmoil in the hope of chancing upon a career catapult. One who is increasingly in the spotlight is Rohit — Ro Khanna — who represents Silicon Valley in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Mr. Khanna was first elected to the House on the same day Mr. Trump was elected President in 2016. He has placed himself in the eye of the storm, hoping to come out on top on the other side. Mr. Khanna believes that the Democratic Party has become “stale”, with “the same personalities. The same talking points. The same consultants. And I’m excited that you’ve got a lot of new voices that are emerging,” as he said in an interview.
Mr. Khanna has broken from the orthodoxy of his home Democratic turf and sought partnerships with a spectrum of political players, getting tongues wagging about his plans for the 2028 presidential election. Would he run for the Democratic nomination? He has not said no, and that probably is a yes at the moment.
