As many problems as Trump has, the other party can’t seem to take advantage.

You’d think things couldn’t get any worse for Democrats after a March 11 NBC News survey found only 27% of Americans had a positive view of the party—its lowest rating ever in the poll.

Yet they have.

Last week Joe Biden shuffled onto a stage in Chicago to attack his successor before an audience of advocates for the disabled. The party knows Mr. Biden is a liability in public now, so there were crickets when his camp let it be known he was willing to deploy his frail, unsteady voice for Democrats in the 2026 midterms

Not to be outdone, Al Gore jumped into the action Monday at a San Francisco climate conference. He professed, “I understand very well why it is wrong to compare Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich to any other movement—it was uniquely evil, full stop.” Except he didn’t stop. “There are important lessons from the history of that emergent evil,” Mr. Gore continued, launching into a rant against President Trump. Reductio ad Hitlerum won’t convince one additional person to vote Democratic.

But at least Mr. Gore attacked Republicans. The same can’t be said of a new Democratic National Committee vice chairman, 25-year-old David Hogg. The antigun activist last week threatened to spend $20 million to defeat older incumbents in Congress. Declaring “it’s out with the ineffective and in with the effective,” Mr. Hogg named himself judge, jury and executioner for Democratic House members insufficiently left-wing or nasty toward the president. Nothing says “winning” like a national party leader publicly turning on his own elected officials.

Some Democrats were understandably unhappy. The strategist James Carville dismissed Mr. Hogg’s actions as “the most insane thing” he’s ever heard. He pointed out that, as a DNC vice chairman, Mr. Hogg has “a fiduciary duty to the Democratic Party.” So Mr. Carville asked, “Why don’t you take on a Republican? That’s your job.”

If it’s any solace for the Ragin’ Cajun, Mr. Hogg must raise his fundraising game significantly to deliver on his $20 million threat. The Federal Election Commission reports that Mr. Hogg’s Leaders We Deserve PAC raised $11.9 million last election cycle. It spent $266,000 on federal campaigns and committees but $10.7 million on operating expenses, including Mr. Hogg’s salary as PAC president.

Another problem for Democrats is the “Fighting Oligarchy” roadshow of Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Since late March they’ve drawn large, enthusiastic crowds in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana and Utah. They promise more rallies soon. Unlike Mr. Hogg, this duo can raise money. AOC’s campaign reported it took in $9.6 million the first quarter and has $8 million cash on hand.

But the Bernie-AOC message is unlikely to attract many new voters; they’re providing a rallying place for rabid, totally committed progressives. Making this pair the Democrats’ face runs the risk of making the party appear even more out of touch with the Americans who swung the last election to Mr. Trump. Those voters wanted less inflation, lower taxes, secure borders, a stronger military, and an end to DEI nonsense. Bernie and AOC’s policies would deliver the opposite.

Despite Mr. Trump’s declining poll numbers, the next 18 months won’t be easy for Democrats. The party’s base wants unrelenting war on the president. But over what? Democrats’ favorite topic seems to be the deportation to El Salvador of a Maryland man with alleged gang ties. The White House is happy to engage in a lengthy war of words there. The man’s removal presents serious due-process issues, but Team Trump doesn’t care. They know illegal immigration is a much stronger issue for them right now than much else. Fears of inflation are rising, the stock market and consumer confidence are cratering, and economic growth likely slowing. These would all be better Democratic targets.

Democrats must keep their base happy with attacks on Mr. Trump and Republicans for the bad things they’ve done and for the good things they’ve failed to do. Democrats must also convince Americans that things are too chaotic and out of control under Mr. Trump. Though their execution has been poor so far, Democrats are certainly comfortable with those topics.

The harder part is for Democrats to offer a compelling agenda on kitchen-table issues that sways Americans who voted for Mr. Biden and other Democrats in 2020 but who turned to Mr. Trump and Republicans in 2024. Otherwise, Democrats will be betting that anger over Mr. Trump’s policies and a progressive agenda are enough to produce a massive midterm victory. That would be a stupid wager. Something tells me they’ll make it anyway.