AUDIO: Top Democrat Becomes Emotional, Says David Hogg ‘Destroyed’ His Chance To Lead

Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin became emotional during a recent call as he voiced his frustration with longtime activist and Vice Chair David Hogg, complaining that Hogg’s interference was preventing him from leading the party effectively.

POLITICO published a report on Sunday sharing audio obtained from a May 15 Zoom meeting that included the DNC’s officers — and Martin could be heard criticizing Hogg for exacerbating divisions within the Democratic Party and complaining that made it impossible for him to implement any kind of cohesive strategy as the 2026 midterm elections approached.

“I’ll be very honest with you, for the first time in my 100 days on this job … the other night I said to myself for the first time, I don’t know if I wanna do this anymore,” Martin said.

The crux of Martin’s problem appeared to be Hogg’s promise to use the leftist organization Leaders We Deserve — where he serves as president — to funnel millions of dollars into primary campaigns against older and less progressive Democrats. But Hogg’s efforts to bring in fresh leadership have angered a number within the party — especially because, as an officer of the DNC, his primary job is to ensure that Democrats get elected — and have deepened the divisions that were already tearing at the fabric of the party nationwide.

Martin addressed Hogg directly during the meeting, saying, “No one knows who the hell I am, right? I’m trying to get my sea legs underneath of me and actually develop any amount of credibility so I can go out there and raise the money and do the job I need to put ourselves in a position to win. And again, I don’t think you intended this, but you essentially destroyed any chance I have to show the leadership that I need to. So it’s really frustrating.”

Martin is far from the only Democrat who voiced frustration with Hogg’s plan. Longtime strategist James Carville referred to Hogg as a “contemptible little twerp” and suggested that donors could potentially sue him for working against party interests while being paid by the DNC.

According to POLITICO, Martin’s frustrations were simply that — and he has no plans to step aside despite any tensions with his vice chair: “I’m not going anywhere.”

“I took this job to fight Republicans, not Democrats. As I said when I was elected, our fight is not within the Democratic Party, our fight is and has to be solely focused on Donald Trump and the disastrous Republican agenda. That’s the work that I will continue to do every day,” he said.

Hogg did not comment on the confrontation.

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