Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words Victor Davis Hanson RETURNS: Bay Area Democrats Play Populist at the Expense of the Middle Class
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Feb 7, 2026 
Victor Davis Hanson, a military historian and longtime conservative commentator, returns after surgery. He critiques Bay Area Democrats' populist moves and California policy failures. Talks early 2028 frontrunners, Republican dynamics between Rubio and Vance, rising anti-Semitism concerns, and why independents and the middle class may drift away.
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California's Elites Hurt The Middle Class
- Bay Area Democrats project populist rhetoric while governing for elites and harming the middle class.
- Victor Davis Hanson argues this creates a pyramidal society of wealthy elites and many poor people in California.
Policy Outcomes Trump Populist Promises
- California's policies produced high taxes, high costs, and out-migration despite flashy rhetoric.
- Hanson cites poverty, housing costs, and one percent tax concentration as evidence of policy failure.
Democrats' Base Limits National Appeal
- The Democratic Party's left flank dominates messaging but is unpopular with the broader electorate on many issues.
- Hanson argues this narrows their national appeal and leaves them reliant on attacking Donald Trump.
