Pro-Reopening Democrats Face Funding Opposition from Anti-Trump Coalition

Progressive advocacy group Indivisible has announced its largest primary campaign to date, targeting Senate Democrats who voted with Republicans to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

“This is no longer about them – it’s about us. We’re done waiting for Democrats to find their spine,” said Ezra Levin, co-founder and co-executive director of Indivisible, in a statement released Monday. The organization expressed frustration with what it characterized as Democratic capitulation after weeks of shutdown conflict.

Indivisible, which launched in 2017 at the start of Donald Trump’s first term, has emerged as a key player in the progressive resistance movement. The organization has been a principal organizer behind the nationwide “No Kings” protests that have drawn hundreds of thousands of demonstrators throughout 2025, including major demonstrations on June 14 during Trump’s military parade in Washington, D.C., and most recently on October 18.

The group receives partial funding from progressive donor George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, which provided a two-year, $3 million grant in 2023 to support its advocacy work.

Levin expressed particular disappointment with Senate Democrats’ decision to join Republicans in reopening the government, arguing they had surrendered despite favorable political conditions. “For nearly six weeks, Republicans held the government hostage while threatening health care, food assistance, and basic services for millions of Americans,” he said.

“In these six weeks of the shutdown, Democrats had their best election night in over a decade, polls showed Republicans were losing this shutdown fight, and their base turned out for the largest protest in modern U.S. history with a resounding rejection of Trump and Republicans,” Levin added. “Instead of standing with that energy, Senate Democrats surrendered — yet again.”

The primary campaign’s key components include calling for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to step down from his leadership position and endorsing Senate candidates who commit to more aggressive opposition against the Trump administration. According to Indivisible, nearly 99% of its base wanted Senate Democrats to continue fighting rather than compromise.

“Our democracy is facing an existential threat. We need leaders with backbone and conviction — not timidity and excuses,” said Leah Greenberg, Indivisible’s co-founder and co-executive director. “Democrats can’t defeat authoritarianism by running from the fight.”

The government shutdown, which became the longest in American history, centered around healthcare policy. Republicans blamed Democrats for attempting to include healthcare benefits for undocumented immigrants, while Democrats denied these claims and accused Republicans of failing to negotiate in good faith on healthcare demands.

The Senate vote to reopen the government split Democratic ranks, triggering swift condemnation from progressive leaders. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s official press office posted on social media: “Pathetic. This isn’t a deal. It’s a surrender. Don’t bend the knee!” Newsom himself added: “America deserves better.”

Independent Senator Bernie Sanders described the vote as “a very bad night,” while Illinois Lieutenant Governor and Senate candidate Juliana Stratton called it “a complete betrayal of the American people.”

The White House has maintained that President Trump wanted the government reopened from the beginning. “President Trump has wanted the government reopened since the first day Democrats shut it down. The action in the Senate is a positive development,” a White House official stated.

In an interview with Fox News, Trump claimed victory, saying: “I think he made a mistake in going too far. He thought he could break the Republicans, and the Republicans broke him.”

Indivisible plans to unveil more details about its primary campaign in the coming weeks, including specific candidate endorsements and campaign initiatives. The organization’s aggressive stance signals deepening divisions within the Democratic Party as it navigates its role as the opposition to Trump’s second term.