[Video below.] Sen. Cory Booker said Sunday that Democrats are facing a leadership crisis ahead of the midterm elections, arguing that voters have lost confidence in the party establishment and are looking instead for candidates who focus more on people than politics.

Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” the New Jersey Democrat said his party must reinvent itself if it hopes to regain public trust before November’s elections.

“We need to focus on the people, and the Democratic Party desperately needs new leadership, and that’s what’s exciting me about this cycle. It’s not only new leaders emerging, but a new vision for our party,” Booker told host Jake Tapper.

Booker pointed to several Democratic Senate candidates whom he believes are helping reshape the party’s image, including Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia, along with Roy Cooper and James Talarico, the Democratic Senate nominees in North Carolina and Texas.

According to Booker, those candidates are “leaders” who are “stepping up and saying, ‘I don’t give a damn about parties. I care about people.’”

The senator argued that the Democratic Party’s larger problem is a lack of public confidence in its political machinery.

“You cannot lead the people if they don’t trust you, and that’s what’s lacking right now with the party apparatus. But the people running out there that I’m running around this country trying to support, they’re building real trust with the American people, and that’s my hope,” Booker added.

His remarks come as Democrats continue grappling with fallout from the party’s disappointing 2024 election performance. Lawmakers within the party recently criticized the Democratic National Committee over its newly released autopsy report analyzing Kamala Harris’s loss to President Trump.

The 192-page review notably avoided addressing President Biden’s decision to seek reelection despite concerns over his age, as well as Harris becoming the nominee without facing a competitive primary process.

Booker acknowledged that the DNC faces serious problems moving forward.

“The Democratic National Committee has got to do a lot better if they’re going to meet this moment in history,” he said.

Still, Booker suggested that many Americans are no longer paying close attention to party structures and political infighting, because they are far more focused on their own financial and personal struggles.

“The American people have lost trust because of all politics as usual. People are suffering, people are hurting, and they’re going to support the leaders,” Booker added.

When asked directly whether Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer remains one of the leaders he trusts, Booker avoided giving a direct endorsement. However, he stressed that Schumer, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and the broader Democratic leadership must present a clear alternative vision to President Trump.

“You are not going to win this election just by what you’re against,” he noted. “You need to start articulating who you’re for and what you’re for. Have a vision that’s compelling that not only engenders trust but makes sense for the American people.”

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{Matzav.com}