Leaked Audio: Verging On Tears, DNC Chair Tells Hogg ‘I Don’t Know If I Wanna Do This Anymore’

In leaked audio from a mid-may Zoom meeting of Democratic National Committee officers, DNC National Chairman Ken Martin nearly breaks into tears as he confesses to having doubts about carrying on in the role, and zeroes in on Vice Chair David Hogg, telling him he’s destroying Martin’s chance to demonstrate leadership. The unauthorized release of the audio to Politico comes as the Democratic Party is still reeling from its across-the-board defeat in the 2024 general election, and it confirms the DNC leadership is still as fractured and dysfunctional as it was in the aftermath of balloting that saw the GOP achieve command of the White House, Senate and House.

At the leadership level, much of the dysfunction can be attributed to 25-year-old gun-control-fiend and DNC Vice Chair David Hogg, who was voted in back in February. Two months later, Hogg announced that he plans to help his progressive outside organization spend $20 million to knock incumbent Democrats out of office in 2026. With a stated goal of ridding the Democratic Party of a “culture of seniority politics” that’s enabled ineffective legislators to linger, Hogg said Leaders We Deserve will only go after incumbents in “safe” districts where Republicans don’t have a chance.

As you might expect, having a senior party official gunning for the party’s own incumbents ignited a firestorm that’s had establishment Dems scheming about how they might eject Hogg from his vice-chair role. Indeed, the meeting that captures Martin’s frustration came a few days after the DNC proposed having a new round of voting for the seats held by Hogg and another vice chair — a move that would have to be approved by DNC members. 

This is Ken Martin. He’s just been elected chair of DNC

He’s ready to take on Donald Trump. Do you think he stands a chance? pic.twitter.com/LsXAGW340A

— RT (@RT_com) February 1, 2025

In the roughly 2-minute audio from the May 15 meeting, an emotional Martin says the infighting is thwarting the party’s ability to combat the resurgent GOP. “The longer we continue this fight, the harder it is for us to actually do what we all want to do, which is make a difference in this country again.” Martin then addresses Hogg directly, and struggles to control his emotions: 

“I deeply respect you, David. I, too, was looking forward to working with you, but this has created a situation, and — I’ll be very honest with you — for the first time in my 100 days on this job [chokes back tears] the other night I said to myself for the first time, I don’t know if I wanna do this anymore.…

I’m just quite frustrated to be in this position because what you’ve done, whether you like it or not, or know it or not, David… 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, 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.” 

With that, Martin goes awkwardly silent until — with his voice cracking — he yields the floor to another speaker. In the Politico story, Associate Chair Shasti Conrad — using the kind of cringy, woke leftist blather that’s helped devastate Democrats’ standing among men — said Martin “showed vulnerability in a private conversation.”  

When Politico sent a request to interview Martin about his emotional remarks, a spokesman sent a statement quoting him as saying, “I’m not going anywhere.” An unintended double entendre — at the moment, the Democratic Party isn’t going anywhere either.  

Check out the full audio: 

DNC Chair Ken Martin just told Democrat Party elites “I don’t know if I wanna do this anymore” because of infighting with DNC Vice Chair David Hogg, who is challenging incumbent House Democrats. Sad! 🤣 pic.twitter.com/z2tAD0K6UV

— NRCC (@NRCC) June 8, 2025

David Hogg: we should try winning elections?

DNC Chair Ken Martin: https://t.co/6qrdLdBJQt pic.twitter.com/GAT4JK5NPI

— Maybe: Brendan Bergen (@carpetislava) June 8, 2025

Martin after two months of having to deal with the DNC https://t.co/ZZCzZ5QiqC pic.twitter.com/km8jwcGWyK

— Nikolaj🇺🇦🇵🇸 (@nikicaga) June 8, 2025

Ken Martin after working with David Hogg for a few months https://t.co/fs6rihb4Cm pic.twitter.com/lVU1POKmXB

— Enguerrand VII de Coucy (@ingelramdecoucy) June 8, 2025