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Rep. Auchincloss & Abundance Co-Author Derek Thompson Attack Demand Progress Poll that Shows Abundance is Bad Politics
Auchincloss Referred to the Poll that Showed Populism Trumped Abundance as a ‘Romance Novel’
On Wednesday, Rep. Jake Auchincloss and “Abundance” co-author Derek Thompson spoke at Welcome Fest where they attacked a recent poll released by Demand Progress showing that populist arguments are significantly more resonant with voters than “Abundance” arguments. On stage, Auchincloss described the poll conducted by YouGov and independent strategist and pollster Dan Cohen as “bad faith” and attacked Demand Progress and “the left,” saying that “they’re the ones who are in the pocket of these Big Tech companies.”
The following is a statement from Demand Progress Executive Director Sean Vitka:
“Auchincloss and Thompson are living in a bubble where they can call for ‘Abundance’ to be the policy agenda of the Democratic Party but also dismiss evidence showing why that would be a bad idea. They attacked us because our poll popped this bubble with hard, objective data showing that populism resonates with voters far more than the ‘Abundance’ message.
Demand Progress has a long, documented history of vocally calling for the breakup of Big Tech behemoths and supporting policies that will end their monopolies. Rep. Auchincloss’s laughable claim that we’re ‘in the pocket of Big Tech’ exposes his own insecurities about being on stage at an event financed by Big Tech billionaires.
Thompson’s transparent attempt to muddy the waters by saying ‘people are these really complex things’ also exposes his own game of hand-waiving away any criticism of ‘Abundance.’ Our poll shows with hard, clear data that voters’ opinions are not complicated—they just overwhelmingly support populism over ‘Abundance.’ In fact, we specifically tested hybrid messaging, which confirmed the ‘Abundance’ platform comes with a clear political cost.
The data is clear. ‘Abundance’ is a losing argument and all the insults and hand-waiving from Auchincloss and Thompson are just signs that they know they’re pushing something voters don't want.”
Demand Progress amplifies the voice of the people -- and wields it to make government accountable and contest concentrated corporate power. Our mission is to protect the democratic character of the internet -- and wield it to contest concentrated corporate power and hold government accountable.
LATEST NEWS
As Israel Slaughters Gazans, US House Progressives Push 'Block the Bombs Act'
"Netanyahu and Trump are a lethal, unaccountable, extremist duo," said Congresswoman Delia Ramirez. "Congress needs to assert its oversight authority."
Jun 05, 2025
With over 54,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip killed by the Israeli assault and the 2 million survivors suffering from the ongoing bombings and blockade on essentials, nearly two dozens progressives in the U.S. Congress came together Thursday to call for passage of a bill that would withhold offensive weapons from Israel.
Like former Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden, Republican President Donald Trump has continued to provide diplomatic and weapons support to the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose forces have left the Palestinian enclave in ruins since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
"Netanyahu has laid siege to Gaza, killing at least 54,000 people, repeatedly displacing the entire population, and cutting off access to desperately needed humanitarian aid."
"Netanyahu and Trump are a lethal, unaccountable, extremist duo. Trump has bypassed congressional oversight on weapons transfers. The Israeli government is currently escalating attacks on the civilian population of Gaza. They are both out of control. Congress needs to assert its oversight authority," said Congresswoman Delia Ramirez (D-Ill.) in a statement.
"Enough is enough," Ramirez declared. "By introducing the Block the Bombs Act, a broad coalition is listening to the American people who don't want their taxpayers' money to continue supporting gross violations of U.S., international, and humanitarian law."
Two former leaders of the Congressional Progressive Caucus—Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.)—as well as Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) are spearheading the fight for the bill alongside Ramirez. Another 18 Democrats in the House of Representatives have signed on as co-sponsors, including current CPC Chair Greg Casar (D-Texas) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), the only Palestinian American in either chamber.
"For the last year and a half, Benjamin Netanyahu has laid siege to Gaza, killing at least 54,000 people, repeatedly displacing the entire population, and cutting off access to desperately needed humanitarian aid," said Pocan. "This commonsense bill will prevent more unchecked transfers of these offensive weapons systems that are used to violate international human rights laws and hopefully help bring this devastating conflict to an end."
Although there was a cease-fire in place for nearly two months earlier this year, Netanyahu abandoned it in March. Since then, negotiations for an end to Israel's annihilation of Gaza and the release of both Palestinians held in Israeli prisons and hostages taken by Palestinian militants in 2023 have been unsuccessful.
Throughout the war, efforts by progressives in both chambers of Congress—including multiple resolutions led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)—to block U.S. weapons that Israel uses to massacre civilians in Gaza also have not been successful. A growing number of critics across the globe condemn the U.S.-backed Israeli assault as genocide.
This morning @ramirez.house.gov, @sarajacobs.house.gov, @jayapal.house.gov, and @pocan.house.gov introduced historic legislation to stop sending bombs to the Israeli military. It should be common sense. We should not be supporting mass killing and starvation. Thank you all for your leadership.
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— Sunrise Movement (@sunrisemvmt.bsky.social) June 5, 2025 at 12:57 PM
The new bill is backed by dozens of advocacy groups that have spent the past 20 months sounding the alarm about the soaring death toll, starvation, and destruction of infrastructure in Gaza, including Amnesty International USA, Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), Council on American-Islamic Relations, Demand Progress, Human Rights Watch, IfNotNow Movement, IMEU Policy Project, Indivisible, Jewish Voice for Peace Action, Justice Democrats, Institute for Policy Studies, Progressive Democrats of America, Rabbis for Cease-Fire, Sunrise Movement, Win Without War, and Working Families Party.
"The Block the Bombs Act is a historic bill," but also "a straightforward challenge to United States complicity in Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza as Israeli forces block humanitarian assistance and directly target schools, hospitals, and civilians," said CCR associate director of policy Brad Parker. "As the Israeli government escalates the murder, starvation, and forcible transfer of Palestinians with President Trump's full support, we recognize and appreciate the bold leadership of Reps. Ramirez, Jacobs, Jayapal, and Pocan."
CCR also encouraged supporters of the bill to visit blockthebombs.org, which features a tool enabling U.S. voters to write to their members of Congress and ask them to co-sponsor the legislation, H.R. 3565.
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Federal Judge Orders Release of Massachusetts Teen in ICE Detention
"It's not OK that students across the state are fearful of going to school or sports practice, and that parents have to question whether their children will come home at the end of the day," said Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey.
Jun 05, 2025
After staging a school walkout and paying tribute to their detained classmate earlier this week, high school students gathered in Chelmsford, Massachusetts on Thursday to demand the release of Marcelo Gomes da Silva from an immigration detention facility—and were overjoyed when they learned a judge had ordered the 18-year-old to be released on bond.
Community members chanted Gomes da Silva's name after learning he would be released.
They also displayed signed reading, "ICE Out of Schools," referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency that detained Gomes da Silva earlier this week.
Gomes da Silva's hometown of Milford erupted in fury at the news of his arrest, which occurred when he was stopped on his way to volleyball practice. Authorities have said they were looking for Gomes da Silva's father, who owns the car the student was driving and who Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin claimed "has a habit of reckless driving."
The student's team dedicated a match to Gomes da Silva on Tuesday night, and supporters wore white to the game to honor him.
Gomes da Silva appeared via video at the immigration court on Thursday from an ICE facility in nearby Burlington.
"If you're detained here at the Burlington ICE facility, you do not see the light of day," his attorney, Robin Nice, said at the hearing. "You don't know what time it is. There's no TV. He asked for a Bible. He was not given a Bible. It is complete isolation."
Nice said the 18-year-old has been sleeping on a cement floor since being taken to the facility.
Gomes da Silva has been in the U.S. since he was 7 years old, having entered the country from his home country of Brazil on a visitor visa. He was later issued a student visa that has since lapsed, his lawyer told reporters.
The government sought permission from a federal judge on Wednesday to move Gomes da Silva to an out-of-state detention facility, which the judge rejected.
Gomes da Silva's immigration case is proceeding following his release on $2,000 bail.
The immigration judge set "a placeholder hearing date for a couple of weeks from Thursday," The Associated Press reported.
"We're optimistic that he'll have a future in the United States," said Nice.
Democratic Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey expressed relief at the news that Gomes da Silva was being released.
"Marcelo never should have been arrested or detained, and it certainly did not make us safer," said Healey. "It's not OK that students across the state are fearful of going to school or sports practice, and that parents have to question whether their children will come home at the end of the day. In Massachusetts, we are going to keep speaking out for what's right and supporting one another in our communities."
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Greenpeace Denmark Complaint Accuses Dairy Giant of 'Systemic Greenwashing'
"Greenwashing and false marketing will not be tolerated, no matter how big you are and where you are based," said one Greenpeace Denmark campaigner.
Jun 05, 2025
Greenpeace Denmark this week filed a formal complaint against the Denmark-based dairy producer Arla Foods, accusing the firm of creating a "false and misleading picture" of actual emission reductions the company has achieved.
The green group is arguing the company has both misled consumers when it comes to Arla's progress toward achieving climate goals and that its reporting does not meet requirements under the Danish Annual Accounts Act.
Arla is the world's fifth-largest dairy company, according to its website.
Greenpeace Denmark submitted the complaint to the Danish Business Authority, the body in Denmark that controls and supervises compliance with business regulations, on Monday.
Greenpeace Denmark says it is concerned that data from Arla's annual reports appears to show that Arla has "changed its calculation methods and data foundation for Scope 3 emissions per kilogram of milk and whey since the original 2015 baseline year," but the dairy producer has not consistently or transparently adjusted that baseline across all of its reporting.
"The 2015 baseline is built on older, less precise national statistics from 2012, and the subsequent shift to more specific farm-level data and new emission factors—without a clear and consistent baseline adjustment—creates major uncertainty about Arla's real emission reductions since 2015," per the complaint.
The Danish Annual Accounts Act includes requirements to disclose corporate social responsibility information that is true and not misleading. Compliance with this provision, according to the complaint, "is essential because the provision is intended to ensure transparency about a company's environmental and broader sustainability impacts. The rules aim to give investors, partners, and society at large access to essential, credible, and comparable information about corporate sustainability practices, risks, and objectives."
"Arla presents itself as a Big Dairy role model on climate and nature, with a concern for animal welfare. But behind the scenes, it is lobbying to repeal laws that ensure the well-being of farm animals. This must stop, and the public needs to know," said Gustav Martner, creative lead and advertising expert at Greenpeace Nordic, in a statement published Wednesday.
This latest complaint comes on the heels of two complaints filed by Greenpeace Sweden against Arla, also alleging "systemic greenwashing," and a lawsuit filed by Greenpeace Aotearoa (New Zealand) last year against the dairy firm Fonterra.
"By coordinating complaints against Arla in both countries it calls home, we aim to set a precedent: Greenwashing and false marketing will not be tolerated, no matter how big you are and where you are based," said Christian Fromberg, campaign lead of agriculture and nature at Greenpeace Denmark, in a statement on Wednesday.
Common Dreams wrote to Arla for comment about the complaints. The company did not respond before press time.
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