Joe Walsh—the one-term congressman turned cable-news scold—is back in the headlines. And surprise! He’s now calling himself a Democrat. Because when no one’s retweeting your outrage anymore, switching sides becomes the next best hustle.

Joe Walsh Switches Sides, Brings the Whine

According to a recent Hill article, Walsh says he’s making the leap because Trump is a—you guessed it—“threat to democracy.” Of course he is. That line’s been focus-grouped to death. Walsh isn’t offering anything new—just repackaging his relevance crisis as political virtue-signaling.

Walsh announced his formal affiliation with the Democratic Party in a Tuesday Substack post, saying he made the decision because he views the Republican Party as a threat to democracy and the rule of law and thinks defeating the GOP requires “a broad coalition of moderates, progressives, and, yes, even conservatives.” – The Hill

Look, Joe. If you want to become a Democrat, fine. You wouldn’t be the first former Republican to trade in your principles for a shot at a CNN contributor gig. But can we please retire the phrase “threat to democracy”? It’s not just tired—it’s meaningless. It’s political cosplay for people who think disagreement is domestic terrorism.

Unable to reconcile himself to a platform of removing criminal aliens and addressing trade deficits, Joe Walsh has embraced child sexual abuse and inflicting endless violent criminals on Americans. https://t.co/avKuVffgzL

— Cirsova: Summer Issue Out 6/18 (@cirsova) June 3, 2025

Joe Walsh Finds His Inner Democrat (It’s Very Loud)

Let’s take a minute to remember that Joe Walsh once rode the Tea Party wave, shouting about the Constitution and limited government. Fast forward a few years, and now he’s basically quoting Rachel Maddow without the glasses, pledging allegiance to the party that thinks free speech is dangerous and voter ID is oppression.

“Three words I never thought I’d ever utter: I’m a Democrat. This former Republican Congressman, former Republican candidate for President, this former TEA Party champion is formally joining the Democratic Party. The stakes are simply too high to NOT become a Democrat,” Walsh wrote in his Substack post, before outlining his reasoning.

“Let’s start with the obvious—a tyrant sits in the White House. The very thing our Founders feared most is here. Throw in the fact that one of our two major political parties is a real and direct threat to democracy and the rule of law. These are unprecedented, dangerous times in America. I know it. You know it. There are even Republicans who know it,” he continued. – The Hill

Also, let’s be clear: Trump didn’t kill democracy. He won an election under the system the Founders designed. You know, the same system Democrats now want to blow up every time it doesn’t deliver them a win. Electoral College? Abolish it. Supreme Court? Pack it. State laws they don’t like? Federalize everything.

Big Tent, Bigger Ego

If anyone’s eroding democratic norms, it’s the side arresting political opponents, weaponizing intelligence agencies, and calling basic border enforcement “fascism.” Spare us the lectures, Joe.

Walsh acknowledged some issues with the Democratic Party but said “for democracy and the rule of law to persevere, Democrats must succeed” — which necessitates becoming a “big tent” party and learning how to fight against Trump’s GOP.

“Take it from a former Republican fighter,” he wrote. “Republicans fight to the death to win politically, and they’ve always believed Democrats won’t. I’ve been a fighter my whole life, and if there’s ever been a moment when Americans are crying out for a Democratic Party with some fight, it’s now.”

He added: “And look, here’s the thing. We’re gonna need a HUGE tent to defeat this Republican Party. … We’re gonna need a Democratic tent big enough to hold both a conservative like Joe Walsh and a progressive like Alexandria Ocasio Cortez. I want to help build that big tent because I want to win, and … Trump’s Republican Party must lose.” – The Hill

Uh oh—Tampon better watch his back. Looks like Joe Walsh is trying to elbow his way into the VP slot when AOC or Jazzy ever decide to run. He’s out here waving the “threat to democracy” flag like it’s a job application.

Joe Walsh flipping to the Democrats feels less like a political stand and more like a midlife crisis. It seems to be going around—half the men in the Democratic Party are having one. Maybe Joe’s hoping to score an invite to that shiny new Democrat think tank, Searchlight. It’s where ex-conservatives with wounded egos go to play thought leader while recycling the same tired lines about Trump being a “threat to democracy.”

Joe Walsh came out in support of Kamala Harris nine months ago, so really—are we supposed to be shocked he’s finally switching jerseys? This isn’t a plot twist. It’s the world’s slowest political faceplant.

And while Walsh insists he’s not becoming a liberal—just a “pro-democracy Democrat” (whatever that means)—he also says he wants to help defeat Trump and “the MAGA cult.” So really, he’s just hoping someone in the DNC throws him a bone. Maybe a podcast deal. A blue-check comeback tour. Anything to stay in the conversation.

He’s not leading a movement—he’s just another washed-up loudmouth trying to stay relevant by parroting MSNBC buzzwords.

In the meantime, someone please tell Joe: The phrase “threat to democracy” has lost all meaning—just like your political career.

Feature Image: CCC, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons/edited in Canva Pro