Dem Outraged Over Trump Job Cuts on Social Media; One Problem - He's Dead

On Thursday afternoon, Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona made waves on social media with a strongly worded post condemning “President Trump’s latest reckless decision to fire thousands of employees at the Department of Education.” In his post on X, he warned that the decision “jeopardizes critical student aid programs, weakens protections for students’ civil rights, and undermines essential support for students with disabilities.”

The post, an extensive statement of over 1,100 characters, was notable not only for its content but also for its timing. It appeared mere hours after Grijalva had passed away.

His media office released a statement the same day confirming that Grijalva had “passed away this morning due to complications of his cancer treatments.”

As The Arizona Republic reported, Grijalva was “a former radical who was unapologetically liberal and often blunt” and had been deeply involved in Tucson politics for decades. His political career began in the 1970s as a school board member, continued as a Pima County supervisor in the 1990s, and led to his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002. He went on to serve 11 full terms, making him one of the longest-serving members in Arizona’s history.

Regardless of political stance, no one wishes to speak ill of someone who has just passed, even if they strongly disagree with his policies. (For full transparency, I can’t think of an issue where I saw eye to eye with him, but there are plenty of politicians I disagree with, and I don’t wish them harm, much less death.)

However, the X post, which claimed Trump’s “move severely threatens every child’s access to a quality education nationwide,” raised eyebrows for both its message and its timing.

“Trump and Musk are prioritizing tax cuts for the wealthy over the future of our students. It’s selfish, and it’s illegal. This radical gutting of the Department will mean funding cuts for every student,” the post stated, though it remains unclear who actually wrote it.

The issue isn’t simply his “opposition” to the job cuts. The reaction on X was swift, with Elon Musk himself weighing in: “the above post is impersonating a deceased Congressman.”

While Grijalva had served in Congress since 2002, his recent health struggles were no secret. The Arizona Republic obituary noted that he had announced his cancer diagnosis in April 2024 and had stepped away from Capitol Hill to focus on treatment.

This wasn’t an unexpected or sudden passing. Those who have watched a loved one battle cancer know how exhausting and debilitating it can be. It drains energy, strength, and, in many cases, mental clarity.

Just last year, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were vocal about concerns over Texas Republican Rep. Kay Granger’s health. She was the chair of the House Appropriations Committee until her resignation in April and, as her son later revealed, was struggling with “dementia issues.” She had missed numerous votes, announced she would not seek re-election, and stepped down from her leadership role before ultimately moving into an assisted living facility.

Granger’s situation became a cautionary tale about aging politicians, with bipartisan criticism over her remaining in office while incapacitated. However, one can’t help but notice that Democrats were eager to make Granger a poster child for Washington’s aging problem—perhaps as a deflection from their own party’s struggles with this very issue.

There is no need for complex calculations here.

Yes, Grijalva stepped down as the ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee during his treatment, but his final months were clearly marked by a decline in his ability to serve. Yet, in an unsettling display, his account continued to operate posthumously, highlighting how much control staff and the Democratic Party apparatus had over his public presence. And in response? Silence. Because, as the old adage goes, we don’t speak ill of the dead—even if they are still “speaking.”

The special primary election for his seat is scheduled for July 15. The Democratic Party appears ready to move on without much reflection.

Despite the brief outrage over Rep. Granger’s declining health and the efforts to keep her in office, the muted response to Grijalva’s posthumous statement suggests that the lesson was never really learned. If his final months tell us anything, it’s that the Democratic Party continues to struggle with its aging leadership. When it was a Republican facing these issues, it was a scandal; when it happens to one of their own, it barely makes a ripple.

It isn’t heartless to point out the troubling reality of a deceased congressman seemingly voicing outrage about Trump’s job cuts. The Democrats have an age problem, and if they refuse to address it, then voters should take it upon themselves to do so. If ever there were a stark reminder of how Washington fails its constituents, this is it.