NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!
Doc Rivers, the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, recently shared his thoughts on what the Democratic Party must do to reclaim the White House after losing to Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
Rivers, who has consistently opposed Trump since his first term, emphasized the necessity for the Democrats to adapt and unify on key issues.
Donald Trump (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“First and foremost, we need to step out of our comfort zones. If we continue with the same approach, we won’t see different results,” Rivers told MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace during her podcast. “Change is necessary on the Democratic side. I’m unsure about the specifics of that change, but clearly the traditional methods haven’t been effective. While they may have worked in popular votes, there are states that haven’t supported Democrats for 50 years.
“Our party prides itself on inclusivity; we encompass everyone. At a recent event, I asked Cory Booker why Democrats struggle to unify, noting that Republicans seem to do it well. They tend to conform easily. Looking back, many Republicans criticized Trump, but now they praise him; they’ve aligned themselves. Booker pointed out that our party includes many diverse groups beyond just White males, making consensus difficult. Yet, if we want to see real change, we need to work toward that unity.”
Rivers believes that Democrats should stop the “Trump won because” narrative and suggested a coaching analogy for improvements post-defeat.
ANTONIO BROWN TAKES SWIPE AT MEDIA AS HE FACES ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE IN FLORIDA
Doc Rivers, Milwaukee Bucks head coach (Stephen Lew-Imagn Images)
“We need to eliminate the ‘because’ and be straightforward. Trump won—let’s start from that point, rather than making excuses,” he told Wallace. “Taking ownership is crucial. Just like in sports, when we lose, I don’t focus on excuses. Instead, we analyze our mistakes and identify what we must do differently to win. Blaming Trump voters for his victory is counterproductive—it’s an illogical approach.”
Rivers emphasized that the real issue was the Democrats failing to mobilize enough voters.
“We simply didn’t engage enough voters,” he stated. “Our first step is to spark enthusiasm within our own base to turn out more voters. We have a larger demographic; we just need to energize and connect with them. Right now, we aren’t doing that effectively.
Doc Rivers, Milwaukee Bucks head coach (Benny Sieu-Imagn Images)
“There’s a lot of talk about Black men’s voting patterns. While many did vote for Kamala, it wasn’t a significant enough majority. Why is that? There’s a pervasive sense of hopelessness in our community. Many Black men feel disillusioned, believing that neither political side provides tangible help, given the ongoing issues like incarceration and economic struggles. We need to address this disconnect and find solutions.”
Fox News’ Connor McGahan contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter..
