Democrats want a great new society post-Trump. They just can't agree on what it would look like.

Democrats are increasingly saying that simply unwinding Trump's policies isn't enough. But there are still broad disagreements on policy and the next leader.

Kamala Harris’ rallying cry to supporters in the 2024 election was simple and straightforward: “We are not going back.”

After voters decided to return President Donald Trump to the White House, Democrats are increasingly acknowledging their path forward can’t simply be a promise to unwind whatever policies Trump puts in place. Society needs to fundamentally change. They just don’t agree on exactly how.

That conversation is happening as the Democratic Party’s popularity reaches an all-time low dating back to 1990, per an NBC News survey last month. Party leaders from Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., have all staked out different approaches to dealing with Trump and attempting to chart a path forward. And Democrats are seeking ways to reach new audiences.

Mike Nellis, a Democratic strategist working with a handful of potential 2028 contenders, said he still feels it will “take a lot of coaching for Democrats to understand we cannot go back to the old system.”

“That system was broken,” he said. “It didn’t work for most Americans — and we were the ones defending it. People weren’t asking for a return to normal. They wanted change.”