Democrats are struggling with which direction to take their party amid President Trump’s turbulent return to office.

Noting the hard-right turn of the country, some operatives say the party swung too far left, alienating moderates and handing Republicans firepower. But others say the progressive movement is where the energy is and where it will continue to be in the future.

“Part of the reason we are where we are is because our party became almost too big tent and we sort of lost our way,” said one Democratic strategist. “No one really knows what we are right now.”

At the same time, more centrists say they don’t recognize the Democratic Party anymore and don’t identify with it. The standard operating framework is no longer working and Democrats are having a hard time transitioning. “Our party is gone,” said another prominent operative. “That’s why Republicans ate our lunch.”

One case in point: A bizarre video featuring House Democrats that showed a handful of congresswomen pretend-boxing in a video game-style mashup that read “Choose Your Fighter.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) self-identified as a “trekkie,” while House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) is “not into hair dye,” some of the bullet point descriptors read. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), meanwhile, listed herself as “too sweet.”

Progressives are certainly looking for more attention and are trying to use the party’s identity crisis in a way that benefits them. Ocasio-Cortez and others in the House Progressive Caucus are using........

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