Democrats' call for resistance rocks party whose leaders seem far less angry than their voters

Democrats are furious. And they want their leaders to get mad, too.

- Lauren Gambino Washington

"I wish you'd be angry," a constituent told Representative Gil Cisneros, a California Democrat, at a recent town hall. At an event in Minnesota featuring Democratic attorneys general, an activist voiced a similar sentiment - "Get angry, man" punctuating the message with a profanity.

The anger roiling the party, slow to build, is now a forceful current coursing through the electorate and pulling in Americans terrified that the country is descending into authoritarianism. Democrats with no strong leader to guide them and little power to wield in Washington - are scrambling to harness the sudden fury.

At rallies and protests, voters are venting their fury with Donald Trump and his empowerment of Elon Musk's assault on federal agencies, stoking what activists believe are the embers of a backlash against the president and the Democratic leaders they believe are not meeting the moment.

Tens of thousands of left-leaning voters flocked to "Fight Oligarchy" rallies hosted by leftwing figureheads Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez across three western states last week.

Democratic members of Congress spoke to packed crowds at events in districts held by Republicans, who have been advised not to hold town hall meetings in the current climate.

Despite the rising tide of anger, Democrats still have no clear strategy to confront Trump or Musk, who said in an interview on Thursday that his mission to slash federal spending by $1tn (£750bn) this year could be completed within weeks.

The discontent among Democrats has some wondering whether they are on the verge of their own Tea Party-style grassroots revolt that struck the Republicans in 2007.