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Crockett Today
By the People, for the People
Senate Democrats Convene Digital Creators Summit to Defend Democracy
Senators call on creators to help fight against Trump's authoritarian overreach and the erosion of press freedoms
Published on Feb. 20, 2026
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In a move to bolster their messaging and outreach efforts, Senate Democrats recently held a Digital Creators Summit at the U.S. Capitol, convening a wide array of digital media creators from platforms like TikTok and Substack. The goal was to grant creators access to senators and convey the urgent need for independent media to step up and fill the void left by the legacy media, which has been increasingly compromised by Trump-aligned interests. Senators Cory Booker and Tina Smith led the summit, which featured impassioned speeches from lawmakers like Elizabeth Warren and Don Lemon, who warned of the creeping authoritarianism threatening American democracy.
Why it matters
This summit reflects a recognition by Senate Democrats that traditional media outlets can no longer be trusted to hold power accountable, as they are increasingly controlled by pro-Trump forces. By engaging directly with digital creators, Democrats hope to leverage the trust and connections these influencers have built with their audiences to spread their message and mobilize support ahead of the crucial 2026 midterm elections.
The details
The summit was convened against the backdrop of a series of anti-democratic actions by the Trump-aligned leadership at CBS News, including the quashing of critical stories and the platforming of controversial figures. Senators warned that the President was wielding the Justice Department in an attempt to arrest members of Congress, as evidenced by the failed effort to indict six Democratic lawmakers for sedition. The summit was seen as an urgent call to arms for digital creators to fill the void left by a compromised legacy media and help defend American democracy.
- The Digital Creators Summit was held at the U.S. Capitol last week.
- The 2026 midterm elections are just 9 months away.
The players
Senator Cory Booker
The Democratic Senator from New Jersey who chaired the Digital Creators Summit.
Senator Tina Smith
The Democratic Senator from Minnesota who served as vice chair of the Digital Creators Summit.
Don Lemon
The CNN anchor who spoke at the summit just weeks after his arrest by the Trump administration for covering an anti-ICE protest.
Senator Elizabeth Warren
The Democratic Senator from Massachusetts who gave closing remarks at the summit, expressing optimism about Democrats' chances in the 2026 midterms.
Donald Trump
The former President whose administration has been accused of undermining democratic institutions and wielding the Justice Department for political retaliation.
What they’re saying
“We are now at a point in America where the old levels of communication are being destroyed. It is left for the truth tellers, for the watchers of our democracy. For the people who are chronicling, it's left for you all to fill this void.”
— Senator Cory Booker
“The First Amendment isn't decoration. It's the floor everything else stands on. The press is the foundation of the constitution. If you weaken it, everything else starts to unravel...”
— Don Lemon, CNN Anchor
“It has been a hard year. It's been a year when the bad guys thought they were going to take the whole country down. They thought they would have democracy by the throat. They were going to do whatever they were going to do and OK, they've done a lot of damage and a lot of people have been hurt. But the way I see it, one year later, we are a whole lot stronger than we were a year ago, we are larger in number than we were a year ago. And we are a damn sight more pissed off than we were a year ago. And none of that would be true if you hadn't gotten up every day and done the work.”
— Senator Elizabeth Warren
What’s next
The judge in the case against the six Democratic lawmakers accused of sedition will decide on Tuesday whether to allow them out on bail.
The takeaway
This summit highlights the growing recognition among Senate Democrats that they must engage more directly with digital media creators and their audiences in order to counter the erosion of press freedoms and the spread of authoritarianism under the Trump administration. By empowering these creators, Democrats hope to mobilize support and defend American democracy ahead of the crucial 2026 midterm elections.
