DNC chair calls for DC, Puerto Rico statehood, filibuster elimination, says Trump admin a 'fascist regime'

DNC Chair Ken Martin called for abolishing the filibuster and said Democrats should push for Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico to gain statehood if they return to power, before labeling the Trump administration a "fascist regime" during an interview Tuesday.

Martin told former DNC Chair Jaime Harrison on his podcast, "At Our Table," that Democrats were following the guardrails of democracy — rules he argued Republicans had already abandoned.

"When we get into power next time, we damn well better make sure that D.C. is a state, that Puerto Rico is a state, that we eliminate the filibuster rule, right? We get rid of all these antiquated rules that sure in the past made sense, but right now, with what we're dealing with in this country, and we have a fascist regime, trying to destroy our democracy, we cannot abide by those rules anymore. We can't be the only party with one hand tied behind our back," he said. 

"When we get in power – and we will get in power – we're going to win in ’26, we're going to win in ’25, and when we are in power we don't play by that antiquated playbook anymore. We go in there and do exactly what we want and what we said we were going to do to fight for people," Martin continued.

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Martin encouraged Democrats to fight during the interview.

"If we are not willing to fight when everything we stand for in this country is under assault, then everything is at stake. If we don't win in ’26 and we give this fascist regime an unimpeded path of power for the next four years, everything we value, everything we care about, will be lost. And it's not me being hyperbolic," he said.

Martin argued that the 2026 midterm elections would be the most important elections of his lifetime. 

"You and I are used to saying this is the most important election of your lifetime, but I can't think of an election I've ever been involved with where the stakes are higher than the 2026 elections. So if we're not going to do everything we can to win right now, what the hell are we doing?" he said. 

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Martin was elected to chair the national party in February following former Vice President Kamala Harris' loss to President Donald Trump.

The DNC chair argued during a speech in August that Trump is acting as "a dictator-in-chief" and that Trump's second administration is "fascism dressed in a red tie."

"Are you ready to take back our country from the wannabe king in the White House?" he said to more than 400 elected party officials from all 50 states and seven territories at the Democrats’ summer meeting in Minnesota.

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Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.