I recently saw a post published from an official Democratic Party social media account that included the question, “Is he wearing a diaper?” Regardless of who the person in that video was or what political disagreements we may have with him, I believe that kind of personal ridicule is beneath the standard our party should represent.

I am asking the Democratic Party to address this problem directly.

This is bigger than one Instagram post. Whoever is entrusted with speaking on behalf of our party through official social media accounts carries a serious responsibility. Those accounts do not merely represent an individual staff member sitting behind a phone or computer. They represent millions of Democrats across this country.

That means the people creating these posts should understand that every joke, caption, insult, and response reflects on all of us.

I believe party leadership should speak directly with the individuals responsible for this type of content and establish a clear expectation: criticize policies, challenge statements, expose hypocrisy, debate ideas, and hold political opponents accountable—but do it without reducing our politics to personal humiliation.

I want to speak directly to the men and women creating this content on behalf of our party.

You have more influence than you may realize. You have the ability to shape how people see Democrats, how young people understand political discourse, and how our opponents judge our character. Use that responsibility wisely.

Being strong does not require being disrespectful. Being politically aggressive does not require being cruel. We should be capable of fighting hard for what we believe while still treating another human being with dignity.

If we criticize the other side for lowering the level of political discourse, then we cannot turn around and participate in the same behavior when it benefits us.

Leadership means maintaining your principles even when it would be easier not to.

I am asking my Democratic Party to correct this, speak with the people representing us online, and establish a higher standard going forward. Our disagreements with Republicans, independents, or anyone else can be serious and passionate without becoming personally degrading.

America already has enough division.

We should be showing the country that disagreement does not have to mean disrespect.

That is the standard I believe our party should represent, and it is the standard I intend to hold myself to as well.

John Washington III Democratic Presidential Candidate for 2028