Bulwark Takes: “The 82-Year-Old Democrat Trolling Ted Cruz Into Oblivion”

Date: February 17, 2026
Host: Will Sommer
Guest: Lauren Egan (Author, “The Opposition” newsletter)

Episode Overview

This episode centers on Virginia State Senator Louise Lucas, an 82-year-old Democrat whose irreverent, combative, and meme-savvy social media presence has made her an unexpected role model for Democrats seeking to invigorate their online engagement. Host Will Sommer and guest Lauren Egan discuss Lucas’s rise to prominence, her trolling of Republicans (notably Ted Cruz), how her approach contrasts with traditional Democratic messaging, and the broader implications for the party’s digital strategy leading into upcoming elections.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Louise Lucas: The Sassy Social Media Dynamo

• Introduction to Louise Lucas

  • Lucas has gained national attention with her brash, unfiltered persona on Twitter, especially amid Virginia’s contentious redistricting battles.
  • She’s considered “the most sassy shit-posting type personality on Twitter” among Democrats in state politics.

    “She’s really broken through over the past couple of months because of all the redistricting stuff…she’s just absolutely trolling the Republicans about this, giving them hell online.”
    —Lauren Egan (02:09)

  • Her high-spirited trolling is so impactful that Democratic consultants have showcased her tweets to members of Congress as best-practice examples.

• Redistricting in Virginia

  • Lucas is a leading proponent of aggressively Democratic redistricting efforts, turning the state’s congressional balance heavily blue (10–1).

    “She is relishing it…this is not the usual kind of Democrats shrinking violet...She’s relishing it.”
    —Will Sommer (03:52)

The ‘Cuck Chair’ Meme & Internet Fluency

• Iconic “Cuck Chair” Moment
  • Louise Lucas called out fellow Democrats (Senators Tim Kaine, Mark Warner) for their timid criticism of the hardline redistricting, telling them to “go sit in the cuck chair”—a reference to a mocking internet meme.

    “She knows the terminology cuck chair, which she had to explain to her daughter…You just wouldn’t expect someone in the Democratic Party as well into their 80s.”
    —Lauren Egan (04:11)

  • Will Sommer explains the meme in detail for the audience, highlighting how these internet-native moves set Lucas apart.

    “This is my favorite Louise Lucas thing, the cuck chair. And you wouldn’t expect, you know, any politician to be tweeting about a cuck chair.”
    —Will Sommer (05:03)

Changing Democratic Online Tactics

• Debate Over Social Media Tone in the Party

  • The Democratic Party grapples with whether to get “in the mud” using more combative, irreverent tactics—traditionally associated with Republicans—or maintain professional, buttoned-up norms.

    “Some Democrats have really prided themselves on being, like, kind of above this…But, I mean, they lost the last election. So, like, is there a trade off there?”
    —Lauren Egan (06:47)

  • Lucas’s boldness is possible because she represents a safe blue district, which differs from the reality for swing-district Democrats.

• Other Notable Democrats Adopting a Punchier Style

  • California Governor Gavin Newsom, Senators Brian Schatz (HI), and Ruben Gallego (AZ) cited as adopting more direct, authentic digital voices.
    • Gavin Newsom’s Twitter “trolling” cited as a model at the national level.

    “I think what’s kind of the shared trait between all of them…is I read their stuff, and I feel like it’s really them hitting send. I don't feel like it's a staffer…”
    —Lauren Egan (08:57)

  • Authenticity and a sense of the candidate’s real voice online are valued among Democratic voters.

Virality, Voters, and Party Identity

• Does Trolling Move Voters?
  • Sommer asks whether this approach has tangible electoral impact beyond energizing the base.

    “Does this really impact voters?... Do voters care about, you know, candidates who have a bit of voice and are kind of punchier online?”
    —Will Sommer (12:43)

  • Lauren Egan: It energizes the base, who want to see leaders “fighting” and “punching Republicans in the face.” But there’s debate about whether social media battles truly drive broader electoral success, especially beyond deeply blue districts.

    “Everything we know about what Democratic base voters want…it’s they want someone like Louise Lucas who’s going to show that they’re fighting and show that they’re punching Republicans in the face.”
    —Lauren Egan (13:23)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Louise Lucas’s Age and Attitude

  • “[She’s] had the most, just kind of sassy shit posting type personality on Twitter…And it's hilarious that it's coming from this older woman in the party who’s not even really a nationally known name.”
    —Lauren Egan (02:09)

• The “Cuck Chair” Lore

  • “So folks, so here's what happened…she said, essentially, I mean, she did say this. She said, 'Well, why don't you guys go sit in the cuck chair?'”
    —Will Sommer (05:25)

• Party Tensions Over Punchiness

  • “Some Democrats have really prided themselves on being, like, kind of above this and not getting into the mud…But, I mean, they lost the last election. So…is there a trade off there?”
    —Lauren Egan (06:47)

• On the Demand for Fighting Spirit

  • “Everything we know about what Democratic base voters want right now…they want someone like Louise Lucas…show[ing] that they're fighting…”
    —Lauren Egan (13:23)

Supplemental Topics

Odd Political Maneuvers and Cartographic Quirks (11:21–12:41)

• Will Sommer raises the right-wing idea of ceding Northern Virginia back to DC to skew voter demographics, finding it unlikely but emblematic of political “antics.”
  • “Would the District shape be more esthetically pleasing? Because I would be interested in that. Would it be more of a square? Perfect square?”
    —Lauren Egan (12:11)

Louise Lucas Saving the Day for DC Sports (10:13–11:21)

• Sommer credits Lucas for sinking a plan to move the Washington Wizards/Mystics to Virginia, showcasing her political chops:
  • “She used her key role on some committee to totally sink it. Then Ted Leonsis had to come slinking back to the District, and we still have our stadium.”
    —Will Sommer (10:53)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:48 — Will Sommer introduces Louise Lucas and the online discourse context
• 02:09–03:38 — Lucas's rise on Twitter and state-level trolling
• 03:52–05:20 — The “cuck chair” meme and Democrats’ new online attitude
• 06:47 — Discussion of party tensions: to go low or stay “school president”?
• 08:23–10:13 — Other Democrats imitating Lucas-style authenticity; Newsom, Schatz, Gallego
• 10:13–11:21 — Louise Lucas sinks DC sports move
• 11:21–12:41 — Ceding Northern Virginia back to DC: meme or movement?
• 12:43–14:38 — Does brashness online move voters, or just the base?
• 14:48 — Wrap-up and gratitude

Conclusion

Will Sommer and Lauren Egan showcase Louise Lucas as an unlikely standard-bearer for a more aggressive, meme-literate Democratic Party. Lucas’s irreverence, from dunking on Ted Cruz to mainstreaming internet culture into statecraft, illustrates a new willingness among some Democrats to fight online with the same energy as their Republican counterparts. Whether this translates to wider electoral gains or simply fires up the base remains an open question—but, as Egan says, there’s little doubt that “there is a segment of the Democratic base that does define fighting right now as simply engaging in a Twitter war.”