Introducing Ro Khanna
A Politics of Decency, Accountability, and the 99%
Many Americans can name Washington’s loudest politicians. Far fewer know Ro Khanna. That should change.
Khanna is a Democratic congressman from California’s Silicon Valley. In an era when politics often rewards cruelty, tribalism, and performance, Khanna offers something different: seriousness, decency, and a steady insistence that powerful people should not be above the law.
Khanna is a progressive. His official congressional biography describes him as focused on restoring American manufacturing and technology leadership, improving the lives of working people, and advancing climate, human rights, and diplomacy. It also says he believes the country needs a “new economic patriotism” that creates jobs in the industries of the future across the South, the heartland, and the coasts.
Even if you are a Republican or moderate Democrat, give Khanna a look. He is committed to working across the aisle and finding common ground without giving up his principles. He is the rare politician that listens, and treats even his political opponents with respect. In short, he is exactly the kind of leader our country so desperately needs.
Working with Republicans
Khanna led the move to pass the Epstein Files Transparency Act, along with Republican Thomas Massie. It was one of the few bipartisan acts to pass through congress in years and it has led to accountability for powerful people like Prince Andrew and Bill Gates. Khanna’s goal is not to get Trump— he believes all people who participated in or enabled the sexual predator network should be held accountable. He worked across the aisle on this work along with Massie and Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Green and Nancy Mace.
No Unnecessary Wars
The same moral clarity shows up in Khanna’s views on foreign policy. Over the years he has been a consistent voice against reckless war, including the current war with Iran. He and Massie introduced the bipartisan War Powers Resolutions to prohibit unauthorized U.S. hostilities in Iran: Congress, not one president acting alone, must decide whether America goes to war. His stance is not isolationism, it is constitutional responsibility: presidents should not be able to bomb their way into war while Congress looks away.
Hold Israel Accountable
Khanna is also willing to criticize Israel’s actions in Palestine at a time when many politicians still speak in evasions. He was an early critic of Israeli policy, while also defending Israel’s right to exist and rejecting antisemitism. In a 2025 interview covered by the Times of Israel, he said that denying the idea of a Jewish state is antisemitic, even as he has continued to criticize Israeli policy and Palestinian human-rights violations. That balance matters. He shows that one can oppose antisemitism and still insist that Palestinian lives, rights, and dignity matter.
Support the Working-Class
Economically, Khanna represents California’s 17th Congressional District, centered in Silicon Valley, one of the richest districts in the country. He has relationships with tech leaders and a deep knowledge of the industry, but he has not used that proximity simply to defend tech companies. Instead, he has argued that the wealth and productivity created by American technology should serve ordinary Americans. He frames this as a “new economic patriotism” aimed at creating jobs in the industries of the future across the whole country, not just in wealthy coastal hubs.
Decency and Civility
Khana’s demeanor is a breath of fresh air in today’s toxic political environment. Khanna answers criticism without being consumed by it. When critics on X accused him of hypocrisy over stock trades associated with his family, he did not lash out or personalize the fight. Here is an example:
“Thanks Pomp for adding facts. I have been a leader to ban Congressional stock trading, do not trade, and have no input in the trades filed by my wife's trust. Here is a respected independent analyst on the trust.
He defends himself directly, but without cruelty or counterattack. He will argue, challenge, disagree, and push hard—but he does so without the bitterness and personal venom that now dominate public life.
Take a look at Khanna in this amazing discussion with twenty young people regarding the Epstein files.
Such civility is rare in our leaders today. Decency is not weakness. Calm is not surrender. Khanna can lead us to a better political culture.
Ro Khanna is not the loudest person in American politics. That may be exactly why more people should listen to him.