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"January 20th was a depressing day I’ve got to be honest," said Tom Perez, DNC Chairman.
It's the first stop of the Democratic National Committee's "Turnaround Tour”: breakfast and some serious conversation inside UAW Region One in Warren Friday.
"I was depressed for the people I knew were going to suffer."
Before heading out to Flint for a roundtable discussion - and Detroit for a town hall rally - and then, across the country, DNC leaders sat down with activists, community members, local and state officials.
"What I've heard all across America is the Democratic Party hasn't been a visible presence in my community."
The candid conversation tackled everything from jobs to raising the minimum wage to the "overtime rule".
"If you work extra, you should be paid extra. The Republicans don't believe that."
And of course health care.
"It's a big concern - healthcare. And this vote is so critical. It's going to affect so many people here in Michigan," said Chuck Hall, UAW Region 1 Director. "Don't do anything yet until you have a real plan."
President Donald Trump won Michigan by a small margin -- consistently rallying across the state. DNC chairman Tom Perez hopes to turn Michigan blue again, but admits -- the party needs to be more involved and needs to get back to the basics: recruiting candidates, speaking, but also listening, and reminding everyone what they stand for.
"What the Democratic Party has always stood for is the notion that if you work hard and play by the rules, you can punch your ticket to the middle class."
While some democrats admit they've felt dismissed, Perez is optimistic.
"We have a lot of work ahead of us, but there's no doubt that we can do this."