Former Democratic Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) was a prominent liberal voice for over a generation, known for his strong opposition to Republican policies. However, the 86-year-old Massachusetts native is currently in hospice care due to congestive heart failure. In an interview with Politico, Frank stated that he has lived longer than he expected, acknowledging that at his age, the heart can sometimes fail. He mentioned that he is not in pain, feels quite well, and is taking time to relax.
He hasn’t stopped discussing politics, though. Over the weekend, he appeared on CNN’s Jake Tapper’s show and issued a warning to the Democratic Party. Frank also has a book coming out that criticizes the far-left wing of the party, particularly their reckless approach to social issue activism, which is even too much for his liberal self:
Former Democratic Rep. Barney Frank has a message for progressives as he enters hospice: "I think they make a mistake by taking the most controversial parts of the agenda and turning them into a litmus test." pic.twitter.com/duT7MRSu8O
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) May 3, 2026
“It’s precisely because I have been on the left that I have undertaken this,” Frank told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday. “Many of us fought to get inequality on the Democratic agenda.”
“But the problem was, as we succeeded in bringing the mainstream of the left into a concern with inequality, we also enabled people who wanted to use that as a platform for a wide range of social and cultural changes, some of which the public isn’t ready for.”
Frank is set to release a scathing book rebuking the left flank of the Democratic Party later this year. His main message to lefties is to be more strategic about how far to push on social issues.
“We didn’t get to marriage until after these other things had been resolved,” Frank (who is gay) argued.
“And that’s what I’m suggesting that we do today. The analogy is males and female transsexuals playing sports that are for women.”
“I understand there’s a lot of anger about that,” he continued. “And I think, in the interest of the transgender community, as well as others, it would be better to go at that in a more granular way, and not simply announce that, if you don’t support it, you’re a homophobe.”
Despite his objections to the way the Left operates, Frank expressed regret that he won’t be around to witness Trump’s supposedly coming downfall. He believes that things will return to normal after Trump leaves office, though it’s not clear what he means by “normal,” considering he’s at odds with his own party for its very abnormal behaviors. Beyond that, we’re still two-and-a-half years away from the next presidential election.
