"Democrats always assure us that deterrence will work, but when the time comes to deter, they're against it"

This quote by Ann Coulter is a criticism of the Democratic Party's stance on deterrence. She is suggesting that the Democrats are hypocritical in their method to deterrence, as they want to speak about it however not actually take action when it is needed. She is suggesting that the Democrats are not happy to take a firm stance on deterrence, and rather are most likely to retreat from it when the time comes. This might be viewed as a criticism of the Democratic Party's lack of dedication to deterrence, and their objection to take a strong position on the concern. Ultimately, Coulter is suggesting that the Democrats are not serious about deterrence, which their rhetoric is not supported by action.