OPINION:
Americans who value freedom, prosperity, and American greatness should be deeply alarmed by the rising acceptance of far-left socialist candidates and policies. This is more than a passing trend. It’s a dangerous shift that must be challenged before it’s too late.
Today’s Democratic Party, once filled with pro-family and free-market advocates, has been taken over by a new Left driven by anti-Semitism, hatred for law and order, extreme gender ideology, and ruinous economic policies that would crush hardworking American families.
Among American voters, support for socialism is rising, while confidence in capitalism is in decline. Two-thirds of Democrats polled in 2025 held a positive view of socialism - an increase by more than 10% over the past 15 years.
As Americans face economic uncertainty because of war in the Middle East and the worry created by tariffs, many - especially younger Americans - are looking to political leaders for guidance.
While New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s solutions to the affordability crisis are far from practical or effective, his acknowledgment of the problem is what scored him points with voters unfamiliar with the dire consequences of socialism. He explained on Meet the Press, “When I asked New Yorkers why they voted for the president, they told me again and again it was cost of living, cost of living, cost of living.”
But even though Mr. Mamdani’s observations are correct, his solutions are devastating. If Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) was the leader of DSA’s first wave into elected office, Mr. Mamdani is the clear leader of the second wave, paving the way for other radical candidates to make waves in ongoing elections across the country.
Some on the Left have rightly called out this dangerous shift toward socialism. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D) noted, “I said months ago, I said the Democratic Party is becoming an orgy of socialism. These recent elections vindicate my description.” Likewise, he warned that antisemitic and anti-ICE rhetoric plagues the “dirtbag” wing of the party, calling such sentiments “anti-America.”
But many in the Democratic Party establishment are shockingly accepting of DSA candidates. Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy (D) made this clear when he stated, “I want us to be a big tent party. I mean, I’ve been saying this for years. I think that it’s actually a sign of a party that is alive and growing when there’s a contest of ideas inside the party.”
So, who exactly is being welcomed into this “big tent?”
Francesca Hong, a gubernatorial candidate in Wisconsin, is attempting to become the country’s first socialist governor. According to her website, “Fran has a plan.” Her plan is full of terrible ideas that would hurt Wisconsin families. She wants to abolish ICE, make “gender-affirming care” fully funded by Medicare, and provide state IDs for non-citizens - theoretically paving the way for them to vote.
DSA darling and House primary election winner Darializa Avila Chevalier features Mr. Mamdani’s endorsement upon entering her campaign website. Her “About” section boasts major advocacy for her friend, alleged Hamas sympathizer Mahmoud Khalil. And her recently deleted Twitter account housed hundreds of posts calling for an end to ICE, prisons, borders, and private property.
Abdul Al-Sayed, another DSA member who won the Democratic primary for Senate in Michigan, has made his core campaign priority “money in your pocket.” However, his way of putting more “money in your pocket” takes a detour by raising taxes, making childcare fully government-funded, and hammering businesses with more regulations.
That’s simply not how you provide Americans with more take-home pay.
The Democratic Party establishment has been attempting to push more moderate options, but to no avail. DSA candidates are hijacking the party, and yet the establishment is welcoming them into the “big tent,” sabotaging a party already declining in popularity, rather than waging any sustained pushback.
Unless the Democratic Party grows the courage to push back against the “dirtbag” wing of the party, as Sen. Fetterman called it, the Democratic Party is destined for a complete hostile takeover.
• Tim Chapman is the president of Advancing American Freedom Foundation. Julia Jensen is a communications assistant at Advancing American Freedom Foundation.
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