Mike Rowe warns Democrats risk historic blunder by embracing DSA

Mike Rowe cautioned Democrats that welcoming the Democratic Socialists of America into the party’s fold could backfire badly, calling it a potential turning point in a lengthy social media post shared over the weekend.

The “Dirty Jobs” host, reacting to a segment from “Real Time with Bill Maher,” argued that Democrats have a rare opening to distance themselves from the DSA’s platform rather than shelter under what party leaders have called a “big tent.” If the party fails to do so and the DSA’s influence keeps growing, Mr. Rowe wrote, it would amount to “the largest political blunder in my lifetime.” 

Mr. Rowe’s warning came the same week the DSA notched another electoral win. Democratic voters in Michigan on Tuesday nominated state Rep. Donavan McKinney, who was endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, over incumbent Rep. Shri Thanedar for the state’s 13th Congressional District, part of a string of primary victories for left-wing, DSA-aligned candidates this cycle in states including Colorado and New York.

Mr. Rowe pointed to recent remarks from California Gov. Gavin Newsom as an example of the “big tent” posture he was criticizing. Mr. Newsom made the comments during a YouTube livestream interview with Jack Cocchiarella, rejecting the idea that DSA-backed primary winners posed a threat to the party and arguing Democrats need to broaden their coalition to retake a majority rather than police who belongs in it. “I’m for addition, not subtraction,” Mr. Newsom said, adding that Democrats should welcome their “big tent” rather than fear it. 

Mr. Rowe pointed to positions contained in DSA platforms and organizational materials — including calls for open borders and the abolition of police, prisons and the Senate — as evidence the party is not simply facing garden-variety left-wing candidates. Those positions do appear in DSA’s own materials, including its 2019 convention resolution and its 2026 “Workers Deserve More” program, though not every DSA-backed candidate has endorsed every plank; Colorado nominee Melat Kiros, for instance, has publicly broken with DSA on abolishing the Senate and defunding police.

In his post, Mr. Rowe argued Democrats have a chance to make a “reasonable appeal” to independents and Trump skeptics by rejecting the DSA’s more radical planks outright. He closed by invoking former President Ronald Reagan’s warning that freedom is never more than one generation from extinction, a line that quickly circulated widely after Mr. Rowe’s post drew thousands of reactions and comments online.