Here’s what the rise of Democratic Socialists could mean for the midterms

Supervising Producer

WASHINGTON —

With the midterm elections less than four months away and on the heels of the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, voters are considering what direction to take the country next.

The issue is top of mind for President Donald Trump as well, who injected politics into speeches centered around Independence Day celebrations as he tested new messaging against Democrats. Trump condemned communism and socialism, while progressive Democratic candidates aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America movement are winning primary races.

Democratic Socialists Winning Politically

The president’s remarks follow progressive victories in New York, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani, one of the most high-profile democratic socialists in office, supported three congressional candidates who defeated establishment favorites, including two incumbents, in primary races. Darializa Avila Chevalier unseated Rep. Adriano Espaillat, D-New York, now in his fifth term and chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Brad Lander upset two-term incumbent Rep. Dan Goldman, D-New York, while Claire Valdez beat the handpicked successor for the retiring Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-New York, who first won election in 1992.

Republicans are paying attention, with some expressing concern that these wins may not be limited to New York, especially after democratic socialist Melat Kiros in Colorado defeated Rep. Diana DeGette, who has represented parts of Denver since 1997.

Trump Hones Messaging

Trump has been refining his attacks on these candidates in recent weeks.

In a speech to the Faith and Freedom Coalition Conference late last month, the president said of Democrats, “These are not social Dumocrats, these are hardcore, God-less communists.”

Speaking at the opening of the presidential library for Theodore Roosevelt on Wednesday, the president remarked, “They use the word social Democrat because it sounds so nice, but it’s really communism you’re talking about. I think it’s the biggest threat to our nation there is, maybe since our founding, that includes World War I, World War II, September 11th. It includes the Pearl Harbor attack.”

From Mount Rushmore’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, the president added, “Communism is the exact opposite of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is death, tyranny, and pursuit of evil.”

Less than 24 hours later, during a speech Saturday on the National Mall, Trump returned to the topic. “Communism is a loser and it always will be. The communist system is the opposite of the American system and the communist system has never worked.”

Democrats Debate The Label “Democratic Socialist”

Mamdani is leaning into the democratic socialist momentum, using the movement’s platform to contrast criticisms of Trump’s leadership.

“We see masked agents terrorizing our streets, eating food cooked by our undocumented neighbors before spiriting them away in unmarked vans. We see a nation whose immense wealth has been built by those with calloused, dirt-streaked hands, those who toil on factory floors and chisel into stone, and we see a nation that has allowed so much of that wealth to be held instead in the soft hands of a precious few,” Mamdani said.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has downplayed the impact of democratic socialists’ victories on the Democratic Party, emphasizing Democrats need to focus on flipping Republican-held seats.

Jeffries said in an interview on Friday, “I’ve worked with sort of the ideologically diverse group of Members up until this point, and will continue to do so. But what unifies House Democrats, and we’ll see what happens in terms of as we transition into a new Caucus, but obviously the overwhelming majority of folks who will be part of that Caucus are going to be focused on stopping MAGA extremism on the one hand, while, most importantly, doing everything we can to make life better for the everyday Americans we’re privileged to represent on the other.”

Meanwhile, Sen. Chris Murphy, a potential presidential candidate, said it would be silly not to draw conclusions from the results in New York.

What Is The Democratic Socialist Agenda?

The political organization Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA, has seen an influx of members in recent years.

The movement is broadly aimed at removing those with money from positions of power and giving that power to the working class.

That means pursuing policies that limit capitalism and more government spending on social programs. On the policy front, the party wants to strengthen unions in the workplace but also in other situations — like tenants in an apartment building.

The group also supports the Green New Deal, which calls for investing in renewable sources of power and public transit.

They’re also opposed to war and spending a lot of money on the military and military alliances like NATO. On social policy, they value individual rights, supporting gender-affirming care and reproductive independence.

Communism vs. Socialism

“Communism” and “socialism” are broad terms for ideologies that have taken many different forms over the years. Both communism and socialism support more public ownership of things that are generally privately owned.

Socialist policies favor spending on social programs, like healthcare and housing. They look to take money from wealthier people and companies to pay for them. In practice, this takes place in democratically controlled capitalist economies, like some European countries.

Communism suggests a system where there is no government, which has never been achieved. Even the world’s officially communist countries like China and Cuba have central governments with nondemocratic leaders.

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