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By Andrew Stanton
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Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) co-chair Megan Romer’s interview on Fox News Sunday about the organization’s platform drew rebuke from both Democrats and Republicans on social media.
DSA is riding a wave of victories in recent Democratic primaries ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, securing wins in places like New York City, Philadelphia and Denver. They are expected to expand their ranks in Congress after this year’s elections, a major victory for the political left. The rise of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has also drawn national attention to DSA.
But many Democrats are worried their brand of politics could be toxic in more competitive areas, and polling suggests Democratic socialism and socialism more broadly remain unpopular.
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During the Fox News interview over the weekend, Romer was asked about several policy positions of DSA in a rapid-fire line of questioning.
Fox News host Shannon Bream asked Romer whether DSA supports policies including eliminating the Senate, replacing the president and Supreme Court “as we now know them,” abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), abolishing borders, giving amnesty to anyone in the United States illegally, defunding the Pentagon, abolishing prisons and public ownership of most large corporations.
Romer agreed that each of those policies is part of the DSA platform, noting that abolishing borders and prisons would be part of a longer-term plan.
Video of the interview has gone viral on X, garnering millions of views and backlash from both parties.
DSA Platform Sparks Bipartisan Criticism
Annie Andrews, a Democrat running for Senate in South Carolina, criticized the ideas as “unhinged” in a post on X.
“I can’t understand how anyone claiming to fight for working people could hold and promote such ludicrous beliefs. These ideas don’t reflect American values, and they certainly don’t represent South Carolina. If this is what the DSA stands for, it’s completely un-American and unhinged,” she wrote.
Senator John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, wrote on X, “This isn’t a big tent—it’s anarchy. Why can’t Dems call out the DSA?”
Activist Shannon Watts wrote that this platform would be alienating to important voters.
“The people we need most to vote with our party, including moderates and independents, will look at this list and think ‘WTF,’” she wrote.
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Former Representative Tim Ryan, an Ohio Democrat, said “normal thinking” Democrats need to “renounce the DSA” or they will “take the entire party down.”
“No borders so terrorist can just walk into the US? Amnesty for them? No military at all? Some national Dem please stand up to this insanity before it’s too late,” he wrote on X.
Republicans also opposed the platform.
Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, wrote on X, “These people are insane.”
Senator Ashley Moody, a Florida Republican, wrote that Democratic socialists are “hell-bent on destroying America.”
DSA Addresses Backlash
DSA responded to the criticism in a statement to Newsweek.
“Our program is an ambitious, long-term project with a vision for a future in which people's material needs are met, crime is reduced because people and have good-paying jobs, and families can easily afford their rent. In a democratic socialist future, we fund childcare and healthcare, not genocide and war,” the statement reads.
It noted that Democrats are “not running on a DSA platform.”
“If Democrats lose, it will be because they failed to speak to working-class voters and instead continued to serve billionaires and corporations,” the statement reads, also asking if the Democratic Party will “finally become a party that fights for working Americans instead of billionaires, AIPAC, and defense contractors.”
Democratic Socialism Explained
DSA describes democratic socialism as a system "where ordinary people have a real voice in our workplaces, neighborhoods, and society."
"We want a democracy that creates space for us all to flourish not just survive and answers the fundamental questions of our lives with the input of all. We want to collectively own the key economic drivers that dominate our lives, such as energy production and transportation. We want the multiracial working class united in solidarity instead of divided by fear," the DSA website reads.
DSA members typically support progressive policies like single-payer health care and the Green New Deal.
Core to its belief is that any move toward a more egalitarian economy must happen through democratic institutions, civil liberties and competitive elections, rather than one-party rule—a key difference from some other forms of socialism. It falls under the umbrella of socialism but is a democratic branch of the ideology.
The key difference between democratic socialism and other forms of socialism is that democratic socialism maintains that any move toward a more socialist economy must happen through democratic institutions, civil liberties and competitive elections, not through centralized or authoritarian control.
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The philosophy supports a socially owned economy but believes it should be achieved through political democracy. It also emphasizes individual rights.
Merriam-Webster defines democratic socialism as a “political movement calling for the establishment of a decentralized socialist economic system within a democratically run political system.”
It defines socialism as “any of various egalitarian economic and political theories or movements advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods.”
It’s also different from communism, which is defined as a “totalitarian system of government in which a single authoritarian party controls state-owned means of production.”
What Does the DSA Platform Say?
DSA’s platform lists several core beliefs around the economy, foreign policy and democracy.
On the economic front, it includes expanded public resources, including a 32-hour work week and a livable minimum wage, universal health care, the construction of publicly owned housing, the completion of reconstruction, an end to mass incarceration, “feminism for all,” and the Green New Deal.
With regards to foreign policy, DSA supports the defunding of the Department of Defense, recognizing Palestinian rights, ending military and economic aid to Israel, prosecuting U.S. and Israeli leaders over their actions in Gaza, ending blockades, embargoes and sanctions and the abolition of ICE.
They also promote the expansion of democracy including establishing statehood for Washington, D.C., and self-determination for territories, an end to Citizens United, the abolition of the Electoral College, replacing the presidency and Supreme Court “with an executive and judiciary chosen by and subordinate to Congress,” replacing the two-party system, implementing ranked choice voting and proportional representation, establishing public ownership of the largest corporations and essential industries and supporting union members.
The program was drafted between April and June 2026 by a committee of DSA members, according to the webpage.
How Popular Is Democratic Socialism?
A June poll from The Economist and YouGov found that 32 percent of Americans view socialism favorably compared to 39 percent who view it unfavorably. Twenty-nine percent said they weren’t sure how they viewed the ideology.
Forty-four percent said they prefer capitalism to socialism, compared to 19 percent who preferred socialism.
Meanwhile, 45 percent of respondents said they would never vote for a Democratic socialist, while 29 percent said they would be willing to do so. The poll surveyed 1,606 adults from June 26-29, 2026.
A Pew Research Center survey from January found that 37 percent of Americans dislike leaders who identify as Democratic socialists, while 17 percent like leaders who identify as one. For comparison, in 2022, 45 percent said they disliked leaders who were Democratic socialists, while 18 percent said they liked them.
Among Democrats, 32 percent said they liked Democratic socialist political leaders, while 11 percent disliked them. Among Republicans, unfavorable views stood at 69 percent.
Where Democratic Socialists Are Winning
In New York, Claire Valdez won an open seat held by Representative Nydia Velázquez, who has served in Congress since 1993. Darializa Avila Chevalier, meanwhile, unseated Representative Adriano Espaillat—a rare moment when an incumbent, particularly one who had not faced any major scandals, loses to an insurgent challenger.
Chris Rabb, backed by DSA, also won an open primary in a Philadelphia-based district.
In Colorado, Democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeated Representative Diana DeGette in a Denver-based area.
All four are likely to easily win their elections in November, as they are running in some of the most Democratic seats in the country. This means three new DSA-supported candidates are likely to join the two current DSA members in the House, Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Gabe Whisnant and Sam Wilson.
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