NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� A new platform from a progressive group that鈥檚 notched several is becoming fodder for Republican attacks, as the GOP looks to ahead of November鈥檚 midterm elections.
Although the platform doesn鈥檛 necessarily line up exactly with the candidates鈥� own agendas, prominent Republicans over the weekend decried it. The DSA platform proposes drafting “a new constitution鈥� with significant changes to the structure of the U.S. government, including abolishing the Senate, replacing the president and the Supreme Court with leaders picked by Congress and allowing all permanent U.S. residents to vote. Alongside those changes, the platform, published earlier this month, calls for a number of social reforms.
鈥淭he barbarians are inside the gate 鈥� and Democrats are WELCOMING them in,鈥� House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., wrote on X. 鈥淐ommunism is no longer a far fetched threat. It is here on our SHORES!鈥�
The Wall Street Journal鈥檚 conservative-leaning editorial board also warned about the agenda, calling it radical and writing that the job of Republicans and willing Democrats is to educate the country about it. But it cautioned Republicans to avoid communism attack lines, saying they wouldn’t resonate with younger generations.
Progressive and DSA-backed candidates running in Democratic primaries across the country don鈥檛 all subscribe to the group鈥檚 full agenda. The left is also split between progressive and moderate wings that have different ideas about the best policies to carry the Democratic Party forward. But the DSA platform has created an opening for Republicans to attack Democrats with a broad brush as they look for an edge in races that will determine which party has next year.
President Donald Trump this year has returned to an old habit of calling Democrats communists, saying they want to 鈥渄estroy the traditional American way of life.鈥� Other Republicans have followed suit, turning to more comfortable territory after months spent defending their party as disgruntled Americans fume about and .
DSA agenda calls for dramatic overhaul of government and society
The DSA鈥檚 vision for the country laid out in mid-July proposes major changes that the group says can in part be achieved under the current system but ultimately would require 鈥渂uilding a new society from the ground up.鈥�
Among the suggested changes are expanding voting rights, publicly financing all elections, replacing the two-party system with a multi-party democracy, establishing public ownership of large corporations and expanding rights for immigrants while ending Immigration and Customs Enforcement detentions and deportations.
In a recent Fox News Channel appearance, the group鈥檚 co-chair Megan Romer confirmed various aspects of the agenda while acknowledging that some of the proposals, like abolishing borders and prisons, would be considered parts of a long-term plan.
The Republican National Committee over the weekend called attention to the platform in a post that several GOP lawmakers seized on to raise alarm.
鈥淭hese people are insane,鈥� Texas Sen. Ted Cruz replied on X.
鈥淲atch this clip closely,鈥� wrote Rep. Steve Scalise, the No. 2 House Republican. 鈥淭hese ideas could be coming to your community sooner than you think.鈥�
Progressive candidates have succeeded in recent races
The DSA’s agenda comes as have triumphed in several recent Democratic primaries. They鈥檝e capitalized on voter anger at the party establishment and rising skepticism of the U.S. alliance with Israel to edge out moderates in House races in and .
Democratic socialist candidates also have succeeded in in major U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C., New York and Seattle. An pitting a DSA-backed former congresswoman against the moderate Democratic incumbent will further test the movement鈥檚 momentum.
In other elections, progressive candidates have outlined where they differ from the DSA’s agenda. In , for example, progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed has distanced himself from socialism, saying that he believes in capitalism but that it needs to be regulated.
Meanwhile, establishment Democrats including former Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison have forcefully pushed back against DSA candidates who run in the party鈥檚 primaries while criticizing the way the party is going.
鈥淚 say this with no ill will or animosity: if you hate the Democratic Party, then please don鈥檛 run for our nomination,鈥� Harrison wrote in a social media post in June. 鈥淒on鈥檛 use our resources. Don鈥檛 rely on our volunteers. Don鈥檛 use our infrastructure. Don鈥檛 ask Democrats to invest their time, money, and energy in your campaign. Focus on building the party you actually support.鈥�
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