De Blasio on rise of socialists in Democratic Party: ‘We needed a change’

Campaign De Blasio on rise of socialists in Democratic Party: ‘We needed a change’ Comments: by Tara Suter - 06/30/26 3:39 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Tara Suter - 06/30/26 3:39 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) said that his party required “a change” in the wake of recent wins by democratic socialists in Democratic primaries.

“I think what we’re seeing here is insurgency, and the Democratic Party, bluntly, needed insurgency. We needed a change, because what happened in 2024, people saw the Democratic Party as part of the status quo that they did not like. Ironically, [President] Trump seemed like the guy who was ready to break the status quo. Now the tables have turned,” de Blasio said on Fox News’s “America’s Newsroom” Monday.

“Trump is the status quo guy. Trump sounds like Joe Biden right now, bluntly,” he added.

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.

Democratic socialists are looking to other places around the country in the wake of victories in New York boosting the progressive movement.

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) gained wider attention with the election of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) last year, and bolstered its influence with a pair of wins last week in notable House primaries.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) gave democratic socialism a boost in the U.S. with his presidential run in 2016, and the movement eventually saw the election of another notable democratic socialist, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). Ocasio-Cortez, now one of the Democratic Party’s most recognizable faces, has been floated as a possible contender for the 2028 presidential race.

Democratic socialists are now looking to lock down their next major win in Colorado on Tuesday, with leftist candidate and former attorney Melat Kiros challenging progressive Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) for a House seat in Denver.