NOW PLAYING
Democrats are worried that widely circulated comments from a Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) leader outlining the group’s priorities could become Republican attack fodder as the midterm elections draw closer.
The unease from moderate Democrats intensified after Megan Romer, DSA co-chair, was asked a lightning round of questions on Sunday during a Fox News interview about the organization’s platform, answering true to several proposals, including abolishing the Senate and — as a long-term goal — prisons.
The moment has also circulated widely online and has been played up on other cable news networks.
Democrats say the interview could not have come at a worse time.
They fear Republicans will seize on Romer’s comments in campaign ads, much as President Trump’s 2024 campaign repeatedly highlighted then-Vice President Kamala Harris’s past support for taxpayer-funded transgender surgeries for prisoners.
The ad — which concluded “Kamala Harris is for they/them, President Trump is for you” — was devastating to Democrats at the time.
Now, on the heels of a string of primary victories by DSA candidates in states including New York and Colorado, some Democrats worry that it will have an impact on Democrats across the board.
“You now have to argue to voters that you aren’t insane when you want to talk about making groceries cheaper,” said Democratic strategist Steve Schale.
“It’s all just off message,” Schale said, adding that Democrats in competitive races will now “have to spend time and research dollars learning how it impacts the race, then you may have to spend limited campaign resources pushing back on the idea that you want to eliminate the presidency or close prisons when you need to be talking about how to make life more affordable.”
Fox News’s Shannon Bream asked Romer a string of rapid-fire, true or false questions — including whether the DSA platform includes “abolishing the Senate,” to which Romer replied, “True.”
“Replace the presidency and Supreme Court as we now know them?” Bream asked on Sunday.
“Yep,” Romer replied.
Romer then proceeded to say a DSA government would “absolutely” abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. When asked if a DSA government would abolish borders and give amnesty to anyone who is in the U.S. illegally, Romer replied, “As a long-term plan, yep.”
Romer also said the DSA platform would “absolutely” defund the Pentagon and would also abolish prisons “as part of a long-term program.”
Republicans quickly highlighted the interview.
“The barbarians are inside the gate — and Democrats are WELCOMING them in,” Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) wrote on social media. “Communism is no longer a far fetched threat. It is here on our SHORES.”
On Tuesday, moderate Democrats pointed to Johnson’s comments as proof of what they could expect come fall.
“It’s a nightmare,” one Democratic strategist said. “This is a gift to Republicans.”
DSA candidates have won a string of victories, and they’re competitive in key races — including the Democratic primary for a Senate nomination in Michigan.
DSA politicians have argued those wins have come about because the Democratic Party has shifted from what its grassroots supporters want by taking money from corporate interests and not doing enough to stand up to the Israeli government over its actions in Gaza.
At the same time, some DSA members acknowledged some alarm at the Romer interview given the political implications. These voices said the interview could do harm to their cause.
“The first rule of organizing is to meet people where they are. The second is to not give away your strategy,” one DSA member said. “I think it serves the DSA to be more thoughtful about their messaging in spaces like Fox News, where there are millions of working people watching who align with the economic message of DSA.”
“We should be trying to bring them in, not scare them with absolutism,” the member added. “I hope leadership can go back to the key principles.”
John Morgan, the prominent lawyer and longtime Democratic fundraiser, predicted that Republicans will use the ad against Democrats in the midterms.
“It’s Cuba. It’s Venezuela,” Morgan told The Hill on Tuesday. “They believe that there’s this utopian state out there that can survive.”
But Morgan said independents will be turned off by that kind of platform.
“The crazy thing is, we built this democracy based on capitalism and all the freedoms. We built the most impressive government in the country in the history of the world, until this point. And now we’re talking about dismantling it all,” Morgan said. “And listen, if there’s no police, I’m out. I mean I’m a scaredy cat. I hear noises and I’m ready to call 911 myself. I cannot imagine lying in bed without a 911 next to me.”
Democratic strategist Hyma Moore warned that the interview is “going to hurt DSA candidates first, but it will weigh down on Democrats writ large.”
“They’re talking about burning the whole thing down and that’s not where people are,” Moore said. “They don’t want to burn the whole thing down.”
“This is going to be an albatross Dems have got to watch out for,” he added.
Add as preferred source on Google TagsCopyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Comments: Link copiedMore Campaign News
See All
Campaign South Dakota governor fends off challenger in primary runoff by Caroline Vakil 10 hours ago Campaign / 10 hours ago 
