How stupid are Democrats? I have been saying for a long time now that Democrats have a socialism problem, and polling has consistently shown that socialism is unpopular. Republicans nationwide have a unique opportunity this year to link their Democrat opponents to socialism, which could be very effective messaging in close races. Democrats should be looking at the polling and trying hard to distance themselves from socialism.
What did they do instead?
Well, on Tuesday, the House passed the non-binding resolution 220-192, with 192 Democrats voting no to condemn "socialism in all its forms," including the Democratic Socialists of America. Republicans paired it with language backing President Donald Trump's SAVE America Act, the administration's election security bill.
"The DSA candidate platform stands in direct contrast to our republic," Rep. Jeff Crank (R-Colo.), who introduced the bill, said ahead of the vote. "Getting rid of the United States Senate, open borders, defunding the police, allowing non-citizens to vote in federal elections — those aren't consistent with our Constitution." He added, "DSA is an insidious movement within the Democratic Party."
Only eight Democrats crossed over to back it: Reps. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Jared Golden (D-Maine), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.), Don Davis (D-N.C.) and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.). Two others, Reps. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) and Maggie Goodlander (D-N.H.), voted present.
That leaves 192 House Democrats on record refusing to condemn socialism two months before voters head to the polls. And this should be a public relations disaster for the party.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) said communism in Cuba "destroyed" her mother's family, stripping her mother of her home and her grandfather of his small business, and causing "my family to break up and never see each other again. That is what they're refusing to condemn today.”
"Socialism is communism lite," she added. "Socialism is the first step to communism. And if anybody doubts what I'm saying, just listen to Vladimir Lenin."
Since Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral race last year, nearly 300 DSA-backed candidates have run for office nationwide. A Brookings Institution analysis found 123 DSA-endorsed candidates won their primaries in the 2026 cycle, including 19 in congressional races and five in statewide contests. It’s a problem that the party at large can’t run away from, and is only going to get worse.
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Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) used the floor debate to defend the DSA outright. "Corporate greed is hurting Americans, not democratic socialists, who are fighting for universal healthcare, child care and clean water," she said, accusing Republicans of cutting federal programs to hand "corporate donors $4.5 trillion in tax breaks." "I proudly, as a DSA member, say tax the rich," Tlaib said.
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) blasted the pairing of the anti-socialism language with the SAVE America Act. "This is a stupid resolution," Pocan said. "It completely ignores the reality of Americans are worried about today." He called the whole exercise "insulting to Americans trying to get by," adding that Republicans weren't "dealing with one thing to make Americans' lives easier."
Pocan can call it stupid all he wants… but it was killing two birds with one stone. While socialism is unpopular in the country, the SAVE America Act is. The only people who seem to oppose it are Democrats in Washington. So, from where I sit, Republicans got two talking points for the price of one.
In the end, House Democrats had a chance to put real distance between their party and an avowed socialist movement two months before the midterms, and 192 of them chose not to take it. They also went on record against an election security bill most of the country already supports. Republicans didn't need to manufacture this fight. Democrats handed it to them, gift-wrapped, with the countdown to Election Day already running.
