OPINION:
Former White House Chief of Staff and ex-senior adviser to the Barack Obama and Bill Clinton administrations, respectively, Rahm Emanuel said in recent remarks on Fox News that he didn’t “consider the Democratic Socialists” to be “part of the Democrat Party” and that the party itself is “not open to being taken over” by the Democratic Socialists of America.
Too late. All due respect to Emanuel — but he’s wrong. On both counts, he’s wrong.
The Democrat Party has been wide open for DSA business for years, particularly so since the Obama days. Moreover, the Democrat Party’s platforms and messaging have become so intertwined with DSA policies and narratives that it’s difficult to know where one ends and the other begins.
The Democrat Party is DSA is a socialist political organization is the modern-day Democrats. Of note: DSA is socialism is communism is Marxism is collectivism is progressivism is modern-day Democrats, as well.
But these were Emanuel’s remarks: “I don’t consider the Democratic Socialists part of the Democratic Party. About four weeks ago, they had a convention in Chicago. Separate party. They believe in defunding the police, letting prisoners out of prison, opening borders, eliminating the Pentagon. If you’re so confident people want that, I’ll see you in November. Put it on the ballot. Let’s go. Run as a separate party. The Democratic Party is not open to being taken over.”
Well, that’s not the song the Democrat Party was singing a few years ago.
When asked about then-newcomer and openly democratic socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s congressional win and unseating of 10-term Rep. Joseph Crowley, then-DNC Chairman Tom Perez said, “She represents the future of our party.”
That’s not even the song the Democrat Party is singing now.
Just look at all the DSA-backed candidates who are winning their Democrat Party primaries — and how they’re pressing forward their agendas, over the objections of so-called party leaders.
“Hakeem Jeffries Rejects Medicare for All, DSA Agenda,” Newsweek wrote.
That’s nice. Reject away. But: “DSA racks up primary wins … the results reflect the growing role DSA is playing in Democratic primary politics,” ABC News wrote.
Pragmatism wins the day.
“Is the rise of the DSA good for your party?” — a question at a press conference posed to Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, just recently.
“Look,” Schumer said, “we are a big tent party. And being a big tent party is a strength, not a weakness.”
Strength. Weakness. Reality is more like it. And nobody knows the rising influence of the DSA — of socialism, of communism, of Marxism and collectivism — on the Democrat Party like entrenched, elite party lifers who now see their seats as suddenly up for grabs.
“Ocasio-Cortez leads Schumer in 2028 New York Senate primary poll,” AA.com reported in April 2025. Fully 55 percent of likely Democrat voters picked Ocasio-Cortez to 36 percent for Schumer, according to the Data for Progress survey back then.
“New York primaries spur progressive calls for Ocasio-Cortez to challenge Schumer,” The Hill wrote in July.
Schumer’s “big tent” comments were couched within the political realities of the growing socialist takeover of the party. Much as he might dislike doing business with the DSA, he sees the political power the DSA is wielding across America, and he knows he can’t afford to alienate this camp of voters. He has a campaign to run for his own seat, up for grabs in 2028.
It’s not just the fact that DSA-backed and DSA-aligned candidates are winning key primaries against Democrat candidates that shows the party itself has been taken over by DSA, however.
It’s the platforms.
Look at the platform of the Democrat Party. Compare the goals and ideas and messaging to the policies of the DSA — and then compare both to what the political parties of socialism, communism, Marxism and Leninism push in the United States. Compare those to what Barack Obama pushed; what Joe Biden pushed. Open borders. Judicial reforms that turned a blind eye to crimes committed by minorities and illegals, all in the name of social justice. The degradation of the free market via unfavorable foreign trade deals, hefty government regulations on small businesses. So-called “progressive” taxation that was purely redistributive in nature. The teardown of traditional family and elevation of alternative families, leading to LGBTQ madness and transgender propaganda that have medically destroyed youth and innocence.
Democrats have sold the idea for years that individuals don’t matter — that individual achievement was a figment of imagination — that, as Obama famously said, “You didn’t build that,” even if you actually did.
The Democrat Party has for years and years coddled the lazy, propped up the entitled and demanded the doers do more, give more, cough up more for those who refuse to do for themselves. Meanwhile, through the schools, via the teachers’ unions — in collaboration with the DSA that’s pushed hard for members to enter teaching as a profession — the Democrat Party has taught the next generation of leaders-slash-voters to believe capitalism is discriminatory, the Constitution is racist, and America is an evil colonizer, responsible for all the world’s ills.
And on God?
“Intolerant, Godless Democrats Boo Inclusion of God, Israel In Party Platform,” C-SPAN wrote in September 2012.
America is a nation built on the idea that individual rights and liberties come from God and that governments are only implemented to preserve and protect the rights and freedoms each individual has at birth. Remove God from society, and what’s left?
Government.
God-given becomes government-granted.
And another way of saying government-granted is: socialism.
Emanuel may have said what he said about the DSA out of hope and wishful thinking, or out of faulty political analysis, or a combination of both. Either way, he’s wrong.
The DSA’s goals for America have been part and parcel of the Democrat Party for years and years. The party’s agendas and political goals prove that. Just because members haven’t wanted to admit that doesn’t make it any less true.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “God-Given Or Bust: Defeating Marxism and Saving America With Biblical Truths,” is available by clicking HERE.
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