Rahm Emanuel says democratic socialists are “their own party”

Rahm Emanuel said democratic socialists are “their own party,” intensifying a debate over the future direction of the Democratic Party as Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)-backed candidates notch a series of high-profile primary victories.

During an appearance on NBC News’ Meet the Press with Kristen Welker on Sunday, Emanuel rejected the idea that democratic socialists represent just another faction within the Democratic coalition.

“I didn’t say form their own party. They are their own party. They had a convention here in Chicago just six weeks ago,” Emanuel said. “They believe in defunding the police. That’s just not a Democratic position. They believe in open borders. That is not a Democratic Party position. They believe in letting prisoners out of prison. That is not a Democratic Party position.”

The remarks come as Emanuel, who served as White House chief of staff under former President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2010, weighs a potential 2028 presidential bid and as Democrats grapple with ideological divisions between establishment figures and an ascendant progressive wing.

His comments highlight a growing tension within the Democratic Party over how it should position itself heading toward the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential race.

Emanuel, a former Chicago mayor and former U.S. ambassador to Japan, argued that Democrats’ path to victory depends on building a broad coalition that includes independents and disaffected Republicans rather than moving further left. He pointed to competitive states such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, where narrow margins have decided recent presidential elections.

“The biggest story of this election will be Democrats winning in red districts and flipping them or red states, flipping them,” he said. “One of the pieces of that coalition will be Romney Republican and independent voters who have walked away from the Republican Party.”

The former White House chief of staff said Democrats have a “brand problem” and need to show voters they can deliver results rather than simply oppose President Donald Trump.

“Do we have a brand problem? Yes, we have a brand problem,” Emanuel said. “We have to prove that we cannot just fight Donald Trump. But we can fight for America.”

He argued that if Democrats regain control of Congress, they should focus on issues such as ethics reform, affordability and wages rather than more partisan conflicts.

The debate comes as DSA-backed candidates have gained increasing influence within Democratic primaries, creating questions about whether the party should embrace or distance itself from progressive policy proposals such as Medicare for All and expanded social programs.

Newsweek reached out to the DSA by email Sunday for comment.

What Is Democratic Socialism?

Democratic socialism is a political philosophy that advocates using democratic institutions to expand social welfare programs, strengthen labor protections and increase government involvement in areas such as healthcare, housing and education.

The DSA, the country’s largest socialist organization, has long supported policies including Medicare for All, tuition-free public college, stronger tenant protections, expanded worker rights and other progressive economic reforms.

Prominent democratic socialists and DSA-backed politicians have included Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan among others.

While many democratic socialists run as Democrats and participate in Democratic primaries, critics within the party have argued that some positions associated with the movement are out of step with moderate and swing voters.

Emanuel echoed that argument Sunday while acknowledging there are legitimate policy debates within the party.

“We’ll have a healthy debate between the pragmatic wing and the progressive wing of the party,” Emanuel said. “That is a good debate we haven’t had for 20 years as a party.”

Still, he maintained that democratic socialists hold positions that differ substantially from those of the Democratic Party and said some of the movement’s priorities are incompatible with the broader coalition Democrats need to win national elections.

Also showing opposition to the DSA, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, said in August he does not support Medicare for All legislation and distanced himself from the DSA’s agenda, staking out a more centrist position.

Appearing on Meet the Press over the summer, Jeffries was asked by Welker about whether he backs the single-payer health care proposal, which he previously co-sponsored before ascending to the party’s top leadership post. He confirmed that he no longer supports the measure, saying, “It’s not legislation that I currently am cosponsoring or that I support.”

Jeffries described the caucus as a broad one that encompasses progressives, moderates, and Blue Dog Democrats, but stated that he doesn’t “support the DSA agenda as has been articulated by the DSA itself.”

He said the party’s focus should remain on reducing costs for Americans, citing groceries, gas, housing and healthcare as top priorities.

Recent DSA Wins

DSA-backed candidates have posted a series of notable primary victories this election cycle, raising questions about the direction of the Democratic Party heading into the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential race.

Among the most prominent was Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary. El-Sayed campaigned on progressive priorities including Medicare for All, a platform that placed him to the left of many establishment Democrats and drew national attention as a test of the progressive movement’s strength.

Asked on Meet the Press whether he would support El-Sayed despite significant disagreements, particularly over Israel and Gaza, Emanuel said he would back the Democratic nominee.

“We have massive disagreements,” Emanuel said. “I support the Democratic Party. I support the Democratic candidate.”

El-Sayed’s victory followed other successes by candidates aligned with the DSA. In New York, Claire Valdez won an open seat held by Representative Nydia Velázquez, who has served in Congress since 1993. Darializa Avila Chevalier, meanwhile, unseated Representative Adriano Espaillat—a rare moment when an incumbent, particularly one who had not faced any major scandals, loses to an insurgent challenger.

Meanwhile, Chris Rabb, backed by DSA, also won an open primary in a Philadelphia-based district. In Colorado, Democratic socialist Melat Kiros defeated Representative Diana DeGette in a Denver-based district.

The organization has continued building influence since Ocasio-Cortez’s upset victory over longtime Representative Joe Crowley in a 2018 New York primary, helping elect candidates at the federal, state and local levels and pushing issues such as Medicare for All, labor rights, affordable housing and tenant protections further into mainstream Democratic debates.

In recent election cycles, DSA-backed candidates have also won seats in state legislatures, city councils and other local offices, particularly in urban areas where progressive candidates have found strong support among Democratic primary voters.

Emanuel argued those victories should not obscure what he sees as fundamental differences between the Democratic Party and the Democratic Socialists movement.

“We don’t believe in defunding the police. We believe in better policing,” Emanuel said. “We don’t, as a party, believe in letting prisoners out of prison or open borders. You change those positions; we can have a conversation. But until you change those policy positions, they’re antithetical to what a Democrat is.”

Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors for this story: Steve Mollman and Anthony Murray.