How Socialist Is the D.S.A.? Megan Romer Explains

About this episode

<p>One of the biggest stories of this election cycle is the emergence, for the first time in a long time, of socialism as a force on the national stage. Inspired perhaps by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Zohran Mamdani, D.S.A. candidates are running in congressional and state-level races all over the country. But some of those candidates, David Remnick thinks, talk more like F.D.R. Democrats than like students of Marx. How socialist is democratic socialism, and how does it square with the future of the Democratic Party? Remnick talks with a co-chair of the D.S.A., Megan Romer, who recently went viral for a lightning round of questions pitched at her on Fox News. Romer defends controversial D.S.A. positions on workers’ ownership of the means of production, U.S. support of Israel, the war in Ukraine, and defunding the police.  </p> <p>Further reading: </p> <ul> <li>“<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/will-left-wing-democrats-re-invent-the-party-or-hurt-its-chances-in-november#rid=53249935-3fd7-4a4a-ba96-e2c44ad6a73a&q=democratic+socialists+of+america" rel="noopener noreferrer">Will Left-Wing Democrats Reinvent the Party or Hurt Its Chances in November?</a>,” by Isaac Chotiner</li> <li>“<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/08/03/which-way-should-the-democratic-party-go-now#rid=53249935-3fd7-4a4a-ba96-e2c44ad6a73a&q=democratic+socialists+of+america" rel="noopener noreferrer">Which Way Should the Democratic Party Go Now?</a>,” by Benjamin Wallace-Wells</li> <li>“<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/an-idea-for-democrats-to-keep-it-together-in-2028#rid=53249935-3fd7-4a4a-ba96-e2c44ad6a73a&q=democratic+socialists+of+america" rel="noopener noreferrer">An Idea for Democrats to Keep It Together in 2028</a>,” by Bill McKibben</li> <li>“<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/can-zohran-mamdani-sway-the-commie-corridors-civil-war#rid=53249935-3fd7-4a4a-ba96-e2c44ad6a73a&q=democratic+socialists+of+america" rel="noopener noreferrer">Can Zohran Mamdani Sway the Commie Corridor’s ‘Civil War’?</a>,” by Naaman Zhou</li> <li>“<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/new-york-journal/the-woman-who-made-the-machine-that-made-zohran-mamdani#rid=10381765-6b28-401b-b167-4e0f1c8c089b&q=d.s.a." rel="noopener noreferrer">The Woman Who Made the Machine That Made Zohran Mamdani</a>,” by Molly Fischer</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p>New episodes of The New Yorker Radio Hour drop every Tuesday and Friday. Join host David Remnick as he discusses the latest in politics, news, and current events in conversation with political leaders, newsmakers, innovators, New Yorker staff writers, authors, actors, and musicians.</p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>