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Former Biden White House aide and Democratic strategist Yemisi Egbewole predicted that the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) would be sidelined ahead of the 2028 presidential election during a Wednesday episode of “The Fifth Column” podcast, hosted by Kmele Foster and Michael Moynihan, despite the socialist movement’s recent primary victories.
When asked by Foster whether the Democratic Party was moving toward the DSA’s ideology, Egbewole, a senior fellow at the centrist Democratic think tank Third Way, predicted the movement would struggle to translate its recent successes into national influence.
“Going into 2028, the DSA… baby gets put in a corner,” Egbewole said.
Former Biden White House aide Yemisi Egbewole predicted that the Democratic Socialists of America would struggle to gain national influence ahead of the 2028 presidential election despite recent electoral victories. (2019 Getty Images)
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Egbewole acknowledged that socialist-backed candidates had performed well in recent Democratic primaries but questioned whether those victories reflected broader support for the movement among voters nationwide.
“Anybody running to represent America is not going to seek anybody who’s a part of the DSA,” Egbewole added.
Republicans rejected the suggestion that Democrats could distance themselves from socialism ahead of the next presidential election. RNC national press secretary Natalie Baldassarre criticized the party’s ideological direction in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“It’s too late for Democrats to rewrite their socialist brand,” she said. “They’ve embraced socialism with open arms, and every 2028 Democrat contender is a tax-hiking, open border radical who will eagerly bend over for the far-left base.”
Democratic strategist Yemisi Egbewole dismissed the significance of recent socialist primary victories in New York, arguing that DSA-backed candidates had not defeated moderate Democrats. (WireImage)
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Curtis Houck, managing editor of media watchdog NewsBusters, was also skeptical of Egbewole’s claim.
“The train seems to have left the station,” he told Fox News Digital. “The liberal, elitist media are deathly terrified of their base voters. The red-green alliance is a tidal wave the press sure don’t seem interested in litigating. They will either downplay the aims of DSA, or ignore them. Neither seems to be a winning strategy.”
Egbewole’s comments followed a series of primary victories by candidates aligned with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. In June, three Mamdani-backed candidates swept Democratic congressional primaries in New York, with Brad Lander and Darializa Avila Chevalier unseating Reps. Dan Goldman and Adriano Espaillat, respectively, and Claire Valdez winning an open-seat contest.
During the podcast appearance, Egbewole downplayed the ideological significance of those victories, arguing that defeating established Democrats did not necessarily amount to defeating moderates.
RNC national press secretary Natalie Baldassarre criticized Democrats in a statement to Fox News Digital, accusing the party of embracing socialism and catering to its far-left base ahead of 2028. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)
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“I’m okay with admitting they did well,” she said. “They won their races. They didn’t really defeat moderates . . . Dan Goldman wasn’t a moderate.”
Egbewole’s own organization, Third Way, works to limit socialist influence within the Democratic Party. The centrist organization had launched a $15 million campaign targeting the DSA through 2028, including opposition research, polling and outreach to Democratic leaders.
Third Way co-founder Matt Bennett previously explained why the organization considered the socialist movement a threat to the party’s electoral prospects.
“We believe the DSA poses a serious threat to Democrats,” Third Way co-founder Matt Bennett said in a statement Fox News Digital. “Their ideas are dangerous, and their politics are toxic. If we are to beat MAGA Republicans, we cannot allow our party to be defined by radicals.”
The ideological battle also extended into Michigan, where progressive Abdul El-Sayed defeated moderate Rep. Haley Stevens in August’s Democratic primary. Egbewole suggested that even a victory by a DSA-adjacent candidate would not necessarily establish the movement’s broader electoral strength.
“I say if it’s anything less than like five points, then it doesn’t count,” Egbewole said.
The divide has also reached prominent Democrats considering their political futures. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential contender, said in September that Democrats were “pretty aligned” with the DSA on several policy priorities, including universal healthcare and climate change.
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Meanwhile, Mamdani faced pressure from socialist allies over his governing decisions. The mayor said Thursday he had no plans to fire NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch despite calls from the Democratic Socialists of America’s New York City chapter for her removal following an ICE-involved shooting in the Bronx.
The DSA previously defended its growing political influence after Third Way announced its campaign against the organization. DSA co-chair Megan Romer said in an August statement to Fox News Digital that the group intended to continue organizing despite the opposition.
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“We believe in people power, and our vision for a better future is winning. We will keep building our movement, and they will waste their money,” Romer said.