A high-ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee blasted the rise of democratic socialism on Tuesday following last week's primary election wins in New York, calling the far-left sweep "dangerous" while poking holes in the party’s campaign platform.Speaking with CNN’s John Berman, Rep.Adam Smith, D-Wash., weighed in on the primary election victories of two Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) members, Darializa Avila Chevalier and State Assemblywoman Claire Valdez, and former DSA member Brad Lander.
All three candidates were endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani."Well, there's two big things that are going on here that need to be separated," Smith told "CNN News Central," adding, "On the one hand, there is a real desire within the Democratic Party, within the broader coalition that we put together.They want to see us fight [President Donald] Trump more effectively.
They want us to go after income inequality more aggressively, and they want new, younger faces.""When you look at some of these democratic socialists that are running, their ideology is vastly more radical than that," Smith said as he later turned to discuss the far-left primary wins."You see that in expressing support for communism, in expressing support for open borders [and] defunding the police — a fundamental attack on America itself and the premises behind it."AOC ISSUES WARNING TO HER FELLOW DEMOCRATIC INCUMBENTS IN THE WAKE OF SOCIALISTS WINNING BIG IN NYCRep.
Adam Smith, D-Wash., leaves the U.S.Capitol after the last votes of the week on Thursday, Sept.
4, 2025.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)He added that the platform on which socialist candidates are promising to voters is inherently "dangerous" to the country and not a solid foundation on which to run a campaign."It’s dangerous that people come in and say, ‘Hey, I’m going to fight Trump.
I’m new.I’m going to get after income inequality,’" Smith continued.
"But they’re pushing i...