Are The Democratic Socialists Winning or Losing?

Mixed primary results in Michigan and Wisconsin2:23

• Natalie Kitroeff (host)opinion

  Finds the split outcomes in Michigan and Wisconsin confusing

• Nate Cohnopinion

  The results are clarifying: the progressive left is now competitive in swing states, a big gain from its past urban-only strength, though still limited

Defining the 'Democratic Socialist' progressive left4:02

Nate Cohn distinguishes the new activist progressive left from mainstream progressives who have long won Democratic primaries. The core of this movement is self-identified Democratic Socialists like Mamdani and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, plus allies such as Abdul El-Sayed who don't use the label but align with the group on issues and ally with them against the Democratic mainstream.

Contrasting campaign dynamics in the two races5:34

In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed drew national progressive enthusiasm against establishment-backed Haley Stevens, who had tens of millions in ad spending but was vulnerable for her strong pro-Israel stance. In Wisconsin, Francesca Hong ran a weaker campaign without Sanders or Ocasio-Cortez endorsements and got bogged down defending old social media posts, while the moderate field was in disarray until David Crowley emerged late as a relatively unknown, underfunded nominee. Despite these different circumstances, Cohn notes the underlying demographic patterns were nearly identical in both states.

Demographic fault lines: age, income, and race7:59

Nate Cohn identifies age as the clearest divide, with young voters backing progressive-left candidates by 60-80% or more, especially in college-town precincts, while older voters favor establishment candidates—a pattern he links to youth economic dissatisfaction and exposure to newer academic ideas about capitalism and intersectionality. High-income voters (over $150,000) backed moderates by roughly two-to-one, consistent with the left's anti-wealth-inequality message, while lower-income results varied more by age. Black voters, especially older ones who turn out at higher rates in primaries, have repeatedly favored establishment candidates over the progressive left, partly because many moderate or conservative Black voters still vote Democratic rather than defecting to Republicans as other groups might.

How the progressive coalition has shifted since Bernie Sanders 201615:03

Nate Cohn explains that today's progressive-left coalition differs sharply from Bernie Sanders's 2016 base, which relied heavily on white working-class voters in rural Michigan and Wisconsin who were drawn by relentless economic populism and Hillary Clinton's vulnerabilities on NAFTA and corporate money. Those working-class voters have largely defected to Trump and are no longer reachable by the left. In their place, today's progressives have gained ground among mainstream, MSNBC-watching suburban progressive liberals who are disillusioned with the Democratic establishment's failure to stop Trump, even though the current progressive message emphasizes issues like Gaza more than pure economic populism.

Whether this coalition can win general elections19:52

Cohn argues that a coalition of Democratic Socialists plus mainstream progressive liberals can win a Democratic primary but is not sufficient to win a general election, which requires broader support from moderate, independent, and even conservative-leaning voters. He is skeptical that progressive candidates can realistically win back white working-class voters through economic populism alone, since they will inevitably also be defined by other issues like Gaza that they are passionate about, forcing them into a fairly conventional general-election strategy.

Risk of the 'radical' label dragging down other Democrats22:01

Nate Cohn acknowledges that Democratic Socialist-aligned candidates could give Republicans an opening to brand the whole Democratic Party as too far left, potentially hurting moderate Democrats elsewhere who have nothing to do with the progressive left. However, he expects that well-funded, well-defined individual Democratic candidates will mostly succeed in branding themselves separately, limiting but not eliminating this drag.

Future trajectory: assimilation or hostile takeover of the party23:10

• Gavin Newsomclip

  American politics today divides between 'top and down' rather than left and right

• Nate Cohnspeculation

  Mainstream Democrats will likely try to co-opt populist and anti-Israel themes to avoid a full progressive takeover, though the outcome is uncertain

Wisconsin voters react to the primary outcome28:19

• Wisconsin voter (Hong supporter)opinion

  Backed Hong's progressive platform and believes the establishment isn't working and needs to be replaced

• Wisconsin voter (Crowley supporter)opinion

  Voted strategically for Crowley to maximize the chance of winning, feeling relief but anxiety over the closeness of the race

• Wisconsin voteropinion

  Believes the system needs repair, not complete demolition and rebuilding as DSA platforms suggest

DHS plan for electric-shock 'stun gloves' for ICE29:23

The Trump administration reportedly plans to spend millions of dollars equipping immigration officers with gloves that deliver an electric shock on contact to induce compliance, made by Kentucky-based Compliant Technologies. The company says the gloves emit lower voltage than a taser, and the Department of Homeland Security described them as a de-escalation device but did not answer whether they might be used on protesters or during apprehensions.