The Declaration of Independence famously declares that when any government becomes destructive of the ends of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the people have the right to alter or abolish it. That sentence was the ideological engine of the American Revolution, but its legacy is now being claimed by two unlikely allies: the MAGA movement and the Democratic Socialists of America.
The Civil War was fought because the Confederacy saw the federal government as a threat to states' rights and slavery. Today, President Trump weaponized that same grievance into the Make America Great Again movement, arguing that government had become destructive through endless wars and foreign entanglements that drained national blood and treasure.
Trump’s “America First” agenda was a direct response: control borders, cut foreign aid, impose tariffs, and avoid new military quagmires. Social issues like transgender athletes in women’s sports became rallying cries. The result was a consolidation of executive power, making Trump arguably the most powerful president since 1789, with Congress and a handpicked Supreme Court deferring to his leadership.
But Trump is not alone. A growing faction within the Democratic Party—the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)—also sees government as destructive, though for different reasons. The DSA claims over 100,000 members, mostly young, white, college-educated Millennials and Gen Zers living in major cities. They work in academia, tech, healthcare, and government, and they believe working people should control both the economy and society democratically, not for profit.
Recent primaries have elevated DSA-aligned candidates with extreme views. Melat Kiros, a 29-year-old who unseated 15-term Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado, wants to abolish ICE. Darializa Avila Chevalier has called for defunding the police, though she has since moderated that stance, and also demands ICE abolition, more public housing, and campaign finance reform. She is strongly pro-Palestinian and opposes further military aid to Israel.
The irony is that both MAGA and the DSA are rebelling against a government they see as destructive, but their shared origin creates a vulnerability for Democrats. The word “socialist” remains toxic to most Americans, and Republicans are already labeling Democrats as communists. While the districts where DSA candidates win may not affect the 2028 electoral college, the broader perception of socialism could damage the party if it doesn’t craft a better message.
As public trust in government hits record lows, as a Fox News poll recently showed, the Framers’ vision of a government accountable to the people is being reinterpreted by both extremes. The challenge for Democrats is to reclaim that vision without being tarred by the socialist label, while MAGA continues to push for a more powerful executive. The sad reality is that both movements spring from the same well: the belief that government has become destructive.
