Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Sunday dismissed a warning from former U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel that left-wing activists could undermine Democrats in the upcoming midterm elections, deepening a familiar rift between the party’s progressive and establishment wings.
Appearing on CBS News’ Face the Nation, Sanders rejected Emanuel’s argument, published in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, that the so-called “Bernie Bros” and the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) pose a threat to the party’s electoral prospects. “There is a strong division within the Democratic Party,” Sanders told host Margaret Brennan. “You have an establishment like Rahm Emanuel, who are dependent on billionaire campaign contributions to want to maintain the status quo. Then you have a progressive movement which, by the way, what is getting these guys there is that we are winning all over this country.”
Sanders argued that voters are fed up with both party establishments, pointing to high healthcare costs and a rigged economy. “The American people are tired of a rigged economy, a corrupt campaign finance system, they want real change,” he said. “They don’t want a Rahm Emanuel and the establishment maintaining the status quo.”
Emanuel’s op-ed, titled “The ‘Bernie Bros’ Could Spoil Democrats’ Midterms,” warned that DSA-backed candidates, who have scored primary victories against incumbent Democrats in places like New York, Colorado, and Pennsylvania, are pushing the party toward unpopular positions. “If the Bernie bros were serious about growing jobs and wages, they would support candidates touting substantive ways to help families cover the mortgage or the rent, secure their retirement, and ensure no one is a single medical emergency away from bankruptcy,” Emanuel wrote.
The former Chicago mayor, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, argued that the focus on DSA-led primaries has eroded the party’s generic ballot advantage. “For months the Democratic Party’s generic advantage widened while the nation focused on Mr. Trump and the Republican Congress. Our lead has narrowed amid recent attention to DSA-led primaries,” he wrote, adding that issues like defunding the police, open borders, and prison abolition are “electoral losers.”
Emanuel pointed to the 2020 election, noting that despite Joe Biden’s victory, Democrats failed to gain coattails after protesters chanted to defund the police. He warned that continued focus on cultural issues could alienate independents and disenchanted Republicans, who make up a record-high 45 percent of the electorate.
Sanders, however, framed the divide as a battle between a donor-driven establishment and a grassroots movement that has won major victories across the country. “What is getting these guys there is that we are winning all over this country,” he said, citing DSA-backed wins in House races and city councils.
The exchange underscores a broader struggle within the Democratic Party as it heads into the midterms, with some strategists warning that progressive activism could alienate swing voters, while others argue that energizing the base is key to turning out voters. The party’s ability to navigate this tension may determine whether it can hold or expand its narrow majorities.
