A political earthquake struck New York on Tuesday, rattling the entrenched establishments of both major parties and elevating New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to what some are calling 'kingmaker' status. Little-known democratic socialist candidates, endorsed by the young leftist and opposed by much of the mainstream Democratic leadership, scored massive primary victories, ousting incumbents and triggering panic among politicians across the spectrum.
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) didn't mince words during an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, decrying what he called 'the dancing days of the dirtbag left.' He pointed to candidates pushing to 'abolish ICE, abolish the police, abolish the border' as emblematic of the problem. Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) warned fellow Republicans of a 'socialist uprising sweeping the Democrat Party,' urging a clear stance on closed borders, secure elections, and economic prosperity to defend the American way of life.
But my advice to Fetterman, Moreno, and others: Prepare for the socialists to have their moment—one that could stretch well beyond 2030. Here are four reasons why.
The Trump Factor Returns
The first reason is what I call the 'Trump Factor'—not Trump Derangement Syndrome, but the mood that propelled Donald Trump to victory in 2016. Millions of voters, sick of seeing their lives stagnate despite political promises, flipped off the 'do-nothing' establishment. A decade later, that same frustration is boiling over, especially among voters under 30, who increasingly view the American dream as a fantasy sold by previous generations and are fed up with Democratic elites.
The Allure of 'Free Stuff'
The second reason is the timeless appeal of 'free stuff' in politics. Like lemmings marching off a cliff, a certain percentage of voters—particularly the disenfranchised—will always back the candidate promising a 'chicken in every pot.' This grift dates back to France's King Henry IV in the 16th century, but Mamdani and his crew have dusted it off and used it to perfection. For more on how these promises reshaped contests, see our coverage of Mamdani's New York primary sweep.
Ignorance of History
The third reason is a troubling ignorance of recent history. Those voting for the 'free is for me' agenda rarely ask: When has communism or socialism ever succeeded long-term? When was the 'chicken in every pot' promise actually delivered? Look at America's largest inner cities—Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Atlanta—where decades of similar promises have left millions of at-risk citizens, mostly minorities, worse off. It's a reality consistently ignored by those in power. After his primary win, one candidate refused to engage with the 'communist' label, highlighting the disconnect.
Control of the Megaphones
The final reason is that those pushing socialist solutions control much of what I call the 'five major megaphones': media, academia, entertainment, science, and medicine. These institutions have vilified the rule of law, sovereign borders, the wealthy, the police, and the military, moving far left over the last decade. Those who fled totalitarian regimes for freedom in America are now watching those destructive dogmas gain ground here. The 'dirtbag left' is about to have its moment, and the critical question is how much destruction it will wreak before the people realize they were played.
Fetterman has warned that these gains signal a party fracture, as detailed in our report on Fetterman's warning about 'dirtbag left' gains. Meanwhile, Mamdani declared that New Yorkers reject the 'status quo' after the socialist sweep, a sentiment echoed by his own statement. The establishment's alarm is palpable, but the left's momentum is undeniable.
Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official.
