Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) on Wednesday dismissed Republican attacks that Democrats are drifting dangerously leftward, arguing the GOP’s repeated use of labels like “democratic socialist” and “communist” shows a fundamental misunderstanding of political definitions.
Appearing on Bloomberg’s “Balance of Power,” Pocan responded to a question about Republican concerns that the party is shifting too far to the left, particularly after primary wins by democratic socialists in New York and the candidacy of Abdul El-Sayed.
Pocan: Republicans Have ‘Lost Any Credibility’
“I think the Republicans have loved to use democratic socialist over and over, and now they’re calling us Communists,” Pocan said. “Like, they’ve lost any credibility. They clearly haven’t taken a high school or even a junior high civics class recently, because they don’t understand the definitions of what they’re calling us.”
The congressman’s remarks came after co-host Kailey Leinz noted that Republicans on the program have characterized figures like Francesca Hong and Abdul El-Sayed as “real extremists” on the far left. Hong, a democratic socialist, did not win her primary, while El-Sayed, also a democratic socialist, won his. The GOP argument holds that such candidates signal a troubling leftward shift within the Democratic Party.
Pocan pivots to economic concerns
Rather than engage directly on the ideological trajectory, Pocan steered the conversation toward kitchen-table economics, arguing that voters are more focused on costs than labels.
“But what people do know is they’re paying more out of pocket for goods, because of actions of Donald Trump and the Republicans in Congress,” he said.
Pocan’s response highlights a broader Democratic pushback against GOP framing that paints the party as embracing socialism. Democrats have increasingly argued that the term “democratic socialist” is used as a catch-all smear, conflating distinct political philosophies and ignoring the actual policy positions of candidates like El-Sayed and Hong.
The exchange underscores the ongoing tension between the party’s progressive wing and its more moderate members, as well as the strategic challenge Democrats face in countering Republican attacks on left-wing candidates.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/08/12/dem-rep-pocan-republicans-calling-us-democratic-socialists-dont-understand-definitions/