Colorado Democratic congressional nominee Melat Kiros on Friday dismissed questions about communists within the Democratic Socialists of America, framing the criticism as a Republican effort to slow the socialist movement’s momentum ahead of the midterm elections.
During an appearance on PBS’s “Firing Line,” host Margaret Hoover pressed Kiros on how she responds to critics who point out that some DSA members — including about half of the organization’s national leadership — openly identify as communists.
“Yeah. Well, some members of the Democratic Party are proudly proclaiming themselves as capitalists, and it’s a big tent, right?” Kiros replied. “But again, at the end of the day, it’s up to the voters, right?”
“Until a self-proclaimed communist actually wins an election, then it’s just noise from the Republican Party. There’s no one who’s actually winning with that.”
Hoover then asked Kiros directly whether she considers herself a communist, after referencing President Donald Trump’s description of the movement as made up of “hardcore, godless communists.”
“No, I’m not a communist,” Kiros said.
Kiros argued that Republican criticism is rooted in anxiety over the DSA’s economic message and its appeal to voters.
“Because I think the Republican Party, and frankly, the oligarchy that largely stands behind the Republican Party can see that our message of, in its most basic form, economic populism, is actually resonating with voters,” Kiros said.
Kiros, 29, defeated 15-term Rep. Diana DeGette in the Democratic primary for Colorado’s heavily Democratic 1st Congressional District. Kiros has become the 28th candidate endorsed by a far-left group to win a Democratic primary election this cycle. Those nominees could join 18 incumbent progressives to form a 43-member House bloc in January.
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The DSA’s 25-member National Political Committee serves as the organization’s primary political leadership. The group’s newly launched “Workers Deserve More” program calls for abolishing the Senate, replacing the president and Supreme Court with institutions selected by Congress, granting amnesty to all illegal immigrants and defunding the Department of War.
Kiros said members did not necessarily support every plank approved by the organization.
“Our platform is one that is voted on in a democratic way through our members. And it’s one where it is almost certain that not every single member actually agrees with the entirety of the platform,” Kiros said.
Hoover noted parts of the DSA platform that Kiros believed in, including “Medicare-for-all,” universal childcare, while confirming Kiros rejected other parts such as abolishing the Senate, withdrawing from NATO and defunding the police. Kiros also said that she supported a 32-hour workweek, among several other issues.
Kiros also defended her political philosophy of socialism after Hoover cited Democratic criticism of the DSA.
“Socialism has proven to deliver on the values of the Declaration of Independence more than capitalism has,” Kiros said.
Kiros has also faced opposition over her positions on Israel. Denver Jewish leaders told Fox News Digital that her rhetoric had heightened their safety concerns, citing her initial refusal to characterize the 2025 Boulder firebombing as antisemitic and her accusations that Israel committed genocide and apartheid.
While the DSA continues to gain traction and popularity as new figures arise to leadership, such as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Darializa Avila Chevalier — who recently won the Democratic primary in New York’s 13th Congressional District — and others, a July Fox News poll found that 56% of registered voters still viewed the Democratic Socialists of America unfavorably, while 31% viewed the organization favorably.
The poll found that among Democrats, 59% had a favorable opinion of the DSA and 26% viewed it unfavorably.
Fox News Digital reached out to the RNC, Kiros and the DSA for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
