A decade ago, Donald Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton shocked much of the world. By contrast, a socialist winning the White House in 2028 should not come as a surprise.
Jacobin, which describes itself as “a leading voice of the American left,” reports that the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), “the largest socialist organization in the United States,” is preparing for a possible presidential campaign in 2028.
“Members of the Democratic Socialists of America are thinking seriously about a national presidential campaign for [Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14)] in 2028 that would reach millions of working people and have the potential to transform American politics,” the publication reported.
The DSA is doing more than merely discussing a presidential bid; it has already begun laying the groundwork.
At the organization’s recent Bread and Roses Convention, its national leadership “voted overwhelmingly to join the effort to draft” AOC and “approved a process that could allow an endorsement early in 2027.”
For those questioning whether Americans would support a socialist candidate in 2028, a late-2025 Heartland/Rasmussen survey offers an important data point. It found that “51 percent of young Americans who are likely to vote in the next presidential election would like to see a democratic socialist in the Oval Office.”
“Nearly 60 percent of those aged 18 to 24 and well north of 50 percent of those aged 25 to 29 expressed their support that a democratic socialist win the 2028 presidential election, including about a quarter of self-identified Republicans and 42 percent of moderates.”
The survey also found that “nearly three-in-10 young Americans who voted for President Trump in 2024 would prefer a democratic socialist win the presidency in 2028.”
Democratic socialism is also gaining support within the Democratic Party. According to a CNN poll, “a third of Democrats now identify as democratic socialists,” while 61 percent say they would back a democratic socialist presidential candidate.
That raises a fundamental question: Why do so many Americans—particularly younger voters—believe placing a democratic socialist in the White House would be beneficial?
There are two likely explanations. Many are unfamiliar with socialism’s grim historical record, while others mistakenly believe it can resolve the very real affordability crisis.
The DSA is clearly working to persuade Americans that socialism offers an answer to rising living costs.
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For the 2026 midterm elections, the organization is promoting its Workers Deserve More Program, which it says would end “the capitalist oligarchy” and establish a “real democracy.”
At the same time, the DSA understands that its Workers Deserve More Program has virtually no chance of becoming reality during the next two years.
That gives the organization a political advantage: As the affordability crisis continues, it can present its agenda as an untested solution that deserves an opportunity.
Unfortunately, meaningful bipartisan cooperation between Congress and the White House in 2027 and 2028 appears unlikely if Democrats regain control of the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate.
As a result, the country may make little progress in addressing what critics identify as the central cause of America’s affordability problems: irresponsible government spending.
If Democrats and Republicans spend the next several years battling one another, the DSA could portray itself as the only political force behaving like an adult. Its members could also blame both parties for the $2 trillion deficit and the $40 trillion national debt.
Ironically, the excessive federal spending that helped fuel the inflation behind today’s affordability crisis may escape sufficient scrutiny as the DSA promotes various forms of “free” government-provided benefits.
There should be no confusion about the organization’s long-term ambitions. The DSA says, “complete victory will require building a new society from the ground up. We push these demands to their furthest extent today so that we can fight for their fullest realization in a socialist future.”
Could America have a socialist future by 2028?
Chris Talgo ([email protected]) is editorial director at The Heartland Institute.
Editor’s Note: Socialism has taken hold within the Democratic Party, and its influence is spreading rapidly. Democrats insist there is nothing to fear, but the evidence tells a different story.
