'Not stopping with New York': Trump says Democrats face bigger threat within
🚨 President Trump just declared Democrats like Schumer have LOST CONTROL of their party because they're TOO WEAK to fight communists
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 26, 2026
"They don't have the courage to fight them. So they're turning communist THEMSELVES, becoming a Communist party."
"They're afraid they're going… pic.twitter.com/lGNzoaMFLd
WASHINGTON, DC: The split between progressives and moderates appears to be a growing fault line, as President Donald Trump has also taken a dig at the Dems, stating that the party is drifting toward the left.
The question over the Democratic Party’s ideological stand grew after Zohran Mamdani backed progressive wins out of New York, where candidates Claire Valdez, Brad Lander, and Darializa Avila Chevalier all won their primaries.
All three candidates are progressives. Two, Lander and Chevalier, beat incumbents in their races, Reps Dan Goldman (D-NY) and Adriano Espaillat (D-NY).
Trump warns socialist wins will spread beyond New York
President Trump warned that the Democratic socialist candidates' victories in Tuesday, June 23, New York primaries go beyond the left-leaning state.
“The Democrat Party is in big trouble because this isn’t stopping with New York,” Trump said Friday, June 26, speaking at the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s annual policy conference in Washington.
“It’s too easy to get elected, giving everything away,” he continued. “It’s easy for them to get followers because they make promises they know they can’t keep.”
Trump went on to say the Democratic Party’s establishment is not fighting back because “they’re afraid to fight.”
Democratic socialists gain ground in key primary races
Several progressive candidates backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani scored major wins in Tuesday’s New York primaries.
Community organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated Adriano Espaillat, while New York Assembly member Claire Valdez won the race to replace retiring Rep Nydia Velázquez.
Former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is not a Democratic socialist but had Mamdani’s endorsement, also defeated Rep Dan Goldman.
Progressive candidates affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America have also gained ground in other parts of the country, including Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington, DC. In Colorado, Rep Diana DeGette is facing a primary challenge from progressive candidate Melat Kiros.
Ex-Obama aide warns Democrats after progressive wins
A former Obama aide described the recent primary wins by socialist-backed Democratic candidates in New York as a glaring warning for the party.
Dan Pfeiffer argued that after the recent progressive win, it has been proven that support of establishment leaders like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is no longer a plus for campaigns.
“The thing that we should take away is, like so much else that’s happening in this country, like it’s happening when progressives beat establishment candidates in the second district of Maine, in the California race where Randy Villegas won, Graham Platner forcing Janet Mills out of the race,” Pfeiffer said.
He further highlighted that incumbent Democrats failed despite support from stalwart leaders.
“There’s a giant warning sign for the Democratic establishment here where the support of people like Schumer or even Hakeem Jeffries is certainly not an asset to your campaign; it may be a detriment,” Pfeiffer added.
