House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he does not support the Democratic Socialists of America’s (DSA) agenda during a Sunday interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, an exchange that came as new polling reported Democrats view socialism more favorably than capitalism.
What Jeffries told NBC
Asked by host Kristen Welker, “Do democratic socialists belong in the Democratic Party?”—a question she posed in light of the DSA’s July 31–Aug. 2, 2026 convention in Chicago—Jeffries responded by distancing himself from positions he linked to the group.
“Well, what I can say is that I do not support defunding the police. I do not support open borders. I do not support abolishing the Senate,” Jeffries said. He added, “We’re focused on actually solving problems that hardworking American taxpayers want us to solve, which is to lower the high cost of living in a situation where life is far too expensive in this country. That’s the Democratic agenda. That’s what House Democrats are fighting to achieve.”
Pressed on whether there is “room” in the party for democratic socialists, Jeffries said, “I don’t support the DSA agenda as has been articulated by the DSA itself. Now, you’re going to have individual members who have been elected in Democratic primaries and, if they are elected in the general in November, will be part of the House Democratic Caucus.” He described it as “a broad caucus,” listing “progressives,” “New Dems,” and “Blue Dogs.”
Looking to November, Jeffries said he was “excited about” candidates “running to flip seats” in order “to deliver us a majority that pushes back against Donald Trump’s extremism and moves the country in the right direction,” before turning to affordability and “holding the crooks accountable beginning on day one in January of next year.”
The polling backdrop
Approximately 58% of Democrats have a positive view of socialism, according to a CBS News poll published Sunday. Among Democrats with a college degree, that share rises to 71%, the CBS News Poll account reported on X on Aug. 16, 2026. The poll summary stated that, unlike the public overall, Democrats are mostly positive on socialism and view it more favorably than capitalism. It also reported that Democrats believe socialism would improve their personal finances, while capitalism would, on balance, make them worse off. Only 8% of Democrats surveyed said the party is more progressive than they prefer, according to the same CBS reporting.
Where DSA candidates stand
Of 171 races the DSA is tracking, 62 candidates had won and 54 had lost, with another 55 still running at the time of publication, according to the source material’s summary of DSA tracking.
Notes on sourcing
