Democratic strategist Melissa DeRosa accused Democratic socialist candidates and politicians, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, of being "parasites" who could harm the Democratic Party. DeRosa made the comments on "Special Report with Bret Baier" as Mamdani campaigned for openly socialist candidates in New York's primary elections, such as political organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier.
DeRosa, a former Andrew Cuomo chief of staff, argued that socialist candidates are not true Democrats and seek to take over the party. She claimed they cannot win on their own and instead "latch onto the Democratic Party to feed off of it." She cited the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) as an example, tracing their influence from the 2016 presidential race to the election of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018.
DeRosa pointed to Chevalier's campaign as evidence, noting that Chevalier is challenging New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat, who has a 100% voting record with the Democratic Party. She warned that if socialist candidates succeed in taking over, it could set the party back decades. Mamdani has been criticized for his support of far-left candidates and policies, such as his push to "abolish ICE."
The debate highlights tensions within the Democratic Party over the direction of its platform and the influence of socialist-leaning candidates in primary elections.