Horrified Dem Runs From DSA as CNN's Cornish Sees Enthusiasm Only for Socialists

The screengrab says it all. Smiling Republican Mike Dubke turns to Democrat Meghan Hays to savor how she'll handle the AOC-for-President hot plate that CNN This Morning host Audie Cornish just handed her.

The show had just played a clip of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani saying he wants to put "working people back at the heart" of the Democratic party. 

After three far-left congressional candidates that Mamdani endorsed swept Tuesday's primaries, Cornish declared he is looking to "fundamentally change the Democratic Party." Cornish interpreted that as Mamdani having his eye on an even bigger prize: kingmaker for the White House in 2028. 

With that in mind, Cornish suggested that a "far-left progressive or democratic socialist" could emerge as the party's 2028 standard-bearer — and displayed an image of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, wondering, "Could you be looking at her now?"

The former NPR host pushed AOC on Meghan Hays, a former Biden messaging aide, whether she saw the DSA growing: "Are you seeing the power?"

"Well, one, they're not, they're not Democrats," Hays insisted. "They don't believe, they don't have, like, solid Democratic values. They don't believe in a capitalist society. There's like a lot of different things here that they're not Democrats."

Hays wondered why the Democrats are supporting such candidates. Cornish's mordant reply: "Probably 'cause the voters." Zing!

It's a nice try by Hays in denying that the NYC lefties are Democrats. These candidates ran in Democratic primaries, they won as Democrats, and will caucus as Democrats. But when the socialist wing starts winning, establishment Democrats suddenly pretend it's an invasion from another planet.

Cornish wasn't letting her off the hook. She pressed Hays to "account for the enthusiasm," noting that the only big crowds lately have been for Bernie Sanders and AOC. "I didn't see crowds for any moderate."  Double zing!

Hays tried to argue the victories were just turning already-blue districts bluer and wouldn't help win the House majority. But the discomfort was obvious — especially with Dubke happily watching the civil war unfold from the Republican side of the table.

Mamdani talked of putting "working people" at the heart of the Democrat party. But one of the loony DSA congressional winners Tuesday night, Claire Valdez, struggled in majority-black precincts and won overwhelmingly among higher-income, college-educated, white voters. Putting Caucasian hipsters "at the heart" of the party, Zohran?

For once, Republicans get to lean back and fire up the popcorn popper as "centrist" Dems struggle to deal with a reality that is sure to plague them in 2026 and beyond.

Here's the transcript.

CNN This Morning
6/25/26
6:25 am EDT

AUDIE CORNISH: Hey, so we want to talk about New York City's new political kingmaker. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has an eye on an even bigger prize in 2028, the White House. After three progressives he endorsed pulled off a clean sweep in Tuesday night's primaries, Mamdani is looking to fundamentally change the Democratic party.

ZOHRAN MAMDANI: Part of my hope in working to, to elect these congresspeople, these state legislators, is also to help write a new chapter in our party's history, where working people are back at the heart of that struggle.

CORNISH: So, if a far-left progressive or democratic socialist emerges as a viable candidate for the presidency in 2028, who might that be? [As image of AOC is displayed] Could you be looking at her now?

So the Group Chat is back. I wanted to talk about this divide between Mamdani, who's like, "I'm at the front of the movement," and he's excited, and then the New York Post types describe this constituency as [holds up front page] "The Young and the Clueless, and right in the front is someone wearing a Democratic Socialist T-shirt.

So, our messaging folks, how do you see this conversation around the DSA? Is it growing? Are you seeing the power? Let me hear.

MEGHAN HAYS: Well, one, they're not, they're not Democrats. They don't believe, they don't have, like, solid Democratic values. They don't believe in a capitalist society. There's like a lot of different things here that they're not Democrats. 

I am not sure fundamentally why the Democratic establishment is supporting them and why they're using the resources. 

CORNISH: Probably 'cause the voters. 

HAYS: But that's, but that's a misnomer, because the people who are actually going to help take back the majority in the House are not those three people in New York. Those are turning blue districts bluer. New York 17, Utah 1, who also had primaries, who selected very moderate candidates — Josh Turek in Ohio -- I'm sorry, in Iowa.

CORNISH: But help me account for the enthusiasm, cause I often hear this description from moderate Democrats. It's like, "That's out there, that's not the real thing." And it's confusing, cause you saw all those crowds for Bernie Sanders and AOC a few months ago. I didn't see crowds for any moderate, and I don't understand this back-and-forth.