The victory of Zohran Mamdani in the New York City Democratic Primary is the culmination of a decade-long parasitic takeover by socialists of one of the two major political parties in the country. This did not happen overnight, and it won’t be defeated overnight. This transformation—marked by a surge in far-left extremism—has alienated many voters, yet empowered divisive figures like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and set the stage for a potential AOC presidential run in 2028.
In 2016, Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist from Vermont, stunned the political establishment by mounting a serious challenge to Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primaries. His campaign, fueled by promises of free college, Medicare for All, and wealth taxes, resonated with disillusioned millennials and far-left activists. Despite his decades in the Senate, Sanders had little to show for his tenure—a career marked by grandstanding rather than substance. He authored no major bills, leaving a legacy of fiery rhetoric and negligible impact. His 2016 run, however, exposed a growing appetite for radicalism within the Democratic base, setting the stage for his takeover.
The Democratic establishment, wary of Sanders’ extremism, rallied to protect Clinton. Party leaders weaponized superdelegates—unelected insiders with outsized influence—to tilt the scales against him. By June 2016, Clinton secured the nomination, despite Sanders’ strong grassroots support. The superdelegate system, designed to preserve elite control, ensured Sanders’ defeat—but it also fueled resentment among his followers, who saw the process as rigged. This anger did not dissipate; instead, it propelled his followers to expand the movement.
Sanders’ 2016 loss galvanized the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a fringe group that saw its membership explode from 6,000 in 2015 to over 90,000 by 2021. The DSA not only embraced Sanders’ socialist vision, but also his stance on Israel. The attention paid to Israel by socialists in America borders on obsession—to the point where, if given a choice between a socialist America or a destroyed Israel, they would choose to destroy Israel in a heartbeat.
At its 2017 conference, the DSA passed a resolution supporting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”—a phrase widely condemned as a call for Israel’s destruction and akin to advocating a second Holocaust. The DSA even considered expelling then-Congressman Jamaal Bowman from their conference for voting in favor of Iron Dome funding and going on a J Street–funded trip to Israel. On October 7th and 8th, when even Bernie Sanders and AOC were politically savvy enough to condemn Hamas, the DSA condemned Israel and joked about hang gliders killing people at the Nova Festival.
In 2017, former Sanders staffers founded the Justice Democrats, a political machine to elect far-left candidates. Their crown jewel was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who in 2018 ousted 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley in New York’s 14th Congressional District primary. AOC, alongside Rashida Tlaib and others, formed “The Squad,” a group of DSA-aligned radicals who pushed Sanders’ agenda—Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, and wealth redistribution—while amplifying anti-Israel rhetoric. The Squad’s rise cemented Sanders’ grip on the party’s future, with AOC emerging as his heir apparent. Democrat leadership embraced the Squad, with Nancy Pelosi appearing on magazine covers with them and giving these new members of Congress preferential treatment in committee assignments.
Sanders ran again in 2020, winning the first two primaries and positioning himself as the frontrunner. Alarmed, Democratic elites orchestrated a swift consolidation. Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, and others dropped out in early March, endorsing Joe Biden. A pivotal endorsement from Rep. Jim Clyburn in South Carolina propelled Biden to a landslide victory on Super Tuesday, effectively ending Sanders’ campaign. The coordinated effort exposed the party’s desperation to suppress Sanders’ socialism—but his influence persisted.
After securing the nomination, Biden met with Sanders to craft a policy playbook that became the blueprint for his presidency. The result was a trio of radical, Sanders-inspired laws: the American Rescue Plan (2021), the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021), and the Inflation Reduction Act (2022). These bills—passed with near-unanimous Democratic support under Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer—included massive spending on green energy subsidies, student loan forgiveness, and expanded welfare programs—hallmarks of Sanders’ socialist vision. The Inflation Reduction Act, for instance, allocated billions to climate initiatives—a direct nod to Sanders’ Green New Deal. No Democrats resisted, revealing the party’s full embrace of his agenda.
By 2020, DSA-endorsed candidates were gaining ground. In New York, radicals like Zohran Mamdani and Julia Salazar won state legislature seats, capitalizing on Sanders’ momentum. Their victories—built on promises of rent control and public ownership—signaled the DSA’s growing clout in Democratic strongholds, further entrenching Sanders’ ideology.
Once again, DSA members showed that their anti-Israel ideology was not secondary to their socialist policies—the opposite was true. In every introduction recorded of his background, Zohran Mamdani discusses how his political activism began with founding the Students for Justice in Palestine chapter at Bowdoin College, his alma mater. There, he pushed a boycott of Israel and continued to do so everywhere he could.
In 2023, the socialists pushed a bill called the “Not On Our Dime” Act, which targeted nonprofits that gave charity to Israel. In the act, the terms “Occupied Palestinian Territory” and “settlement expansion” are left deliberately vague and subject to outside international definitions, which do not go through any legislative process. Anti-Israel jihadists think of all of Israel as “Occupied Palestinian Territory” and a remodeled bathroom as “settlement expansion,” so this type of legislation could potentially shut down a synagogue that raised money to rebuild a playground in Haifa destroyed by Iranian missiles. What this has to do with socialism is anyone’s guess.
On the national level, Kamala Harris—who became vice president in 2021—was the Senate’s second-most left-wing member after Sanders, according to GovTrack’s 2019 scorecard. As the 2024 Democratic nominee, Harris pushed policies straight from Sanders’ playbook: Soviet-style price controls on groceries, a $25,000 housing subsidy for first-time buyers based on racial qualifications, and expanded government spending on healthcare. Her campaign’s embrace of these far-left ideas alienated moderates, contributing to her crushing defeat to Donald Trump. Voters rejected Harris’ radicalism, leaving Democrats fractured and leaderless.
In 2025, Sanders and AOC launched their “Fighting Oligarchy” tour, drawing massive crowds—36,000 in Los Angeles, 34,000 in Denver—to promote economic populism and anti-Trump rhetoric. Their rallies, held in swing districts, pressured Democrats to adopt Sanders’ agenda. AOC, now seen as Sanders’ successor, raised $9.6 million in Q1 2025, fueling speculation about a 2028 presidential run. Her ability to galvanize young voters and her mastery of social media make her a formidable contender—and once she becomes the nominee, there is a high likelihood she becomes president.
In June 2025, Zohran Mamdani—a DSA member and Sanders protégé—won the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, defeating Andrew Cuomo. Endorsed by Sanders and AOC, Mamdani’s platform—free buses, city-owned grocery stores, and rent freezes—mirrored Sanders’ socialism. His pledge to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu in compliance with the International Criminal Court (which has no jurisdiction in the United States), his defense of a global intifada, and his obsession with using any and all tools to punish Israel and the Jewish community that supports it form the foundation of his political ideology.
This is Bernie Sanders’ Democratic Party now—a radical, socialist machine that has abandoned the working-class values it claims to champion. From the DSA’s anti-Semitic resolutions to AOC’s meteoric rise and Mamdani’s mayoral win, Sanders’ vision has reshaped the party into a haven for far-left extremism. The 2024 election proved voters reject this agenda—yet Sanders’ disciples, led by AOC, are poised to double down. If the economic policies of the Trump administration falter, voters will look for alternative solutions. New York’s voters have already embraced a socialist; that could easily happen across the country.
By Moshe Hill