It’s panic time for Democrats in New York City, and honestly, it’s delightful to watch. With Election Day just around the corner, the blue establishment is suddenly discovering that nominating a self-proclaimed “democratic socialist” for mayor might not be the political masterstroke they thought it was.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, reacting to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' endorsement of Mamdani, didn’t hold back in his assessment.
House Speaker Mike Johnson warned that a major political shift took place last Friday, calling it “a seismic shift in politics” and evidence that the “radical insurgent movement in the Democrat Party is succeeding.” Over the weekend, he said, it became clear that the far-left has taken full control of the party, leaving no room for centrists or moderates.
According to Johnson, the tipping point came when Jeffries, after months of pressure from progressives, endorsed Zohran Mamdani — a self-described socialist — for mayor of New York City. “He gave in, and he gave his endorsement to the socialist running to be mayor of New York City,” Johnson said, arguing that Democrats “have chosen a side” and now “show the world what they really believe.”
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Johnson described Mamdani as a Marxist who has shown sympathy for Hamas and used openly antisemitic language. He reminded reporters that Mamdani has publicly advocated seizing the means of production, abolishing the nation’s borders, defunding the police, and legalizing prostitution. Johnson said it was shocking that someone with those views could soon lead one of the most important cities in the world. Now, with Jeffries’ endorsement, Johnson argued, the House Democrats have “co-owned the consequences” of what happens next in America’s largest city. He urged reporters to press every Democrat in Congress on whether they, too, support “the Marxist agenda.” Concluding his remarks, Johnson said this moment marked “the end of the Democratic Party as we’ve known it,” noting that “even some Democrats are now saying that out loud.”
This isn’t projection either. Inside Democratic circles, alarms are blaring. The party’s old guard sees Mamdani’s surge not as a one-off local problem but as a five-alarm fire that could torch their national credibility.
“It’s one thing for Republicans to use absurd attacks calling Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi socialists to scare voters,” longtime Democrat strategist Fernand Amandi said. “It’s another thing to use an actual socialist to scare voters about the Democrats being the party of socialists, and that’s the concern about Mamdani.”
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) acknowledged that Mamdani’s views are extreme and is predicting that Republicans will turn Mamdani into the perfect “bogeyman” for 2026 campaign ads.
“If we’re focused on playing defense on Mamdani, that will be a … major distraction.”
Still, there are some Democrats who have tried to downplay Mamdani’s extremism, and plenty more who see Mamdani and his brand of politics as the future of the party.
Bill Maher, who has been highly critical of the woke left, also warned about the implications of this race.
“This is not just New York that's on the ballot,” he observed. “I think the whole Democratic Party in the country is on the ballot, and the whole country will be looking at this race to see which way are the Democrats gonna go?”
Bill Maher WARNS DEMOCRATS on Mamdani's popularity: “This is not just New York on the ballot.”
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) October 25, 2025
“I think the whole Democratic Party in the country is on the ballot.”
“The whole country will be looking at this race to see which way the Democrats are going to go.” pic.twitter.com/pmP0C5kKlz
Bill Maher is absolutely right—this race is a bellwether for the entire Democratic Party. Will they continue the march toward the socialist fringe or rediscover the pragmatic center that once made them competitive nationally? The signs aren’t encouraging. New York Democrats are drifting left at breakneck speed, pretending they can balance radical ideology with “responsible governance.” They can’t. It’s a fantasy, and voters can see it.
Related: Mamdani’s Rise Feels Shockingly Familiar to Obama’s—and Just as Dangerous
That’s why Democrats from Albany to Washington are in full-blown panic mode, suddenly trying to convince Americans that socialism isn’t who they are. But at this point, that argument feels like splitting hairs. What’s happening in New York is a preview of the Democrats’ growing identity crisis—a movement at war with itself, led by radicals who don’t even pretend to care about being sane anymore.
