MSNBC host Joe Scarborough asserted that Democratic Party leaders are permitting controversial voices to gain prominence because they are "too woke to call out the obvious." Scarborough made these remarks during a segment on his show "Morning Joe," where the panel discussed the political impact of extreme views within the Democratic Party.
During the discussion, a clip was shown of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) on ABC's "This Week." She was questioned about her decision not to endorse Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist candidate in the Wisconsin gubernatorial race who had previously advocated for abolishing the police and prisons. Ocasio-Cortez responded by stating that Hong had "moved away" from many of those past positions.
Scarborough criticized Ocasio-Cortez's response, arguing that there is no significant conspiracy behind the criticism of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). He pointed to the success of New York City's Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whom Scarborough described as pragmatic and having a high approval rating, a low murder rate, and a thriving economy. However, Scarborough also noted that some statements made by DSA members in New York have been "whacked-out."
He specifically referenced comments made by DSA members regarding pro-Hamas rallies occurring the day after Hamas's attack on Israel. "I think most mainstream voters would say they’re whacked-out things, when they’re talking about going to pro-Hamas rallies the day after Hamas slaughtered more Jews than on any day since the Holocaust. I think 90% of Americans would think that is abhorrent," Scarborough stated.
Scarborough then turned his attention to the upcoming election cycle, suggesting that Democrats have failed to confront culturally divisive issues that Republicans have successfully used against them. He recalled advertisements during NFL games that he characterized as "Taxpayers are going to pay for trans surgeries for convicts," arguing that such messaging resonated with working-class male voters.
He proposed that Democrats could instead focus on economic populist messages, such as increasing taxes on billionaires and pursuing healthcare reform, policies he believes have broader public support. "But please, I don’t need people telling me, ‘Oh, you have to just turn a blind eye to people saying that women getting raped on October 7 didn’t matter, in the grand scheme of things.' No, Americans aren’t going to support that," Scarborough added.
Scarborough urged Democratic leaders, including Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, to publicly condemn extreme rhetoric and demand that candidates distance themselves from such views. He concluded by stating that the party's inability to address these issues is reminiscent of past election cycles where Democrats missed opportunities to win by not effectively navigating divisive topics.