DSA’s Problem Isn’t ‘Media Training’
The Atlantic argues that the Democratic Socialists of America's recent public relations failures stem from ideological extremism rather than a lack of media training. The author contends that the organization's leadership is disconnected from the more pragmatic, electorally successful wing of the party.
Why it matters
This highlights the internal ideological rift within the American left, which impacts the viability of socialist candidates in mainstream US politics.
Authoritarian extremists are speaking for American socialists, and a lot of people don’t like what they say.
Illustration by Matteo Giuseppe Pani / The Atlantic September 7, 2026, 7 AM ET Share Save American socialists are convinced that they have a media-training problem.
In the past year, members of the Democratic Socialists of America, the country’s largest leftist organization, have won electoral victories in places such as New York City and Michigan, drawing a spotlight that the group has struggled to handle.
Last month, the DSA’s co-chairs, Megan Romer and Ashik Siddique, gave several high-profile interviews that even many of their most fervent supporters agree were disastrous. The two leaders struggled to give straight answers to simple questions, and they defended outlandish policies, such as abolishing prisons and police. They seemed to present socialists exactly the way their opponents caricature them: as extremist, unserious, and unprepared.
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