A top organizer within the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has raised a disturbing question about the movement’s ambitions: whether some within its ranks envision not just an electoral revolution, but a violent one.
Christopher Winston, a national DSA leader with close ties to the organization’s security apparatus, the Red Rabbits, told fellow socialists during a panel discussion to “keep the fking guns put up” until a crisis emerges. His warning against showing off firearms before that moment raises serious questions about the capacity for political violence within the DSA’s ranks, and whether some members envision the kind of armed revolution the organization insists separates its movement from socialist dictatorships.
🚨 DSA Leader Says Keep the Guns Hidden Until the Crisis Comes Are the Democratic Socialists of America violent? It's a question that has sparked considerable debate, but one of the organization's national leaders argues that now is the time to prepare for the coming revolution. Christopher Winston, a national DSA leader with close ties to the organization's security apparatus, the Red Rabbits, isn't interested in armed activists showing off their guns in the streets. “Until there's a crisis, keep the fucking guns put up.” But he also warned that America is “rapidly approaching the crisis stage” and described the present as a time for “experimentation and accumulation of forces.” Pointing to the unrest in Minneapolis, Winston declared, “We literally had the embryo of a dual power,” referring to what he sees as the beginnings of an alternative power structure challenging capitalism. He urged others to learn from Minneapolis and the radical organizing networks established during 2020 that remained in place. Winston also invoked Maoist revolutionary movements in Peru and India, arguing that fellow travelers should study their experiences while developing a distinctly American revolutionary approach rather than simply copying tactics from abroad.
— Stu Smith (@thestustustudio) October 21, 2026
"Until there's a crisis, keep the f**king guns put up," Winston, a self-described Maoist, and a lead organizer for the DSA said. "Like you're not scaring anybody. You're certainly not scaring the police by marching around with, with open, with openly carrying firearms. Do I care? Yes, I do. But, like, it's for, it's for self-defense, in defense of my comrades. Like Mao said, that, yeah, striking a pose, trying to intimidate people, it's not good. It's not good. It's chest-thumping and it's boasting, and when somebody does run up on you and press you, chances are you're gonna flake out."
He went on to argue that the United States is rapidly approaching a Marxist “crisis stage,” pointing to the 2020 riots in Minneapolis as “the embryo of a dual power” to the U.S. government. His remarks suggest that at least some DSA leaders see a future crisis as an opportunity to build a competing source of political authority. Paired with his comments about keeping firearms put away until a crisis emerges, it raises a question that deserves a clear answer: What circumstances, if any, would they consider justification for taking up arms?
In a sort of dark irony, they may never even face that choice if socialists continue mounting successful challenges to establishment Democrats across the country, offering a path to power through elections rather than confrontation. But those electoral ambitions do not resolve the central question raised by Winston’s remarks: Does the DSA, or anyone within its ranks, view violence as an acceptable means of taking power if the opportunity presents itself?
Editor's Note: The Democrat Party has been infected by socialism, and it's spreading FAST. Democrats are claiming there's nothing to worry about, but we know the truth.
Help us continue to shine a light on the socialist takeover by joining Townhall VIP. Use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership.
Join the Conversation
VIP members get the ability to comment on articles.