A growing number of rank-and-file Democrats are turning their backs on capitalism and embracing socialism, according to a new Gallup poll — confirming a trend that’s been building for over a decade and accelerating in recent years. Only 42 percent of Democrats now view capitalism favorably, while 66 percent say they have a favorable view of socialism.
The poll, which surveyed over 1,000 adults, paints a clear picture: the Democratic base is shifting significantly to the left. Younger Democrats are driving the change, but even older generations within the party are showing increased tolerance for socialist ideas.
This ideological lurch is no longer theoretical. It’s playing out in real time through figures like New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, an open socialist whose policy proposals include city-run grocery stores and removing police from domestic violence calls. His rise is causing panic among more traditional Democrats, who worry the party is becoming unrecognizable to working-class voters and moderates.
Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) recently warned that embracing socialist candidates like Mamdani would be a disaster for Democrats trying to win back control of Congress in 2026. He defended capitalism and pointed out, correctly, that socialism has repeatedly failed wherever it's been tried.
Even within deep-blue New York, Democrat leaders like Mayor Eric Adams and Rep. Laura Gillen are distancing themselves from Mamdani, calling his ideas too extreme to represent voters in any serious way.
Despite the warnings, party leadership appears hesitant to push back. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, has yet to make clear where he stands — a silence that speaks volumes. While some centrist Democrats are urging the party’s radical wing to “create their own party,” the truth is they’ve already made themselves at home inside the DNC.
This isn’t the first red flag. Back in 2018, Gallup reported for the first time that Democrats viewed socialism more favorably than capitalism — even as the U.S. economy, under President Trump, was delivering historic growth and record-low unemployment.
That disconnect reveals a deeper problem: for today’s Democrats, economic results don’t seem to matter as much as ideology. They’ll turn their backs on capitalism even if it means turning their backs on prosperity.
The consequences are already playing out in elections, in policy, and in public trust. As the Democratic Party continues to cater to its far-left base, it risks losing the very Americans it claims to represent — the workers, families, and business owners who still believe in opportunity over dependency, in freedom over control, and in capitalism over failed socialist experiments.