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EXCLUSIVE — Republican National Committee (RNC) national spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre warned Sunday in a statement to Fox News Digital that socialists were steering Democrats toward political disaster after Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) co-chair Megan Romer failed Friday on “The New Yorker Radio Hour” to identify a rate or threshold for taxing millionaires, as the movement’s primary gains intensify debate over what Democrats must defend in November.
“The Democrat Party is being driven off a cliff by socialists who are driving blindfolded while arguing about the view,” Baldassarre said.
“Unless Democrats hit the brakes, every candidate on the ballot will have to answer for socialists’ outrageous beliefs that will bankrupt our country and strip every American of safety, sanity, and freedom,” she added.
Romer endorsed steep taxes on wealthy Americans during her interview with The New Yorker editor David Remnick, although she said she was more concerned about billionaires because she believed most had accumulated their wealth by exploiting workers.
Democratic Socialists of America co-chair Megan Romer did not specify a tax rate or threshold when pressed about the group’s plan to “tax the hell out of millionaires.” (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
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“I think most billionaires got their wealth because they exploited the working class in some very significant way usually,” Romer said. “Are we exploiting people is the bigger question, as opposed to some sort of arbitrary red line of you can have this much money or not have that much money. But we do believe in taxing the hell out of millionaires, yeah, absolutely.”
When Remnick asked Romer to define what that policy would mean, she began responding without identifying a proposed tax rate, income cutoff or wealth threshold.
“Yeah, you know, again, I don’t have, like, a solid – ” Romer said, before Remnick interrupted her.
“But shouldn’t you? If you’re the co-chair of the DSA, shouldn’t you be more specific than ‘taxing the hell’ out of something?” Remnick said.
The New Yorker editor David Remnick interrupted Romer after she acknowledged that she did not have a firm answer on DSA’s proposed tax policy. (Dominik Bindl/Getty Images)
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Romer said the group would determine its tax policy dramatically by examining spending priorities and the revenue needed to support them.
“So, yeah, we need to look at what we need to pay for in the interim, what sort of tax base we need for that to happen, and build from there,” Romer said.
The DSA’s official 2026 program, drafted by a committee formed through its 2025 national convention, similarly does not identify a tax rate or define which individuals and companies would be subject to its proposed wealth taxes.
“Enact aggressive wealth taxes on the richest individuals and corporations to spend on public goods and infrastructure,” the program said.
The RNC warned that socialist policies could hurt Democratic candidates after DSA-backed contenders won several congressional primaries. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
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The exchange came after DSA-backed and progressive-aligned candidates secured major Democratic primary victories.
Melat Kiros defeated longtime Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette in Colorado, while Darializa Avila Chevalier ousted Rep. Adriano Espaillat and Claire Valdez won the nomination for an open New York congressional seat.
Progressive Abdul El-Sayed also narrowly defeated establishment-backed Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary last week.
Romer, however, distinguished El-Sayed from the organization during the interview because he identifies as a capitalist.
“He’s not a DSA candidate,” Romer said.
The centrist Democratic organization Third Way announced Friday that it would spend $15 million through 2028 on opposition research, polling, social media and outreach aimed at weakening the DSA’s influence.
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Third Way co-founder Matt Bennett framed the effort as a defense of Democrats competing against Republicans.
“We believe the DSA poses a serious threat to Democrats. Their ideas are dangerous and their politics are toxic. If we are to beat MAGA Republicans, we cannot allow our party to be defined by radicals,” Bennett said.
Romer dismissed Third Way’s planned campaign in a previous statement to Fox News Digital.
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“$15 million to tell working-class people that a better world isn’t possible? We believe in people power, and our vision for a better future is winning. We will keep building our movement, and they will waste their money,” Romer said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Romer, the Democratic National Committee and the DSA for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Fox News Digital’s Paul Steinhauser contributed to this article.
