exclusive details
See more of our coverage in your search results.
They’re out for blood!
Power-mad Democratic Socialists of America members are plotting to use their growing clout after the blue tsunami to drown the party’s big fish — Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), The Post has learned.
On a members-only online discussion board, socialists laid out efforts from the national organization to flood members of Congress with thousands of letters and calls as they mount a public opinion campaign against the two establishment Democrats.
That’s despite both having backed DSA candidates — Jeffries endorsed Mayor Zohran Mamdani last year and Schumer gave a speech at a 2023 re-election fundraiser for City Councilwoman Tiffany Cabán in Astoria, where they were serving up $14 cocktails with names like “The Spirited Socialist.”
During the private discussion, one comrade already bragged that he phoned three representatives during his morning walk to work to tell them not to support Schumer and Jeffries.
“Both of these men are corporate shills who have enthusiastically cheered on a genocide. If we do nothing, what were these wins even for?” raged Syjil Ashraf, a leader on the DSA’s International Committee, in the discussion of the midterm results.
“Both are openly hostile to our goals and our organization,” added another member, from the DSA’s Richmond chapter.
Their endgame is to boot both men from Congress in 2028 and install socialist replacements — even if their bid to knock them from the party’s leadership posts comes up short in the meantime.
Schumer, as the Senate minority leader, could become majority leader in January now that the party has won control of the chamber — if he maintains his caucus’ backing. Jeffries, meanwhile, the current House minority leader, could claim the speaker’s gavel if Dems re-elect him as their top honcho.
“He’s sitting in a congressional seat that should belong to DSA,” one member from the New Orleans chapter said of Jeffries. “His national profile is in part keeping that from happening. Strip him of his leadership position first. Take his seat next.”
“People are angry and out for blood and I don’t feel they’re ready to go back to ‘brunch,’” said one DSA member in the debate that began last week about ousting the two bigwigs.
Jeffries, who has the backing of lefties like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep.-elect Brad Lander (D-NY), New York Attorney General Letitia James and Mamdani, is likely to become the first black Speaker of the House in January.
James even warned “drunk on power” socialists not to go after Jeffries.
Schumer is in a more vulnerable position — with 10 high-profile senators or senators-elect so far — including Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and Abdul El-Sayed (D-MI) — saying they’ll vote against him, and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) launching a challenge Thursday.
The national DSA kicked off its “Say No to Schumer” campaign on social media that same day, using Hall & Oates’ “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” as its soundtrack. The group said “Good Luck Chuck” had “failed to deliver for the working class,” and the campaign has so far generated more than 6,000 letters to members of Congress.
Part of the plan also involves pressuring the eight DSA elected officials to say “hard no on these two ghouls” or, if they refuse to vote against them, demand concessions in exchange for their support — with one member saying they need to “hold the Sword of Damocles” over their heads.
“If our DSA electeds can’t oppose these two ultra-Zionists, I don’t see how they can meaningfully be seen to be upholding DSA politics in the slightest,” said a member of the DSA’s National Abolition Working Group from New Jersey. “Schumer is clearly extremely unpopular across a progressive-to-socialist spectrum, and he should absolutely be vigorously opposed.”
“Jeffries is such an odious figure and one of our primary enemies in Congress,” added another member, calling the idea of having him as speaker “nauseating.”
“Jeffries is a weak leader with no sway over the way his party members vote,” said another member. “He’s not good at articulating any kind of vision or even explaining why his party does what they do. For that reason, Jeffries in power might not be the worst thing in the world for us.”
“His weakness represents the weakness of the Democratic establishment and Democratic Party’s capitalists. That’s good for us. Let him lead while constantly messaging about how he’s incapable of leading.”
Another DSA member admitted she was currently being paid by the radical group Sunrise Movement to travel to Washington to protest outside Schumer’s office.
“Sunrise is literally paying people to fly out to DC to fight against Schumer. I’m sending this from my layover in Denver,” said a member from the Los Angeles chapter on Tuesday.
In videos the lefty organization posted on Instagram, protesters wearing keffiyehs can be seen blockading Schumer’s office while holding signs and chanting, “Hey hey, ho ho, Chuck Schumer has got to go!” before dozens were arrested by US Capitol Police in a scene the videos portray as organic.
“Today, 50+ young people were arrested in Chuck Schumer’s office demanding new Senate leadership. Momentum is building,” Sunrise Movement claimed in a caption.
Schumer and Jeffries declined to comment.
But a source with knowledge said “the DSA has already been warned by Tish James to back off New York’s leaders.”
“Ball is in their court now,” the source told The Post.
