Jake Altman, a former member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), says he left the group in 2022 after nearly a decade of membership. His exit came after the DSA took a public position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that he found unacceptable.
Altman told the Times of London that the DSA’s response to the conflict pushed him to leave. The group called for the US to withdraw from NATO and described the Atlantic alliance as “imperialist expansionism that set the stage for this conflict.” He said that stance showed the organization had “gone completely off the deep end.”
“I felt anger and confirmation that the organization had gone completely off the deep end and there’s nothing to be salvaged,” Altman said. “There’s no point in remaining in an organization that’s been taken over by people like this.”
Why Altman Joined the DSA
Altman is an Iowa native and former union organizer. He joined the DSA in response to the economic decay that hit the Rust Belt in the 1990s and early 2000s.
According to the Times of London, the median age of a DSA member was about 68 when Altman joined in 2013. That figure dropped to about half five years later.
Altman attributed the shift to the Bernie Sanders movement in 2016 and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s victory in 2018. Those events showed “we can actually do this” and proved the DSA could change the Democratic Party.
He now warns that the DSA has been captured by young radicals. He also said there is “a thrill to violence” among some hardcore activists.
What the DSA Wants
The DSA’s platform includes demands to abolish the Senate, make the president and Supreme Court subservient to Congress, and defund the Pentagon. Some scholars doubt a constitutional amendment process could abolish the Senate.
High-ranking DSA members have also pushed to defund the police, abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and sanction Israel over its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
DSA-aligned candidates have won at least six Democratic primaries for House seats. More candidates aligned with DSA values have also won across the country.
Altman’s Warning
Altman supports Republican Mike Rogers over Democrat Abdul El-Sayed in his home state’s Senate race. He says his concern is that high-propensity Democratic primary voters have become radicalized, particularly the affluent ones.
“We need a renaissance of democracy where locals begin to take control back from national organizations that have become very extreme,” he said. “We all have a responsibility to try to stop this but I don’t think there are enough people resisting.”
“My view is we cannot let these extremists get power because they really are dangerous,” he added. “Even the ones who have good intentions will do things that will have profound consequences for ordinary Americans.”
Altman also criticized fellow members who stayed silent while the DSA moved further left. “There were people who knew better on the inside, and they just did nothing. It’s very similar to what’s happening to the Democratic Party now.”
The DSA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs neither side here; it backs individuals keeping their membership choices free of outside pressure, not any party line. The DSA’s platform asks the government to do many things, including ending the Senate itself, making the president and the Supreme Court answer to Congress, and taking money away from the Pentagon. Some scholars doubt a constitutional amendment process could end the Senate. None of this changes the paper’s position on freedom of association.
The paper’s position is simple: power gathered in one place gets abused. That applies to the DSA as much as to any other group. Individuals should be able to join or leave a political party without fear of being told they must stay in line. The paper does not take sides between Altman and the DSA; it takes sides with the freedom to choose.
The reader should watch for any effort to force membership choices, whether through pressure from within a party or outside it. The paper opposes such efforts wherever they appear.
Key Facts
- Jake Altman left the DSA in 2022 after nearly a decade of membership
- Median age of a DSA member was about 68 when Altman joined in 2013; dropped to about half five years later
- DSA-aligned candidates have won at least six Democratic primaries for House seats
- The DSA calls for withdrawing from NATO and describes it as “imperialist expansionism”
- Platform demands include abolishing the Senate, defunding the Pentagon, and sanctioning Israel over Hamas
- Some scholars doubt a constitutional amendment process could abolish the Senate
Schedule
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Altman joined DSA | 2013 |
| Ocasio-Cortez victory | 2018 |
| Altman left DSA | 2022 |
The DSA’s influence over the Democratic Party has grown steadily since 2016, when the Sanders movement energized younger members. Altman’s warning is a sign that some inside the movement see the direction as unsustainable. Whether the party listens before November remains to be seen.
Source material: “Former DSA member gives bleak warning about far-left ahead of midterms: ‘Off the deep end’,” the New York Post.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.