Michigan Democrats are betting big on socialism — and America may pay the price
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Over the summer, the collective rallying cry of our nation’s 250th birthday and the United States’ role in hosting the World Cup collided with the alarming spread of socialism on the American left. Dangerous philosophy is no longer confined to Ivy League faculty lounges or New York City’s deep-blue enclaves. Next month, Democrats may nominate Abdul El-Sayed for the U.S. Senate in primary elections in my home state of Michigan, a critical national battleground state.
El-Sayed may try to distance himself from the “socialist” label and his longstanding ties to the Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA, but his platform speaks for itself. For starters, only prominent socialists Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez not only boasts the DY’s endorsement, but recently campaigned with them in Michigan. Moreover, he went out of his way to connect with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who describes himself as a democratic socialist. Last summer’s campaign even ran ads saying “Zohran won. Abdul is next.”
Like Sanders, who flies a private jet and owns multiple homes, El-Sayed is a hypocrite. He demonized high earners while earning an income that puts him squarely in the top 1% in 2025. He also advocated for “Medicare for All” and opposed employer health plans; His wife allegedly runs a medical practice that does not accept Medicare or any insurance.
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But perhaps most troubling is the radical economic agenda El-Sayed is trying to bring to Washington. A key element of his stump speech is his criticism of “corporate oligopoly” and his demand for a “strong” Federal Trade Commission, or FTC. On this front, El-Sayed’s campaign draws directly on the anti-business orthodoxy pushed by Lina Khan, the former chair of the FTC under President Joe Biden and the current board chair of the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
Under Khan’s watch, sweeping federal investigations and criminal prosecutions became standard operating procedure, creating a chill among innovators and entrepreneurs across the country. His time leading the once bipartisan agency was marked by hostility to startups, job losses and internal mismanagement of the agency. By echoing Khan’s rhetoric, El-Sayed is not only pandering to the far left, he is also preparing to implement his ideas in the Senate. Their shared worldview casts success as suspect, while also viewing the federal government as a weapon to punish companies that innovate, compete, and win in the marketplace.
Unfortunately, the pillars of this agenda are already coming to the surface. Take the recently revived American Innovation and Choice Online Act, or AICOA. Having failed to make progress in previous Congresses, this party returned this summer as living proof of its anti-business, anti-growth philosophy.
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Among other harmful provisions, the bill creates a financial threshold beyond which tech companies would be subject to European-style criminal regulations. If the legislation becomes law, federal regulators would have broad authority to single out and punish American companies for being successful innovators.
There’s a good chance that, if elected, El-Sayed will not only support this regulatory overreach; It will support Michigan’s expansion by targeting its job creators and critical industries.
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Think again of my friends on the right who gleefully watch the rise of socialism and see it as a shortcut to victory in the general election. In a challenging medium-term political environment, anything can happen. To win public support, we need to do more than paint our opponents as extremists.
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As Ronald Reagan said, we should highlight our own bold colors, not pale pastels. We must be clear about how and why free markets provide opportunities for younger audiences who are worried about their future, especially with the rise of artificial intelligence. History shows us that innovation leads to more jobs and opportunities. But this cannot happen if we cede leadership to China out of fear of the unknown, or if we hand over the economic argument to people like Mamdani, Khan and El-Sayed who will replace optimism with fear tactics.
This means articulating a clear, positive vision for economic growth: eliminating burdensome regulations that inhibit investment and harm startups, championing free market competition, and ensuring that American entrepreneurship remains the envy of the world.
