List of DSA controversies

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The following is a list of controversies involving the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). The DSA has received criticism for these controversies from the political left, political right, Zionists, and DSA members. Some of these controversies include endorsement of Hamas, pure ideological conformation through revocation of endorsements for candidates and endorsements for speakers for differing on issues, justifying antisemitic violence as anti-Zionist resistance, and more.

In May 2020, Dr. Adolph Reed, an African-American professor from the University of Pennsylvania, was invited to speak at the DSA New York City chapter. Reed's speech criticized the political left's focus on the impact of the coronavirus on black people. which Reed asserted this focus was disproportionate and undermined cross-racial organizing. Dr. Reed was criticized by the DSA's Afrosocialists and Socialists of Color Caucus, which stated Reed was "reactionary, class reductionist, and at best, tone deaf."^[1] Rumors circulated that the caucus would disrupt and protest during Reed's Zoom call and the DSA subsequently cancelled the event.^[2][3]

In January 2022, the DSA International Committee petitioned the Biden Administration to lift the prior Trump Administration's travel ban on North Korea.^[4][5]

According to the Network Contagion Research Institute, the DSA took part in the July 2025 People's Summit, a conference that promoted narratives associated with North Korean state propaganda. A major reoccurring theme of the conference was calling for Korean reunification under a communist regime. Neville Roy Singham, the primary sponsor of the event, has links to the Chinese Communist Party.^[6] Critics have stated that the event's foreign influence and CCP donor involvement make the event subject to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). The DSA International Committee was listed as one of the 2025 People's Summit's official partner organizations. The ANSWER Coalition, The People's Forum, the Korean Policy Institute, and the Party for Socialism and Liberation also participated in the conference.^[7][8]

In response to the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the killing of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr and the Israeli airstrikes against the Houthis, the DSA International Committee issued a statement condemning all of these attacks. They stated, "We mourn and honor the martyrs of Lebanon and Palestine and express our unwavering solidarity with their popular resistance movements. The contributions of these figures to the cause of freedom and justice will not be forgotten and their victories will not be reversed. Their example will inspire future resistance to colonialism and injustice throughout the world." The statement was deleted shortly after it was published with internal DSA factions criticizing its removal.^[9]

In 2024, the Red Star Caucus, a "Marxist revolutionary" faction of the DSA, published an essay supporting Hamas. The article stated, "To support a resistance without Hamas is to support something which does not exist. It is to support no resistance at all."^[10] An Atlantic article entitled, "The Real Reason American Socialists Don't Win," described the caucus as a Marxist-Leninist caucus within the DSA that exhibits open support for Hamas.^[11]

In July 2024, the DSA revoked its endorsement of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC)(D-NY), following her supportive vote of a House Resolution labeling "denial of Israel's right to exist" as an example of antisemitism and her participation in a panel about antisemitism.^[12][13] The Red Star caucus of the DSA pushed strongly to revoke the DSA endorsement, publishing an article in May 2024 entitled, "Endorsing AOC is a Bridge to Nowhere," which claimed that AOC was abandoning the principles of the DSA and criticized her for encouraging other DSA members to support Joe Biden's reelection, even though Biden supported Israel's war with Gaza. During the February 2024 DSA National Political Committee meeting, the DSA had initially endorsed AOC.^[14] However, caveats were provided by the Red Star Caucus which included that she must oppose all funding to Israel, support and publicly sign onto the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, vote against bills equating anti-Zionism with antisemitism, and participating in the DSA's Federal Socialists in Office committee.^[15]

In May 2025, the DSA Liberation Caucus, a Marxist-Leninist-Maoist division of the DSA signed a letter along with twenty other left-wing and progressive organizations which called for the release of Elias Rodriguez, the man who claimed responsibility for the Capital Jewish Museum shooting.^[16] The letter called Rodriguez's actions "fully justified" and urged readers to "give pause to Zionists" and to "globalize the Intifada." The Liberation Caucus has said that its opinion on Elias Rodriguez are views of the caucus and do not reflect the views of the larger DSA.^[17][18]

In August 2020, the New York City DSA chapter provided a questionnaire to potential DSA candidates. The final question on the survey asked if the candidate had ever traveled to Israel or planned to do so in the future. The survey also requested potential candidates not to travel to Israel out of Palestinian solidarity. The survey was criticized by moderate Democratic politicians who argued the question and recommendation were antisemitic.^[19][20][21]

On October 8, 2023, following the October 7th terrorist attacks against Israel, a DSA-promoted pro-Palestinian rally in Manhattan called "All Out for Palestine" caused controversy when the attendees chanted, "resistance is justified when people are occupied." Additionally, a photo of a swastika on a smartphone was taken at the protest which garnered significant media coverage. The NY-DSA apologized for the rally a day later and stated that no prominent members of the party attended, organized, or sponsored the rally.^[22][23] Several days after the rally, Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs released a statement condemning the DSA stating, "The New York State Democratic Party strongly condemns the 'NYC-DSA' whose support of a rally that sought to justify the wholly unjustifiable acts of wanton violence, terrorism, kidnapping, and murder that was perpetuated on the people of Israel this weekend."^[24]

In November 2021, U.S. Representative and DSA member Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) attended a sponsored trip to Israel organized by the liberal Zionist Jewish organization J Street. His visit was controversial due to a 2020 commitment by DSA members not to visit Israel. The Madison Wisconsin DSA chapter was especially critical of Bowman's trip and criticized his support for funding Israel's Iron Dome defense system. The chapter requested the DSA's National Political Action Committee remove him as a member. The DSA's BDS and Palestine Solidarity Working Group in addition to the Pittsburgh, Orlando, and Las Vegas chapters also called for Bowman's ouster. However, DSA members who supported Bowman wrote a letter entitled, For Unity, not Unanimity," that received widespread support from other chapters and Bowman's local chapter did not support his expulsion.^[25][26]

Dr. Maurice Isserman, a history professor at Hamilton College wrote a letter in the Nation Magazine entitled, "Why I Just Quit the DSA." In his letter, Isserman wrote that he left the DSA over email due to the organization's response to the October 7th, 2023 "anti-Jewish pogrom" in Israel. He also criticized the organization as being plagued with "entryists," members who joined the DSA with the goal of ideologically shaping the organization around one specific cause.^[27] Isserman's resignation from the organization also caused other older DSA members to leave the organization as a result of its response to the October 7th attacks.^[28]

U.S. Representative Shri Thanedar (D-MI) renounced his DSA membership as a result of the organization's response to the October 7th attacks. Representative Thanedar stated, "After the brutal terrorist attacks on Israel, which included the indiscriminate murder, rape, and kidnapping of innocent men, women, and children, I can no longer associate with an organization unwilling to call out terrorism in its forms. Sunday's hate-fulled and antisemitic rally in New York City, promoted by the NYC-DSA, makes it impossible for me to continue my affiliation."^[29]