Critics pounce as prominent Dem senator seems to make admission about party's far-left ‘fringe'
Sen. Booker Deflects Question About Michigan Senate Candidate Abdul El‑Sayed on “Meet the Press”
WASHINGTON — Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey took the airwaves on Sunday to answer a barrage of policy questions on ABC’s “Meet the Press,” but the segment that drew the most attention was a question about Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El‑Sayed, who is backed by Alexandria Ocasio‑Cuevas and Bernie Sanders. When the host, Kristen Welker, asked whether Democrats are drawing a firm line between the party and the “socialist” label that her program said Trump is using against progressives, Booker pivoted to a critique of the president’s economic and foreign‑policy choices.
“Again, this is really what the Republicans want to do — focus on a few fringe people,” Booker said. “I serve in the United States Senate and I could go through my colleagues, left and right. What we want right now is to end these reckless tariffs and drive down prices, to end this war to drive down prices, to give a tax plan for this country that puts more money in working people’s pockets and ends the giveaways to the wealthiest of Americans.”
The question about El‑Sayed arrived as Republicans have repeatedly portrayed candidates like the Michigan senator as “socialists,” a move that some Democrats see as a way to split the progressive wing of the party. El‑Sayed’s campaign is seeking a seat in the U.S. Senate that is open in Michigan, and he has been endorsed by progressive leaders, but the candidate has insisted that he is not a socialist.
“We’re united in the fact that we have to win Michigan,” El‑Sayed said in a post‑interview with “MS NOW.” “Whatever our difference is, our agreement on the importance of winning Michigan to take back the Senate majority is overwhelming.” He added that a recent meeting in Washington, D.C., with a group of senators led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer “was a warm meeting, good conversation, and I know that we left that conversation committed to doing what we need to do to take on different perspectives.”
Booker was one of several senators who met with El‑Sayed last week in Washington, and the gathering was described by the candidate’s campaign as a “warm” exchange. The group’s focus, according to El‑Sayed, was on the strategic importance of Michigan for the Democratic Party’s Senate majority.
The exchange on “Meet the Press” sparked a flurry of commentary on social media. Radio host Jason Rantz tweeted a single word in response to Booker’s remarks: “Oops.” Katie Zacharia, a communications adviser for the Trump Media & Technology Group, commented on X, calling Booker’s defense “a day late and a dollar short,” and urging the senator to denounce socialism outright. Political commentator Carl Paulus chimed in with a question about what internal discussions might have taken place among senators in Washington, suggesting that the party’s leadership may be rethinking its approach to left‑leaning candidates just weeks before the November election.
Booker’s remarks came amid a broader national debate over how the Democratic Party should position itself in relation to the far left. The party’s midterm strategy is under scrutiny as it faces a crowded field of candidates across the country, many of whom are labeled “socialist‑leaning” by Republicans and the right‑wing media.
In the wake of the interview, Fox News Digital reached out to Booker’s office and El‑Sayed’s campaign for comment, but no responses were received before the story’s publication. The conversation underscores the growing tension within the Democratic Party as it grapples with how to appeal to a broad electorate while addressing concerns about ideological extremes.