Top Democrats say they are seeing a backlash against the ultra-liberal politics of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and members of the so-called "Squad."
Axios reported efforts to defund police, rename schools and remove statues have put a major obstacle in the way of Democrats retaining control of Congress.
House members referred to as "The Squad," include: Ocasio-Cortez; Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.; Cori Bush, D-Mo.; Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass.; Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.; and Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y.
Axios noted the latest sign that the brand of politics was backfiring came this week when three San Francisco school board members were overwhelmingly recalled.
And The Associated Press reported parents in the liberal city had first started the recall effort in January 2021 out of frustration over the slow reopening of district schools, while the board looked at renaming 44 school sites and the elimination of competitive admissions at the elite Lowell High School.
The move to rename 44 schools they said honored public figures linked to racism, sexism and other injustices had gained national attention. Those schools included ones honoring George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, Axios noted.
Meanwhile, there is mounting evidence to suggest the progressive activism on The Squad has pushed the Democratic Party's image left of where most voters are putting the party's effort to retain control of Congress in jeopardy, according to Axios.
"It's what we've been screaming about for a year," said Matt Bennett, co-founder of center-left Third Way, which launched a political action committee to defend moderate Democrats.
Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., warned that the party is facing extinction in small-town America. Cooper has announced he will not seek reelection in the fall.
"It's hard to sink lower than we are right now," Cooper told the AP. "You're almost automatically a pariah in rural areas if you have a D after your name."
Former Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., stated: "We're letting Republicans use the language of the far left to define the Democratic Party, and we can't do that. The trend lines in rural America are very, very bad. ... Now, the brand is so toxic that people who are Democrats, the ones left, aren't fighting for the party."
Tim Holohan, an accountant in rural McKean County, Pennsylvania, added: "The hatred for Democrats is just unbelievable. I feel like we're on the run."
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.