“Jon, you just called them what they want you to call them. There’s nothing Democratic about socialism. For 100 years, they wanted us to call them progressives, when, in fact, they were socialists. And it wasn’t cool to admit you’re a socialist. They are now communists and Marxists. Take a look at the [Democratic Socialists of America] platform,”

Tom Emmer · said 2026-10-11 · reported 2026-10-12

Emmer rejected Karl's use of the term Democratic socialists and argued they are actually communists and Marxists.