Democratic Socialists of America co-chair Megan Romer just doubled down on her plan to abolish the U.S. Senate — calling it a “sclerotic institution” with “no real purpose.”
Romer defended the radical DSA platform this week on the Bad Faith podcast, hosted by Briahna Joy Gray, Bernie Sanders’ former national press secretary. The appearance followed her viral Fox News Sunday interview that drew backlash from both parties.
The podcast appearance marks Romer’s most extensive defense yet of the DSA’s constitutional reform agenda, which seeks to fundamentally restructure the American system of government. Rather than retreating from the controversy sparked by her Fox News comments, Romer used the friendly venue to elaborate on the intellectual foundations of her position and frame the Senate as an inherently anti-democratic institution.
When Gray asked why anyone would defend the Senate — saying people talk about the chamber “like it’s their emotional support animal” — Romer agreed and reached back to the founding to make her case.
“JAMES MADISON ARGUES IN FEDERALIST 10, THEY’RE TRYING TO SELL THE CONSTITUTION. THEY’RE TRYING TO SELL IT TO PEOPLE WHO DON’T WANT DEMOCRACY. AND THEY’RE LIKE, ‘DON’T WORRY, IT’S NOT TOO MUCH DEMOCRACY. WE’VE GOT ALL THESE CHECKS AND BALANCES WHERE THESE RICH LANDOWNERS WILL BE ABLE TO STOP THE PEOPLE FROM DOING STUFF.'”
The DSA leader then dismissed the Senate as a broken body that blocks action and protects entrenched interests.
“They have this sclerotic institution that just says no to everything and has no real purpose other than to entrench bad ideas,” Romer said. “So, yes, I don’t think we should run from it.”
Her characterization of the Senate reflects a growing frustration among progressive activists with the chamber’s structure, which gives equal representation to states regardless of population. This arrangement means Wyoming’s roughly 580,000 residents have the same Senate voting power as California’s 39 million, a disparity critics argue undermines democratic principles.
Romer sat with Fox News Sunday host Shannon Bream on July 26 for a rapid-fire round on the DSA platform. Romer answered “true” or “absolutely” when Bream asked whether the group backs abolishing the Senate, replacing the presidency and Supreme Court “as we now know them,” abolishing ICE, defunding the Pentagon, and public ownership of most large corporations.
The sweeping nature of these proposals represents the most ambitious progressive platform to gain mainstream attention in recent years, going well beyond the policy agenda advanced by Sanders during his presidential campaigns.
Romer said abolishing borders with amnesty for people in the country illegally, along with abolishing prisons, would come as part of a “long-term plan.”
Bream pressed Romer on the Senate during that interview. Romer called it “an anachronistic institution” tied to the British House of Lords and said the DSA wants a single-chamber legislature.
The comparison to the House of Lords highlights the DSA’s argument that the Senate functions as an aristocratic check on popular will, a vestige of 18th-century political philosophy that has outlived its usefulness in modern democracy.
Republicans seized on the earlier clip.
“The barbarians are inside the gate, and Democrats are WELCOMING them in,” House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on social media.
The Republican response reflects a broader strategy of tying mainstream Democrats to the DSA’s far-left positions, even though most Democratic elected officials have not endorsed the organization’s platform.
Democrats also distanced themselves. Party strategist Sabrina Singh called the platform a “huge problem.” Annie Andrews, a Democrat running for Senate in South Carolina, called the ideas “unhinged.”
The Democratic establishment’s swift rejection of Romer’s comments underscores the political liability the party sees in being associated with calls to dismantle core governmental institutions. For candidates running in competitive races, especially in purple and red states, any perceived alignment with the DSA’s agenda could prove damaging with moderate and swing voters who view such proposals as dangerously radical.
DSA-backed candidates are racking up primary wins in New York City, Philadelphia, and Denver, fueled by the rise of Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Despite the controversy and the national Democratic Party’s disavowal, the DSA’s electoral momentum in progressive urban strongholds suggests their message resonates with a significant segment of the left-wing base, particularly younger voters frustrated with gridlock and institutional constraints on progressive policy goals.
DSA co-chair doubles down on her viral interview, says the U.S. Senate has "no real purpose"
"Why are you defending the Senate? People are talking about it like it's their emotional support animal."
"James Madison argues in Federalist 10 — they're trying to sell the… pic.twitter.com/DUi8gQcSrS
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) July 31, 2026
