A national security expert who fled communist Cuba as a child is warning that a growing wave of socialist candidates winning Democratic primaries across the United States could result in what he describes as «communists in double digits» serving in Congress. Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital that the socialist «threat is real now» and that the trend resembles a «takeover of a host body, the Democratic Party.» He argued that the party is «being taken over by body snatchers and they're not able to mount any defense of it whatsoever even if they wanted to.»
Gonzalez, who left Cuba in the 1970s, predicted that under the current political environment, «We're going to get communists in double digits in the House of Representatives at least, there's no doubt of that.» His warning comes after a series of high-profile primary victories by candidates who openly identify as socialists or are backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Over the past year, New York City elected a socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, while three of his endorsed congressional candidates — Brad Lander, Claire Valdez, and Darializa Avila Chevalier — defeated establishment Democrats, including two incumbents. On the West Coast, Seattle elected a socialist mayor, Katie Wilson. Just this week, Colorado congressional candidate Melat Kiros defeated 15-term Democratic incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette, further illustrating the ability of socialist candidates to topple entrenched party figures.
Gonzalez emphasized that while these politicians often label themselves as socialists, the distinction between socialism and communism is negligible. «To the authors of the communist manifesto, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, there was no difference between socialism and communism, they were interchangeable,» he said. «These people are communists, and when you catch them unawares, they actually say, 'Oh, yeah, I know we want communism.'»
According to Gonzalez, the success of socialist candidates is driven by multiple factors, including a breakdown in the assimilation of immigrants into American culture, increased hostility toward the United States, and what he termed «White guilt» among young, educated voters. He pointed to a real affordability crisis in cities like New York as a key driver. «A very important component of this and one that conservatives sometimes forget is that a lot of these votes are White votes, White young kids who have come in from the suburbs, who feel guilty about a number of things,» Gonzalez explained. «They have gone to very expensive Ivy League schools and they're trying to make a living in New York City without being a banker. And you can't make a living in New York City if you're not a banker, sorry, you're going to have an affordability crisis.»
This economic pressure, Gonzalez argued, makes socialist promises of handouts — such as free tuition, free bus fares, and publicly run grocery stores — an easy sell. «So, they end up voting for this. This is a very bad vicious cycle that is taking place and that is going to produce communism in this country if we're not careful,» he warned.
Neetu Arnold, a young immigrant to the U.S. who now works as a policy analyst for the Manhattan Institute, echoed concerns that the socialist trend is not confined to coastal cities but is becoming increasingly prevalent across the country. «The rise in socialism in America, it's going to shape our politics. I think it's going to make things more extreme,» Arnold said in an interview with Fox News Digital. She noted that socialist candidates have tapped into real frustrations and grievances among younger voters, particularly around housing affordability, student debt, and job stability. «What a lot of younger people are finding out is that it's not that easy to get housing. They're in student debt, they are struggling to find stable jobs, and so the things that they were promised are not necessarily coming true,» she said. However, Arnold warned that the solutions offered by socialists — more government involvement — are misguided. «Socialist policies essentially restrict what we are able to do,» she said. As a naturalized U.S. citizen, Arnold said she hopes both Democrats and Republicans recognize that «socialist policies are a threat to the American way of life.» She emphasized the value of merit, wealth, and upward mobility in American society, which she said she has experienced firsthand. «I've seen my life change before my eyes by being here in this country, by having the opportunities that I did, and that I saw for my family, and I think that was only possible because of free markets and the opportunities that we had in this country,» she said.
The warnings from Gonzalez and Arnold come amid a broader debate about the direction of the Democratic Party and the influence of progressive and socialist movements. The victories of DSA-backed candidates in recent primaries have sparked concern among centrist Democrats and conservatives alike, who argue that such policies could alienate moderate voters and reshape the political landscape. Gonzalez's prediction of «communists in double digits» in the House underscores the potential for a significant shift in congressional representation if the trend continues. The Heritage Foundation fellow urged vigilance, arguing that the «vicious cycle» of economic frustration and socialist promises could have lasting consequences for American governance.
