MS NOW host Jonathan Capehart joined PBS News Hour on Friday for his weekly news recap segment with The Atlantic staff writer David Brooks. During the part of the discussion about DSA candidate Angie Nixon winning the Democratic Senate nomination in Florida, Capehart insisted that you can’t actually claim Nixon is a DSA candidate and therefore tie her to the DSA’s recent praise of Fidel Castro.
When trying to come up with a reason why Nixon was able to defeat liberal hero from Trump 1.0, Alexander Vindman, Capehart claimed, “But Democrats are also talking about someone who will fight for them, someone who's going to give expression to their anger about what's happening, whether it's the war or high prices, high gas prices, inflation, or just the wrecking ball the administration's taking to just democracy.”
Ironically, Capehart’s denunciations of those who seek to associate Nixon with the DSA began when he himself admitted Nixon is a member of the DSA, “And Angie Nixon, state legislator who has been in the trenches there in Florida, working really hard, talking to people, she went out and asked for people's votes, and they gave it to her. I mean, one thing to keep in mind, she joined the Democratic Socialists of America just a few months ago.”
After David Brooks points out the DSA praised Fidel Castro which isn't great news for DSA Senate candidate Angie Nixon, Jonathan Capehart insists you can't call the DSA candidate a DSA candidate, "Well, just to be clear, she did not celebrate the birthday of Fidel Castro. And… pic.twitter.com/aanl7T30lR
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) August 22, 2026
However, he immediately sought to claim Nixon doesn’t have anything to do with the organization, “And since winning the—winning the primary, she is putting a lot of distance between herself and the radical parts of the DSA agenda. Will—does this mean that she even has a chance? It is unclear. But compared to Democrats in the past going up against Republicans in a deep red state like Florida, we’ll see if she actually—she might have some kind of a chance. I don't rule her out.”
Brooks was more certain that Nixon has no shot at winning, “If she wins, I will know nothing about politics. So—which is entirely possible, let's face it.”
He then made a similar point to Capehart’s when trying to figure out how Nixon won, “And I think it also shows that a lot of voters are moving on from Trump. And they're thinking the economic issues are really beginning to eclipse their dislike of Donald Trump, and he's never going to be on the ballots, we hope, any time soon. And so I think that the affordability, you know, the insurance rates, the gas prices, the grocery prices, these are the big issues now. And DSA, whether you like their policies or not, they're big policies. And the mainstream Democrats, by and large, have not matched those.”
As for the DSA, Brooks returned to the idea that Nixon doesn’t have much of a chance in November, “One thing you admire about DSA is, they don't back down from their positions. Like—last, a couple of weeks ago, they did a—they commemorated Fidel Castro's 100th birthday. If you have got a candidate in Florida and you're commending Fidel Castro, you are being pretty out there with your political views. So I don't think she—”
Capehart interrupted in an attempt to do damage control, “Well, just to be clear, she did not celebrate the birthday of Fidel Castro. And this is the point I'm trying to make. Even though she joined DSA, and… she wanted their organizational help, keep in mind she was not endorsed by the DSA, the party organization. She wasn't endorsed by Congresswoman AOC, wasn't endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders. She literally was out there by herself running against the Democratic establishment candidate, and she won.”
Nobody forced Nixon to join the DSA. She willingly did that, and now tying her with the organization’s Castro worship is completely fair.
Here is a transcript for the August 21 show:
PBS News Hour
8/21/2026
7:30 PM ET
JONATHAN CAPEHART: But Democrats are also talking about someone who will fight for them, someone who's going to give expression to their anger about what's happening, whether it's the war or high prices, high gas prices, inflation, or just the wrecking ball the administration's taking to just democracy.
And Angie Nixon, state legislator who has been in the trenches there in Florida, working really hard, talking to people, she went out and asked for people's votes, and they gave it to her. I mean, one thing to keep in mind, she joined the Democratic Socialists of America just a few months ago.
And since winning the—winning the primary, she is putting a lot of distance between herself and the radical parts of the DSA agenda. Will—does this mean that she even has a chance? It is unclear. But compared to Democrats in the past going up against Republicans in a deep red state like Florida, we’ll see if she actually—she might have some kind of a chance. I don't rule her out.
AMNA NAWAZ: David, what do you think?
DAVID BROOKS: If she wins, I will know nothing about politics. So—which is entirely possible, let's face it.
You know, I think she—her victory was impressive. A, I think she was just a better campaigner. B, a lot of the other DSA candidates won really well with college-educated university towns. She did well in the poorer areas. And so that's something—that's a little break for DSA.
And I think it also shows that a lot of voters are moving on from Trump. And they're thinking the economic issues are really beginning to eclipse their dislike of Donald Trump, and he's never going to be on the ballots, we hope, any time soon.
And so I think that the affordability, you know, the insurance rates, the gas prices, the grocery prices, these are the big issues now. And DSA, whether you like their policies or not, they're big policies. And the mainstream Democrats, by and large, have not matched those.
One thing you admire about DSA is, they don't back down from their positions. Like—last, a couple of weeks ago, they did a—they commemorated Fidel Castro's 100th birthday. If you have got a candidate in Florida and you're commending Fidel Castro, you are being pretty out there with your political views. So I don't think she—
CAPEHART: Well, just to be clear, she did not celebrate the birthday of Fidel Castro. And this is the point I'm trying to make. Even though she joined DSA, and—
NAWAZ: You're talking about Angie Nixon in Florida.
CAPEHART: Yes, Angie Nixon.
NAWAZ: Yes.
CAPEHART: Even though she joined DSA and she wanted their organizational help, keep in mind she was not endorsed by the DSA, the party organization.
NAWAZ: Yeah.
CAPEHART: She wasn't endorsed by Congresswoman AOC, wasn't endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders. She literally was out there by herself running against the Democratic establishment candidate, and she won.
