On MS NOW, Mara Gay Pushes Democratic Socialists as Not So Radical

On Thursday's Morning Joe on MS NOW, show regular and New York Times opinion writer Mara Gay talked up Democratic Socialists running for office as being not so radical because they are highlighting issues many Democrats agree with them on.

After Gay began by recalling a recent trip to Georgia in which she spoke with black voters, co-host Willie Geist introduced a clip of one voter, Donna Watts-Nun, telling Gay that she is not frightened by Democratic Socialism:

MARA GAY, NEW YORK TIMES: So the words "Democratic Socialism," the phrase doesn't scare you.

DONNA WATTS-NUN, GEORGIA VOTER: Doesn't scare me.

GAY: What are some of the ideas that you hear from folks like AOC, for example, or Bernie that you -- that you like?

WATTS-NUN: That I like -- that we needed this health care piece.

GAY: Medicare for all.

WATTS-NUN: Medicare for -- yes, for all. You know, if you're a citizen, you're born and raised, you should at least be able to go and say, "I can get my teeth pulled."

Co-host Jonathan Lemire then asked Gay if they support Democratic Socialist candidates just because Democrat voters want to "shake things up." 

As Gay responded, after she admitted that some of their ideas are radical, she then saw a silver lining:

... but other parts of it -- Medicare for all, for instance, the idea that every American should have health care, the idea that people should be treated the same at the voting booth, or, you know, if they're going to go into a courtroom, that they shouldn't have special privileges because of who their daddy is. I mean, these are not radical concepts.

She soon added:

And, in many cases, especially because of the suffering in the black community right now, just like many Americans are suffering, there is an openness to try something new, and there's a hunger for that. So I think, you know, the DSA can also, in some ways, be thought of as just a political strategy. It's a different way to organize people. But when you go to places like Georgia and even when you go to Michigan, I mean, it's not that foreign because this is a union state.

She ended up complaining about House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffreys trying to distance the Democratic party from the DSA:

And I, I just think, you know, Jeffries -- Leader Jeffries, after the win by the DSA candidates in New York, said something kind of glib as the effect of, "Oh, well, this was the most gentrified district in America." Well, is Jacksonville, Florida, the most gentrified district or area in America? Is Albany, Georgia, the most gentrified? No. This is coming from the base. This is not coming from, you know, some nepo babies who are hanging out in the common corridor of Brooklyn.

Transcript follows:

MS NOW's Morning Joe

August 20, 2026

WILLIE GEIST: There's been so much talk about this Democratic Socialist movement that spans from New York City, but now to Michigan, and then, a couple of nights ago in the state of Florida, where Angie Nixon, who we had on the show yesterday, won a double-digit victory over Alexander Vindman. So you talked to some Georgians about how they feel about that movement within the party.

DONNA WATTS-NUN, GEORGIA VOTER: "Socialists," you know, the word is like a dirty --  it's like a bad word.

MARA GAY, NEW YORK TIMES: To a lot of people, yeah.

WATTS-NUN: To a lot of people. But, yeah, they have some good points. I mean, there are some things that really take care of, you know, some countries that really do have the socialist perspective. They really took care of their citizens.

GAY: So the words "Democratic Socialism," the phrase doesn't scare you.

WATTS-NUN: Doesn't scare me.

GAY: What are some of the ideas that you hear from folks like AOC, for example, or Bernie that you -- that you like?

WATTS-NUN: That I like -- that we needed this health care piece.

GAY: Medicare for all.

WATTS-NUN: Medicare for -- yes, for all. You know, if you're a citizen, you're born and raised, you should at least be able to go and say, "I can get my teeth pulled."

JONATHAN LEMIRE: So, Mara, obviously, we have seen every race is different, every candidate is different, every district is different, whether or not sort of, quote, "socialist" ideas play or not. But here, whether the label is socialism or not, are you seeing an energy there about some of these more sort of progressive concepts, or just sort of like, "Hey, they're a means to an end. We just need to shake things up."

GAY: Absolutely. And I think we should really be careful about how radical some of these ideas are. I mean, some of the DSA platform is super radical. Abolishing prisons is not what is motivating these voters I talked to, but other parts of it -- Medicare for all, for instance, the idea that every American should have health care, the idea that people should be treated the same at the voting booth, or, you know, if they're going to go into a courtroom, that they shouldn't have special privileges because of who their daddy is. I mean, these are not radical concepts.

Also, I think there is a laziness about the way we think about black voters in particular, who are at the heart of the Democratic party. And, of course, the Democrats have decided that South Carolina is going to be the first state for 2028 in the primary. So there's going to be a lot of attention on black voters, and they are not a single block. And, in many cases, especially because of the suffering in the black community right now, just like many Americans are suffering, there is an openness to try something new, and there's a hunger for that.

So I think, you know, the DSA can also, in some ways, be thought of as just a political strategy. It's a different way to organize people. But when you go to places like Georgia and even when you go to Michigan, I mean, it's not that foreign because this is a union state. We're talking about an electorate that is ready to try something new and also really frustrated and very disappointed and has been let down by the Democratic leadership.

And I, I just think, you know, Jeffries -- Leader Jeffries, after the win by the DSA candidates in New York, said something kind of glib as the effect of, "Oh, well, this was the most gentrified district in America." Well, is Jacksonville, Florida, the most gentrified district or area in America? Is Albany, Georgia, the most gentrified? No. This is coming from the base. This is not coming from, you know, some nepo babies who are hanging out in the common corridor of Brooklyn.

WILLIE GEIST: And we're seeing, we had to go back to our interview with Angie Nixon yesterday, nuance in the -- she doesn't want to abolish prison. She said, "I don't want to defund the police." She does agree that we should not give aid of any kind to Israel, which is going to be difficult to defend in the state of Florida running statewide. But there is this broad brush, and I think a lot of us at this table disagree with the more extreme elements of it. But the economic message that candidates like Angie Nixon are leaning into seems to be breaking through.