On Thursday’s Money, Power, Politics with MS NOW host Stephanie Ruhle, panelist and frequent Morning Joe guest Donnie Deutsch was seemingly freaked out about the rise of socialism in the Democratic Party, which he paired with antisemitism. Despite Deutsch's concerns, Ruhle and other panelists heavily downplayed his concerns as just a “small group.”
In the first segment with Deutsch, Ruhle’s question and panel discussion focused on the economy, as she asked him if Democrats need to change their messaging on the economy. Instead, Deutsch skipped talk of the economy and headed straight towards the rise of the socialists:
Well, Democrats have gone off the rails. They're not even focused - what matters to people is affordability, and the Democrats right now are focused on two things. They focus on antisemitism and socialism
In a later segment, Deutsch continued to try to bring up the DSA, and after he said some candidates were “anti-American, anti-capitalism, anti-police, anti-prison, 9/11 was coming to us,” the whole panel jumped on him.
— Nick (@nspin310) July 2, 2026
Ruhle scoffed, “It’s a small group of people.” https://t.co/W0XhizZBAD pic.twitter.com/hdOV8rQ1n2
Ruhle interrupted, “Not all Democrats.” Deutsch agreed before he explained that was the energy of the party:
But that's where the energy in the party is. When you look at the two candidates that got elected in the last week, one of them talks about that there was not - that firebombing in Colorado was not anti-Semitic.
He continued to call out their “insane” views, which he called “anti-American, not socialistic.”
But Ruhle, in a state of constant minimization, said, “They're electing them in some places, but not every place” as she moved back on to ask about the economy,
Later, Deutsch continued his battle against the DSA, before NOTUS reporter Evan McMorris-Santoro defended the rise of the group because of their “popular” policies:
But also these candidates you're talking about. They're not just talking about Israel. They're talking about affordability. They're talking about Medicare for All. They want to raise taxes on the rich, use that to pay for more services. These are popular things.
Apparently, according to McMorris-Santoro and others in the media, the DSA was just a small group in discussion over their antisemitism, but were geniuses when it came to socialist economic policies.
Nearly 15 minutes later, in another segment focused on a completely different subject than socialists, Deutsch detailed the views of the rising radical wing of Democrats and warned about the establishment being tied to them:
They're going to be on the defensive because there's a lot of anti-American, anti-capitalism, anti-police, anti-prison, 9/11 was coming to us –
Ruhle then interrupted and minimized once again: “It’s a small group of people.”
Deutsch, a little bit upset after Ruhle minimized his point again, blurted, “But they're going to brand the people - people are not getting it. They’re going to brand the whole party this way.
To close, Reverend Al Sharpton, host of PoliticsNation, mocked Deutsch: “But wait a minute. Even when they demonize Mamdani. Mamdani is the first mayor we've had in how many years that has met with Trump, twice in the Oval Office, taking pictures, smiling. You know, what are you talking about?”
Deutsch's fears seem to have definitely not been realized by the panel yet, including Ruhle with her constant minimization and Sharpton’s mockery, at least not yet.
The transcript is below. Click "expand":
MS NOW’s Money, Power, Politics
July 2, 2026
10:03:31 AM Eastern
(...)
STEPHANIE RUHLE: Well, let's talk about messaging, Donnie, because even though voters are unhappy with Trump, they're still leaning Republican.
Do you think if the economy doesn't improve by November, it can change? Do Democrats need to figure out their messaging when it comes to the economy? Because for whatever reason, Republicans still seem to have this stronghold that we're good for business.
DONNIE DEUTSCH: Well, Democrats have gone off the rails. They're not even focused - what matters to people is affordability, and the Democrats right now are focused on two things. They focus on antisemitism and socialism. That’s –
RUHLE: Not all Democrats.
DEUTSCH: Not all. But that's where the energy in the party is. When you look at the two candidates that got elected in the last week, one of them talks about that there was not - that firebombing in Colorado was not anti-semitic.
I mean, would not acknowledge that when there was a firebombing of people holding a vigil for hostages by Hamas. Another candidate in New York, has been well documented, was at a October 8th rally, a pro-Hamas, pro-Palestinian rally. This is ridiculous.
And they're both running on anti-American, not socialistic. Let's blow up - abolish ICE. Let's abolish prisons. Let's abolish everything. Let's abolish the police. It's insane. And the Republicans are going to tar them with this. This is the problem. Even though they are a small sector of the party, this is right now, every Republican strategist is salivating on what these people have said in the past, and they're going to wallpaper it with it.
And the Democrats are going down a bad path. They're electing these Democratic Socialists. It's a disaster no matter what you think of it. Wherever your politics are, it's bad strategy.
RUHLE: They're electing them in some places, but not every place. So what should the strategy be as it relates to the economy? We got a question from a viewer who says, “so now does everybody see why Trump says affordability is a yawn. He is making so much money, why would he care? The real question is what is someone going to do about it?” This comes from Rachel in Ohio.
If the two issues to win this election are affordability and accountability, when it comes to affordability, what do they need to say to the American people? And to her point, how are they going to hold the president accountable in terms of his Uber wealth while people are suffering?
(...)
10:06:56 AM Eastern
DEUTSCH: I think you pick up the head coach, you say, are you better off than you were four years ago? I mean, that's it. That's the simple message and George W. Bush used that one - George H.W. Bush used that one. And I just got to let me go off a little bit. There's just this anti-American thing. Some of these candidates have said that 9/11, we had it coming to us. Insanity. And even though it's a small piece.
RON INSANA: It’s a really small piece.
DEUTSCH: But they're going to get branded with this. They're not understanding. Do you remember what happened with the squad last election cycle? That's only two members. Well, now there are four DSA members. They're going to get branded with this. And every - you saw Josh Shapiro yesterday. You saw Chris Murphy. Not - they wouldn't go there. They wouldn't put it down because they know.
RUHLE: Okay, but guess what? Chris Murphy. Had a video last week where he was speaking on the senate floor. It was a long speech where it was the 500 days of corruption. And he went through word by word, line by line, all that Donald Trump is doing.
Chris Murphy, who is hardly like, oh my god, super exciting on TikTok that got over a million views. People care about what Trump is doing. People care about -
DEUTCH: How it affects them.. The grift in and of itself doesn't look, it doesn't matter. It's he's making this and you're getting screwed. You've got to bring it back to the voter.
EVAN MCMORRIS-SANTORO: But also these candidates you're talking about, they're not just talking about Israel. They're talking about affordability. They're talking about Medicare for all. They want to raise taxes on the rich, use that to pay for more services. These are popular things.
And also, if you're a candidate who doesn't have a critical take on Israel at this point, you're on the wrong side of a lot of the electorate at this moment. So some of this stuff, I mean, we've had this conversation before about these extremes and where they come out of nowhere, right? I covered the Tea Party very extensively in 2010, and people said, “There's no way these guys can win. There's no way this can work out.” And it did. They won and they've taken over a lot of the party. I mean, the Republican Party.
The issue here really is that these guys are running on the voters trust them. I mean, they're not just winning by tiny amounts in some of these elections. They're beating these incumbents by a lot because they have a message that is authentic in the minds of voters.
DEUTSCH: They're not actually getting the working-class, blue-collar. You know, it's interesting, the DSA, 80 percent of their members are white, 85% of college educated, 35% have graduate degrees. And they're losing with the real working class; they're losing with Hispanics. So there's this weird irony going on.
(...)
10:25:35 AM Eastern
DEUTSCH: They're going to be on the defensive because there's a lot of anti-American anti-capitalism. Anti-police, anti-prison, 9/11 was coming to us. So -
RUHLE: It’s a small group of people
DEUTSCH: But they're going to brand the people - people are not getting it, they’re whole brand, the whole party this way.
RUHLE: Kevin?
MCMORRIS-SANTORO: Every cycle, they boogeyman somebody, right? Nancy Pelosi's on every ad. In 2006, they do great.
Mamdani, when he won, we're gonna put money on everything. Mamdani’s one of the most popular politicians in America.
DEUTSCH: In New York.
MCMORRIS-SANTORO: No, no. The Republicans that are gonna run every ad all over the place.
DEUTSCH: Wait guys. You’ll see
REV. AL SHARPTON: But wait a minute. Even when they demonize Mamdani. Mamdani is the first mayor we've had in how many years that has met with Trump, twice in the Oval Office, taking pictures, smiling. You know, what are you talking about?
(...)
