Democratic Governor Declares There’s a ‘Fine Line Between Socialism and Fascism’ During Newsmax Hit

Screenshot via Newsmax

Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) joined Newsmax host Bob Brooks on Thursday to discuss the rise of Democratic Socialists in the Democratic Party, something Polis has warned about in recent days.

“So, talk about this message that you are putting out about the rise of Democratic Socialism — or, as many say, including the president, Communism — in your party. We’ll start there. What would your message to the people be?” Brooks began.

“Well, first of all, it’s important that people understand what socialism is. It’s government ownership — collective ownership — of the means of production, meaning the government owns companies, operates companies, like in China, where the military owns a lot of the companies that do business with the military. Frankly, I’m concerned with the rise of it here,” Polis replied, adding:

Even some of the people in President Trump’s ear — the government owns 10 percent of Intel now. I don’t think they should. They own 15 percent of MP Materials, a company that provides rare earth minerals. The government should not be in the business of business — leave that to the private sector. Government has a role, of course — preventing monopolies, protecting consumers, things like that.

Republicans and Democrats may disagree on the limits of that, and that’s fine, but fundamentally the government shouldn’t be both a player and a referee. They shouldn’t have a business on the field that they own while also being the neutral judge of who’s right. They should be completely neutral between different business parties.

“So how would you stop the surge that we’re seeing? As we listed out — and I know you’re aware, most of us are at this point — several incumbents in your party have been unseated by people endorsed by the DSA, or who say they’re members of the DSA, or openly say they’re socialists,” Brooks followed up.

“Well, I think you need to talk about how socialism has failed,” Polis replied bluntly, adding:

And when you’re talking to Democrats — and I’m a proud Democrat, and you read part of my statement on that — I support universal health care. I support a strong social safety net. There may be conservatives who agree or disagree with some of those things, but I think the only way to accomplish them, as history has proven, is through capitalism and the free market system and the prosperity that it creates.

Look to Europe: to be a member of the European Union, you have to have a market economy. When the most recent countries joined — Romania, Bulgaria — they had to privatize their banks, their electricity sector, and they did. They sold off those companies to private ownership in order to join. So the only way you can achieve a quality of life — whatever level you set the social safety net at, whether it’s basic food or basic shelter — you need a market economy and the economic growth and success that it creates to be able to do that.

“Another thing I want to point out here — and I think this is what a lot of Americans fear — is that when someone like Zohran Mamdani says things like ‘we’re going to give you free buses,’ people don’t think that’s really what he’s up to, or what others are up to,” Brooks continued, adding:

The DSA just recently released some of their policy framework. I’m going to go through some of it now. They write that they want to abolish the Senate, replace the Electoral College with the popular vote, abolish or limit the Supreme Court, abolish ICE and prisons, and establish what they call “economic democracy” — which is what you’re pointing out right now — meaning public ownership of the largest corporations and essential industries to ensure democratic control and accountability. It also says they want to “enact aggressive wealth taxes on the richest individuals and corporations to spend on public goods and infrastructure.”

Especially with the parts about abolishing the Supreme Court and the Senate, people hear that from DSA members and think they’re truly anti-American — that they want to do away with our Western culture, our Western way of life. How do you feel about that policy platform?

“Well, there’s a fine line between socialism and fascism — they tend to meet at the end of the spectrum,” Polis hit back, adding:

When they talk about the government owning companies, as you quoted — and I trust you on where it came from, though I haven’t seen it myself; their website seems to be down — that’s what socialists want. I think it’s important that under the Trump administration we don’t take the first few steps in that direction either. The government should not be owning shares in companies. We should not own Intel.

We should not own AI, God forbid — though I know there’s talk about that, and people on both sides in this administration who are pulling in that direction. I hope he listens to the folks who say, let’s keep it private sector, let’s not socialize it. Then they have a bizarre set of other positions that I wouldn’t even call socialist — they’re just against parts of our Constitution. I don’t know why they don’t like the Senate — I’m a former House member, and I think a lot of former House members don’t love the Senate either — but no, I don’t think it should be abolished. It’s part of the bicameral legislature, a sound foundation of our Constitution. Those things are different from socialism. They’re just sort of odd positions, which you and I might disagree with.

Brooks followed up by asking about the appeal of DSA candidates among young Democrats, to which Polis urged greater historical literacy among the population about socialism’s past failures.

Watch the full interview above.

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