On the 37th day of the ongoing government shutdown, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) addressed [1] reporters on Capitol Hill, warning that the Democratic Party is being overtaken by what he described as a “communist wave” following a string of left-wing victories in Tuesday’s elections.
Johnson’s remarks came after Democrat Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old New York City councilman and self-described Marxist, secured a decisive win that many in Washington now see as a symbolic turning point for the party’s ideological direction.
“There are some things we really need to point out,” Johnson said during his press briefing.
“First, there were no surprises on Tuesday night, ok? You had blue states and blue cities that voted blue, to the alarm of no one, to the surprise of no one. That was what was expected.”
He continued, “It just so happened that New York, New Jersey, and Virginia were the states that were in the national spotlight on Tuesday. If the tables had been turned, and the calendar had been different, and you had three red states, we’d have an entirely different narrative that you all would be writing about. Don’t lose the simple facts.”
Johnson then turned to the broader implications of the results, saying, “The big headline that everyone is writing about, appropriately, is that the future of the Democrats was set in New York City. A 34-year-old Marxist is now the leader of the Democratic Party, and it is a very dangerous road for them to go down.”
Referencing Mamdani’s campaign, Johnson said, “It is very easy to run and win as a socialist, right? All you do is promise everything to everyone for free. What a great message that is. Boy, that really resonates with people who don’t study history.”
He warned that the allure of socialism comes with hidden consequences.
“While you’re making all those promises, you just hope they never realize the trap that you’re actually setting — the impossibility of fulfilling your fantastical claims and dreams and the extreme danger and chaos that would result if you ever could.”
Johnson argued that such campaigns threaten fundamental American principles.
“When you run as a socialist, you have to hope that they never understand that this will lead to the inevitable loss of their freedom, their opportunity, their security. The loss of meritocracy and fairness in society. The loss of colorblindness and the loss of emphasis on character and the morality and personal incentive and the common sense that we rely upon to keep a republic in operation.”
He added, “If you run as a socialist, you run on a big list of false claims. You promise everything to everyone, and you can’t deliver. And if you were ever able to deliver, it would be at the great detriment of the very people that you lured in to vote for you.”
Johnson also highlighted growing divisions within the Democratic Party, noting that more moderate members could soon find themselves politically isolated.
“The Democrats have now set themselves on a collision course in their own tent,” he said.
“If you look at Spanberger in Virginia and Sherrill in New Jersey, they tried to run as moderate pragmatists; that’s how they self-described. But they will be no match for the coming communist wave taking over their party right now.”
“The energy is on the side of the Marxists,” Johnson said.
“Look no further than the top two Democrats in Congress. They had to bend the knee to the socialists.”
On Wednesday, Johnson expanded on those remarks, calling Mamdani’s win “the biggest victory for destructive, dangerous, big government socialism in U.S. history.”
“Zohran Mamdani’s victory marks the BIGGEST WIN FOR destructive, dangerous, big government SOCIALISM in U.S. history — and a loss for freedom loving American people,” Johnson said.
“He’s an unapologetic Marxist — fully EMBRACED by the Democrat establishment. Hakeem Jeffries ENDORSED him. Barack Obama personally called to CONGRATULATE him. The Democrat Party has officially surrendered to socialists and the radicals who HATE America — they now control the movement.”
Zohran Mamdani’s victory marks the BIGGEST WIN FOR destructive, dangerous, big government SOCIALISM in U.S. history — and a loss for freedom loving American people.
He’s an unapologetic Marxist — fully EMBRACED by the Democrat establishment.
Hakeem Jeffries ENDORSED him. Barack… pic.twitter.com/6TD50Puf0G [2]— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) November 6, 2025 [3]
Johnson’s comments reflect growing concern among Republican lawmakers that the Democratic Party is shifting further left ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
He warned that the success of openly socialist candidates like Mamdani signals a broader ideological realignment within the party — one he described as a direct threat to freedom and democratic governance.