America is entering a new socialist era — and it might stick

Democratic socialism is putting up its best numbers in years — over a century, in fact. In Washington, D.C., Janeese Lewis George is now set to become mayor, putting a socialist in charge of the American capital for the first time. By November, she could be joined by Nithya Raman in Los Angeles; together with Zohran Mamdani, that would place the two largest U.S. cities and the U.S. capital under socialist leadership. The new momentum is eclipsing the left’s previous modern peak, during Donald Trump’s first term, and points to a genuinely new frontier in American politics. How did we get here? The return of Trump undoubtedly played a role, as has the unaffordability of urban life. But the biggest driver might be hidden in plain sight: the drop in crime, and concerns about crime, nationwide. 0:00 Washington D.C.’s socialist mayor 1:30 Democratic socialist mayors’ takeover 2:43 Frustration with Trump’s return 3:52 The unaffordability of city life 6:56 The drop in crime concerns 11:12 The last socialist peak Subscribe to Steve's newsletter: TheLongRun.news Subscribe to The Recount    / @therecount