Jamie Metzl, a former Clinton National Security Council staff member and Atlantic Council Senior Fellow, has issued a warning about the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and their expanding influence within the Democratic Party. Speaking on "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, Metzl called on Representative Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and other party leaders to take a clear and unequivocal stand against what he described as a "radical extremist movement trying to take over the Democratic Party."

Metzl criticized the DSA's agenda, stating, "They want to seize the means of production. They want to eradicate police and prisons. They have a terrible message of discord and hate." He emphasized the urgency of confronting these factions, warning, "So unless the Democratic Party takes on these dangerous, extremist radicals in a very clear and unequivocal way now, we will destroy our own party. And that's not good for the Democrats, and it's not for America."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has been noted for trying to balance criticism and support of the DSA, motivated by the goal of securing a House majority. Metzl’s concerns come amid recent electoral successes by Democratic socialists in key states such as New York and Colorado.

Metzl previously testified before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on March 8, 2023, at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C.

Sources