Michigan state lawmaker Donavan McKinney, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), has expressed agreement with Republicans on the issue of waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending. McKinney, who is challenging a sitting House Democrat ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, said, "I gotta give Republicans — I agree with them on this one issue. The one issue is waste, fraud, and abuse."

McKinney clarified that while Republicans often focus on waste and fraud among the poor, he believes only a very small percentage—"like .0001%"—of poor people take advantage of the system. Instead, he argued that the real waste and abuse come from taxpayer dollars subsidizing corporations and the wealthy, allowing them to grow richer while the rest remain poor.

"We're gonna attack the waste, fraud, and abuse, but we're going to attack it for the top 1% earners in this country," McKinney said. He also criticized current government spending priorities, noting, "We're in Iran spending billions of dollars a day on average. And you're telling me the people in my district, the seniors, our children, our most vulnerable populations can't get the resources they deserve? I don't think this is America anyone wants us to live in, am I right?"

McKinney is part of a rising wave of DSA candidates challenging establishment Democrats nationwide. Members of the group have demonstrated strong support among left-leaning base voters while appealing to working-class, anti-establishment sentiments similar to those that helped elect former President Donald Trump in 2016.

Meanwhile, House Democrat Josh Gottheimer has warned of increasing far-left socialist influence within the Democratic Party, highlighting the growing prominence of the Democratic Socialists of America in key primaries and their potential impact on upcoming elections.

Sources