Former Democrat Senator Weighs In On Root Cause Of Party’s Civil War: ‘Reaping What They Sowed’

Although it’s long been home to a steady line of far-left radicals, the Democrat Party was inundated this election season with a fresh crop of avowed socialists.

And as those extremists unseat more moderate incumbents in races across the nation, the party’s establishment wing is scrambling to respond.

For former U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who switched from Democrat to Independent about two years ago, the reason for the deep intraparty division is clear.

As The Hill reported:

“When there’s a void of leadership, you see what happens,” Manchin said. “They don’t know who the leader is, and you’ve got all of these young, aggressive people who are excited. They’re involved. They associate themselves with the socialist party.”

Manchin suggested that these candidates form a separate political party associated with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

“The two main parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, are now reaping what they sowed, which is total control basically by aggressive zealots on the extremes,” Manchin said.

The politician, who left the Democratic Party in 2024 to register as an independent, criticized the party’s leadership.

“The Democrat Party of Washington DC, spends more time and effort and resources on able-bodied, capable people that don’t work and won’t work then those of us who do,” Manchin said. “As far as we’re concerned, we’re done.”

He’s not the only left-of-center voice sounding the alarm bells:

CNN’s Van Jones just unloaded on “nutty” Democrats for refusing to let John Fetterman be a moderate in their own party.

“That should not be illegal in this party. My god you have to agree on 100% of 100% of the Berkeley California agenda to be a Democrat? It doesn’t make any… pic.twitter.com/948yzUDq3Z

— Whiplash437 (@MrWhiplash_) July 3, 2026

Democrat Congressman Tom Suozzi of New York announces 13 moderate Democrats are breaking with far-left socialist reps, and will sign the “Promise to America” pledge that supports strong borders, capitalism, and patriotism. pic.twitter.com/yJcwuRVFtH

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 26, 2026

And here’s what White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt had to say:

🚨 HOLY SMOKES: @KarolineLeavitt SAYS THIS IS A "FULL BLOWN COMMUNIST REVOLUTION" 🚨

"They're not negotiating, they're here to DESTROY"

"COMMUNISM is the BIGGEST THREAT in 250 YEARS" 💣

Only ONE choice: Trump and COMMON SENSE 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/L2TN6vmtDV

— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) July 3, 2026

Pennsylvania’s Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro also had some words of warning to his own party during a recent CNN interview, per Red State:

Dana Bash: There is Darializa Avila Chevalier, she was a PhD candidate at Columbia, an organizer, she called for the abolition of prisons, open borders, end to deportations, even of people convicted of violent crimes. She attended a pro-Palestinian rally on October 8th, 2023. Um, a rally that reportedly featured some real antisemitic rhetoric justifying the attack. How do you feel as a Democrat about someone with those views being in the United States Congress?

Governor Shapiro: Well, her district voted for her. But I have profound differences from that particular candidate, based on the citations that you read there. And she’s not someone who, you know, seemingly, I would agree with on many things, or that we share similar values. She ran on the Democratic ticket, I guess as a socialist, her voters in that district determined that she was the one they wanted representing (them.)

Dana Bash: What does that tell you about your party?

Governor Shapiro: I think that what our party has to go through, that will be very healthy, and something that we’ve not really done since the 1992 elections, is to have a battle over what we believe in.

Here’s a clip:

CNN: Abolishing prisons, opens borders, ending deportations of criminals…what does that say about the Democrat Party?

SHAPIRO: “What our party has to go through that will be very healthy…is to have a battle over what we believe in.” pic.twitter.com/lncogDmeXl

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 5, 2026