(Daily Signal)—Young people are embracing socialism because they are drawn to candidates who offer concrete solutions, according to James Braid, former White House director of legislative affairs.
“So, when you talk about like these people are revolting and embracing socialists, what they are revolting against is a system that they perceive,” he continued. “It is stacked against them, and they are seeking an alternative system.”
Braid spoke Wednesday at The Heritage Foundation’s The Forum, a conference just outside Washington, D.C., about the future of conservatism.
“The average American voter does not think in -isms,” Braid said at a panel on capitalism and socialism “The average American voter thinks in concretized solutions that can potentially make their life better. Whichever party is able to portray themselves as the United Party, that will ultimately be successful with that demographic.”
Almost half of young Americans now hold a favorable view of socialism, according to a recent Fox News poll. In the 2026 midterms, Democrats won Gen Z voters by nearly 50 points, according to exit polling.
Candidates endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America won eight House seats, as well as mayoral races in the nation’s capital and its two largest cities. In January, there will be at least 54 DSA-endorsed state lawmakers in 19 states.
Braid argued Republican solutions to unaffordable housing are better than those presented by socialists.
“One, we’re going to get the illegal aliens out, and we’re going to reduce demand,” he said. “And two, we’re going to sit there and go, Wall Street can’t buy single-family homes. That’s a solution. That’s not a socialist solution, but that is a solution that is colorful and people can understand.”
Appearing with Braid, Heritage Foundation distinguished fellow Will Ruger said that young people are worried about buying a house, affording health care, and living a better life than their parents.
“President [Donald] Trump offered them a vision of that in 2024, and I think that a lot of those young people have been alienated, and therefore they were willing to switch over because of things like the high gas prices, because of the lack of affordability, and some of those things are really, honestly, outside of the hands of the federal government,” he said.
He said housing costs are not high because of the federal government, but because of state and local policies.
“But we need to also remember that in our federal system, we have to put pressure not just on the federal government but state and localities to give us more freedom that will allow for, I think, a more affordable lifestyle,” he said.
Grove City College professor Paul Kengor said socialists run in the Democratic Party in order to advance their democratic socialism.
“The Democratic Party is their chosen horse to get democratic socialism, but now it’s not even a Trojan horse,” he said. “It’s right out of the open, and they’re taking they’re taking Senate seats, congressional seats, and even the mayorships of quite literally America’s biggest cities.”
