Democrat Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) has a warning for his fellow Democrats: The socialists are trying to take over their party.
Fair enough. Gottheimer is considerably less eager, however, to confront the election-security failure unfolding in his own state.
During an interview, Gottheimer drew a hard line between traditional Democrats and members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), accusing the DSA of using the party as a vehicle for an agenda that includes hostility toward police, borders, and the country itself.
Democrat Rep. Josh Gottheimer admits the Democrat Socialists taking over the party are communists:
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 3, 2026
“They’re trying to use the Democratic Party as a vessel…supporting the Communist Manifesto and Trotsky, they’re Anti-American, they’re Anti-Cop, they don’t believe in borders…” pic.twitter.com/YFMJoJUoZo
“I’m a very proud, common-sense Democrat, and I don’t think DSA members are Democrats. They’re socialists, right? And I’m all for them having their own party if they want one, but if they’re trying to take over our party, that’s unacceptable to me.”
He went further.
“They’re trying to use the Democratic Party as a vessel for their ideas. And as you heard in some of these conventions, literally, they’re supporting the Communist Manifesto and Trotsky. They’re anti-American, they’re anti-cop, they don’t believe in borders.”
He estimated that the DSA has roughly 150,000 registered members compared to approximately 45 million Democrats. His proposed solution was blunt: Make clear that socialists "are not Democrats" and "are not welcome in the Democratic Party."
Then the subject turned to New Jersey's voter rolls, and Gottheimer's tone changed considerably.
The state recently disclosed that approximately 6,600 noncitizens were mistakenly registered to vote through its motor vehicle system between June 2023 and June 2024. Those individuals reportedly identified themselves as noncitizens, but the system registered them anyway. Fewer than 400 later cast ballots, according to state officials.
Read More: Harmeet Strikes Immediately: DOJ Probe Launched After NJ Admits Allowing 400 Non-Citizens to Vote
Trump Warned the Communists Were on the Move - DSA Just Proved Him Right
Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D) blamed what she called a serious software error and ordered the registrations removed. The vendor, IDEMIA, has disputed the state's account, arguing that its system transmitted the information it was instructed to transmit and that New Jersey officials approved the applications. Either way, Gottheimer has offered no answer for what comes next.
Asked whether that failure warranted a broader conversation about voter ID and the SAVE America Act, he did not answer the question directly.
Democrat Rep. Josh Gottheimer admits that non-citizens were registered to vote in his state but still refuses to support voter ID.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 3, 2026
Q: “SAVE America Act…is there a conversation worth having?”
GOTTHEIMER: “The massive vulnerability that we found so far was a technological one.” pic.twitter.com/AjhPKcwxTu
“Well, I think in New Jersey, as you’ve probably read, the massive vulnerability that we found so far was a technological one, so people were getting onto the rolls who shouldn’t have been because they hired this outside vendor who appears to have screwed up. At least that’s what the initial reports show. But obviously, nobody who shouldn’t be voting should be voting.”
Yes, obviously. The question was what Gottheimer was prepared to do about it.
His voting record supplies part of the answer. He voted against the SAVE Act in 2025, calling the legislation an attempt by "far-right extremists to disenfranchise Jersey voters." The measure would have required documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.
Gottheimer is willing to tell Democrats that socialists who oppose borders and police have no place in their party. Put a concrete election-security measure in front of him, though, and the self-described "common-sense Democrat" retreats to blaming a vendor and stating the painfully obvious. There is no indication the registrations were part of an organized effort; state officials say the people improperly enrolled bear no fault, but that does not make the failure harmless, especially when hundreds of ballots were cast.
New Jersey’s system registered thousands of people who were not eligible to vote. Nearly 400 reportedly voted. If that is not enough to have a serious conversation about voter ID and proof of citizenship, it's hard to imagine what would be.
Editor’s Note: Republicans are fighting for election integrity by requiring proper identification to vote.
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