DSA co-chair Megan Romer confirmed on Fox News Sunday with Shannon Bream a radical platform that includes abolishing the U.S. Senate, replacing the presidency and Supreme Court “as we now know them,” abolishing ICE and federal law enforcement, largely abolishing prisons, defunding the Pentagon, open borders as a long-term goal, and granting amnesty. These are positions that align with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) national program, and that Republican Tom Tiffany and others have tied directly to Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial frontrunner Francesca Hong.
Romer answered “true,” “yep,” “absolutely,” and similar affirmatives in a rapid-fire exchange. She described the Senate as an “anachronistic institution” rooted in protecting elite power, likening it to the British House of Lords, and said she favored a unicameral legislature. Open borders and amnesty were cited as long-term goals tied to changes in U.S. foreign policy, while abolishing prisons and law enforcement were described as long-term domestic goals. Public ownership of large corporations was also affirmed.
Hong, a Madison state representative and self-described democratic socialist running in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary for governor, is endorsed by local DSA chapters (Madison, Milwaukee, and Northeast Wisconsin) listed on her campaign website, though not by the national organization. She has a documented record of past statements that match key elements of this agenda, including repeated calls to “defund then abolish” the police, 2020–2021 social media posts framing police as upholding white supremacy and rejecting reform, statements treating prison abolition as an aspirational goal, and support for abolishing ICE.
On the Senate specifically, Hong’s own account posted “Abolish the Senate” on February 13, 2021, while quoting an analysis of the Senate’s acquittal of President Trump in his second impeachment trial. The analysis noted that senators who voted to convict represented roughly 70% of the U.S. population. A similar “Abolish. The. Senate.” post followed in March 2021.
Hong’s campaign told Fox News Digital that she “has never called for abolishing the U.S. Senate,” that Tiffany “cannot produce a single statement where she did, because it doesn’t exist,” and that he was “telling lies and inventing quotes.” Communications director Allison Geyer said Hong does not recall the 2021 post, calling it a “frustrated reaction” to the impeachment vote that is not her current position and not something a governor controls. Geyer also said police and prison abolition were past aspirational language Hong would not pursue as governor. The campaign further stated she does not support replacing the presidency or Supreme Court, eliminating national borders, or the full national DSA program, describing DSA as a “membership organization” rather than a party.
Tiffany highlighted the contrast on X and in statements to Fox News: “This sounds a lot like DSA-backed @FrancescaHongWI. Does she want to abolish the police? Yep. Does she want to abolish prisons? Absolutely. Did she call for abolishing the U.S. Senate? Yes. Socialism is knocking on Wisconsin’s door. This November, we slam it shut.” After the campaign’s denial, he posted the 2021 tweet and added that Hong “can flip-flop all she wants, but she can’t hide who she is… they can’t rewrite her own words.”
During Tuesday night’s WISN 12 Democratic primary debate at Marquette University (moderated by Gerron Jordan and Matt Smith), the moderators directly raised the DSA co-chair’s recent comments about abolishing the Senate and replacing the presidency and Supreme Court. Hong responded by stating she does not support the entire DSA platform. She described democratic socialism in terms of fairness, human rights, and policies that deliver permanent affordability for working families through measures like taxing the ultra-wealthy and mega-corporations, then pivoted back to her campaign priorities.
Abolishing core constitutional institutions, open borders with amnesty, defunding the military and law enforcement, and prison abolition sit far outside the mainstream in a closely divided swing state like Wisconsin. Voters here have repeatedly preferred pragmatic governance over wholesale remaking of the constitution, federal law enforcement, or national security. Hong’s campaign focus on affordability, childcare, school funding, and data-center limits does not erase her documented past statements or the DSA platform her local chapters support. Once the record is produced in black and white, the denials and “not my current position” looks like revisionism. Wisconsin voters will decide whether that record is compatible with the state’s priorities. Early voting runs from July 28 through August 9, 2026.
