Democratic Representative Josh Gottheimer has warned that members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) are attempting to transform the Democratic Party into a vehicle for socialist and communist ideology, saying they "are not Democrats" and should form their own political party.

"I'm a very proud, common-sense Democrat, and I don't think DSA members are Democrats. They're socialists," Gottheimer told Fox. "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... They're trying to use the Democratic Party as a vessel for their ideas. 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."

Gottheimer estimated that the Democratic Socialists of America have roughly 150,000 members compared with approximately 45 million Democrats nationwide, arguing that party leaders should make clear that DSA members "are not Democrats" and "are not welcome in the Democratic Party." The comments come as internal divisions continue to grow between moderate Democrats and the party's progressive wing, particularly following a series of victories by democratic socialist candidates in local elections.

However, Gottheimer refused to commit to further election security, like proof-of-citizenship requirements for federal voter registration, instead dismissing New Jersey's recent voting fraud scandal as a mere technological failure. "I think in New Jersey... the massive vulnerability that we found so far was a technological one," he said. "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."

Gottheimer voted against the SAVE Act, legislation that would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections.

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