Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona has attributed a surge in support for further-left figures such as Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to President Donald Trump's policy agenda, arguing that Trump's actions are pushing Democratic voters towards more socialist-leaning candidates. His remarks came after a new poll showed Ocasio-Cortez as the leading choice among Democrats for their 2028 presidential nominee, highlighting internal tensions within the party over its future ideological direction.

Kelly, seen as a more centrist Democrat, made the comments in response to questions about the party's leftward shift, placing responsibility for the trend on Trump's presidency rather than on internal Democratic strategy. The article, published by Fox News, frames the exchange within wider coverage of Democratic infighting, including a separate primary dispute in which an establishment-backed candidate dismissed a rival as a "celebrity candidate."