Bill Ackman Calls Democratic Party 'Radicalized' and in Its Worst State
Investor Bill Ackman said the Democratic Party is in the worst position in its history, criticizing Senator Chuck Schumer and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in a podcast interview.
Investor Bill Ackman sharply criticized the Democratic Party in a podcast interview this week, calling it «crazy, radicalized and anti-American» and arguing that it is in the worst position it has ever occupied in the country's roughly 250-year history. Ackman made the remarks on the «Katie Miller Podcast,» where he also singled out Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York for what he described as a willingness to compromise his values to keep his job.
«I think the Democratic Party is in the worst place it's ever been, in the 250-year history of the country,» Ackman told host Katie Miller. «I think it's become like this crazy, radicalized, you know, anti-American thing.» He added that he still believes there are «very high-quality Democrats» serving in the Senate and House, but that the party as an institution is «in a very bad place.»
Ackman, a longtime donor and prominent Wall Street figure, focused much of his criticism on Schumer, with whom he said he once had a good relationship. «I thought he was a good man. But in recent years, I felt he's just trying to keep his job,» Ackman said. He argued that career politicians face a choice between aligning with the party or facing primary challenges, and he described that dynamic as a «really low point» for elected officials.
The investor also appeared to reference Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, saying politicians will sometimes support «a quasi-terrorist, perhaps running for Senate in Michigan, because they have to for the party.» El-Sayed has faced scrutiny over his family's alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, questions he has repeatedly denied. His campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and Schumer's office also did not immediately respond.
The controversy over El-Sayed stems from a report on social media posts by his half-sister, Eman Abdelhadi, who described her family's history with the Muslim Brotherhood. In a 2012 post, Abdelhadi wrote about a conversation with her and El-Sayed's mother regarding her involvement with the organization during college in Egypt. El-Sayed has said he has «no ties» to the group, telling NBC's «Meet the Press» that the assertions are false. At a town hall on Saturday, he said he would disavow the Muslim Brotherhood when asked, while also questioning why the issue was being raised.
Ackman's comments add to a broader debate within and around the Democratic Party over its ideological direction and its appeal to moderate and Jewish voters. Y. David Scharf, chair of Morrison Cohen's government strategies and controversies practice, said Schumer's long tenure in Washington means he understands the pressures on his party. «The question isn't whether he sees it. It's whether he's willing to do anything about it,» Scharf said, adding that Ackman is not asking Schumer to become a Republican but to «act like the Democrat he spent decades telling us he was.»
Ackman has also been vocal in New York City politics, where he has criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani's policies as harmful to the city. «He's very smart, very charismatic, very good at politics, but I think the decisions he's making are very bad for New York,» Ackman said. Asked whether he would consider running for mayor himself, Ackman said «possibly,» but added that he believes he could accomplish more by helping «a very talented person» do the job.
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