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- Derek Weston via FOX News
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Democratic socialist candidate joins left-wing attacks on 'institutionalists'
ReDemocratic socialist candidate joins left-wing attacks on 'institutionalists'
Pennsylvania congressional nominee Chris Rabb has joined a growing chorus of far-left Democrats in denouncing party moderates as 'institutionalists,' a term critics say reflects a broader push to dismantle the constitutional system.
Pennsylvania state Representative Chris Rabb, the Democratic nominee for the state's 3rd Congressional District, has escalated attacks on establishment Democrats by labeling them "institutionalists," a term that has become a rallying cry among far-left activists seeking to overhaul the American constitutional order. Rabb, a self-described democratic socialist, made the remarks while defending his alliance with the controversial streamer Hasan Piker, who has faced widespread criticism for antisemitic statements and comments suggesting America deserved the September 11 attacks.
In a post on social media, Rabb wrote that "institutionalists" are focusing their efforts on disavowing Piker rather than confronting White Christian nationalists, "broligarchs," or "AI overlords." He added: "F--- that noise." The comments highlight a deepening divide within the Democratic Party between those who defend existing institutions and a growing radical wing that views the Constitution itself as an obstacle to change.
Rabb has previously called the constitutional system "the beast" that must be slayed and has denounced the Declaration of Independence. He is now virtually assured of a seat in Congress, positioning him as a leading voice of the party's far-left faction. His defense of Piker comes as other Democrats, including Senator Jon Ossoff, have condemned the streamer's rhetoric.
The term "institutionalist" has gained currency across the left in recent months. Sarada Peri, a former senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama, wrote in The Atlantic that institutionalists are "peculiar creatures" who have a "reflexive distaste for change." She suggested that their deference in media and public life stems partly from the fact that they are "mostly old, white men."
The Democratic Socialists of America, which has backed many of these insurgent candidates, has drawn support from activists who openly express hostility toward the Constitution. Cliff Connolly, a DSA Steering Committee member, declared on a podcast that the organization is known for its "hatred of the United States Constitution."
Law professors and academics have joined the chorus. Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of UC Berkeley Law School, published a book titled "No Democracy Lasts Forever: How the Constitution Threatens the United States." Harvard's Ryan D. Doerfler and Yale's Samuel Moyn wrote a New York Times column arguing that "The Constitution Is Broken and Should Not Be Reclaimed." Brown University's Corey Brettschneider called the Constitution a "dangerous document."
George Washington law professor Mary Anne Franks condemned what she called the "cult of the Constitution," which she said has been used to advance "White male supremacy." These views have been amplified by mainstream media outlets, giving them broader reach.
Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University and author of "Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution," drew parallels between the current moment and the French Revolution, which descended into mob rule. He noted that the Terror in France began not with the working class but with educated lawyers, journalists, and aristocrats who eventually turned on one another.
Turley argued that the new label "institutionalist" is intended as a pejorative, similar to being called an "oligarch." He warned that the growing radicalism within the Democratic Party threatens the stability of the Madisonian democracy, which he called the most successful and stable republic in history.
