Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., argued that the Democratic Party is not being led by its top two figures in Congress, but rather by a group of far-left progressives both inside and outside of government. Speaking at a Republican gathering in Dallas, Scott said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., do not actually control the party's direction.
"Let's be clear, the leader of the Democrat Party is not Schumer, it's not Jeffries," Scott told Fox News Digital. "It's Hasan Piker, it is AOC and [Zohran] Mamdani." Scott was referring to the popular online streamer Hasan Piker, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Scott, a former chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, argued that Schumer and Senate Democrats could "salivate all they want, but their message is horrible." He claimed that message is shaped by the progressive figures he named, who have pushed the party toward positions he characterized as socialist.
"They're going to say, 'Gosh, we want men to play in women's sports, to destroy women's sport,'" Scott said. "They can talk about socialism, how they want to kill all the capitalists." He added that voters should be wary of supporting Democrats, saying, "I tell people, you go vote for a Democrat, which is now a socialist, right? Then you better buy a bunch of guns. Because you can vote socialism in, ask the people in Venezuela, but guess what? You can't get rid of it without guns."
Scott's remarks came as Republicans gathered in Dallas for a midterm convention aimed at energizing their base and pitching voters on why the party should maintain control of Congress. The convention is taking place during a cycle in which Democrats are seeking to retake both chambers, and Republicans face significant political headwinds, including high prices at the gas pump and grocery store, the ongoing conflict involving Iran, and a trade dispute with Canada that has put GOP incumbents in a difficult position.
Despite those challenges, Scott expressed optimism about the party's chances in November. "The reason is we have a better message and we have great candidates," he said. "If you look at our Senate candidates, I mean, how would you like to be out and defend [Abdul] El-Sayed's record of being antisemitic and hating this country."
Scott acknowledged that much of the convention's purpose is to remind voters that the midterm elections are effectively a referendum on President Donald Trump, who is scheduled to speak Wednesday night. "There's no question the Trump agenda is on the ballot," Scott said. "If you want the Trump agenda accomplished, we have to control the House, we have to control the Senate."
He warned that a Democratic victory would stall the president's agenda entirely. "And if the Democrats control the House, they're gonna impeach him for combing his hair the wrong way," Scott said. "So we've gotta control the House and we gotta control the Senate."