Democratic Sen. Mark Warner clashed with CNBC host Joe Kernen over the rise of socialism and far-left policies within the Democratic Party on Tuesday.
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Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., was pressed on the Democratic Party's embrace of socialist candidates during an interview on Tuesday as he clashed with CNBC host Joe Kernen over some left-wing policies being proposed on the campaign trail.
Warner argued that Democrats have failed to adequately deliver on certain issues and argued that socialism has become more popular because of the party's shortcomings.
He said that at least there was an ideological debate happening in the Democratic Party, unlike on the Republican side, and dodged a question about whether he supported far-left Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.
"I have stayed out of all of these races, I'm just not, I'm running myself this year, I'm trying to get re-elected myself in Virginia and that's where my focus is," Warner said.
SOCIALISM’S RISE INSIDE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NOW THREATENS THE AMERICAN DREAM
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., speaks at a hearing in Washington in 2025. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
"You’re kind of dodging and dancing, weaving. I understand that’s how things work, Senator," Kernen said, before pressing further on the state of the Democratic Party.
"You still haven’t just addressed defunding police, defunding ICE, socialism, capitalism not being the type of system that the economy is based on," he said.
Warner said he believed in a free enterprise system and said that "our modern capitalism ought to be more focused on, you know, long-term investment."
"I think there are ways, and some — you might call it radical, to actually make our capitalism work for more people," he continued. "And I think we got to acknowledge that people like you and I, Joe, get a certain advantage. White guys with right education get a better advantage in our system and to deny that, I just think that shows — I’m not saying you do — but I think that shows a disconnection from reality as well."
El-Sayed called America's political system a "disease" during a speech on Sunday.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., arrives to the Capitol Visitor Center for a briefing about Iran on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Kernen said it was still a huge leap for Democrats to embrace the tenets of socialism.
Warner asked Kernen whether he had ever heard him say that he supported defunding the police, and Kernen said he hadn't but that he also hadn't heard him dismiss candidates who do support it.
"I do not support defunding the police. I do support meaningful reforms on ICE," Warner said.
Warner argued earlier in the discussion that he disagreed with a lot of what the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) had put forward, but that there was a wealth inequality issue that needed to be addressed.
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Warner was also asked about New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani saying his administration was exploring whether the city's authorities could arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Warner criticized Netanyahu but said he was a staunch supporter of Israel.
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"There’s been a lot of leaders that we all have disagreed with that have come to the U.N. that haven’t been subject to, you know, American legal jurisdiction. You know, I candidly have not been following the ins and outs of it," Warner said.
Hanna Panreck is an associate editor at Fox News.