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Florida Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon struggled to identify whether she was a capitalist or socialist during an interview on Friday — drawing sharp criticism from Republican Sen. Ashley Moody’s campaign as the candidates entered the final week of Florida’s Senate race.
Politico’s Dasha Burns confronted the nominee over her membership in the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), noting that she had previously identified herself as a capitalist despite joining the socialist organization. When Burns pressed Nixon to explain how she personally identified, the Jacksonville Democrat repeatedly expressed uncertainty.
“I don’t know. I don’t know. Like, I don’t know,” Nixon said on “The Conversation.”
“I identify as Angie Nixon, as a Black woman who was a former single mom, who wants to make sure that no one has to struggle the way I struggled when I was a single mom,” she added.
Florida Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon struggled to identify whether she was a capitalist or socialist during an interview with Politico’s Dasha Burns. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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Cameron Gambini, a spokesperson for Moody, criticized Nixon’s response in a statement to Fox News Digital, questioning her ideological commitments and referencing a separate controversy surrounding her recent comments about Cuba.
“Angie Nixon voluntarily signed up to be a member of the Democrat Socialists,” he said. “Now she’s clearly regretting letting her true colors shine. And just yesterday, she refused to say Cuba was a dictatorship. Socialist Angie is a radical lunatic who will never step foot on the Senate floor. Case-closed.”
When asked directly during an interview on Monday with CBS News whether Nixon considered Cuba a dictatorship, she said, “You know, that is what people have told me. I have never been to Cuba, and so I will have to take their word for it.”
Nixon subsequently challenged CBS News’ characterization of her answer, maintaining that she believed Cubans who described their government as a dictatorship. CBS deleted its initial social media post and acknowledged that its description had inaccurately represented her response.
“It’s disappointing to have to say this, but [CBS News], this is a serious failure of editorial reporting,” Nixon said in a post on X. “I clearly state in this clip that while I have not personally been to Cuba, I have spoken with Cubans who have described it as a dictatorship, and I believe them. To claim I declined to answer the question is categorically false.”
“That is not journalism. It is misinformation,” she continued.
Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet criticized the Democratic nominee’s response to Politico about whether she was a socialist, in a statement to Fox News Digital, suggesting she was attempting to distance herself from socialism because of its political implications in Florida.
“Some pollster or political consultant probably told her socialism doesn’t sell in Florida,” he said. “So she’s offering the flimsiest and most insincere of explanations for how radical, and economically illiterate she really and truly is. She seems to contend that existing within the land border of America makes you a capitalist.”
“But just like existing in America doesn’t make someone an American, running for Senate doesn’t suddenly make Angie Nixon a good liar,” he continued.
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Republican Sen. Ashley Moody’s campaign criticized Nixon’s uncertainty over her political identity and questioned her membership in the Democratic Socialists of America. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images; Joe Raedle/Getty Images))
Initially, in the same exchange on “The Conversation,” Burns asked Nixon whether she considered herself a capitalist or socialist, prompting the Democratic nominee to first emphasize her support for government assistance programs.
“So what I would say is, I live in a capitalistic society and I just want to make sure that people have strong social programs and safety net programs because I’ve had to use them before,” Nixon said. “So, you can call me whatever you want, but just know that I’m going to be out here working and fighting for hardworking and retired people and folks living with disabilities.”
Throughout the interview, Nixon pushed back against political ideological branding, saying that she didn’t “care about labels” and considered herself a “humanist.” She also said she remains a “lifelong Democrat,” and noted that both she and her husband are small business owners who wouldn’t “want to take over anyone’s business.”
Nixon also explained that she joined the DSA due to local community work, noting how members helped her nonprofit when “the government shutdown happened” and people lost SNAP benefits.
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Nixon’s latest remarks contrasted with her August declaration that she was a capitalist, despite joining the Democratic Socialists of America in June. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Nixon’s uncertainty contrasted with her August appearance on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” when host Kristen Welker pressed her about her DSA membership. During the interview, Nixon rejected the socialist label and explicitly embraced capitalism.
“I’m a capitalist who believes that we need some strong regulation,” Nixon said.
Nixon joined the DSA in June but previously rejected several proposals in its national political program, including abolishing the U.S. Senate, drafting a new Constitution and defunding the military.
The organization has also advocated public ownership of major corporations and essential industries, although it did not nationally endorse Nixon’s campaign.
Nixon is challenging Moody, whom Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed to the U.S. Senate after Marco Rubio became Secretary of State.
Fox News Digital reached out to Nixon, CBS and the DSA for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
