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Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson is warning that the rise of socialism poses a “grave threat” to American cities, drawing a sharp contrast between that movement and the pro-business, free-market approach he says has helped Dallas thrive.
Johnson joined FOX Business’ Stuart Varney on “Varney & Co.” to discuss the rise of socialism in U.S. cities and why he believes it poses a broader threat to the country’s economic future.
Johnson, who served as a Democratic state lawmaker before being elected mayor in 2019 and switched to the Republican Party in 2023, argued that the political divide extends beyond party labels and centers on how cities approach work, accountability and free markets.
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“Cities are critical to the future of this country, and they are under a grave threat of the rise of socialism,” Johnson said. “There’s no question that there is a socialist movement in the United States that would like to change the way we arrange our economy in this country and the way we approach life in general.”
He pointed to Dallas as a different model, describing the city as strongly pro-business and crediting its growth to competition and free markets. Johnson said financial services companies have been relocating to the Dallas area or expanding their operations there, while the region’s financial sector continues to grow.
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“This is a very, very pro-business city. Y’all Street is booming. Business is booming here, because we still embrace competition and free markets and believe that individuals ought to have an ability to achieve their dreams by working hard and doing what they want to do with their lives,” he said.
Johnson returned to the socialism issue while discussing data centers, arguing that debates over their development are secondary to questions about how the country governs itself and structures its economy.
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“Our country is facing a graver threat than whether or not we support data centers being permitted in our local jurisdictions,” Johnson said. “We’re gonna talk about the rise of socialism and how we push back on that.”
