By The Democratic Party in Michigan might have driven off a cliff. In the Great Lakes State, Democratic congressional nominee William Lawrence, a member of the DSA, spoke of “destroying the American way of life” during a podcast discussion with Marxist activists about climate policy and American consumerism.
Lawrence, a former Democratic Socialists of America member and co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, made the remarks during a January 2024 episode of the Hegomonicon podcast, which he hosts for the left-wing magazine Convergence.
His guests included a self-described Marxist activist and the host of a “Marxist coded” podcast, explained The Washington Free Beacon.
“I’m wondering how we can inspire a sense of abundance for people in the United States, while frankly, destroying the American way of life and the negative connotations and material realities that has come to mean,” chuckled Lawrence, who described himself as “an organizer and social movement strategist” on the podcast’s internet page.
Lawrence argued that Americans “work longer, spend more time in our cars, live shorter, die sooner” despite the country’s material prosperity, tying those conditions to consumerism and climate change.
He also endorsed the “keep it in the ground” campaign, which seeks to prevent the extraction of oil, natural gas and other fossil fuels.
Lawrence said the Sunrise Movement, which he credited with helping “shape and popularize the Green New Deal,” deliberately avoided emphasizing its opposition to fossil-fuel production in 2019 because movement leaders feared the position could undermine the broader Green New Deal agenda.
“We were quiet … for a period of time and that was a political choice and it came with contradictions, and it was clear that you weren’t going to hold back the reality that we need to keep it in the ground,” Lawrence said.
The comments could become an issue in Lawrence’s campaign against Republican Rep. Tom Barrett in Michigan’s Seventh Congressional District. The competitive district includes Lansing and supported President Donald Trump in two of the past three presidential elections.
Republicans have pointed to Lawrence’s history of left-wing activism as evidence that he is too radical for the district. Lawrence left the Democratic Socialists of America last month, saying the move would help him promote “unity” among voters.
The Democratic nominee has faced scrutiny over other past remarks and political associations.
Following the August 2024 collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, Lawrence described the disaster as a “climate activist’s dream,” noted The Free Beacon. Six construction workers were killed in the collapse, which also temporarily disrupted the export of approximately 2.5 million tons of coal.
Six people died when Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed.
Socialist felon William Lawrence laughed and called it “a climate activist's dream.”
Disgusting and disqualifying. #MI07 pic.twitter.com/rcSdU5MtiT
— Zach Bannon (@zach_bannon) August 26, 2026
Lawrence has also expressed admiration for socialist streamer Hasan Piker, who has faced condemnation from members of both parties over his history of inflammatory and antisemitic remarks, including his statements that America deserved 9-11 and that he hates America.
During an April campaign event with Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, Lawrence told Piker he would “love to get on the stream sometime” and added, “You’re the man.”
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