Far-Left Democrats Attack Party Establishment as ‘Institutionalists’ Defending Constitution

Pennsylvania state representative Chris Rabb, a self-identified democratic socialist, has joined a growing chorus of far-left Democrats denouncing party establishment figures as “institutionalists”—a term used to describe those committed to preserving existing constitutional structures and governmental systems. Rabb’s recent social media posts defending political activist Hasan Piker while attacking those who oppose him exemplify a broader movement within the Democratic Party to marginalize defenders of traditional constitutional governance.

The term “institutionalist” has emerged as a pejorative among radical Democrats who view the nation’s constitutional framework and established institutions as obstacles requiring fundamental transformation. Members of the Democratic Socialists of America, including Steering Committee member Cliff Connolly, have explicitly stated their movement’s opposition to the U.S. Constitution, viewing it as a barrier to their revolutionary agenda rather than a foundation for democratic governance.

Prominent voices across academia and media have amplified these anti-constitutional arguments. UC Berkeley Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky published a book titled “No Democracy Lasts Forever: How the Constitution Threatens the United States,” while Harvard and Yale scholars Ryan D. Doerfler and Samuel Moyn co-authored a New York Times column calling on Americans to “reclaim America from constitutionalism.” Brown University’s Corey Brettschneider has characterized the Constitution as a “dangerous document” threatening democracy.

Even establishment Democrats have begun accommodating this radical shift. Vice President Kamala Harris and California Governor Gavin Newsom have questioned traditional constitutional structures and institutional loyalty, characterizing such commitments as mere “nostalgia” rather than principled governance. This capitulation to the far left reflects a broader pattern in which party leaders attempt to appease increasingly radical factions.

Political analysts warn that positioning oneself as a defender of constitutional governance now invites marginalization within Democratic circles. As Rabb ascends to Congress following his nomination in Pennsylvania’s 3rd District, his emergence as a dominant far-left voice signals the extent to which anti-constitutional ideology has penetrated Democratic Party leadership.