Frank Gaffney, who served as assistant secretary of defense for international security policy under former President Ronald Reagan, has warned Congress and the public about what he describes as a growing ideological alliance between radical Islamists and far-left socialist movements. In an interview with Fox News Digital, Gaffney argued that these unlikely partners are cooperating around a shared anti-American agenda within the Democratic Party.
Gaffney founded the Center for Security Policy think tank in Washington, D.C., in 1988 and currently serves as president of the Institute for the American Future. He testified or was discussed during a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing earlier this month titled 'Hidden in Plain Sight: Confronting the Muslim Brotherhood Network in America.'
What the Right Is Saying
Gaffney argued in his Fox News Digital interview that while the far left and Islamists have different ultimate goals, they share a common adversary in the American constitutional system. 'Fundamentally, they're at the hip in totalitarianism,' Gaffney said. 'Yes, with different outcomes in mind, but still perfectly willing to make common cause for the immediate shared objective of destroying the United States.'
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, questioned Kyle Shideler, director and senior analyst for homeland security and counterterrorism at the Center for Security Policy, during the Senate hearing about whether the Muslim Brotherhood partners with groups such as DSA. Shideler agreed with Cruz's characterization of a 'Red-Green Alliance' and said he has seen evidence that these movements share a 'revolutionary objective' to eliminate American constitutional structures.
Cruz posted to social media platform X: 'This threat cannot be ignored because it is politically inconvenient. A counterterrorism expert testified that the Muslim Brotherhood and the DSA are united by a shared hatred of America—and a revolutionary objective to overthrow the U.S. Constitution.'
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive critics argue that characterizing groups like the Democratic Socialists of America as part of an extremist axis misrepresents their platform and goals. DSA members have stated publicly that they advocate for democratic socialism through electoral means, including universal healthcare, workers' rights, and reducing economic inequality—positions they say align with mainstream Western democratic traditions.
Critics from within Muslim communities who oppose radical Islamism note the complexity of these allegations. Dalia Ziada, a Muslim scholar who fled Egypt after criticizing Hamas' October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, told Fox News Digital that while she has observed cooperation between radical left and Islamist groups, such characterizations risk conflating diverse political movements with extremism.
Left-leaning civil liberties organizations have cautioned against broad surveillance or investigation of advocacy groups based on ideological associations. They argue that First Amendment protections extend to unpopular political speech and association, provided such activity does not involve violence or incitement.
What the Numbers Show
A Fox News Digital investigation found approximately 425 organizations spanning communist groups, Muslim advocacy organizations, and anti-Israel activist coalitions are part of what was described as a coordinated transnational protest network with roughly $1 billion in annual collective revenue.
The Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on the Muslim Brotherhood took place earlier this month. Gaffney served in the Reagan administration from 1981 to 1989, making him a three-decade veteran of federal national security policy. The Center for Security Policy, which he founded, describes itself as a nonpartisan educational organization focused on defense and security issues.
According to DSA's publicly stated membership figures, the organization has grown significantly since its founding in 1982 but represents a small fraction of Democratic Party voters nationwide. Muslim advocacy organizations operating in the U.S. number in the dozens according to census data from religious liberty tracking groups.
The Bottom Line
The allegations raised by Gaffney and Cruz have not resulted in formal federal investigations as of this reporting. Congressional sources indicate that hearings on the Muslim Brotherhood network may continue into the fall session, though no legislation has been introduced related specifically to the 'red-green alliance' framework.
Civil liberties advocates note that any government response must balance security concerns with constitutional protections for political association and free speech. The debate reflects longstanding tensions in American politics between civil liberty protections and national security priorities.
What to watch: Whether Senate hearings expand to include testimony from organizations named in these allegations, whether the Trump administration takes administrative action related to foreign-linked advocacy organizations, and how Democratic Party leadership responds to characterization of their coalition by Republican critics.