Hakeem Jeffries has a new headache on his hands. Meet Chi Ossé, the 27-year-old city councilman from Brooklyn. He’s also a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. He has decided that now is the perfect time to challenge the House Minority Leader. Because why not strike while the iron is hot?

Who Is Chi Osse and Why Is He Challenging Hakeem Jeffries

Ossé, who’s got a flair for the dramatic and a penchant for defunding the NYPD, thinks he can shake things up just as Nancy Pelosi is packing her bags.

Now, you might be wondering why Ossé has decided to challenge Jeffries, especially when even fellow progressive Zohran Mamdani suggested he should take a step back for now. Mamdani, who just won his own election, seems to think that Ossé should lie low and not rock the boat too much.

.@RepJeffries on primary challenge from Councilmember Chi Ossé:

“Come on in; the water is warm.” pic.twitter.com/lntXU9UKsJ

— CSPAN (@cspan) November 17, 2025

Ossé isn’t just any politician. Actually, he’s an activist turned politician. He’s known for his far-left views and has made headlines for his bold statements. He also keeps jumping in and out of the Democratic Socialists of America. He was a member, then he wasn’t, but now he is again.

We seem to be merging the activists with politicians these days.

Osse’s Radical Progressive Record

One thing is for sure: he’s a far-left progressive with whacked-out ideas that are very similar to Zohran Mamdani’s. Back in 2020, during the height of the black lives matter movement, he was all for defunding the NYPD.

In June 2020, during the height of Black Lives Matter-led unrest across the country, Ossé wrote, “We’re going to defund the NYPD … I DONT SPEAK [pig]” in an Instagram caption.

He frequently invokes rhetoric like “late-stage capitalism,” has posted slogans like, “Eat the rich!” on X, and once wrote, “I wish [former president Joe] Biden were a socialist.”

Ossé’s positions on Israel mirror Mamdani’s, as well. Just two days after Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack, he shared a statement declaring Israel’s “occupation” was the “primary root of the violence” and, though deriding terrorism, said that “the Palestinian movement for national liberation is legitimate.” He has repeatedly described Israel’s retaliatory war against Hamas as a “genocide,” and falsely accused Israel of causing a famine in Gaza. – Free Beacon

Why does it seem that the kids of the rich and well-off are the ones who want socialism? Ossé’s background is another story of wealth and connections. He comes from a privileged upbringing, with a father who was a well-known music attorney and a Grammy-winning grandfather. Yet, Osse wants to “eat the rich.” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would be proud. Except she seems to be putting some distance between herself and Osse. It seems little girl wants to hook her wagon to an established Hakeem rather than an upcoming radical. But really, aren’t they all the same these days?

Old Democrats Pushed Out for New Young Activist Progressives

Ossé’s got the energy and the passion that many younger voters are looking for. He’s not just another politician playing it safe; he’s ready to challenge the status quo. There’s a growing divide between the establishment and the more progressive wing, and Ossé represents that push for change. He’s got a vision that resonates with a lot of people who feel like their voices haven’t been heard.

It’s how Mamdani got elected, by the way.

Democrats love to roll their eyes at Republican infighting, but they are in the early stages of their own MAGA vs. McConnell moment. The progressive left is no longer content to push from the outside. They want to run the party the same way the populist right reshaped the GOP. The difference is that Democrats pretend this split is healthy. It isn’t.

The Quiet Hostile Takeover

What is happening right now inside the Democratic Party is not random. It is not quirky. And it certainly isn’t some cute wave of youthful enthusiasm. It is a calculated ideological shift that older Democrats pretend not to see. The party that once ran on kitchen table issues is being hollowed out by activists who care more about theory than reality. Ossé is not an outlier. He is the new blueprint. A candidate with the aesthetics of rebellion and the politics of the faculty lounge.

And the establishment keeps smiling politely as they usher these people through the front door. Nancy Pelosi retires. Hakeem Jeffries tries to hold the center. Meanwhile, candidates like Zohran Mamdani and Chi Ossé are quietly stacking the bench. The message is clear: socialists are not coming; they are already here. Not only are they young and loud, but they are also always well-funded.

If Democrats think they can keep feeding this monster without getting eaten themselves, they are kidding themselves. Ossé’s challenge may not topple Jeffries, but it signals something bigger. The next generation of the Democratic Party has no interest in moderation, no respect for experience, and no patience for anyone who stands in the way of their ideological purity.

Remember how we used to talk about the entitlement the young left seem to ooze? Well, here he is, Chi Osse.

Feature Image: Chi Osse X Profile Account Image/Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons/edited in Canva Pro