Former GOP Senate candidate warns of socialism, expanding government and attacks on law enforcement
By Annie Dance | Lake Lure News | Cops & Congress | News & Commentary | Reporting from Rutherfordton, NC
Don Brown brought a message to McDowell County on August 12, shaped by his recent campaign for the U.S. Senate: conservatives, he argued, should be more willing to confront what he views as the growth of socialism, expanding government power and political attacks on law enforcement.
The event was held at the Marion Community Building, hosted by the McDowell Conservative Coalition. It was a public educational forum, titled “Understanding Democratic Socialism: What Every American Should Know.”
Despite sending a press release on August 6, mainstream media ignored the event. I was the only known journalist there.
Brown, an attorney, author and U.S. Navy veteran from Waxhaw, ran for the Republican nomination for North Carolina’s open U.S. Senate seat in the March 3 primary. He finished behind former Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley, who won the nomination. Statewide results show Whatley received 45.4% of the Republican vote, while Brown received 8.8%.
Whatley faces Democrat Roy Cooper in the general election. Cooper, prior to being term-limited as governor, held elected office for nearly 40 years in the state.
Brown’s political campaign was not the primary focus of his McDowell County appearance, but it provides context for his remarks. His background includes service as a Navy Judge Advocate General officer and as a special assistant U.S. attorney at the Pentagon. He has also written military and legal thrillers.
Brown framed his presentation around what he called “Democrat Socialism,” while distinguishing his criticism of the ideology from criticism of Democrats generally.
“My daddy was a Democrat, my granddaddy was a Democrat,” Brown said. “They almost had a cow when I became a Republican.”
“I am not bashing good salt of the earth Democrats,” he said. “But what we’re going to be talking about is a very radical philosophy that unfortunately is getting too much, way too much power in this country and threatens our constitutional republic.”
Brown said he intended to examine “the philosophical base for socialism and how it leads eventually to communism,” along with political tactics he believes have been used to advance those ideas.
‘We are a constitutional republic’
A central theme of Brown’s presentation was the distinction between a democracy and the nation’s constitutional system.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I want you to understand something. We are not a democracy. We are a constitutional republic,” Brown said.
He argued that the distinction matters because the country’s system relies on “checks and balances and rule of law.”
“We have gotten to understand that a constitutional republic is not based on mob rule,” Brown said.
Brown pointed to the protests and riots that followed the 2020 death of George Floyd as an example of what he characterized as political action occurring without sufficient institutional restraints.
He criticized Democratic district attorneys and police chiefs in some cities for what he described as allowing rioters to escape consequences. He also criticized the “defund the police” movement.
“The defund police movement was based on a detestable lie,” Brown said. “This is a communist tactic.”
Brown contrasted the unrest with the civil rights movement, citing Martin Luther King Jr. and others as examples of activists who pursued change through what he described as constitutional and natural rights.
“That’s a picture of what a constitutional republic should look like,” Brown said.
Government’s role
Brown’s criticism of government expansion extended beyond law enforcement.
He said government has a legitimate role but argued that its reach should be limited.
“Government is not the answer,” Brown said. “God is the answer.”
Brown acknowledged that government “has its role,” but said it should not become “a mama, a daddy, a babysitter.”
Instead, he said government should “get out of the way and let the people decide.”
The discussion also touched on the practical needs of local law enforcement.
Paul Alkire, chief deputy of the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office, told the audience that community support for emergency services remains important and that law enforcement agencies need adequate resources.
“We need to be pouring resources into our public safety and our emergency services,” Alkire said.
Alkire also discussed efforts to provide peer support for law enforcement officers who regularly encounter traumatic situations.
The McDowell County Sheriff’s Office does not currently use the same co-responder model as Marion, where social workers accompany officers on some calls. Instead, officials said the Sheriff’s Office has explored providing support within the agency for deputies and other personnel.
‘We’ve got to be bold’
Brown also discussed political strategy, including Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals, and urged conservatives not to retreat when confronted with accusations or criticism.
During a question-and-answer session, an audience member asked how conservatives should respond when accused of racism or other political misconduct.
Brown advocated confronting such accusations rather than simply defending against them.
“I believe the best defense is a good offense,” Brown said.
“We’ve got to be bold and speak the truth,” he said. “The truth attracts people.”
The presentation ranged across education, political campaigns, government spending, the media and the role of faith in public life. Brown repeatedly returned to the argument that government power should be constrained and citizens should remain engaged.
His appearance in McDowell County came months after he sought to take similar arguments to voters across North Carolina, highlighting how primary election turnouts shape history.
Brown’s 8.8% showing in the March Republican Senate primary put him well behind Whatley, who entered the race with an endorsement from President Donald Trump. A February Carolina Journal poll showed Whatley with 38.3% support among likely Republican primary voters and Brown with 7.5%, while 50.1% were undecided.
In McDowell County, however, Brown’s presentation focused less on his unsuccessful Senate campaign than on what he sees as the broader political stakes facing the country.
His message was straightforward: conservatives, he argued, should defend their principles, support law enforcement, and challenge government expansion.
“The truth attracts people,” Brown said.
“Government is not the answer.”
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