Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) told CNN he left the Congressional Progressive Caucus last year — and decided not to run for reelection this year — in part because of the rise in socialist leadership in the caucus.

“I just found it to be not the same caucus I joined in 2007. It had become more the socialist caucus, and most of the leadership was socialist Democrats,” Cohen, a longtime progressive, said in an interview with the outlet. “I didn’t feel comfortable in it.”

The Democrat said there’s now a growing contingent of anti-Israel Democrats as well within the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which he said was not present when he first came to the Hill.

“There certainly were not people who were so anti-Israel when I started, and there are within the progressive caucus now,” Cohen said.

The chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus is Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), who won his seat in 2022 on an anti-Israel platform. The caucus’ vice-chair is Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who has long been one of the most outspoken detractors of Israel in Congress and has been subject to censures over allegations of antisemitism.

Cohen, who announced his retirement after Tennessee Republicans carved up his congressional district, predicted that he would have faced antisemitic attacks over his stance on Israel if he had run for reelection.

Before redistricting, Cohen was facing a challenge from far-left state Sen. Justin Pearson, who was campaigning on an anti-Israel platform. 

“I foresaw it getting really nasty and antisemitism getting into it,” Cohen said.

Cohen also told CNN that Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) had not spoken to him since he voted to censure her for sharing a video that included the slogan “from the river to the sea” and after she accused former President Joe Biden of supporting genocide.