Attention is turning to why U.S. President Donald Trump has emphasized "anti-communism" around the 250th anniversary of American independence and founding. One interpretation is that it amounts to "fear marketing" aimed at quelling a growing wave of democratic socialism after his foreign policy failures — including the tariff war with China and the war-ending negotiations with Iran — have fractured his support base. China, meanwhile, criticized the 250th anniversary events, saying they "starkly revealed extreme social division."
Trump-Style 'Setting History Straight'
The White House Domestic Policy Council released a report titled "Saving American History" on the night of the 4th, the 250th anniversary of the U.S. founding, and strongly criticized the National Museum of American History (NMAH) under the Smithsonian Institution, which operates national museums and galleries, for promoting a distorted view of history and inappropriate ideology.
In the report, the council pointed out that the museum "has explicitly adopted an ideological framework not as a national heritage to be commemorated in America's story, but as a political tool that divides, demoralizes and dispirits citizens." The report was prepared in accordance with President Trump's executive order to review the Smithsonian Institution's method of displaying history.
Trump began invoking communism in earnest at the Faith & Freedom Coalition event, a conservative Christian group, on the 26th of last month. From that day on, he has continuously defined "communism = evil" and launched fierce attacks. On the 4th, the 250th anniversary of American independence and founding, he described communism as a cancer and said "the shoots must be cut off."
The Rise of Once-Minority 'Democratic Socialism'
Analysts say Trump's moves reflect anxiety within "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) over the democratic socialism sweeping through the Democratic Party. Steve Bannon, the former chief strategist of the first Trump White House and a godfather figure of the MAGA movement, said in a recent Politico interview that American politics stands at a critical turning point. The public is criticizing the establishment political forces and demanding new politics, he said, and that is manifesting as a wave of democratic socialism. Pointing out that the Republican Party has failed to properly respond to the progressive camp's "free rent" offensive, he issued a stern warning: "You have to give people an alternative. Just sitting there and demonizing is never going to be enough."
Since Zohran Mamdani was elected New York City mayor last year, democratic socialism — advocating tax hikes on the wealthy and free education — has been making strides, with Janeese Lewis George selected in the Democratic Party primary in Washington, D.C. last month.
Meanwhile, the number of MAGA figures leaving in opposition to the Trump administration's policies is also growing. Last month, former Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene declared that she would withdraw her support for the Republican Party. She made the announcement on the podcast of Tucker Carlson, a leading conservative commentator who had earlier rebelled against the Trump administration. "I have been a consistent supporter of the Republican Party for 35 years," former Representative Greene said. "If I leave, I think a lot of other people will leave too."
A Good-vs-Evil Argument Leaning on Conservative Christians
U.S. online outlet Axios assessed that "Trump needed a powerful message to reverse the party's bleak midterm election outlook, and he found that message from the democratic socialists rising in some regions, including New York." The Republican Party has staked its bid in this midterm election on framing that divides the world into "good" — those defending liberal democracy — and "evil" — democratic socialists, and further the Democratic Party co-opted by them, who do not recognize Christianity, the root of American conservatism, and who suppress freedom.
Trump has continued making remarks that stoke the anxiety of Christians, many of whom lean conservative. On the 26th of last month, Trump wrote on Truth Social that "communists will attack all religions but will especially target Christianity," adding, "They will close your churches and they will kill your people." He also stressed, "If you use a policy where everything is free, that country will collapse in two or three years," and "there will be no food, no house to live in, no military, nothing, so everyone will suffer or die."
China Criticizes Both Republicans and Democrats
Meanwhile, Chinese state media directly criticized the events, saying they were "an occasion that most starkly revealed America's partisan strife and social division." In an analysis article titled "America's 250th Anniversary of Independence, a Self-Portrait of Division" on the 6th, state-run Xinhua News Agency noted that a considerable number of states led by Democratic governors boycotted the events, commenting that "various forms of events were held, but they bore a distinct partisan stamp from beginning to end." It went on to point out that "there are deep-rooted institutional problems in America's political polarization and social division," and that "livelihood issues have been reduced to tools for the two parties to scrape up votes, while genuine governance of the state has been pushed to the back burner."
