Attention is turning to why U.S. President Donald Trump has emphasized anti-communism even in his speech marking the 250th anniversary of American independence and founding.
Trump has recently defined communism as "evil" in repeated public appearances, launching fierce attacks. In a 35-minute celebratory address on Independence Day, July 4, he repeated the word "communism" nine times, describing it as a "cancer" and stressing that it must be nipped in the bud. In his speech the previous day at the "faces" of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, he defined the "democratic socialism" rising within the U.S. Democratic Party as communism, saying "America is under new attack" and calling for unity among his supporters. At an event of the conservative Christian group "Faith and Freedom Coalition" on June 26, he attacked, "The Democratic Party is becoming the Communist Party. They are atheist communists." On Truth Social recently, he has continued to send messages that communism is the biggest threat to the United States since World War I and II, Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, and the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Amid Democratic Socialism Fervor, MAGA Insiders Say "The Threat Is Serious"...Fierce Attacks From the Start
The surface reason is to check the democratic socialism fervor blowing through the Democratic Party ahead of the November midterm elections early on. In fact, democratic socialists have been advancing fearsomely in recent Democratic midterm primaries. After Zohran Mamdani was elected New York City mayor last year, democratic socialist Janeese Lewis George was selected as a Washington, D.C., mayoral candidate last month. Given that Washington, D.C., leans heavily progressive, she is effectively expected to be elected mayor. In the Democratic primary for Colorado's 1st Congressional District, 29-year-old newcomer Meloht Kiros, a democratic socialist, defeated 68-year-old incumbent Rep. Diana DeGette, who has served 15 terms.
Democratic socialists recognize liberal democracy and private property, but emphasize "big government" in areas such as health care, education, and housing. Notably, Mayor Mamdani has put forward policies such as raising taxes on the wealthy, free education, and rent freezes. He also advocates political reform that breaks the vested interests of the Democratic Party's entrenched "stagnant" politicians, and aims for centrist votes with the deft message of "Trump must be stopped" rather than unconditional anti-Trump sentiment.
As concerns emerged even within U.S. conservative forces, Trump is assessed to have moved for an "early check." Steve Bannon, chief strategist at the Trump 1 White House and a godfather figure of the "Make America Great Again (MAGA)" forces, expressed fear about the advance of democratic socialism in a recent Politico interview, calling it "new politics," and pointed out that Republicans have failed to respond properly to the progressive forces' "free rent" offensive. He demanded that Republicans also actively push their own right-wing populist policies to fight back. "You have to offer people an alternative. Just sitting there and demonizing is never enough," former strategist Bannon added.
With No Clear Midterm Card...'Anti-Communism' Frame as a Gambit
It can also be seen that Trump brought out the message of "anti-communism" because, with overall public opinion toward the Republicans poor due to high prices and the like ahead of the midterms, there is no suitable card for the election. The U.S. online outlet Axios assessed, "President Trump needed a powerful message to reverse the party's bleak midterm outlook, and he found that message from democratic socialists rising in New York and some other regions."
The Republicans have launched their gambit for these midterms with framing that divides God-loving "good" from democratic socialism—and further, the Democratic Party co-opted by them—as "evil" that does not recognize God. In his Mount Rushmore speech, Trump said, "Communism does not love God."
There also appears to be an intent to stoke public fear. USA Today columnist Chris Brennan pointed out in an opinion piece, "President Trump is scaring the public because he fears Republicans will lose control of Congress." This is interpreted to mean that although there are differences between democratic socialism and communism, Trump has defined it as communism and, in particular, targeted the part conservative Christians fear most by claiming they deny God. In fact, Trump wrote on Truth Social on June 26, "Communists will attack all religions, but they will especially target Christianity," adding, "They will close down churches and they will kill your people."
