Trump revives red scare after leftwing primary wins
Following primary election victories by democratic socialists and progressive allies in New York and elsewhere, Donald Trump and his Republican allies are intensifying a campaign to label Democrats as communists, resurrecting language from the John Birch Society that had fallen out of use. Trump, who often conflates democratic socialism with communism, has made the accusation more explicit.
Speaking at Mount Rushmore for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Trump declared: 'Communism is the exact opposite of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It's death, tyranny, and the pursuit of evil. The godless communist morality states that anything is justified to bring about inhuman visions ... They don't want good. They don't love God and they don't want God. They don't love religion and they don't want religion, and they won't have it, but we will not let them win.'
Trump's own policies mirror state intervention
Despite his anti-communist rhetoric, Trump has overseen the most significant government extension of control over private industry since the Cold War. The U.S. government holds a 9.9% stake in Intel Corporation, making it the chip maker's largest single shareholder, after Trump redirected Chips Act funds to rescue the firm. The government also has warrants to purchase another 5% of the company.
Other nationalized investments include a 15% stake in MP Materials, a 5% stake in Lithium Americas, and a 5% economic stake in its Thacker Pass joint venture with GM. Trump allowed the acquisition of US Steel by a Japanese firm only with a 'golden share' granting veto power over certain industrial decisions. OpenAI is in talks to give the government 5% equity.
Tariffs used as cudgel against private firms
Trump has wielded tariffs to protect or punish industries based on White House policy or personal whims. Nvidia and AMD obtained export licenses for AI chips only after agreeing to pay the U.S. government 15% of their China chip revenue. Senator Ted Cruz celebrated Trump's new savings accounts as a 'New Deal,' saying, 'Instead of having government taking care of everyone, Trump accounts are about making every child and every American a capitalist.'
Right-wing media echoes anti-communist theme
Fox News host Jesse Watters said of the Democratic Party: 'They screwed up so badly and didn't deliver a damned thing when they had power, that they had to play footsie with commies to shore up their base. These are cold-blooded revolutionaries who want to bury America.' House Speaker Mike Johnson called democratic socialism 'a serious threat to our whole system of government.'
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani's Independence Day speech criticizing wealth inequality drew sharp reactions. Former White House adviser Matt Mowers told NewsMax: 'This is what you expect out of the communists. That's why he chose the day before our 250th celebration of our independence, in order to launch this divisive type of speech. He's trying to tear people apart at a time when we should be united and celebrating.'
Midterm implications and conservative infighting
Far-right commentator Barbara Boyd of Promethean Action suggested the attacks could help Republicans in midterms, saying, 'Many Republicans think it's a good development. They say it will make the midterms easier to win because Americans don't like socialists.' She circulated a platform from the Marxist Unity Group, a radical DSA faction, advocating elimination of the Senate and Supreme Court.
Boyd added: 'So, how do we defeat this? Probably not, as Republicans suggest, by constantly flogging how crazy these people are, although they are crazy ... We have to make the culture Donald Trump is recreating, American culture, self-conscious to our people.'
