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justaprogressive

(7,395 posts)
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 10:12 AM Yesterday

Why Is He Using the Communist Trump Card? Robert Reich

Friends,

Trump has run out of cards to play in the midterm elections, which is why he’s now talking about the “communist menace.”

He can’t talk about the economy, because prices continue to rise faster than wages, which means most Americans are getting poorer. He can’t talk about foreign policy, because his war in Iran has been a debacle, his tariffs are an utter failure, and he obviously hasn’t settled the war in Ukraine on “Day 1.” He can’t talk about immigration, because his raids and mass deportations have become so unpopular.

So, facing the midterm elections, what’s left?

He’s resorting to the oldest of right-wing tropes — accusing Democrats (especially a rising generation of new, young, vigorous Democratic politicians) of being commies.

He kicked off America’s 250th anniversary celebrations on Friday with a speech at Mount Rushmore extolling American culture and warning of a resurgence of the “communist menace.” With the granite faces of four of his predecessors behind him, Trump took aim at what he called “radicals” and “extremists.”

“There is now a resurgence of the communist menace in our land, including from newcomers to our country who embrace ideas totally opposed to our way of life and our great success. You can be a communist, or you can be a patriot. You cannot be both.”

Oh, please.

For years, Trump has been trying to scare Americans about progressive Dems who advocate Medicare for All, universal childcare, free public higher education, and higher taxes on the super-wealthy to pay for them (all of which the rising young Democrats are advocating).

But he hasn’t gotten anywhere because these initiatives are supported by most Americans.


https://robertreich.substack.com/p/trumps-communist-trump-card]

19 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Why Is He Using the Communist Trump Card? Robert Reich (Original Post) justaprogressive Yesterday OP
FIGHTING COMMIES, ONE HUG AT A TIME! usonian Yesterday #1
Putin is NOT a Communist TVguyCards Yesterday #5
Let's ask Joe McCarthy usonian Yesterday #8
One rape of a teenage girl at a time. Justice matters. Yesterday #16
This message was self-deleted by its author TVguyCards Yesterday #2
What worries me is how well that ploy might work Vogon_Glory Yesterday #3
Works on DU, evidently. Kid Berwyn Yesterday #10
It's Sheer Desperation at This Point MineralMan Yesterday #4
Our worst response would be to moderate our goals. yardwork Yesterday #6
Another LTTE today durablend Yesterday #7
He's using it because democratic socialism or social democracy doesn't scare people who want Nanjeanne Yesterday #9
Why? Because it works. maxsolomon Yesterday #11
Trump was mentored by McCarthy's henchman, Roy Cohn Peppertoo Yesterday #12
i have heard that felgercarb before . AllaN01Bear Yesterday #13
At 32% approval rating many people have tuned him. Because he lies every moment. FloridaBlues Yesterday #14
Fukkin commies want to hurt people.... take away Jesus and make life bad for everyday Americans. 3Hotdogs Yesterday #15
1. How can I help fight communism? 2. What is communism? Festivito Yesterday #17
This message was self-deleted by its author ChicagoTeamster Yesterday #18
Putin's Buddy is talking about commies. Jeez. Lol. Joinfortmill Yesterday #19

usonian

(27,398 posts)
1. FIGHTING COMMIES, ONE HUG AT A TIME!
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 10:24 AM
Yesterday
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100221350774



"Caption it yourself" ... template at the OP linked above.

It's just a dogwhistl8, like so many others.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=21351285

Donnie misuses "communism" SO CAN WE. TURN THE TABLES.

It's a dogwhistle!

Welfare mothers
Soft on crime
War on drugs
"Big government" (what?)
"Dem pedophile ring"

Shove that *** damn dogwhistle down his/their ******* throats.

About the fact that these are NOT communists:
Magats don't know Lenin from linen.
Perfection is the ENEMY of damn near everything good (Brain surgery and other critical things excluded)

This is WAR on democracy, NOT BRAIN SURGERY.

They ain't got no brains nohow.

And besides ..... Joe McCarthy asks:
"Are you now, or have you ever been a member of the communist party?"



I rest my case.

TVguyCards

(128 posts)
5. Putin is NOT a Communist
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 10:49 AM
Yesterday

He's an authoritarian strong man who leads a Capitalist state.
He doesn't follow Marxist-Leninist ideology and his alliance is with oligarchs, state-controlled Capitalism, and Conservative Nationalists.

Here's a good article from History On The Net titled "Is Russia Communist Today?"

usonian

(27,398 posts)
8. Let's ask Joe McCarthy
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 11:20 AM
Yesterday

"Are you now, or have you ever been a member of the communist party?"



Call me when he flips Lenin the bird.

Response to justaprogressive (Original post)

Vogon_Glory

(10,454 posts)
3. What worries me is how well that ploy might work
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 10:33 AM
Yesterday

A quarter-century ago calling your political opponents Communists was a losing ploy except in red-dirt parts of the Heart of Dixie and the deepest back-woods of Appalachia, the Ozarks, and maybe Idaho.

Since then a lot of working-class whites have allowed themselves to become so dumbed-down that they’d actually believe it, never mind that the Soviet Union dissolved, the Warsaw Pact is. Kaput, Cuba was economically moribund even before the latest round of trade restrictions and the People’s Republic of China, while formidable, stopped waving their copies of Chairman Mao’s Little Red Book decades ago.

Kid Berwyn

(25,649 posts)
10. Works on DU, evidently.
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 11:51 AM
Yesterday

Like at their country club, repuglians only do “Divide and Conquer”

MineralMan

(152,138 posts)
4. It's Sheer Desperation at This Point
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 10:46 AM
Yesterday

He's trying to recall the 50s and 60s and regenerate the "Red Scare."

durablend

(9,484 posts)
7. Another LTTE today
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 11:01 AM
Yesterday

"On the Democrats’ dangerous embrace of democratic socialists [letter]"

Seems to be one of these every few days so they're definitely pushing it.

Nanjeanne

(6,897 posts)
9. He's using it because democratic socialism or social democracy doesn't scare people who want
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 11:24 AM
Yesterday

public education, universal healthcare, childcare, sick days, maternity and paternity leave, an electrical grid that works, broadband, etc.

maxsolomon

(39,517 posts)
11. Why? Because it works.
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 12:16 PM
Yesterday

In '24, Trump and the RWNM started calling Harris a Communitst.

Soon thereafter, a co-worker told me Harris was a Communist. He was "joking", but it was the 1st reason he had to justify a vote for Trump.

A day later, my Dad told me Harris was a Communist. He voted for Trump for a third time.

Remember: this bullshit works on the American Voter, because collectively, they're dumb AF.

3Hotdogs

(15,804 posts)
15. Fukkin commies want to hurt people.... take away Jesus and make life bad for everyday Americans.
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 12:33 PM
Yesterday

Would you want to have a commie red bastid for a friend?

I wouldn't.

Festivito

(13,967 posts)
17. 1. How can I help fight communism? 2. What is communism?
Mon Jul 6, 2026, 01:00 PM
Yesterday

And 3. what would your response mean when applied to democratic socialism?

Who but the lackluster nonthinkers would fail to see right through your answer.

Pure communism fails. Pure capitalism fails. If we need a mix, can we decide on the mix democratically? Perhaps we could call it democratic socialism. Hmmm?

Response to justaprogressive (Original post)

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