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President Donald Trump is escalating his attacks on Democrats ahead of the midterm elections, arguing that recent victories by progressive candidates in Democratic primaries reflect a broader shift toward far-left policies within the party.
The president has long accused Democrats of embracing socialism, but in recent days he has intensified that message by labeling some of the party’s rising figures as “communists.”
“They use the word social democrat because it sounds so nice, but it’s really communism you’re talking about,” he told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday when asked about a series of left-wing primary victories.
“I think it’s the biggest threat to our nation there is, maybe since our founding,” he added. “That includes World War I, World War II, September 11, it includes the Pearl Harbor attack.”
The president’s comments follow several high-profile primary wins by progressive candidates or politicians backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, including Zohran Mamdani, Katie Wilson and Janeese Lewis George.
Republicans have also criticized Graham Platner over a deleted social media post in which he reportedly described himself as a communist, while Darializa Avila Chevalier has faced scrutiny over deleted posts referencing communists.
“The inmates are running the asylum in the Democrat Party, and Mamdani, Chevalier, and Platner are the new faces of the radical socialist takeover. President Trump is right to warn Americans of the extremism taking over the Left,” Joe Gruters said in a statement. “The midterms are shaping up to be a decision between extremism and common sense.”
Speaking at the Faith and Freedom Coalition policy conference on Friday, President Trump warned that progressive candidates were making unrealistic promises to voters.
“The Democrat party is in big trouble because this isn’t stopping with New York,” he said.
“It’s too easy to get elected, giving everything away,” he continued. “It’s easy for them to get followers because they make promises they know they can’t keep.”