A century-old charge gets revived, and Democrats get called communist by Trump and Republicans in America
A familiar political charge
Communism has long been described by US politicians, especially on the right, as a danger to the American way of life. The country has also seen periods of intense, sometimes violent efforts to suppress its spread.
The current campaign rhetoric is not new. President Donald Trump has made communism a prominent perceived threat from the left, while Republicans are trying to convince voters that Democrats support it.
Faith and anti-communism
In the United States, opposition to communism has often been framed alongside religious belief, particularly Christianity. This has connected political arguments about economic systems with claims about values and national identity.
In the 1950s, President Dwight D. Eisenhower added “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance. The words “In God We Trust” were also added to US currency, reinforcing the association between anti-communism and Christian values.
A strategy aimed at voters
As evangelical Christians became a crucial voting bloc for the Republican Party, accusations of communism against the left periodically returned as a way to mobilize its base. The article places today’s claims within that longer political pattern.
Key points
- Republicans are again portraying Democrats as supporters of communism.
- Anti-communist politics in the United States has often been linked to Christianity.
- Eisenhower added “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance in the 1950s.
- The current debate is whether the communist label will persuade midterm voters.