Left-wing wave in the US: Trump warns of “communism”

 

Tina Magnergård Bjers/TT

 

Published 05:45

           

          US President Donald Trump photographed in the White House on Monday. Photo: Julia Demaree              Nikhinson/AP/TT

They are already in power in New York and Seattle. And there are many indications that Washington DC and Los Angeles will also have mayors this fall who call themselves democratic socialists.

President Donald Trump sees red and warns of the dangers of “communism”.

– We must stop the threat (from communism) immediately, before it takes hold. It is like a cancer, Trump said in a recent speech.

The president claims that the “communist threat”, without elaborating on what he is referring to, poses a more serious danger to the US than both world wars and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

– They are not democratic socialists – they are communists. They want to destroy our country, says Trump about the relatively small group of politicians who he claims are taking over the Democrats.

Reduced gaps?

It is clear that Donald Trump has his sights set on this fall's mid-term elections for Congress and a number of governor and mayoral posts. Incumbent Democrats from New York and Colorado, among others, have been defeated in primary elections by more progressive party colleagues from the Democrats' left wing. Several of them claim – like New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani – to be democratic socialists and members of the organization DSA, whose ideology can be compared to that of the Swedish Social Democrats.

However, it is far from communism, where state ownership and one-party rule are at the center. DSA members are not against a market economy or democratic elections, but many advocate universal healthcare and childcare as well as reduced economic gaps. They are often, but not always, Democrats.

Among the more well-known representatives are Senator and former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. It is clear that the energy within the Democratic Party now lies with its left wing, which brings together both progressive politicians and DSA supporters.

Rule in cities

The major cities of New York and Seattle are already governed by democratic socialists in the form of mayors Mamdani and Katie Wilson. In the capital, Washington, DC, everything indicates that their like-minded Janeese Lewis George will win this fall's mayoral election. And in Los Angeles, the incumbent Democratic Mayor Karen Bass is being challenged by DSA member Nithya Raman.

The White House's sudden designation of them as communists is strategic, at a time when many Americans are dissatisfied with the Iran war, fuel prices and high inflation, according to Daniel Drezner, a professor of political science at Tufts University.

– Many voters, especially independents, see Trump’s party (the Republicans) as too extreme, he tells AFP.

– One way to address this is to portray the opposing party as even more extreme.

Support for Donald Trums

Republican Donald Trump took office on January 20, 2025, for his second term as US president. Since then, support for him has declined, which is common for a sitting president. In recent months, in line with the Iran war and the increased cost of living it has brought, the decline has become more pronounced.

Currently, 40.5 percent believe that Trump is doing a good job, while 56.8 percent do not think so, according to Real Clear Politics’ compilation of 14 recent surveys. The figures are in line with those reported on the Silver Bulletin website, started by opinion expert Nate Silver. According to Silver Bulletin, however, the proportion that gives Trump’s performance a thumbs up is slightly lower: 39.3 percent.

According to the website Fiftyplusone, an opinion aggregator that weights current surveys using a mathematical model, Trump's approval rating is even lower: 37 percent. 59.2 percent disapprove of the president's job performance.

The midterm elections for Congress on November 3 will determine whether Trump's Republican party will retain the majority in both chambers. Elections for state congresses and some governorship and mayoral positions will also be held there.