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Trump invokes 'communism' as July 4 threat, echoing Red Scare rhetoric

politicsJul 4, 2026532,391

In his July 4 address at Mount Rushmore, Donald Trump framed "communism" as a principal national threat and told listeners "We will vanquish communism quickly," reviving language associated with the 1950s Red Scare. The speech coincided with white nationalist and neo-Nazi presence in Washington, D.C., and organizers reported extreme heat forced cancellation of a parade and left multiple people hospitalized. Historians and commentators labeled the rhetoric "Red Scare idiocy," while Pope Leo issued a contrasting call for compassion toward immigrants. Journalists and photographers, including Reuters, documented the tense scenes around the event. The address and surrounding demonstrations prompted counterprotests, including a "Freedom over Fascism" march by hundreds of veterans in Philadelphia. Critics say the July 4 rhetoric is part of a deliberate campaign to portray center-left opponents as communist, while supporters presented it as a return to hardline patriotism.

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