President Donald Trump has recently escalated his rhetoric, warning that communism poses a direct threat to the United States if Democrats win the upcoming midterm elections. During a visit to the newly constructed Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota, he stated, "It's the biggest threat to our country, including World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor, September 11th." At the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s 2026 policy conference, Trump referred to Democrats as "hard core, godless Communists." These attacks follow primary victories by democratic socialist candidates and mirror similar narratives Trump has used throughout his political career.

However, experts across multiple universities and research institutions have categorically stated that these claims are inaccurate. No candidate who openly identifies as a member of the U.S. Communist Party has ever been elected to state or federal office, according to historians and political scientists. While there are fringe elements within the Democratic Party that express sympathy for communist ideas, they still advocate for a market-based economy and democratic processes. Painting the entire party with such a broad brush is misleading.

The Reality of Democratic Socialism

Marc Selverstone, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center for Public Affairs and author of a book on international communism, explained that even the most left-leaning Democratic figures do not identify as communists. Democratic socialism, as practiced by candidates like Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, advocates for a robust social safety net, universal healthcare, higher taxes on the wealthy, and stricter corporate regulation—all within the framework of democracy and private property. This is fundamentally different from communism, which historically involves the abolition of private property and central economic planning.

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), to which some of these candidates belong, is a political and activist organization, not a political party. It does not espouse communist ideology, though it draws on socialist traditions. The DSA has grown in influence in recent years, but its members remain a small faction within the larger Democratic Party. Experts emphasize that labeling such candidates as communist is a deliberate distortion aimed at marginalizing them.

Trump's History of Red-Baiting

Trump has a long history of using communist and socialist labels to attack his opponents. In August 2024, he told reporters at his New Jersey golf club, "All we have to do is define our opponent as being a communist or a socialist or somebody who is going to destroy our country." He then branded then-Vice President Kamala Harris as "comrade Kamala" during the presidential election. This tactic is not new; it echoes the McCarthy era of the 1950s, when Senator Joseph McCarthy led a witch hunt against alleged communists in government, blacklisting many without evidence. McCarthy's chief counsel, Roy Cohn, later became Trump's mentor and fixer as Trump rose in New York real estate.

Kendall Witmer, the Democratic National Committee's rapid response director, responded to Trump's claims by saying the president is "grasping at straws" ahead of the midterms. White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales defended Trump, stating, "the Democrats' embrace of socialism and communism is an existential threat to our country" and that Trump will "keep calling out their radicalism." This reflects a deliberate political strategy to rally Republican base voters by invoking fears of leftist extremism.

The Communist Party Today

The Communist Party USA (CPUSA) has a very small footprint in current U.S. politics. Co-chair Joe Sims confirmed that the party brought in about 20,000 members over the past several years and is assessing active members. He agreed that recent Democratic candidates cannot accurately be described as members of his party. "I don’t know of any of those candidates who are members of the Communist Party or who subscribe to Marxism in the tradition that our party comes from," Sims said. "Not that it would be a crime if there are such forces, but at this stage, I really don’t see it."

Two recent primary winners illustrate the gap between Trump's accusations and reality. Darializa Avila Chevalier, a declared democratic socialist, upset a five-term New York City congressman for the Democratic nomination. She faced scrutiny over deleted social media posts sympathetic to communism, but her campaign confirmed she does not identify as a communist. She stated, "I am proud to be a democratic socialist." Similarly, Graham Platner, who won the Maine Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and now faces incumbent Republican Senator Susan Collins, was criticized for old online comments where he called himself a communist. But he told CNN last October, "I'm not a communist. I'm not a socialist."

Harvey Klehr, an expert on American communism and professor emeritus at Emory University, noted that it is unlikely any Democrats who gravitate toward ideas associated with communism actually consider themselves Communist Party members. A small number of communist candidates have been elected to local offices in the U.S., but never to state or federal office. This fact undermines Trump's sweeping claims.

Historical Context of Red-Baiting

The use of the communist label as a political weapon has a long and dark history in the United States. The Red Scare of the 1910s and 1920s, followed by the Second Red Scare and McCarthyism in the 1950s, led to widespread blacklisting, loss of jobs, and ruined lives for suspected communists and sympathizers. Often, the accusations were based on flimsy evidence or political disagreements. Maurice Isserman, a professor of American history at Hamilton College and an expert in American communism, explained, "I think it's part of the arsenal of the right, which today means the Republican Party, largely, to pull out these accusations of communism, of godless communism." This tactic is designed to associate opponents with an ideology that is widely perceived as hostile to American values.

Trump's specific use of "godless" echoes Cold War-era rhetoric that framed communism as not only a political threat but a moral and religious one. This appeals to evangelical and conservative voters who see socialism and communism as antithetical to freedom and faith. However, the facts show that the Democratic Party remains a center-left coalition that includes moderates, progressives, and a small democratic socialist wing. No mainstream Democratic leader advocates for the abolition of private property or the establishment of a centrally planned economy.

In a 2024 interview, then-Democratic nominee Kamala Harris explicitly rejected socialism and communism, affirming her support for capitalism with regulations. The Democratic Party platform for the 2026 midterm elections focuses on expanding healthcare access, addressing climate change, protecting voting rights, and strengthening the economy—policies that are common in Western European social democracies but far from communist.

Analysis of the 2026 Midterm Impact

The midterm elections are shaping up to be a referendum on Trump's second term, with control of both the House and Senate at stake. Republican strategists see red-baiting as a way to energize their base and paint Democratic candidates as extreme. However, polling suggests that swing voters may be more concerned with issues like inflation, immigration, and healthcare than with ideological labels. By focusing on communism, Trump risks overplaying his hand, as many voters view the characterization as hyperbolic and disconnected from their daily concerns.

Democratic candidates are pushing back by focusing on tangible issues. For example, Darializa Avila Chevalier has emphasized her plans to lower housing costs and improve public schools in New York City. Graham Platner in Maine is highlighting his support for affordable healthcare and protecting Social Security. These campaigns aim to shift the conversation away from ideology and toward policy outcomes.

Experts predict that Trump's communist accusations will dominate news cycles, but they may not sway undecided voters who are wary of alarmist rhetoric. The fact-checking community has consistently rated such claims as false, and major news outlets have published detailed debunkings. Yet, in an era of polarized media, the repetition of the accusation itself can shape perceptions, regardless of its accuracy.

Key Takeaways from the Fact Check

• No candidate openly belonging to the U.S. Communist Party has ever been elected to state or federal office.
• Democratic socialists like those in the DSA favor a social safety net, not communism, and operate within democratic capitalism.
• Trump's own advisers have acknowledged that defining opponents as communist is a strategic tool, not a factual assessment.
• Even the Communist Party USA agrees that recent Democratic primary winners do not align with its ideology.
• Historical parallels to McCarthyism highlight the danger of baseless accusations that damage political discourse.

The bottom line, according to multiple experts, is that Trump's claims linking Democrats to communism are not supported by evidence. While political rhetoric often involves exaggeration, this particular accusation misrepresents the ideology of the vast majority of Democratic candidates and risks undermining public trust in democratic processes. As the midterms approach, voters will need to separate fact from fiction when evaluating candidates' true beliefs.

Source: AOL.com News