Red scare revived as Trump leads push to attack Democrats as ‘communists’

Trump at the Faith & Freedom Coalition summit in Washington in June. Photograph: Evan Vucci/Reuters View image in fullscreen Trump at the Faith & Freedom Coalition summit in Washington in June. Photograph: Evan Vucci/Reuters Analysis Red scare revived as Trump leads push to attack Democrats as ‘communists’ George Chidi In wake of primary wins by leftwing candidates in New York and elsewhere, president has resorted to well-worn tactic Moments after Donald Trump rang the ceremonial opening bell on Monday, starting the trading day from the Oval Office, 232 miles north on Wall Street, the US senator Ted Cruz celebrated the president’s new savings accounts as his administration’s “New Deal”. “But instead of having government taking care of everyone,” the Republican senator declared, “Trump accounts are about making every child and every American a capitalist.” In the wake of primary election wins by democratic socialists and their close progressive allies in New York and elsewhere, Trump and his Republican allies are leading a broad push to brand Democrats as communists, using John Birch Society language that has grown dusty with disuse. While Trump often conflates democratic socialism with communism – a well-worn Republican tactic that aims to weaponize voters’ fears of Marxism against liberal policies – he has increasingly made the accusation distinct and clear. “Communism is the exact opposite of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It’s death, tyranny, and the pursuit of evil,” Trump said, speaking at Mount Rushmore for an address marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. “The godless communist morality states that anything is justified to bring about inhuman visions … They don’t want good. They don’t love God and they don’t want God. They don’t love religion and they don’t want religion, and they won’t have it, but we will not let them win.” No president had rung the bell from the White House before Monday’s event, perhaps because no president had wanted to associate state power so closely with financial markets. But while Trump has ramped up his attacks against communism, the self-styled business mogul president has overseen the most significant extension of government control over private industry since the start of the cold war, if not before. The United States government has a 9.9% stake in Intel Corporation and is the storied chip maker’s largest single shareholder. Trump redirected money from the Chips Act to rescue the firm. The government has warrants allowing it to purchase another 5% of the private company. It is only one of dozens of nationalized state investments since the start of Trump’s second term. The US has a 15% stake in MP Materials: the Department of Defense is the rare earth producer’s largest shareholder. The Department of Energy has a 5% stake in Lithium Americas and a 5% economic stake in its Thacker Pass joint venture with GM. Trump allowed the acquisition of US Steel by a Ja