America’s former and now current President Donald Trump is once again in the headlines – this time he has revived a political strategy that has been quite controversial in American history by calling his opponents “communists”. Trump said, “We just have to call our opponents communists or socialists and show them as enemies of the country,” – he told reporters at his New Jersey golf club in August 2024.
This was not just a random statement. It is a carefully planned political weapon – a rhetoric whose roots lie in the Red Scare and McCarthyism of the 20th century. When Trump targeted Kamala Harris as “Comrade Kamala” in the 2024 Presidential election, his objective was clear – to associate opponents with an ideology that is still a cause of fear for many Americans.
Is this real Communism?
Experts say that the “communism” that Trump talks about is not communism in reality. Raymond Robertson, who teaches economics at Texas A&M University’s Bush School, says: “The core idea of communism is that government can provide better goods and services than the markets. There are very few people in the West who still take this ideology seriously.”
So why does Trump use the label?
Simple – emotional impact. “Communist” is a loaded word. It’s a label that works to delegitimize a political opponent. In the age of social media, the term can be even more dangerous – it spreads false narratives through misinformation.
Communist’s emotional twist
Trump said at his 100th-day anniversary event in Michigan: “We will not let communist, radical-left judges stop us from enforcing our laws.” The statement came as doubts were being raised about Trump’s popularity – a recent poll showed that more Americans disagree with his priorities.
This week, his senior aide Stephen Miller used the word “communist” four times while speaking to the White House press – targeting transgender policies, diversity initiatives and immigration reforms.
“These are the same areas where President Trump has fought the cancerous, communist woke culture,” Miller said.
This language is specifically targeted at voters in the 45+ age group – people who grew up during the Cold War and have strong emotions against communism.
Is history repeating itself?
Trump’s approach is not new. The “communist” label was used to defame people during the Red Scare, McCarthyism, and the Cold War. Careers were ruined, blacklists were created, and people were publicly shamed as “soft on communism.”
Senator Joseph McCarthy’s hearings spread paranoia across the country in the 1950s. His chief counsel at the time, Roy Cohn, later became Trump’s mentor and fixer. Cohn’s influence on Trump was deep and is still evident in his political style.
Strategy or Distraction?
Experts say that whenever Trump is under political or economic pressure, he uses such charged language. As of now, the economy has shrunk in Q1 2025, tariffs have disrupted business, and public trust in his policies is declining. So his labeling him a “communist” can also be a distraction that distracts people from the real issues.
Robertson says, “This debate is not about capitalism versus communism. It’s about how much government should intervene and when. But leaders like Trump mislead the public by calling even moderate government interventionists ‘communists’.”
Does this tactic work?
Apparently, yes. More than 77 million Americans voted for Trump in the 2024 election – 49.9% of the vote. This means that his messaging resonates with a lot of voters, especially those for whom “communism” is still a symbol of threat.
Political communication expert Jacob Neiheisel says, “Delegitimizing political opponents using emotionally charged terms is a tried and tested strategy. It is especially powerful when the audience is not politically aware or does not understand the historical context
Trump’s “communist” label is a political strategy – aimed at portraying opponents as dangerous, anti-American and radical. Whether they are judges, educators or former vice presidents – if they are against Trump’s agenda, they can be attacked with this label.