The Dictatorship
‘Communist menace in our land’: Trump’s July 4 rallying cry to America
President Donald Trump is set to cap a weeks-long celebration of the country’s 250th anniversary with a hyped political rally speech on the National Mall Saturday, coming off his wind-up at Mount Rushmorewhere he railed against communism.
Trump has boasted that his July 4 nighttime address in front of the Washington Monument would be “the most spectacular TRUMP RALLY of them all.” It was certainly guaranteed to be hot. Temperatures are forecast to hit above 100 degrees and festivities included seven scheduled hours of flyovers by military planes — including the new Qatari-gifted jet serving as Air Force One.
The president said on his social media platform Saturday afternoon that “crowds in D.C. are INCREDIBLE!” But extreme heat postponed entry to the National Mall until 5 p.m. ET and caused the District of Columbia to cancel its annual parade as the city faced a severe thunderstorm watch.
His speech at the national memorial in Keystone, South Dakota, on Friday night hewed more closely to a Cold War-era campaign address than one meant to unify the country around its 250th birthday.
He framed the midterm elections as a battle against the “resurgence of the communist menace in our land.” He portrayed an America under siege by communism, which he described as a “mortal threat to American liberty” and one being revived by “newcomers to our country who embrace ideas totally opposed to our way of life and our great success.”
“The Communist Party is made up of illegal immigrants, criminals, and everybody that doesn’t want to work,” Trump said, seemingly aiming his remarks at the MAGA base that elected him president for a second time in 2024.
His dark warnings come on the heels of stunning election victories by democratic socialist candidates in New York and Colorado. He said it was imperative that Republicans win the midterms in November and retain control of the legislative branch — and he demanded Congress pass a bill to require proof of citizenship when registering to vote.
“We can only lose the midterms if we allow ourselves to lose the midterms, if we are foolish, stupid, and unwise,” Trump said. “But if we terminate the filibuster, as we should do, and immediately vote for the Save America Act, then we will not lose an election for 100 years.”
The president’s highly politicized speech on the eve of the Fourth of July highlighted the deep political divisions that he himself has sown. Recent polls show many Americans have a pessimistic outlook on the country’s trajectory and broadly distrust each other and institutions.
As he spoke loftily of America’s singularity, Trump also hit some familiar notes. He touted U.S. military campaigns in Venezuela and Iran that international affairs and human rights groups have called illegal, and claimed that the Middle Eastern country is “dying to settle” to end the war.
But he repeatedly suggested Americans have something bigger to fear than the Islamic Republic that he began waging war against on Feb. 28.
“Communism is the exact opposite of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” he said. “It’s death, tyranny and the pursuit of evil.”
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News.
Mara Mellits is a desk associate for MS NOW based in New York.
Camille Ray is a desk associate for MS NOW based in New York.