Trump decries Democrats as ‘communists,’ even as he looks to impress China’s communist leader
WASHINGTON (AP) - Communism, President Donald Trump notes, is the greatest threat the U.S.
WASHINGTON (AP) – Communism, President Donald Trump notes, is the greatest threat the U.S.
Article outline
- What happened
- Official response
- The bottom line
This summer, citing similarly grave reservations, he took the rare step of delivering a primetime address to the nation, accusing China of "sinister election meddling" in 2020 and reviving his yearslong push to dispute his loss in that year's election.
Even as Trump seeks to decry Democrats as communists ahead of November's midterm elections, he is rolling out the red carpet this week for Chinese President Xi Jinping, the leader of the world's most powerful communist country.
In practice, the state visit comes as the president himself has increasingly directed his administration to take sizeable stakes in private businesses to try to stimulate the economy – something even some Republicans decry as corporate socialism.
Notably, the contradictions between Trump's words and actions risk muddying Republican attack lines on Democrats.
"I do think that we're not offering a clear contrast, " remarked Marc Short. This person was chief of staff to former Vice President Mike Pence and worked in Trump's White House in his first term.
Taken together, the developments around trump decries Democrats as communists, even as he looks to impress Chinas point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.
