Trump leans on 'communist' messaging as economic angst drives Democrats

Politics Trump leans on 'communist' messaging as economic angst drives Democrats July 10, 20265:00 AM ET Franco Ordoñez U.S. President Donald Trump holds a press conference at Beştepe Presidential Compound during the NATO Summit on July 08, 2026 in Ankara, Turkey. Chris McGrath/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Chris McGrath/Getty Images President Trump made sure to repeat what has become one of his main attacks on Democrats ahead of the fall midterms before leaving a global summit in Turkey dominated by the Iran ceasefire. "I want to get the word out because what's forming is communism," Trump said following the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. Presidential speeches delivered abroad often carry as much weight with audiences back home as they do with foreign leaders. Trump made that clear when he used his news conference to call communism the biggest threat that America has faced since its founding. Sponsor Message "Communism is easy to sell," Trump added. "I would be the greatest communist in history. I'd be right up there with [former Soviet leader Vladimir] Lenin." It's not a new tactic for this president. During the last election, when struggling to find a memorable attack line against Kamala Harris, Trump eventually landed on "Comrade Kamala." He even shared a fake photo of the then-vice president speaking to a giant crowd bathed in red light and waving communist flags. At the time, when pressed about the personal attacks, Trump defended the strategy – saying he had to run his campaign his own way. "I think we're hitting a nerve," Trump said. "It's a different kind of race. 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." Politicians have used the term communist as a way to attack political opponents for decades going all the way back to the 1950s. It was during that period when Trump — who just turned 80 years old – grew up. "This is in his bones," said Tevi Troy, a presidential...