After progressive US primary wins, Trump takes aim at ‘godless communists’

Trump has repeatedly conflated democratic socialists and communists; no communist are running on the Democratic ticket.United States President Donald Trump has leaned into his latest political attack line, decrying “godless communists” who will “attack all Religions but, in particular, Christianity”.The statements on Friday, made on his Truth Social account and during a meeting of the conservative Faith and Freedom Coalition, came days after progressive candidates backed by New York City’s democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani took home major victories in New York.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Georgia Republican primary delivers mixed results for Trumplist 2 of 3Republican-linked PACs funding Democratic US primaries: Why it matterslist 3 of 3US Senate votes to pass Iran war powers resolution in blow to Trumpend of listTrump did not directly name any candidates, making only a glancing reference to “the recent Election of communists in our Country”.He then unleashed a litany of far-flung claims and derisions: “Assassinations of those who oppose them is a very important element of their Ideology”; “These ruthless communists will attack all Religions but, in particular, Christianity – They always do”; “They’re animals!”“These are not social Dumocrats [Democrats],” Trump wrote. “These are hard core, godless communists.”“This is the Greatest Threat to our Country since its Founding 250 years ago!” he added.Trump has repeatedly used outlandish rhetoric throughout his political career, for example, regularly decrying Democrats as “radical left lunatics” and claiming in 2024, without evidence, that Haitians living in the US were “eating pets”.No self-identifying communists are currently running on the Democratic ticket ahead of the midterms, and there are no communists currently in elected office.Instead, Mamdani and the two candidates he backs, New York Democratic primary winners Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez, are members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). Chris Rabb, a state representative who won a Democratic congressional primary race in Pennsylvania to represent a solidly blue district, is also a member of the organisation.