Trump escalates anti-communism rhetoric as Republicans revive Cold War-era fears ahead of midterms

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President Donald Trump has escalated his rhetoric against socialism and communism, declaring the ideology “the greatest threat to our country since World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor, or 9/11” as Republicans attempt to revive Cold War-era fears ahead of the November midterms. Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump framed the rise of progressive policies among young Democrats as an existential danger, arguing that “it is not social democracy—it is true communism” and vowing to confront it with executive action.

The Republican National Committee has seized on the theme, with House Speaker Mike Johnson warning that communism has taken root “on our own shores” and some far-right figures urging revival of the 1954 Communist Control Act to ban the Democratic Socialists of America. Former Trump strategist Steve Bannon has long argued that Senator Joseph McCarthy was correct about communist infiltration, and Trump’s Sunday remarks suggest the White House now sees political traction in reviving the Red Scare.

Democratic leaders reject the framing. New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, told reporters that attempts to smear progressives as extremists fall flat when “so many Americans are struggling with the rising cost of housing, homelessness, unaffordable healthcare, and underfunded schools.” A DSA spokesperson echoed the sentiment, noting that younger voters—who now view socialism more favorably than capitalism—are less susceptible to Cold War-era boogeymen. Polling shows Americans under 30 hold a more favorable view of socialism than older cohorts, though overall unfavorable ratings of communism remain high.

The political gamble comes as Trump faces internal GOP dissent. Representative Tom Kean, who returned to Congress Tuesday after a four-month absence due to a depression diagnosis, disclosed his condition on the House floor, ending speculation over his prolonged absence. Kean, who missed more than 100 consecutive votes, said doctors recommended hospitalization and that his return marked the end of a difficult recovery. His absence briefly threatened Speaker Johnson’s razor-thin majority, underscoring the fragility of the Republican caucus.

Meanwhile, Trump’s allies are pushing cultural and policy battles ahead of the U.S. Semiquincentennial. The White House has quietly begun construction of a new helipad on the South Lawn, while Trump’s favored tabloid, the *New York Post*, launched a rare public feud with his sons Eric and Donald Jr. over a sleaze scandal. Abroad, allies question U.S. reliability after Trump’s push to exit the USMCA trade pact and his administration’s targeting of USAID, which critics say undermines global development efforts. NATO, meanwhile, has joined joint exercises off the U.S. coast even as political tensions simmer in Washington.

As Trump doubles down on anticommunist rhetoric, historians warn the strategy risks backfiring with younger voters who see socialism as a pragmatic response to economic inequality rather than a Soviet-era threat. “For many young voters, communism is just not an effective boogeyman,” said Ethan Porter of George Washington University. Yet with midterm messaging now centered on ideological confrontation, the White House appears willing to test whether Cold War-era fears still resonate in 2026.

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GOP reboots the Red Scare as young Democrats embrace socialism 70 years after the Red Scare and 35 years after the fall of the Soviet Union, President Trump and Republicans are trying to re-introduce a national fear of "godless communists" ahead of the critical midterms.Why it matters: A wave of resounding victories by Democratic Socialists has the GOP trotting out a message that last worked when most of those candidates werent even born. Its too soon to know if the message is working — but Trump and Republican strategists see an opening with voters old enough to remember Soviet-era nuclear drills and spy dramas. The big picture: Former Trump aide Steve Bannon has argued for years that former Wisconsin Sen. Joe McCarthy was right about communisms widespread infiltration into the U.S. government.On Sunday, Trump called communism "the Greatest Threat to our Country since World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor, or 9/11!"Once a fringe view, now right-wing voices seem to be calling for a McCarthyism revival.What theyre saying: "Its a common electoral strategy for conservatives to attack liberals, progressives, democratic socialists as communists, and imply therefore that they are much more extreme than they actually are," Kathryn Olmsted, a U.C. Davis distinguished professor of history, tells Axios.But, she adds, "were definitely reaching a new fever pitch."The other side: "The Democrats embrace of socialism and communism is an existential threat to our country. President Trump will keep calling out their radicalism and drawing a sharp contrast with his commonsense, America First agenda," White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said in a statement.The intrigue: Trump mentor Roy Cohn was McCarthys chief counsel during his infamous anticommunist campaign."Trump really is a Cold War person ... thats thats when he came of age, its how he formed his political ideas," says Beverly Gage, a Pulitzer-prize-winning historian.She adds, "But I guess the question is, 30 some years out from the end of the Cold War, is the United States actually still susceptible to that kind of political language?"Reality check: Democratic socialism is not communism. New Yorks Zohran Mamdani and Washington, D.C., mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George both call for expanded government programs, Axios Josephine Walker writes."Any attempt to smear us as extremists falls flat when so many Americans are struggling with the rising cost of housing, homelessness, unaffordable healthcare, and underfunded schools," a DSA spokesperson told Axios in a statement.Still, Democrats are grappling with what it means for progressives and young Americans embracing labels that once stoked fears of communism.Between the lines: Red-baiting "has much less resonance for a younger generation, which did not grow up living under the shadow of the Soviet Union," says Ethan Porter, co-director of GWs Institute for Data, Democracy and Politics. "For many young voters, communism is just not an effective boogeyman."Zoom out: Nevertheless, Republicans are echoing Trumps midterm message.House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said last week that communism is "on our own shores."Other far-right voices suggested reviving the 1954 Communist Control Act — which banned the Communist Party — as a way to crack down on Democratic socialists.By the numbers: U.S. college students have a sunnier view of socialism than capitalism, according to an October Axios-Generation Lab poll.Similarly, Americans positive views of capitalism fell to a new low in Gallups trend last year, but they remained higher than opinions about socialism.Americans retain overwhelmingly unfavorable views of communism, per a 2025 CATO Institute/YouGov poll — but respondents under 30 were a different story, with around a third holding a favorable view.What were watching: Whether Trumps anticommunist alarm carries modern political weight.Go deeper: House Democrats brace for a "Freedom Caucus of the left"

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