US President Donald Trump has called communism the greatest threat the United States has ever faced.
This summer, Trump raised serious concerns in a primetime address, accusing China of “sinister election meddling” in the 2020 election.
However, while Trump has accused Democrats of being communists ahead of the November midterm elections, he is welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping to the United States this week.
Xi leads the world’s most powerful communist country.
The visit comes as Trump’s administration moves to take large stakes in private companies in an effort to boost the economy, a policy that has drawn criticism as a form of corporate socialism.
At the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, Trump repeatedly branded Democrats as communists, reports AP.
His rhetoric targets primary victories by democratic socialist-aligned candidates in Michigan, Colorado, New York, Florida, and Pennsylvania.
GOP leaders argue these outcomes show Democrats moving too far left.
The attack lines come as the administration contends with an increasingly unpopular war in Iran, high inflation, and near historic low approval ratings.
Concurrently, the administration faces backlash over economic policies that resemble centrally planned economies.
The White House has taken government stakes in over 30 private companies, including chipmaker Intel, nuclear producer Westinghouse, and various metals firms.
Senator Rand Paul questioned on X whether state ownership in Intel is a step towards socialism.
In a House committee hearing, Representative Jim Himes told Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that no administration in 50 years is “quite as communist as the Trump administration”.
Marc Short, former chief of staff to Vice-President Mike Pence and chairman of Advancing American Freedom, warned that corporate stakes, proposed pharmaceutical price controls, and a $5,000 voter payout proposal represent “enormous intervention”.
Trump defended the equity deals by posting, “I will make deals like that for our Country all day long” on social media.
The White House declined to comment on discrepancies between condemning Democrats and acquiring private sector stakes.
Meanwhile, Trump has touted his close bond with President Xi.
He rushed construction of a new White House South Lawn helipad to impress Xi, while regretting that a White House ballroom was incomplete.
Marc Selverstone, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center of Public Affairs, noted that Trump’s praise for Xi aligns with his broader fascination with strongmen like Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, and Viktor Orbán.
Though Trump once mocked Barack Obama’s summit with Xi in 2015, his tone shifted after taking office, marvelling in 2018 at Xi becoming “president for life”.
Although Trump accused China in July of election meddling, declassified documents provided little supporting evidence.
Ali Wyne, a senior adviser at the International Crisis Group, noted that Trump avoided condemning Xi directly, ensuring US-China diplomatic relations remain on track.
