Washington, August 11, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
US President Donald Trump has sought to portray the upcoming US midterm elections as a choice between his policies and what he described as radicalism among Democratic candidates, accusing unnamed opponents of promoting “jihadism” and communism.
Asked what advice he had for Republicans preparing for the elections, Trump said the positions of opposition candidates would allow his party to draw a clear political contrast.
“Well, the one thing is we have jihadists being elected all over the place,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
“We have this — whether it’s communism, jihadism,” he added.
Trump did not identify any specific candidate or clarify which elections he was referring to. He said a friend had suggested that he use the term “jihadist” to describe what he viewed as developments within American politics.
“A friend of mine called up and said, you know, really, you should use the word jihadist because that’s what’s happening,” Trump said.
The President argued that American voters did not want what he characterised as extreme candidates running the government.
“People don’t want to have radical lunatics involved in running our country, and that’s what we have,” he said.
Trump also accused unnamed Democratic candidates of wanting to dismantle major US institutions, including the Supreme Court, the presidency and the Senate.
“When you look at the radicalism and the craziness of the candidates and the stupidity of what they’re suggesting, let’s get rid of the Supreme Court, let’s get rid of the presidency, let’s get rid of the Senate,” he said.
He further alleged that his political opponents wanted to defund the police and weaken the US military, but provided no names or supporting details for the claims.
Trump also criticised politicians who had immigrated to the US, arguing that some came from countries he described as unsuccessful and were now seeking to influence how the country is governed.
“They come from other failed countries and they come here and they tell us how to run our country,” he said.
He specifically cited Somalia but did not identify any Somali-born politician or candidate.
Trump predicted that candidates associated with the positions he criticised would enter the midterm campaign at a disadvantage, while acknowledging that his assessment could prove incorrect.
“I think that they start off — now, I may be wrong, but, you know, they start off with a big disadvantage,” he said.
The US midterm elections determine control of the House of Representatives and the Senate halfway through a president’s four-year term, along with contests for state and local offices.
The elections are often viewed as a referendum on the sitting President and his party. Trump’s remarks suggest that immigration, national identity, policing and the military are likely to feature prominently in the Republican campaign.
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