Ankara, July 8, 2026
President Donald Trump on Wednesday warned that the greatest danger facing the United States was the spread of communist ideology, saying the country faced a more profound internal threat than it did during the World Wars or the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Speaking at a news conference after the NATO summit in Ankara, Trump said communism was being repackaged under more acceptable political labels but remained fundamentally destructive.
“Communism is a disaster. It’s been proven to be for thousands of years under different names,” Trump said.
Responding to a question about his repeated warnings against communism, Trump said he had increasingly taken that message beyond the United States to international audiences.
“I do talk about it, and I talk about it on TikTok, and I talk about it everywhere. I talk about it here, and you’re right, it has become international,” he said.
The President argued that communist ideas were often presented in attractive terms before producing economic hardship and political repression.
“Communism’s easy to sell. I would be the greatest communist in history. I’d be right up there with Lenin,” Trump said.
“I’d be as good as anybody. You’ve got free rent for the rest of your life.”
“What they don’t say is that you’ll be living in squalor in 12 months.”
Trump said many Hispanic Americans understood the dangers of socialism and communism because of their personal or family experiences.
“One of the reasons I do so well with Hispanic people… is because a lot of them came from countries that were essentially communist,” he said.
“Whether you call them radical socialist or communist… there is a little difference. When they say social Democrats… it sounds so nice. It’s not nice. It’s a very dangerous term.”
He also criticised political opponents whom he accused of promoting communist ideas.
“When I watch what’s happening, and I see these lowlifes… I think they’re very dangerous in many ways,” Trump said.
The President argued that the ideological threat posed by communism exceeded that posed by previous security crises faced by the United States.
“I think this country… is in more danger than it was during World War One, World War Two.”
“If you talk about September 11th, if you talk about Pearl Harbor, that was big danger.”
“I think this… concept of us going communist… because one thing that happens when you go communist, you never come back.”
Trump concluded with another warning about the long-term consequences of communist rule.
“You die in squalor. You die a horrible death. You die in squalor, and it gets very evil and very nasty.”
The comments came as Trump highlighted what he described as strong US economic performance and record investment during his administration, arguing that free-market capitalism remained the foundation of American prosperity. Throughout his presidency, he has increasingly framed domestic political debates as a contest between capitalism and socialism.(Agency)
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