Trump on the eve of July 4: The communist threat is returning to our country

In a speech delivered at Mount Rushmore, US President Donald Trump urged Americans to defend the freedoms defined by the Founding Fathers 250 years ago against what he called a “communist threat” from progressive Democrats.

During his remarks, delivered in patriotic tones, Trump spoke of the American “miracle” and highlighted the legacy of the four presidents immortalized at Mount Rushmore: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt.

“We stand beneath the monument of these heroes, a group of truly incredible people, and we recommit ourselves to being a nation just as great, as brave, as noble and as great as these American giants. And that is not easy to do, but we will do it,” he declared.

The American president then warned that, in his view, “our American identity is facing a new assault.”

“There is a resurgence of the communist threat on our soil, including from newcomers to our country who embrace ideas that are completely at odds with our way of life and our great success,” Trump said. “We will not allow this to happen,” he stressed.

When speaking about “newcomers,” Trump blended his anti-communist message with his anti-immigration stance, a core theme of his campaign and electoral politics. In one part of the speech, he declared that newcomers to the United States should be persecuted.

“We are determined and committed to ensuring that the citizens of the United States will quickly defeat communism (…) We will expel them quickly and continue to build our country greater and better, stronger than ever. America will never become a communist country!” he said.

This kind of rhetoric has been used frequently by Trump lately as the November midterm elections approach. Republicans fear that the president’s low popularity could cost them control of Congress.

“We can lose the midterm elections only if we allow ourselves to lose them,” the American president said.

Last week in New York City and on Tuesday in Colorado, four progressive candidates, including three members of the Democrats’ left wing, won the party primaries. Progressive candidates have also recorded victories in Kentucky, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.

From Mount Rushmore, Trump also referred to “radicals and extremists” who, according to him, “attack our extraordinary history at every opportunity.”

“In recent years, there has been an effort to lose our American soul, to distance us from our history,” he said.

“I can do anything”

For tonight, Trump has planned a major speech at the National Mall in downtown Washington as part of the “Salute America 250 Celebration & Fireworks” event. According to his announcement, the event will conclude with “the largest fireworks display in history,” featuring 850,000 fireworks.

At the same time, Washington and the US East Coast are experiencing an intense heat wave. In the federal capital, temperatures are expected to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius).

On Wednesday, the American president said: “By the way, on July 4 it will be about 107 degrees (Fahrenheit, about 41 degrees Celsius) and I will go and give a really long speech just to show that I can do anything.”

At a time when the United States is expected to display national unity, the country remains deeply divided under Trump’s leadership.

The Republican’s popularity is approaching its lowest points because of the war in Iran and the rising cost of living. Likewise, his broad campaign against immigrants, the enrichment of his family and efforts to expand presidential powers have drawn sharp criticism from Democrats.

In a podcast with Usha Vance, the wife of Vice President J.D. Vance, broadcast on Friday, Trump said:

“We have a great country, but right now it is a little on the edge of the cliff. It could go one way or the other (…) but we will make it go the other way. And we will make America greater than ever.”

Meanwhile, Trump’s effort to leave his mark on the celebrations of the 250th anniversary of US independence has become evident. An organization linked to him, Freedom 250, has held several major events at the expense of the bipartisan “America 250” committee, prompting some people to boycott them.

Even the MMA fight night organized at the White House in mid-June, on Trump’s birthday, had sparked strong reactions.

“July 4 is a real moment of freedom, but to be honest, in this political climate, it doesn’t excite me as much as it has in recent years,” Amy Kimara, a 49-year-old teacher from Los Angeles, told AFP.

As the US marks two and a half centuries of history, a Quinnipiac University poll published on Thursday showed that 61% of Americans believe the country is currently not living up to the ideals set out in the 1776 Declaration of Independence.