President Donald Trump contended Democrats, such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), are “afraid” to counter the insurgent Left after Democratic socialist candidates endorsed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani prevailed over their establishment counterparts.
“It’s easy for them to get followers because they make promises that they know they can’t keep, and the Democrats aren’t fighting back,” Trump told the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s 2026 policy conference on Friday. “That’s why they’re dumb. They’re not fighting that, they’re afraid. I watch Schumer, he’s afraid to fight.”
Trump has ramped up his criticism of communism after the candidates who call themselves socialists won their primary elections on Tuesday, making them their district’s likely next member of Congress, considering the heavily Democratic makeup of New York City.
“They’re people that want to destroy our country,” the president said. “They hate our country, they hate our people, they hate the Democrat Party. The Democrat Party is in big trouble.”
Trump said the Democratic Party’s leadership was afraid of speaking out against the rising tide of socialism because of looming primary challenges.
“They’re afraid they’re going to lose their election if they even think about saying anything bad about this new breed of sick people,” the president said. “They’re not smart enough or tough enough to fight the plague that’s happening. It’s happening right before your very eyes. If they fought them the way they fight Republicans or the way they fight me, they’d be victorious. … But they don’t have the courage to do so, so they’re turning into communists themselves. It’s becoming a communist party.”
Trump went on to describe communism as the “most serious threat to our country” before America’s 250th birthday next week and after New York’s primaries this week.
AMERICA’S 250TH BECOMES THE LATEST FRONT IN COUNTRY’S POLITICAL DIVIDE
In those elections, three Mamdani-backed candidates, Claire Valdez, Brad Lander, and Darializa Avila Chevalier, successfully primaried three sitting members of Congress, Reps. Nydia Velázquez, Dan Goldman, and Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), respectively.
Their success has rattled more centrist Democrats who are concerned Mamdani’s politics will not help the party’s candidates contesting battleground, swing districts.
