President Donald Trump used an Independence Day address Friday night to deliver a forceful warning about what he described as a growing communist threat inside the United States, telling supporters that the nation must defend its identity against an ideology he called a mortal danger to American freedom.
Speaking before Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, Trump celebrated the country’s history before shifting to a sharply worded message about communism roughly 15 minutes into his remarks.
The iconic monument, which features former Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt, served as the backdrop for Trump’s speech. The president has previously suggested that his likeness should one day be included alongside the four commanders in chief.
Trump opened his address by praising the United States and its accomplishments, but his remarks soon turned toward what he called a renewed communist movement. In recent weeks, several left-wing candidates secured surprise victories in Democratic primary elections for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, particularly in New York. Although Trump did not mention any of the candidates by name, he used the developments to underscore his broader warning.
“There has never been anything like us anywhere on Earth, and we are not going to let anyone take that away,” Trump told the crowd.
The president argued that America is once again confronting the ideology it battled during the Cold War.
“Yet, as we approach this magnificent anniversary, we see our American identity under a renewed attack a generation after we fought and won the Cold War against the menace of communism,” Trump said. “There is now a resurgence of the communist menace in our land, including from newcomers to our country who embrace ideas totally opposed to our way of life and our great success.”
Trump insisted that the issue extends beyond ordinary political disagreements.
“These are not mere political disagreements like differences over taxes or regulations,” he said. “Communism is a mortal threat to American liberty.”
The president went even further, arguing that the ideology represents a greater danger to the United States than some of the country’s most devastating historical events.
“It is the greatest threat to our country, including World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor, or even 9/11,” Trump declared.
Later in the speech, Trump described communism as an ideology rooted in oppression and hostility toward religion.
“It’s death, tyranny, and the pursuit of evil,” he said. “The godless communist morality states that anything is justified to bring about inhuman visions and to really propose what’s good. They don’t want good, they don’t love God and they don’t want God, they don’t love religion and they don’t want religion and they won’t have it.”
Trump concluded that portion of his remarks by assuring supporters that those promoting such ideas would not prevail.
“But we will not let them win,” he said.
The president also pledged to “send them into exile,” though he did not elaborate further during the address.
Trump has repeatedly voiced concerns about communism in recent days. In a Truth Social post last week, he wrote, “The Communists are finally making their move.”
Friday’s speech marked another instance of the president framing communism as one of the nation’s most pressing challenges as he addressed supporters during the Independence Day celebration.
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