- President Trump kicked off the 250th anniversary celebrations of July 4th with a patriotic speech at Mount Rushmore extolling American culture and warning of a resurgence of the "communist menace."
- In his speech, Trump stated, "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 declared, "You can be a communist, or you can be a patriot. You cannot be both."
- He described communism as a greater threat to American liberty than both world wars and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
- Trump argued that communists do not love God or religion and have no respect for law, justice, principle, tradition or God-given rights.
- He pledged to "vanquish communism quickly" and "send them into exile", telling the crowd, "America will never be a communist country."
President Trump delivered a provocative speech at Mount Rushmore on July 4th, marking the start of America’s 250th birthday celebrations. He warned of a 'communist menace' that he claims threatens the nation, equating it to a greater danger than both world wars and the September 11 attacks.
"It’s the enemy of the constitution," Trump declared, emphasizing that communism contradicts the values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. He stated, "You can be a communist, or you can be a patriot. You cannot be both." This rhetoric was part of a broader partisan attack, as he described supporters of communism as 'the enemy of July 4th, 1776'.
Trump's speech also included a call to action, urging Congress to terminate the filibuster and pass the Save America Act, which has faced criticism as a potential voter suppression measure. He pledged to vanquish communism quickly and suggested that immigrants who embrace these ideas could be expelled, stating, "We will send them quickly away, and we will continue to build our country bigger and better and stronger than ever before. America will never be a communist country."
As he celebrated American culture, Trump insisted that freedom and independence are rooted in the nation's founding principles, declaring, "There is no American freedom without American culture, and there is no American founding without the American people."
“In a speech at Mount Rushmore, Trump warned of a resurgence of the 'communist menace' in America. He framed this threat as a severe danger to American liberty and culture during the July Fourth celebrations.”
CBS News
The Guardian
