'Inmates are running the asylum': Leavitt calls Democratic Party a 'full-blown communist revolution'

WASHINGTON, DC: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday, July 2, intensified the Trump administration's attacks on the Democratic Party, describing it as a "full-blown communist revolution" and accusing progressive candidates of abandoning traditional American values.

Speaking to Fox News, Leavitt argued that the party had fundamentally changed from its historical roots. Her remarks come as the White House continues to frame the 2026 midterm elections as an ideological contest.

Karoline Leavitt brands Democrats a 'communist revolution'

Leavitt said the modern Democratic Party bears little resemblance to previous generations of Democratic leadership, arguing that progressive candidates now dominate the party's direction.

"For the modern day Democrat Party, this is never what I imagined I'd be watching videos like that, candidates running for the modern day Democrat Party," Leavitt said.

She contrasted today's party with its earlier history, adding, "This is not your granddaddy's Democrat Party. This is not the Democrat Party of JFK. This is a full-blown communist revolution that is taking over Capitol Hill, just a few steps away from where we are sitting right now."

Leavitt went on to describe the current political landscape, saying, "The inmates are running the asylum."

"These are crazy people who are advocating against what I call the three Ps: prison, police, and private property. They don't want any of those things, and those are the ideals that founded this great country 250 years ago," she said.

Leavitt further echoed President Donald Trump's criticism of communism, arguing that its promises ultimately fail.

"But as President Trump says, communism is easy to sell. You just promise people free stuff, until a few years, you're living in squalor with no free home, no free food. You're just sitting there with a whole bunch of communists looking around and saying, what the heck happened to our fields state?" she said.

White House frames midterms as ideological battle

Leavitt's comments follow similar remarks she made earlier this week outlining the Trump administration's political strategy ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Speaking previously, she said President Trump was intentionally labeling a new generation of progressive Democratic candidates as "communists," arguing that recent primary victories reflected a broader ideological shift within the Democratic Party.

Leavitt said Trump believes the upcoming congressional elections will present voters with a clear choice between "communism and common sense" and argued that several progressive candidates have embraced policies that reject traditional American institutions.

The criticism came after a series of progressive primary victories in New York, including wins by candidates backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. White House officials have pointed to those results as evidence that left-wing activists are gaining greater influence within Democratic politics.