Karoline Leavitt says Democrats have 'capitulated to communists' ahead of 2026 midterms

WASHINGTON, DC: Karoline Leavitt claimed the Democratic Party has "totally capitulated to the communists within their ranks" during a Saturday, July 25, interview with Lara Trump, accusing the party of embracing ideas she said threaten the American dream.

The White House press secretary made the remarks while discussing the economy and the 2026 midterm elections. She argued that President Donald Trump's agenda offered a stark contrast to what she described as Democratic policies and warned voters about the direction she believes the party is taking.

Karoline Leavitt targets Democrats

Appearing on Fox News' ‘My View,’ Leavitt responded after Lara Trump noted that the party controlling the White House traditionally faces a difficult path in the midterms and asked what the administration was doing to address voters' concerns over the cost of living.

Leavitt first blamed former President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats for the nation's affordability challenges.

"I would remind your viewers and the American people of who caused the affordability crisis in this country. It was Joe Biden and it was the Democrats in this city when they were in power," she said. 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt calls on reporters during a news conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on March 17, 2025 in Washington, DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

She added that Trump "took immediate action on day one to fix that" through "tax cuts, deregulation, and energy dominance," saying those policies had guided the administration over the past year and a half.

Leavitt also highlighted what she called the "largest middle-class tax cut in history," while claiming, "Every single Democrat voted against it."

White House press secretary warns against communists

The interview then shifted to a broader criticism of Democrats, with Leavitt alleging that the party had surrendered to more radical voices.

"The Democrat party has totally capitulated to the communists within their ranks," she said. "Communism has never worked, and it's very scary that a major political party in this country, the Democrat Party, is being controlled by communists."

She argued that Democrats' "only real answer to any problem is to just take more from the individuals who make that country great and give it to the government."

Leavitt also challenged proposals she associated with the party, saying, "It sounds great to have free food, free healthcare, free rent, but who's paying for all of that? We are. You will be. It's easy to sell, but it doesn't work."

Leavitt links Trump's agenda to midterms

Returning to the administration's economic message, Leavitt pointed to several initiatives she said would help Americans if Republicans retain control of Congress after the midterms.

She promoted Trump accounts, saying children enrolled today, including her daughter, "will have nearly $300,000 worth of savings in these accounts by the time they are 18," calling them a way of giving children "the American dream on a silver platter in the touch of an app."

Leavitt also cited the administration's efforts on healthcare price transparency and attempts to lower interest rates and mortgage rates.

President Donald Trump arrives in the Oval Office at the White House on April 18, 2025 in Washington, DC (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

"All of these things that he is doing will only get better if given two more years with a Republican Congress," she said, before arguing that the American dream was built on "capitalism, on the free market, on small business enterprise," adding that "all of that will go away if we turn into a communist state. History tells us so."