Trump warns ‘you can be a communist or a patriot’ as he vows US will never be communist on July 4
KEYSTONE, SOUTH DAKOTA: President Donald Trump used his Independence Day address at Mount Rushmore to sharply criticize communism, framing it as a direct threat to American identity as the nation marked the 250th anniversary of independence.
He said the country’s founding principles were under renewed ideological pressure and warned that allegiance to Marxist ideas was incompatible with loyalty to the United States. “You can be loyal to Karl Marx, or you can be loyal to America. You can be a Communist, or you can be a Patriot. You cannot be both,” he said.
Trump labels communism the biggest threat to American liberty
Trump described communism as the most serious ideological challenge facing the United States, arguing that it represents a broader assault on constitutional freedoms and national values.
.@POTUS: 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, there is now a resurgence of the Communist menace in our land—including from newcomers… pic.twitter.com/lS0k3MSQIP
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 4, 2026
“Communism is a mortal threat to American Liberty. It is the Greatest Threat to our Country including World War One, World War Two, Pearl Harbor, or 9/11,” he said in remarks shared by the White House Rapid Response account.
He added that communism has historically caused mass suffering worldwide, calling it “an ideology of mass theft, mass control, mass lies, and mass murder."
Trump contrasts American founding ideals with communist ideology
The president drew a sharp distinction between the United States’ founding principles and communist systems, arguing that the two represent opposing visions of governance and human freedom.
“These are not mere political disagreements, like differences over taxes or regulations. Communism is a mortal threat to American liberty. It is the greatest threat to our country,” he said.
He also suggested that efforts to reinterpret American history were part of a broader attempt to weaken national identity.
Trump calls for rejection of communist ideology
Closing his remarks, Trump invoked key moments in American history and urged Americans to defend the legacy of independence and freedom.
“We resolve and swear for all to hear that the Citizens of the United States of America will vanquish Communism from our shores,” he said, adding that “America will never be a Communist country.”
The speech came as nationwide celebrations marked the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, part of the broader America250 commemorations.
