President Donald Trump adopts McCarthy‑style anti‑communist rhetoric and expands government stakes in companies

President Donald Trump has intensified anti‑communist rhetoric, repeatedly labeling Democrats as communists and warning of a “communist menace” in the United States. In a July 4 address he said, “Our warriors did not fight communism on battlefields across the world only to have that menace rear its ugly head right back here in America.”

At the same time, his administration has pursued a policy of government ownership in private firms for national‑security reasons. Since taking office, the government has taken stakes in U.S. Steel, Intel, Westinghouse, MP Materials and other companies, often securing “golden shares” that give the president veto power over major corporate decisions. Trump told reporters, “We have a golden share, which I control.”

Both pieces note Trump’s historical connection to Roy Cohn, the former lawyer to Senator Joseph McCarthy, describing Cohn as a mentor who influenced Trump’s confrontational style.