Donald Trump has frequently used the label “communist” to smear his political opponents, casting Democrats, journalists, and critics as enemies aligned with an ideology Americans were conditioned to fear during the Cold War. Yet, many of his own actions more closely mirror the authoritarian practices historically associated with communist regimes. He has repeatedly attacked the First Amendment, calling the press “the enemy of the people,” threatening to revoke licenses from media outlets that criticize him, and even suggesting changes to libel laws to punish dissent. Suppressing free speech and limiting the independence of the press is a hallmark of repressive one-party states, and Trump’s behavior demonstrates a desire for centralized control over information.

Beyond attacks on speech, Trump has also exhibited tendencies to control private business for political ends. He has pressured corporations to relocate operations, bullied companies such as Boeing, General Motors, and Harley-Davidson over their business decisions, and sought to punish social media firms like Twitter and Facebook for content moderation policies that disfavored him. In some cases, he openly threatened regulatory action or withdrawal of government contracts to coerce compliance, echoing the kind of state intervention and command-style directives that communist systems are known for. His interference undermines the free-market principles he claims to defend and reflects a centralization of power inconsistent with democratic capitalism.

Trump’s broader pattern of behavior reinforces these parallels. His insistence on loyalty over competence in government, efforts to use the Justice Department as a personal tool, attempts to overturn electoral outcomes, and cultivation of a personality cult all bear resemblance to authoritarian practices historically found in communist states. The irony is that while he paints others as dangerous radicals, Trump himself repeatedly engages in actions that erode liberty, concentrate power, and subordinate institutions to his will. As the old adage, often attributed to the tactics of propagandists, goes: “Accuse your enemy of what you yourself are guilty of.” In Trump’s case, calling others communists serves to disguise his own authoritarian and anti-democratic impulses.