Brianna Lyman writes for the Federalist about President Donald Trump’s July 4 message to Americans.
President Donald Trump delivered a historic speech commemorating America’s 250th birthday at Mount Rushmore on Friday, giving a stark warning about the country’s future: If we are to sustain the nation for another 250 years, communism can have “no quarter” here.
Speaking hours after New York City communist Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivered an anti-American, communist speech about America 250, Trump took the stage to warn that foreigners are bringing with them ideologies fundamentally at odds with our republic.
“There is now a resurgence of the communist menace in our land, including from newcomers to our country who embrace ideas totally opposed to our way of life and our great success,” Trump said.
The warning is similar to a warning given by Alexander Hamilton in 1799: “I hold with Montesquieu, that a government must be fitted to a nation, as much as a coat to the individual; and, consequently, that what may be good at Philadelphia may be bad at Paris, and ridiculous at Petersburg.”
In other words, not every people is capable of living in and upholding a republic — Ugandan-born socialist Mamdani being example No. 1.
“These are not mere political disagreements, like differences over taxes or regulations,” the president continued, “communism is a mortal threat to American liberty. It is the greatest threat to our country. … Communism is the enemy of free people everywhere. … It’s the enemy of the Constitution. … It is the enemy of July 4, 1776.”
Trump emphasized that communism “can be given no quarter” in America and that it “represents the worst ideas and abuses in history by the worst people.”
“The American founding represents the best ideas and traditions in history by the best people like you,” Trump continued. “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.”
