President Donald Trump has ramped up his attacks on Democrats, claiming they are being taken over by ‘godless Communists’ who pose an existential threat to the nation. This comes after the electoral success of several democratic socialist candidates in New York’s Democratic primary.

Trump’s Remarks

Trump made these comments during a gathering of social conservatives, where he warned that Democrats’ ‘communist’ policies would lead to societal collapse and possibly even violence. He also cast the struggle against communism in religious terms, referencing violence against Christians in Nigeria and warning of dire consequences domestically.

However, the democratic socialists rising within the Democratic Party are advocating for major policy changes within the US’ already established capitalist system, chiefly through a significant bolstering of the welfare programs. This includes directing greater public funding toward guaranteeing health care for all citizens, providing far more in housing assistance, and relying on the government to a much greater degree to lift peoples’ quality of life.

The main tradeoff for those benefits is higher taxes, especially on the wealthy, which democratic socialists contend is necessary to ensure a more balanced and equal society. This view has raised the ire of Republicans, and even factions within the Democratic Party, who are opposed to such change or believe that it’s more prudent to make change incrementally.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.