President Trump Shifts Rhetoric from Patriotism to Communism at Mount Rushmore

Four months ahead of the challenging midterm elections, President Trump stood at Mount Rushmore the night before the nation’s 250th birthday, portraying his political opponents as “godless” and “evil” communists.

Speaking on Friday, he warned that the party would lose the midterms if it were foolish, stupid, and unwise, urging Congress to pass his proposed SAVE America Act, which would tighten voter‑ID requirements, and calling for the elimination of the filibuster.

The primary aim of the address was clear: to sharpen an attack against the emerging progressive wing of the Democratic Party that is gaining traction among liberal voters.

He delivered an apocalyptic script while the stone visages of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln watched, repeatedly invoking “communism” as if the Cold War had never ended.

He was forthright: communism, he declared, “is the enemy of July 4, 1776,” and described it as a greater danger than Pearl Harbor and even 9/11, even citing Karl Marx.

The address opened on an upbeat note, with Trump offering a proud, optimistic view of the United States as the greatest civilization in history. He concluded the first half with the line, “You live in a very special place — congratulations, everybody,” which was enthusiastically received.

He soon shifted focus, warning that some sought to diminish English as the nation’s dominant language and that others aimed to disarm citizens, vowing he would prevent either.

He warned of “newcomers to our country who embrace ideas fundamentally opposed to our way of life and our achievements.”

This was not his first speech at the monument; six years earlier, at the end of his first term while campaigning for re‑election amid pandemic and post‑George Floyd unrest, he warned of a “new far‑left fascism” emerging.

On Friday, he changed his rhetoric in a second Rushmore address.

He proclaimed, “Communism is the exact opposite of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; it is death, tyranny, and the pursuit of evil.”

The imposing monument provided a dramatic backdrop for the president, who orchestrated a theatrical display: military helicopters swooped over the mountain while AC/DC and Lynyrd Skynyrd played (including “Free Bird”), followed by a B‑52 bomber. As sunset painted the sky, spotlights illuminated the granite faces of the four presidents, highlighting every contour carved nearly a century ago.

Just before Trump arrived, storm clouds and lightning rolled in, the scent of rain‑soaked ponderosa pines filled the air, and hail the size of ping‑pong balls struck the mountain, making the presidents appear to be weeping; crowds below sought shelter in a gift shop and a cafe.

Numerous White House‑friendly media members traveled to South Dakota for the event: Fox News anchor Bret Baier warmed up by interviewing a Lincoln impersonator in a stovepipe hat, Laura Loomer arrived just before the hail, a Native American man in a feather headdress played a wind instrument, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Governor Larry Rhoden donned cowboy hats.

Security was tight; silhouettes of men could be seen pacing atop Washington’s head, reminiscent of a scene from “North By Northwest.”

As his speech concluded, he made a final attack, declaring, “The Communist Party consists of illegal immigrants, criminals and anyone who refuses to work.”

He then returned to praising America for another minute, as fireworks burst over the presidential heads and the familiar Village People tunes resumed.

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