Trump calls Democrats communists

Editor:

Donald Trump, without any evidence, has been warning recently that communism will pose a threat to the United States if Democrats win in the midterm elections. “It’s the biggest threat to our country, including World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor, September 11th,” he said in a political message as he visited the newly constructed Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in North Dakota.

He referred to Democrats as “hard core, godless Communists” at the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s 2026 policy conference. Trump’s latest round of attacks has followed primary victories by democratic socialist candidates.

Marching in lock-step, Vice President Vance has similarly called out communism as a political shift that is something we haven’t seen in the United States, and House Speaker Johnson has decried the radical candidates who are self-described Marxists.

The Republicans are panicking prior to the mid-term elections, and we’ve seen this scare tactic before.

After World War II, tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union grew into the Cold War. In 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed he had a list of communists working in the United States Department of State. Although he made dramatic accusations, he failed to provide convincing evidence.

The most significant were the Army-McCarthy hearings in 1954, when McCarthy accused the United States Department of the Army of harboring communists. The Army, in turn, accused McCarthy and his staff of improper conduct. The hearings were televised live, allowing millions of Americans to watch McCarthy’s questioning style firsthand.

A memorable moment came when Army attorney Joseph N. Welch challenged McCarthy after he attacked a young lawyer. Welch asked: “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?”

Later in 1954 the United States Senate formally censured McCarthy for conduct considered improper for a senator and he lost much of his political influence.

The McCarthy hearings became a symbol of the dangers of making accusations without sufficient evidence and of allowing fear to undermine civil liberties. The term “McCarthyism” came to describe the practice of making unsubstantiated accusations of disloyalty or subversion, often in a climate of political fear.

So, I say to Trump “Have you no sense of decency, sir”?

David M. Keranen

Bakersfield, CA

Get out the vote

Editor:

As the November elections approach, we are reminded that democracy depends on participation. Voting is one of the most important ways citizens can make their voices heard and help shape the future of our country. But civic engagement should not stop at casting our own ballots. Each of us can play an important role in motivating others to vote as well.

An effective way to do this is by sending postcards out to registered voters who don’t always participate in elections. An easy way to do this is by using Activate America to send postcards to prospective voters.

The Activate America website (https://activateamerica.vote) provides free of charge lists of names and addresses of prospective voters to send postcards to, and a short script to write on the postcards that encourages the receiver of the postcards to vote for candidates that will put the people of our country first, not corporations and the wealthy.

We all benefit when more citizens take part in the democratic process. Higher voter participation strengthens our communities and ensures that a broader range of voices are represented.

This November, let us encourage one another to stay informed, participate respectfully, and make voting a shared civic responsibility. Democracy works best when everyone has a chance to be heard.

Kelsey Ceccarelli

Holland MI