President Donald Trump on Friday invoked the threat of a “communist menace in our land” to push Republican lawmakers to pass his SAVE America Act and end the filibuster, promising them election wins for the next century if they do.
Trump's Mount Rushmore Speech
“America will never be a communist country. We can only lose the midterms if we allow ourselves to lose the midterms, if we are foolish, stupid and unwise,” Trump said in front of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. “But if we terminate the filibuster as we should do and immediately vote for the SAVE America Act, then we will not lose an election for 100 years.”
The president has been urging Republicans to end the filibuster for months, causing a greater divide in the party. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has said, “The votes aren’t there, one, to nuke the filibuster, and the votes aren’t there for a talking filibuster.”
The SAVE Act and Its Requirements
In addition to the filibuster’s termination, Trump demanded Congress pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, more commonly known as the SAVE Act, legislation that would require voters to provide in-person proof of citizenship to register to vote. “We do that, we’re not going to lose an election for 100 years,” Trump said before going on an anti-communist tangent.
Anti-Communist Rhetoric and Fear-Mongering
The president’s pressure on Republicans comes amid right-wing fear-mongering about democratic socialists following their recent primary victories, mislabeling them as “communist,” which is a distinctly different ideology. “The Communist Party is made up of illegal immigrants, criminals, and everybody that doesn’t want to work. Communism is a loser. It always was, and it is right now,” Trump said. “It’s a big loser. Look at the people that are promoting it. They are not the people you’re going to follow.”
