Poll: 1 in 5 Americans View Communism as Major Threat, While Many Label Democrats as Socialists

Nearly one in five Americans believe communism poses a major threat to the United States, according to a recent poll. The survey, published by The Economist and YouGov, found that two-thirds of Americans perceive communism as posing at least some level of threat.

Specifically, 18% of respondents classified communists as a major threat, while 25% considered them a moderate threat and 23% viewed them as a minor threat. In contrast, 29% of Americans reported that communists pose no threat to the U.S.

Partisan Divides Emerge

The poll highlighted significant differences in opinion between political ideologies. Among those identifying as very liberal, 79% stated that communists are not a threat. A similar sentiment was shared by 52% of liberals. Conversely, a substantial portion of conservatives expressed greater concern, with 26% of conservatives and 52% of very conservatives labeling communists as a major threat.

Perceptions of Democratic Politicians

The survey also probed public perception of prominent Democratic politicians, asking respondents to identify them as socialists. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani was identified as a socialist by 51% of those surveyed. This figure was closely followed by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, with 55% of respondents holding the same view.

Other notable figures included Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, whom 45% of those polled believe to be a socialist. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts was identified as a socialist by 25% of Americans.

Among other prominent Democrats, nearly a quarter (23%) view former President Joe Biden as a socialist, slightly lower than the 27% who hold this view of former President Barack Obama.

Political affiliation also influenced these classifications. For instance, only 6% of individuals who identify as very liberal considered Governor Gavin Newsom a socialist, whereas 52% of very conservatives identified him as such. Similarly, 20% of Americans overall classified Newsom as a socialist, while 27% applied the same label to Vice President Kamala Harris.

All prominent Democrats listed in the survey were considered socialist by at least one in five voters.