Former President Donald Trump has characterized candidates winning Democratic primaries with socialist backing as "godless communists," asserting they represent the most significant threat to the United States in its 250-year history. Trump made these remarks on June 26, 2026, at the Faith & Freedom Coalition conference.
"These are not social democrats. These are hardcore, godless communists. They're godless communists. All communists are godless. They don't believe in God," Trump stated at the conference. He linked this surge to recent primary election results, particularly in New York, where several candidates endorsed by socialist figures defeated incumbent officeholders. He contrasted this trend with America's founding principles.
Trump specifically targeted New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, referencing a decision by the city's Rent Guidelines Board to freeze rents on new one-year and two-year leases. "Mayor Mamdani, who came to the White House and seemed like a nice guy, but he said he was going to do this in his campaign," Trump remarked.
Following the Rent Guidelines Board's decision, Trump warned that such policies would lead to urban decay. "What the mayor doesn't say is that these buildings will soon turn into ghettos and slums, and that everybody will continue leaving New York," he said. He extended this warning nationwide, stating, "As this spreads throughout the country, very much like an uncontrollable form of cancer, the country itself will be taken down. It will be third world, strictly third world."