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Trump, Johnson Decry DSA Primary Wins as Red Scare

7/6/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Democratic Socialists of America candidates won June primaries in New York and Colorado, defeating incumbents Adriano Espaillat and Diana DeGette.
U.S. President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson called the victories a new Red Scare and labeled the winners “communists.”
A May Marquette Law School poll showed the DSA holds 46% favorability versus 36% for the Democratic Party.

History

Historical Context

In 1919, after World I, a wave of strikes and the Galleanist mail-bomb campaign spurred Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer to launch the Palmer Raids, arresting more than 4,000 suspected radicals, including IWW members. The resulting anti-radical hysteria set a precedent that resurfaces as today’s politicians label Democratic Socialists of America victories “communist.”

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Story summary

Democratic Socialists of America candidates won June primaries in New York and Colorado, defeating incumbents Adriano Espaillat and Diana DeGette.
U.S. President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson called the victories a new Red Scare and labeled the winners “communists.”
A May Marquette Law School poll showed the DSA holds 46% favorability versus 36% for the Democratic Party.

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