JONAH GOLDBERG: Right and left need to control radicals in their own parties

Jonah Goldberg Tribune Content Agency July 11, 2026 - 9:00 pm The current political climate increasingly resembles the ideological struggle that preceded World War II, when the Spanish Civil War pitted communist‑backed forces against fascist‑aligned factions, with Stalin’s Soviet Union supporting the former and Hitler’s Germany aiding the latter. President Donald Trump and the Republican Party have framed the upcoming midterms as a battle against “communism.” In his Fourth of July address Trump referenced communists “about a twelve times,” declaring, “Our warriors did not combat communism connected battlefields crossed the world, lone to person that menace rear its disfigured caput close backmost present successful America,” he said. “We’re not going to fto it happen.” A few days earlier the president warned that the domestic communist threat “amounts to the biggest menace to our country, including World War I, World War II, Pearl Harbor, September 11th.” Before assigning blame to the right, it is worth noting that accusations of fascism directed at Republicans, conservatives and especially Trump have circulated for years, if not decades. Numerous books, op‑eds and magazine articles have advanced that claim. In October 2024 then‑Vice President Kamala Harris was asked by CNN’s Anderson Cooper, “Do you think Donald Trump is simply a fascist?” Harris responded, “Yes, I do. Yes, I do.” The tendency of the right to label the left “communist” and the left to label the right “fascist” predates Trump, but the present debate merits scrutiny. Democrats and various media outlets have pushed back on Trump’s communist charge, arguing that even the most progressive Democrats—particularly members of the Democratic Socialists of America—are not communists but anti‑authoritarian socialists akin to those found in Europe and the Nordic nations. Historian Michael Kazin told ABC News after last year’s election, “Democratic socialists are consenting to person themselves voted retired of power,” and added, “They judge that erstwhile you person a antiauthoritarian socialist society, radical volition similar that society, but if they don't privation to support it, past they tin spell backmost to a much capitalist society.” Kazin’s distinction between socialist ideology and communism is accurate, yet many remain unconvinced. A review of the DSA website reveals abundant affirmations of Karl Marx, including sections titled “Liberation Caucus,” “Red Star,” “Communist Caucus,” “Marxist Unity Group” and others. The site does not merely mention Marx, Mao and Lenin; it presents them as authoritative voices. One entry, “Common Misconceptions About Mao,” drew particular attention. If these groups truly resembled Sweden’s social democrats, one would expect frequent citations of foundational Swedish socialist Hjalmar Branting; instead, references to Marx and Mao dominate. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has urged embracing “the warmth of collectivism.” Congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, who recently won a Democratic primary in New York, has previously praised several communist dictators and lamented that her local bookstore lacked the collected works of Stalin. She later deleted related social‑media posts and now insists she is merely an anti‑authoritarian socialist. Avila Chevalier may be sincere, but consider this: if a Republican candidate possessed a documented history of dedication to Nazi ideology, only to renounce it before seeking office, would their explanation be accepted? Would media outlets grant them a platform to differentiate outright Nazism from softer versions labeled “democratic fascism”? The question is rhetorical; the answer is known because the right faces a parallel dilemma. Not every analysis of the right’s flirtation with fascism is baseless. Numerous Republicans have associated with avowed Hitler supporter and occasional Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes—sharing meals or engaging in “footsie.” Mark Robinson, the GOP’s 2024 gubernatorial nominee in North Carolina, once described himself as a “Black Nazi.” Vice President JD Vance has defended GOP staffers who texted “I Love Hitler.” The Jan. 6 riot exhibited unmistakably fascist characteristics. My take is blunt: anyone who makes allowances for Nazism or communism ought to feel ashamed. More constructively, journalists should cease providing cover for one side alone. Reason‑minded center‑left Democrats and center‑right Republicans ought to focus less on the extremists of the opposing party and more on confronting the radicals within their own ranks. The analogy to the Spanish Civil War amounts to little more than embarrassing cosplay. Most Americans reject the extremes, yet if individuals refuse to call out extremism in their own party, they cannot credibly claim to oppose extremism. Jonah Goldberg is editor‑in‑chief of The Dispatch and the host of The Remnant podcast. His X handle is @JonahDispatch.