Trump decries Democrats as 'communists,' even as he looks to impress China's communist leader

WASHINGTON (AP) — Communism, President Donald Trump says, is the greatest threat the U.S. has ever faced.This summer, citing similarly grave concerns, he took the rare step of delivering a primetime address to the nation, accusing China of “sinister election meddling” in 2020 and reviving his yearslong push to dispute his loss in that year's election.Even as Trump seeks to decry Democrats as communists ahead of November's midterm elections, he is rolling out the red carpet this week for Chinese President Xi Jinping, the leader of the world’s most powerful communist country.The state visit comes as the president himself has increasingly directed his administration to take large stakes in private companies to try to stimulate the economy — something even some Republicans decry as corporate socialism.The contradictions between Trump's words and actions risk muddying Republican attack lines on Democrats.“I do think that we’re not offering a clear contrast," said Marc Short, who was chief of staff to former Vice President Mike Pence and worked in Trump's White House in his first term.Trump and the GOP argue Democrats have moved too far leftDuring the recent Republican midterm convention in Dallas, the president repeatedly branded Democrats as communists, even proclaiming, “It’s going to be a communist country if they win.”“In state after state, the Democrat establishment has been overthrown and replaced by crazed lunatics and radicals,” he said, adding, “America has beaten communism before, and we will beat it again."That's a reference to candidates aligned with democratic socialists who won Democratic primaries in Michigan, Colorado, New York, Florida and Pennsylvania. Trump and other Republicans argue it shows the party is too extreme, although they exaggerate many of the political realities.It is a way to shift the narrative in the face of a series of drags on the popularity of Trump and his party with Election Day looming.

Those include an increasingly unpopular war in Iran, concerns about inflation remaining high and Trump’s approval ratings retreating to near historic lows.Meanwhile, Trump has taken government stakes in private companiesThe White House secured agreements giving the federal government stakes in more than 30 companies — including nuclear power producer Westinghouse, metals and element concerns and chipmaker Intel.