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CNN’s chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins pushed back on President Donald Trump’s rhetoric about the rise of democratic socialism in the U.S., which Trump has incorrectly conflated with communism, following several victories from progressive House candidates in New York primaries.
During “The Source with Kaitlan Collins” on Friday, the CNN anchor aired remarks Trump made earlier that day at the annual Faith & Freedom Coalition Conference, where he described democratic socialists as “hardcore Godless communists” and “the most serious threat to our country since its existence.”
Collins challenged the president’s “border apocalyptic” comments that America could become a communist nation.
“While Democrats themselves have been wrestling with what Tuesday night means for the direction of their party, socialism, much less democratic socialism, is not communism,” she said.
She is referring to the string of Democratic primary victories in New York on Tuesday from democratic socialists backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D).
Collins noted that Trump had become increasingly focused on the New York races, staying awake until after 2:30 a.m. on the night of the primary and posting about the race on social media.
She played another clip of Trump’s speech, where he claimed Americans would face a bleak future under the leadership of democratic socialists.
“You’ll live in squalor. There will be no food. There will be no housing. There will be no military. There will be no law and order,” he said. “You’ll suffer or die.”
Collins questioned whether Republican leaders in Congress, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), could redirect Trump’s attention away from democratic socialists in New York and instead towards the rest of the midterm elections.
She noted that much of the week had been consumed by his clashes with fellow Republicans over Iran, including a shouting match with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) at a GOP luncheon earlier this week, rather than issues such as affordability.
“The question tonight is, can the House Speaker and the President’s own advisers convince the President that he needs to continue to focus on the midterms?” Collins said.
Add as preferred source on Google Tags Bill Cassidy Donald Trump Kaitlan Collins Mike Johnson Zohran MamdaniCopyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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