Donald Trump said that communists want to blow up Mount Rushmore during a speech on Wednesday, July 22 [1].
The claim reflects a broader effort by the former president to frame progressive politicians and policies as communist to mobilize his base before the 2026 midterm elections [2].
Trump, 80 years old [3], spoke at Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia [4]. During the event, he said, "The communists want to blow up Mount Rushmore" [5]. He said, "The radical left is actively trying to destroy our children's future with the disaster known as communism" [6].
Critics and media observers said that Trump provided no evidence to support the assertion that any group is planning to destroy the South Dakota landmark [7]. The claim gained further attention after it was referenced on the July 23 episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers [8].
While some reports use the term "destroy" to describe the alleged action, others specifically cite the phrase "blow up" [5, 9]. Similarly, the former president varied his description of the target group, referring to both "communists" and the "radical left" [5, 6].
These statements are part of a recurring rhetorical strategy where Trump associates political opponents with extreme ideologies to heighten urgency among voters [2]. The rally in Georgia served as a platform for these claims as the 2026 election cycle intensifies.
“"The communists want to blow up Mount Rushmore."”
This rhetoric signals a continued strategy of using alarmist language to define political opposition. By targeting a national symbol like Mount Rushmore, the former president leverages cultural identity and patriotism to frame the 2026 midterms as a struggle against ideological extremism rather than a standard policy debate.
