Steve Forbes, the former Republican presidential candidate and chairman of Forbes Media, has endorsed President Trump's characterization of communism as an internal threat to American democracy. Speaking at Freedom Fest in Las Vegas, Forbes told Fox News Digital that he agrees with the administration's depiction of leftist ideology as a greater danger than foreign interference.
Forbes, 78, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 1996 and 2000, has long been a prominent voice for free-market economics and sound money policy. His comments come amid ongoing debates about socialism's appeal in American politics and criticism of progressive policies in cities like New York.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressives and Democrats have largely rejected framing leftist ideology as an existential threat to the nation. Critics argue that describing mainstream Democratic policies as communist undermines democratic debate and inflames political tensions unnecessarily.
Democratic strategists contend that policies such as expanded healthcare access, worker protections, and wealth taxation represent mainstream center-left positions common across Western democracies rather than radical Marxist ideology.
Progressive economists point to successful mixed-economy models in countries like Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, where robust social safety nets coexist with thriving capitalist systems. They argue these nations demonstrate that moderate socialist-style policies can actually strengthen rather than undermine economic prosperity.
Some Democratic voices note that the real internal threats facing American democracy include political polarization, erosion of institutional norms, and extremist movements—perspectives they say are being overlooked in debates focused on left-wing ideology.
What the Right Is Saying
Forbes echoed President Trump's Mount Rushmore speech characterization of communism as a domestic threat. He invoked Abraham Lincoln's 19th-century warning that internal factors would pose greater danger to the United States than foreign forces.
"Whatever you call it, communism, socialism, extreme leftism, anti-Semitism, it's all the same disease," Forbes said. "Abraham Lincoln put it very well in the 1800s. He said, 'It won't be foreign forces that destroy the United States. It'll be things we do internally."
Forbes argued that leftist movements have successfully claimed moral high ground despite historical failures of socialist and communist systems worldwide. "The left has learned is that you try to occupy the high moral ground," he said. "Even if you wreck people's lives, kill millions of people under socialism, communism, your intentions were good."
The former presidential candidate emphasized that free enterprise must be framed as both economically superior and morally, not merely as a prosperity mechanism. He said Americans should understand capitalism as rooted in liberty and human creativity.
What the Numbers Show
According to Gallup polling, positive views of capitalism among U.S. adults have remained relatively stable over the past two decades, with 74% viewing it positively as of 2023. Views of socialism have shown more variation, with 51% holding favorable opinions in recent surveys.
The Democratic Socialists of America reported approximately 90,000 dues-paying members as of 2024, up from around 25,000 in 2019, though this represents less than 0.03% of the U.S. population.
Freedom House's 2025 Freedom in the World report rated the United States 83 out of 100 on political rights and civil liberties, down from 89 a decade earlier, citing increased political polarization as a contributing factor.
The Bottom Line
Forbes' endorsement adds conservative establishment weight to the administration's framing of ideological conflict. His arguments reflect broader Republican messaging that positions capitalism and communism as fundamentally opposed systems with irreconcilable differences.
The debate highlights differing Democratic and Republican assessments of what constitutes the greatest threat to American democracy. Whether voters ultimately view progressive policy proposals through a lens of dangerous overreach or reasonable reform will likely play a significant role in upcoming elections.