Trump Warns Progressive Democrats Pose Historic Threat During Faith & Freedom Conference

President Donald Trump delivered a forceful speech Friday at the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s 2026 Policy Conference in Washington, D.C., sharply criticizing a new wave of progressive Democratic candidates and warning Christian conservatives that the country faces what he described as an unprecedented political threat.
Speaking before attendees at the annual gathering, Trump focused much of his remarks on recent Democratic primary victories in New York, where several candidates backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani secured wins.
Among those highlighted by Trump were Claire Valdez, Brad Lander and Darializa Avila Chevalier. Lander and Chevalier defeated incumbent candidates in their respective primaries, while Valdez and Chevalier are Democratic socialists, like Mamdani. Lander is a former member of the Democratic Socialists of America, though he is currently running as a progressive liberal candidate.
Trump argued that the success of those candidates reflects a broader shift within the Democratic Party, calling it the greatest challenge facing the United States in its 250-year history. He also accused Democratic leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., of failing to push back against the party’s progressive wing.
“I’m sorry to say but assassinations of those who oppose them is a very important element of their ideology. Assassination is a big deal for them. They are animals. They are animals,” Trump said.
The president continued by saying that while some of the candidates are “not smart,” others are “intellectually probably pretty smart,” but accused them of making promises they cannot keep in order to attract supporters.
Trump also criticized what he called the Democratic Party’s unwillingness to confront its left flank.
“The Dumbocrats aren’t fighting back. That’s why they are, dumb. They are not fighting back. They are afraid. Schumer is afraid to fight,” Trump said.
He added that the Democratic Party has “taken a tremendous turn left” and argued that the political movement emerging in New York would spread beyond the city.
“This isn’t stopping with New York,” Trump said. “It’s going on. Too easy to get elected.”
The president then broadened his remarks to include authoritarian governments abroad, warning that communist candidates would fundamentally transform the United States if they gained power.
“They would like to make our country just like those countries,” Trump said. “That’s where they started. They started right where we are right now.”
Trump also referenced military action against terrorists during his remarks.
“But I’m saving them by hitting these terrorists very violently and very hard, hitting them very hard by the greatest weapons on Earth, taking them out,” he said. “We know where they are. We hunt them down and we take them down.”
He went on to warn the audience that communist leaders would target religious institutions if they came to power.
“They will close your churches in this country if they go communist and they’re trying to,” Trump said. “They will kill your people. And that’s what they’re about. They want to end religion.”
Trump argued that religion stands in opposition to the ideology he was criticizing.
“They have to end religion because their ideology doesn’t work if you have strong religion, people like you that are so incredible and love our country so much and love God,” he said.
Calling the current political climate the greatest danger the nation has faced since its founding, Trump said the issue extends well beyond the recent New York primary results.
“This is the greatest threat to our country since its founding, in my opinion, 250 years ago,” Trump said. “Three people were elected. It’s many more than three people.”
Toward the end of his remarks, Trump also referenced New York City’s Rent Stabilization Board, saying the board had long been run by Democrats and had consistently made life difficult for landlords.