President Donald Trump signed a presidential proclamation on Nov. 3 declaring Nov. 1 through Nov. 7 as Anti-Communism Week, a move announced as voters cast ballots in the midterm elections.
The proclamation, issued on Election Day, calls on Americans to "stand firm in their defense against any threat to the American way of life" and to "protect our burning flame of liberty from the darkness of communism."
In the document, Trump framed socialism and communism as ideologies that "eliminate individual opportunity, subjugate individuals to the state, and extinguish the God-given rights upon which free nations are built."
"This week, we honor the victims of socialism and communism by remembering their lives, defending the freedoms that were denied, renewing our resolve to safeguard the Republic entrusted to us, and reminding ourselves that what we have created as a Nation stands as the greatest testament to human freedom in the history of the world," the proclamation states.
Trump contrasted the alleged harms of communism—citing "control over human thought, creativity, and political expression, resulting in suffering, poverty, exploitation, violence, and misery for millions"—with the ideals of the nation’s founders.
Global Context and Historical Claims
The proclamation highlights that more than a billion people currently live under communist regimes in five countries: the Chinese Communist Party, Cuba’s Communist Party, the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, the Workers’ Party of North Korea, and the Communist Party of Vietnam.
It also asserts that historically, communism is responsible for more than 100 million deaths globally.
The timing of the proclamation coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as results began to be reported on Election Day. The action was signed while voters were actively participating in the electoral process.
Presidential Rhetoric on Ideology
In the proclamation, Trump emphasized the need to "remain vigilant in defending the principles that sustain our Republic" and to "ensure the lessons of history are never forgotten nor repeated."
He concluded by reaffirming a commitment to "protect the sacred values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness from the chains of tyranny."
The proclamation does not outline specific policy changes or enforcement mechanisms but serves as a symbolic declaration honoring victims of authoritarian regimes and reaffirming opposition to communist ideologies.