Trump’s Economy Speech Veers Into an Extended Riff on Communism

The president dedicated several minutes of his Las Vegas speech to denouncing Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed and Wisconsin’s Francesca Hong.

Trump

President Donald Trump speaks at an event at the Red Rock Casino Resort and Spa in Las Vegas, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo

President Donald Trump came to Las Vegas on Wednesday to rally voters on the economy and tax relief. But, after a pivotal week for left-leaning candidates in Michigan and Wisconsin, he couldn’t help but turn to communism.

“You lose your home, you lose your apartment, and that’s where the communists will take us,” Trump said. “You got to nip it in the bud.”

The president’s broadsides at the Red Rocks Casino came during a nearly 75-minute rally, evoking repeated cheers from the audience. Trump diverged from his economic remarks multiple times, including minutes-long segments calling out this week’s main characters: Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, who edged out moderate Rep. Haley Stevens by a narrow margin, and Wisconsin gubernatorial hopeful Francesca Hong, who went viral over old posts describing a hatred of Thanksgiving (and Christmas, and Halloween).