Trump Marks Labor Day With Attacks on 'Radical Left Lunatics' and Vows to 'Win the Midterms, Big'
Key Takeaways
- •Trump's Labor Day post attacked political opponents and did not mention or praise American workers.
- •The president vowed to win the November midterms decisively, where control of both chambers of Congress is at stake.
- •Labor Day, established in 1894, traditionally marks the informal start of the fall campaign season and appeals to working-class voters.
- •Midterm elections have historically been difficult for the party occupying the White House.
- •Roughly half of the country disapproves of Trump's performance, according to Pew Research Center party affiliation data.
President Donald Trump used his Labor Day message to deliver anything but a unifying holiday greeting, instead lashing out at his political opponents and issuing warnings about the upcoming midterm elections.
In a post published on the holiday, Trump targeted what he described as unintelligent and dangerous leftists, claiming they want to destroy the United States.
"Happy Labor Day to all, including the Radical Left Lunatics, Communists, and Dumocrats who will do anything possible to destroy our Country," Trump wrote.
The message stood in contrast to the traditional purpose of Labor Day, a federal holiday established in 1894 to honor the contributions of American workers. Trump's post did not include the word "workers" and offered no praise for the American labor force. Labor Day has long doubled as the informal kickoff of the fall general-election campaign season, a point at which presidents of both parties typically begin making direct appeals to working- and middle-class voters ahead of November.
For context, Trump's administration has triggered warnings from experts about irreparable harm to the environment, the global economy, and the Constitution itself, as documented by climate policy trackers and civil liberties groups such as the ACLU.
"These Deranged People, after fighting for 10 years, should finally acknowledge that your Favorite President (ME!), knows how to WIN," Trump wrote.
Rather than celebrating the holiday, Trump pivoted to the November midterms, where control of Congress will be at stake. Democrats are seeking to reclaim majorities in the House and Senate, while Republicans are aiming to hold and expand their position. Midterm elections have historically posed a stiff test for the party holding the White House, and Trump's vow to "win the Midterms, BIG" sets an ambitious bar against that historical pattern.
"They should be exhausted by now but, sadly, they're not," Trump wrote. "They're going to give it one last shot at ruining America, but we're not going to let that happen. We're going to win the Midterms, BIG, and SAVE AMERICA!"
The post is the latest in a series of combative holiday messages from the president, who has frequently used national observances to attack political rivals rather than strike a unifying tone. Roughly half of the country disapproves of Trump's performance, according to party affiliation data from the Pew Research Center, a divide reflected in the sharply partisan nature of his holiday greeting.
