Authoritarianism scholar Ruth Ben-Ghiat says President Donald Trump and his allies have adopted what she called a "new MAGA propaganda theme" rooted in tactics used by autocrats for more than a century: portraying political opponents as "communists." She warned that the approach is "not subtle" and could be used to justify a "crackdown" on opponents.

Ben-Ghiat, a professor of history at New York University and the author of Strongman: Mussolini to the Present, made the argument Wednesday in a series of posts examining why Trump and Republicans have revived Red Scare-style communist-baiting rhetoric. The tactic echoes earlier periods in American politics, including the post-World War I Red Scare following the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and the McCarthy-era hearings of the 1950s, when government officials and private citizens were accused of communist sympathies without widespread evidence.

Her comments began with a video of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), who said that "the Bolshevik takeover of the Democratic Party is in full swing" and that "communism is on the ballot this November." Responding to Scalise's use of the term, Ben-Ghiat wrote: "Bolshevik?" She added, "How retro, a return to the original Fascist counter-revolutionary rhetoric and action … Conjuring Communism in all its forms is apparently the new MAGA propaganda theme."

Ben-Ghiat then pointed to a clip of Trump claiming that communists are trying to blow up Mount Rushmore. She described the president's intent as "not subtle," writing that the "new party line is to associate Communists with every crime, every offense. Create a sense of Communist threat to justify a rightwing crackdown. Old playbook used with coups and Fascist takeovers."

She also referenced a clip of Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaking about communists. Ben-Ghiat wrote that propaganda depends on repeated messaging: "Propaganda is about repetition: the group you want to smear must be mentioned negatively over and over again. When you are conjuring a largely imaginary enemy, you must redouble your efforts. That's what is happening here."

Ben-Ghiat followed that with a response to an all-caps repost from House Republicans that stated, "WE WILL STOP COMMUNISM." She wrote: "Are we getting the point about propaganda requiring repetition with tiny variations in messaging?"

With November elections approaching, and Republicans expected to take major losses, Ben-Ghiat argued that the rhetoric indicates Trump and his allies may be prepared to use severe measures to remain in power. "Again, all of a sudden commies are The Enemy," she wrote. "Students of propaganda, track the diff in messaging from a month ago. Goal is likely to justify a crackdown for 'national security' reasons, conveniently staged just before the midterms."