On Sunday, July 12, 2026, Trump shared on Truth Social a 49-minute video by conservative commentator Michael Savage titled “DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM MUST BE CRIMINALIZED; LEADERS DEPORTED.” The video argues that democratic-socialist candidates running as Democrats are turning the country socialist, and declares: “These are hardcore communist bastards who must be stopped, criminalized and deported.” It names New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani; some coverage described the segment as demanding the arrest of both Mamdani and Sen. Bernie Sanders.
By amplifying it, the president of the United States endorsed the idea of criminalizing a political ideology and deporting or arresting elected officials for holding it. Mamdani is a U.S. citizen and a sitting mayor; there is no lawful mechanism to deport him for his politics, which is precisely what makes a president's endorsement of the demand notable rather than idle. It fits a stretch in which Trump has spent weeks attacking socialism and communism and, separately, called for opponents to be jailed.