DNC chair: GOP labeling Democratic policies socialist because ‘they’re wrong on the issues’

Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Tom Perez on Sunday pushed back against Republicans likening certain Democratic policies to socialism, and compared some hallmarks of President Trump’s time in office to “repressive socialist regimes.”

Appearing on “Fox News Sunday,” Perez called the GOP’s use of socialism as an attack line “one of the oldest tricks in the playbook.” He noted Republicans had levied similar criticisms of Social Security, a guaranteed minimum wage and the Affordable Care Act, among other policies. 

“Why do they do that?” Perez said. “Because they’re wrong on the issues.”

{mosads}Trump has wielded the socialist label in recent weeks as Democrats push progressive ideas such as the “Green New Deal,” and high-profile party members float raising marginal tax rates to 70 percent on the wealthiest Americans.

Some prospective Democratic presidential candidates have backed at least one of those ideas, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

Perez on Sunday called it “ironic” for Trump to criticize others as socialist.

“The whole interesting thing about the continued use of the word socialism is that repressive socialist regimes, two of their most frequent qualities are, No. 1, they try to undermine the press. They go after the press,” he said. “And No. 2, they have endemic corruption.”

Perez noted that Trump has regularly attacked the press, deploying labels such as “fake news” and “enemy of the people” to describe unfavorable coverage or outlets he dislikes. 

The DNC leader also said a “culture of corruption” surrounding the Trump administration was a key factor in Democrats’ 2018 midterm victories. Six former Trump associates have been implicated in special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.