Let’s take a trip back to the 1950s—a time when Joe McCarthy’s witch hunts had Americans looking over their shoulders, convinced that communists were lurking everywhere. According to McCarthy, the family dog could be a Bolshevik, the mail carrier was likely a Soviet agent, and heaven forbid your aunt liked Russian ballet. Fast forward to 2024, and New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul seems to be reviving McCarthy’s old playbook, rebranding it for the modern era by calling Republican voters “anti-American” in a way that even McCarthy himself might blush at.
For those unfamiliar, McCarthyism was a bizarre chapter in American history where guilt by association and fearmongering ruled the day. Swap “communist” with “Republican,” and you’ve got Hochul’s recent public remarks. It seems her party has settled on “Russophobia” as the new foreign policy framework and McCarthyism as its domestic strategy. History really does repeat itself—though this time, it’s less about paranoia over Soviet spies and more about vilifying half of America at the voting booth.
Hochul decided that GOP voters supporting Donald Trump are, by extension, disloyal citizens. Twice—and counting, Trump has won the votes of half the country, but in Hochul’s New York, that makes you something between a heretic and a traitor. Her remarks came in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, who is now running as the “joyful” candidate, promising to “turn the page” on division, even while part of an administration whose party has held the White House for 12 of the last 16 years. Apparently, “turning the page” means stamping “enemy of the state” on any voter who dares to disagree with the ruling elite.
Raise your hand if you think Hochul’s doing a fantastic job tackling her actual responsibilities—anyone? In Hochul’s New York, governing has taken a back seat to enforcing ideological purity. Real-world problems like crime, taxes, and failing schools? Apparently, those can wait. The new role of governor is certifying your patriotism based on who you pull the lever for on Election Day.
Imagine if a Republican governor decided to label Democrats as “anti-American.” The media would go into an all-out frenzy. ABC News would roll out the “Breaking News” graphic faster than Hochul could say “Trump voter,” and David Muir would be reaching for his hair product to let us know democracy was on life support—all while looking his best. But since it’s a Democratic governor accusing Republicans of treachery, it’s crickets from the so-called media watchdogs. They’ve traded their bark for a cozy lap on the ruling elite’s couch, ever ready to fetch the latest talking points.
And here’s the irony: this comes from a party that hysterically warns us about Donald Trump’s supposed “enemies list” and how he’ll go after his detractors if he wins. The same party that condemns others for allegedly dividing America now eagerly smears anyone who opposes their agenda, enforcing conformity while accusing Trump of sowing division.
So here we are, listening to the “joyful” candidate’s supporters casually call millions of Americans enemies of the state. Election after election, they promise to “fix” the very problems they’ve created, blaming their opponents and painting them as somehow more loathsome than America’s actual adversaries. When your record is riddled with failures, it’s easier to recycle the tactic of demonizing the opposition, rather than face the mess you’ve made.
Hochul’s brand of “patriotism”—where half of America is labeled as anti-American—has all the hallmarks of McCarthyism, repackaged for a new era. Ironically, it’s the same divisive fear-mongering that Hochul’s party accuses Trump’s supporters of promoting. They label Trump supporters as dangerous “nationalists,” yet they’re the ones wielding patriotism as a weapon, dividing the country one insult at a time. And that, dear readers, is what’s truly un-American.
Charlton Allen is the founder and editor-in-chief of The American Salient and the founder of the Madison Center for Law & Liberty, Inc. Learn more about him at charltonallen.org.
