The selective socialism of Donald Trump: Farmers, yes. Poor families, no.

The popular understanding of what “socialism” entails isn’t quite right. We tend to use the expression interchangeably with “social programs,” government investments in aid to the American public. In other contexts, it’s used as a blanket pejorative. The Democrats want socialism, President Trump will say, part of his effort to tap into his base’s latent Cold War worries.

Trump’s party has consistently framed itself in opposition to big government spending, an idea that bleeds over into this nebulous socialismness, particularly as elections near. Democrats want to tax and spend; Republicans believe in the free market. That sort of thing. Cut spending, cut taxes, everyone wins.

While Trump doesn’t always hew to this line of rhetoric from his party, he does at times. As with his administration’s plan to change eligibility requirements for food stamps, reported on Tuesday.

View the complete July 23 article byPhilip Bump on The Washington Post website here.