It's a question that has been raised a lot this election cycle: "Is Donald Trump a fascist?" Opponents will be quick to answer affirmatively, but Trump and his supporters simultaneously lob the same accusation back at Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and prominent Democrats. Furthermore, if you go back through the past few decades of political rhetoric, you will see Hitler/fascist comparisons frequently thrown at candidates. Way back in 1964, Barry Goldwater was accused by his Democratic opponents of being a fascist. I also remember during the George W. Bush years how some likened the growth of government oversight post 9/11 to Nazi Germany. The accusation of "fascist" in politics is not a particularly new one.
Indeed, I've hesitated to write this post for a while because of how easy it is to flippantly compare a politician we don't like to Hitler. After all, American democracy has continued through all these decades despite accusations of fascism against our leaders. Indeed, this tendency to rush to accuse is so common that there's a theory around it. It's called "Godwin's Law," which states that "as an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1." Applied to politics, Godwin's Law suggests that if a political debate continues long enough, someone will sooner or later compare their opponent to Hitler or Nazi Germany, even if such a comparison is faulty. As such, we should be wary of quickly making such accusations, especially since doing so minimizes the horrors of the Holocaust and atrocities committed by those like Hitler.
That being said, Godwin's Law does not mean that such comparisons are never warranted. Instead, they should be carefully weighed to ensure the comparison is historically accurate and appropriate, not politically driven. Furthermore, one should not use Godwin's Law to shut down comparisons to Hitler that might be legitimate when directed against someone we support. Incidentally, it's worth noting that Mike Godwin himself, the creator of Godwin's Law, has stated that comparisons between Trump and Hitler are appropriate. Last year, Godwin wrote, "But when people draw parallels between Donald Trump’s 2024 candidacy and Hitler’s progression from fringe figure to Great Dictator, we aren’t joking. Those of us who hope to preserve our democratic institutions need to underscore the resemblance before we enter the twilight of American democracy."
So, how warranted are these comparisons between Trump and Hitler/fascists? Is this just another Democratic scare tactic, or should we all be worried about a Trump re-election?
These accusations have gained steam in the past month as reporters have given attention to retired general and former Trump Chief of Staff Mark Kelly's words about Trump and Hitler. According to Kelly, Trump has made comments like "Hitler did some good things too" and "I need the kind of generals Hitler had [i.e.- totally loyal to the person]." Kelly has also noted Trump's repeated admiration for modern dictators and observed, "Certainly the former president is in the far-right area, he’s certainly an authoritarian, admires people who are dictators — he has said that. So he certainly falls into the general definition of fascist, for sure."
Of course, defenders of Trump have pointed out that these comments come mere weeks before the election and allege they're a convenient set of lies intended to damage Trump's chances of winning. While perhaps the timing of Kelly's comments are politically motivated, the fact is that legitimate concerns about Trump's connections to fascism, authoritarianism, Hitler, and far-right rhetoric are not new. In fact, some concerns reach back decades, which should give us reason to weigh Kelly's words carefully.
Indeed, as early as 1990, way before Donald Trump entered politics, he was being accused of admiring Hitler. A Vanity Fair article in that year covering the ending marriage of Donald and Ivana Trump included several sentences about Trump possibly owning a copy of Mein Kampf or My New Order (a book of Hitler's speeches.) Ivana claimed that Donald owned a copy of My New Order and would pull it out to read it and note how Hitler was a master propagandist. One of Trump's friends confirmed giving Trump a copy of the book, and when asked about it, Donald became defensive, but confirmed he owned a copy of a book by Hitler. He did (somewhat) deny actually reading it, but given Donald's troubled history with the truth, it's a little hard to believe his denial. It's worth observing that the English version of My New World at the time also contained analyses of Hitler's speeches and why they were effective.
Additionally, the article noted one of Trump's friends would proclaim "Heil Hitler" at times when entering Trump's office.
There are plenty more recent connections between Trump and Hitler that also predate Kelly's remarks. During Trump's first term as President, there were frequent scandals of Trump retweeting content from racist and even neo-Nazi groups or supporters. When white supremacists marched on Charlottesville, Trump refused to condemn them. He repeatedly used language resembling dog whistles to far-right extremist groups. He fawned over authoritarian leaders like Putin, Kim Jong-Un, and others. Coupled with many other similarities, such as demonization of Muslims and immigrants, attacks on the media, pushing a populist brand of extreme nationalism, and more, many critics were already drawing comparisons to Hitler and fascists way before his 2024 campaign.
Personally, the comparisons between Hitler and Trump really came home in 2020. The organization I work for runs a thrift store, and in 2020 we came across a copy of Mein Kampf that had been donated. Not sure how we felt about selling it inside our Christian-based, nonprofit thrift store, I elected to just buy the copy myself to read for better first-hand insight into what Hitler was actually saying at the time. However, as I read through Hitler's words, passages kept leaping out that sounded like they could have been ripped from some of Trump's own rallies. I had already come to the conclusion that Trump was unfit for office, but the rhetorical similarities to Hitler were chilling.
The truth is that most people have not actually read Hitler's words or listened to his speeches at length. Additionally, many Americans don't actually have a good definition of "fascism" and aren't that familiar with Hitler's history or rhetoric. Our common understandings are usually reduced to "fascism=authoritarianism" and "Hitler was a dictator and tried to wipe out the Jews." While theses are true in part, it's important to really understand both fascism and Hitler the man before we seriously lob those accusations at someone.
Indeed, this lack of understanding is why Trump is believed by his supporters when he accuses Kamala Harris of being both a "fascist" and a "Marxist." Anyone who has done even a little reading on fascism or is familiar with Hitler's rhetoric will know this is absurd. Fascism is a far-right ideology (something Harris can't be accused of) and Hitler hated Marxists (he felt they were part of what was destroying Germany). The fact that Trump tries to label Harris as both either proves he does not understand either term or he knows his audience doesn't understand them.
So, what is fascism and how does Trump compare? This could be an entire book (and books have been written on this topic), but I'll try to focus on the key components of fascism, as well as my own assessment of Trump's rhetorical comparisons to Hitler in Mein Kampf.
First, what is fascism?
1. Origins of Fascism
Fascism arose out of WW1. The first World War not only wreaked physical and economic havoc in Europe, but it also transformed the view of numerous leaders concerning violence and war. For some, the entire nation was to be mobilized for military purposes and the distinction between civilian and soldier became blurred. Both economically and militarily, fascists called citizens to "fight" to restore their country to former greatness.
The word "fascism" comes from an Italian word meaning "bundle of sticks." Mussolini and Italian fascists took this symbol to convey the idea of powers and functions of government being "bundled" around the chief leader to create strength through unity. Mussolini and Hitler are the most well known fascists.
The comparison here to our time is that, like the fascists of last century, Trump plays off the concerns of people that our country is lost and being "destroyed" by liberal forces. Historical fascists used the dissatisfaction and misery of the masses to build support by promising a national restoration of pride, power, and winning. As Hitler write in Mein Kampf (MK), "To win the masses for a national resurrection, no social sacrifice is too great…if they help to give the broad masses back to their nation." If that all sounds familiar to the battle cry of "Make America Great Again" or "Take America Back," you're not wrong.
2. Fascism is a far-right movement
Historically, fascists have attacked Marxists and liberals as "enemies" of the state. As I read through Mein Kampf, I noted how frequently Hitler blasts "Marxists" and liberal democracy. At one point, Hitler writes, "The question of the future of the German nation was the question of destroying Marxism."
So, when we see Trump blasting Harris as a "Marxist" or calling her "comrade Kamala," this is in line with the ideology of fascists.
Similarly, fascists frequently claimed to represent conservative values for their nation. Hitler would complain about the loss of German language, traditional education, German way of life, and national pride. He complained about evils like prostitution that plagued liberally educated cities. Fascists would also point to origin myths about their nation and call their followers back to those stories as inspiration for greatness.
And yet, this was not a simple conservatism. Instead, fascism used conservative values and origin myths to promise a revolution of a new country. This is not dissimilar to how Trump relies heavily on religiously conservative voters for his base. He offers them conservative values in policy, and yet he promises a revolution and a new movement. Simultaneously, Trump does not look or act like a conservative, perhaps because he is recreating "conservatism" in his own image.
However, at the end of the day, if one side of this election is likely to be a fascist, it would more likely be Donald Trump as he lies closest to the far-right end of the political spectrum.
3. Fascism is authoritarian
Perhaps the most well known aspect of fascism is authoritarianism. Indeed, as Hitler writes in MK,
"[In our movement,] the chairman is elected, but he is the exclusive leader of the movement. All committees are subordinate to him and not he to the committees. He makes the decisions and hence bears the responsibility on his shoulders."
and
"Does anyone believe that the progress of this world springs from the mind of majorities and not from the brains of individuals?...By rejecting the authority of the individual and replacing it by the numbers of some momentary mob, the parliamentary principle of majority rule sins against the basic aristocratic principle of Nature."
In fascism, power is centralized not just in a single party, but in a single man. And yet, this dictatorship can still be sold to the people as "democracy." Again, Hitler writes,
"True Germanic democracy is characterized by the free election of a leader and his obligation fully to assume all responsibility for his actions and omissions. In it there is no majority vote on individual questions, but only the decision of an individual who must answer with his fortune and his life for his choice."
Trump has repeatedly shown admiration for authoritarian leaders. The current Republican party has been structured to support and protect him at all costs. He has supposedly asked individuals in his cabinet why police can't shoot protesters and places a great emphasis on loyalty to him personally. Some of his wildest anger has been directed at those he perceives to have betrayed this loyalty. And as many former staff members point out, Trump seems to value loyalty to himself above loyalty to country.
"He initially thought I would do it. He thought I would be loyal and obedient to him. I told him we were loyal to our oath to the Constitution. If he told you to slit someone’s throat, he thought you would go out and do it." -John Kelly, former chief of staff for Trump
"The American people deserve to know that President Trump asked me to put him over my oath to the Constitution, but I kept my oath and I always will." -Mike Pence, former vice president
"In September 2019, the president issued a veiled threat against an intelligence community employee who reported the president for inappropriately coaxing a foreign government to investigate one of his political opponents. Trump said the employee was ‘close to a spy.’ He continued, ‘You know what we used to do in the old days when we were smart, right? The spies and treason, we used to handle it a little differently than we do now.’ The implicit suggestion was that the whistleblower should be hanged. Such behavior is unbecoming of a president and the presidency. To anyone with even a modest reverence for the principle of free speech, it is also morally wrong." -Miles Taylor, chief of staff, Dept. of Homeland Security
The way Trump has questioned our electoral system also speaks to concerns over authoritarianism. When he lost the election in 2020, he refused to accept the results and began spreading unfounded lies, leading to the violence of January 6th. As the current campaign unfolds, he has again preached the same lies about our elections. Like a con man flipping a double-headed coin, Trump sees no way he can lose. Either he will win in a landslide or he will lose due to "rigged" elections. But of course, the elections will only be rigged if he loses, not if he wins. Either way, the argument is that he already is the next President, regardless of what the voters will say.
Similarly, Trump (and his followers') rhetoric strongly presents Trump as the "savior" of America. Our country is broken and he is the only one who can fix it. He is the only one "smart" enough, strong enough, and willing enough to do what needs to be done, he claims. And just like Jesus, he is being persecuted but has led his followers to believe that God will sustain him through the enemy attacks he faces. If not, he'll be a martyr. Such are the words countless dictators have used before him to gain and keep power.
While Trump supporters will point to the remaining presence of democracy in America as proof that Trump wasn't a dictator in his first term, there are still reasons to be concerned here. In his first term he was surrounded by many more career politicians and other individuals who could serve as a check to his whims. There were plenty of individuals in his Cabinet who prized the Constitution over self and told him "no" to hold him in check. This second time around will be different. This time around, Trump has seized the Republican party by the scruff of its neck and has built up a system of loyalists around him like he always wanted. There will be fewer checks to his power the second time around.
Finally, whether or not Trump is successful or not in being an authoritarian is irrelevant. What matters is what he wants, and the history clearly shows that he would love unlimited power and perfect loyalty to him (remember his boasts about shooting someone in broad daylight and not losing his base?). While America is not 20th-century Germany and has a much deeper well of democracy to support its systems, the question remains of how much wear and tear can our democracy take from an authoritarian-wannabe before it finally breaks?
4. Fascism is ultranationalist
Nationalism is key to fascism. If you want to consolidate power under a single party/man, you need something to unite people. Nationalism provides the perfect vehicle to do so. Hitler praised Germany's golden past and lamented the loss of German greatness. He then called the people to restore pride in the fatherland. He writes in MK:
"Only a handful of Germans in the [pre-Hitler] Reich had the slightest conception of the eternal and merciless struggle for the German LANGUAGE, German SCHOOLS, and a German WAY OF LIFE. Only today, when the same deplorable misery is forced on many millions of Germans by the Reich…amid their longing at least to preserve their holy right to their MOTHER TONGUE, do wider circles understand what it means to be forced to FIGHT for one’s nationality....The lack of ‘national pride’ is most profoundly deplored"
"I address myself to all those who have to fight even for the holy treasure of their language, who are persecuted and tortured for their loyalty to the fatherland, and who now long for the hour which will permit them to return to the heart of their faithful mother."
These all sound like similar complaints among Trump supporters: immigrants don't learn English, our schools are too liberal and teach a wrong version of American history, those who burn American flags should be jailed or killed, and those who are not "proud to be an American" should be kicked out. These are sentiments that Trump feeds regularly.
But the danger of ultra-nationalism is that it also seeks a villain to unite the people against. If there are things that define you as part of the nation, then there are also threats to that identity? While sometimes it is a set of values, it often also devolves into race. This leads us to the next characteristic of fascism.
5. Fascism seeks a scapegoat and racial purity
Another well known aspect of Hitler's reign was his emphasis on the "Aryan race." However, we must make sure to link this belief back to the nationalistic ideals of Hitler. The two are interwoven. German "culture" was not abstract, but was connected to "ideal" Germanic peoples--i.e. white with blonde hair and blue eyes. Conversely, when Hitler attacked Jews, it was also because they did not represent German national culture in his mind. They were outsiders who refused to conform to the customs of Hitler's German nationalism.
Scapegoating these minority groups in the culture was also a way to locate blame for the problems of society. In Hitler's case, the Jews were blamed for Germany's weakness in the first world war, for the economic problems Germany faced, for a rise in sexual immorality and poor hygiene, and even for slavery of white people. Hitler even connected Judaism to liberal ideals as he argued Marx was a Jew:
"The Jewish doctrine of Marxism…denies the value of personality in man, contests the significance of nationality and race, and thereby withdraws from humanity the premise of its existence and its culture….the result of an application of such a law could only be chaos, on earth it could only be DESTRUCTION for the inhabitants of this planet….Hence today, I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the godless Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord." (in MK)
Hitler portrayed his destructive, dehumanizing words against Jews as protecting German culture, a meaningful way of life, and even Christian faith. In other places, he calls Jews and the liberal press "criminals," "parasites," "a virus," and "vermin"--language that might sound familiar if you listen to Trump rallies.
Sadly, this fits perfectly with Trump's own rhetoric. In his first campaign, he vilified Muslims and immigrants. This election cycle, he has ramped up the demonization of immigrants to almost Hitler-esque levels. In particular, he reduces these groups to something less than human. He uses similar language for Harris and "communists" around her, similar to what Hitler did. Here are some words of Trump in recent days:
"Many of them [undocumented immigrants] murdered far more than one person, and they are now happily living in the United States. You know, now a murderer, I believe this, it’s in their genes. And we got a lot of bad genes in our country right now." -Trump at Oct. 2024 rally
“We pledge to you that we will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country that lie and steal and cheat on elections….They'll do anything whether legally or illegally to destroy America and to destroy the American dream." -Trump at a Claremont, NH rally
"No control whatsoever [at the border], nobody has any idea where these people are coming from, and we know they come from prisons, we know they come from mental institutions, insane asylums, we know they're terrorists…It's poisoning the blood of our country, it's so bad and people are coming in with disease, people are coming in with every possible thing that you can have." -Trump interview with The National Pulse
"Kamala has imported an army of illegal alien gang members and migrant criminals from the dungeons of the third world … from prisons and jails and insane asylums and mental institutions, and she has had them resettled beautifully into your community to prey upon innocent American citizens." -Trump at Oct 2024 rally
Trump has questioned the citizenship of both Barrack Obama and Kamala Harris without evidence, simply because they are people of color and political opponents. He has told his nearly all white crowds that they have "good genes" while portraying non-white immigrants as genetically inferior.
His language about immigrants "poisoning the blood of our country" is especially chilling as it's ripped straight from Mein Kampf. Here are a few of the many places Hitler used that same language toward his racial and political enemies:
"For me there is but one doctrine: people and fatherland. What we must FIGHT for is to safeguard the existence and reproduction of our race and our people, the sustenance of our children and the PURITY OF OUR BLOOD, the freedom and independence of the fatherland, so that our people may mature for the fulfillment of the mission allotted it by the creator of the universe.” -Hitler
"Blood sin and the desecration of the race are the original sin in this world and the end of humanity which surrenders to it." -Hitler
“The Germanic inhabitant of the American continent, who has remained racially pure and unmixed, rose to be master of the continent; he will remain the master as long as he does not fall victim to DEFILEMENT OF THE BLOOD.” -Hitler
“The Jew POISONS THE BLOOD of others, but preserves his own. The Jew almost never marries a Christian woman; it is the Christian who marries a Jewess. The bastards, however, take after the Jewish side….The Jew is perfectly aware of this, and therefore systematically carries on this mode of ‘disarming’ the intellectual leader class." -Hitler
"Wherever I went, I began to see Jews, and the more I saw, the more sharply they became distinguished in my eyes from the rest of humanity….Was there any form of filth or profligacy, particularly in cultural life, without at least one Jew involved in it?...The relation of the Jews to prostitution and, even more, to the white-slave traffic, could be studied in Vienna as perhaps in no other city of Western Europe.” -Hitler
There are many other places where Hitler uses similar language to speak about Jews and Marxists "poisoning the blood" of the culture and systems of Germany. It's also not an accident that Trump is using this phrase. After he first used this wording at a rally, he was confronted about it and told that Hitler used the same language. Trump claimed he didn't know, but then proceeded to continue using it after specifically being told about the Hitler connection! He's has made a conscious, informed choice with these words. Given he uses this phrase in relation to minorities and immigrants, it's another strike against him for looking like a fascist.
6. Fascists attack the free press and education
“I swallowed my disgust and tried to read this type of Marxist press production, but my revulsion became so unlimited.” -Hitler in MK
“It is of paramount interest to the state and the nation to prevent its people from falling into the hands of bad, ignorant, or even vicious educators. The state, therefore, has the duty of watching over their education and preventing any mischief. It must particularly exercise strict control over the press, for its influence on these people is by far the strongest and most penetrating….It must not let itself be confused by the drivel about so-called ‘freedom of the press’ and let itself be talked into neglecting its duty….For what food did the German press of the pre-War [WWI] period dish out to people? Was it not the worst poison that can even be imagined?...Did it not help teach our people a miserable immorality? Did it not ridicule morality and ethics as backward and petty-bourgeois, until our people finally became ‘modern’?....The so-called liberal press was actively engaged in digging the grave of the German people and the German Reich.” -Hitler in MK
Trump loves to attack the press. He calls them all kinds of names, claims they are lying about him, tries to sue them for defamation/slander, and gets his followers to chant against and boo them. Similarly, Trump plays to conservative fears about public education. He claims schools are indoctrinating children in liberal values and are destroying American values. These are all from the playbook of 20th-century fascists. Fascists hate a free press because it holds them accountable and limits them.
We have already seen how Trump not only vilifies the free press that challenges and fact-checks him, but he is creating alternate means of communicating with (and pushing propaganda to) his followers. When kicked off of Twitter, he created "Truth Social." News services like Newsmax and Fox News essentially function as propaganda machines for his campaign. This election cycle, he has frequently appeared on podcasts that stream directly to (heavily male) audiences. The more he can build up a news ecosystem that creates an echo-chamber for his followers, the more likely they are to believe anything he says.
Trump is right that the news and media we consume affects how we view the world and how we view politics. The problem is he is not at all interested in created a balanced media or one rooted in reality, only in one that tells his version of "truth."
7. Fascism is militaristic
Hitler and Mussolini turned their nations into military states. They believed that there was a scarcity of resources in the world and their nations must conquer other lands to remain great and productive. Influenced by concepts of social Darwinism, there was a clear belief that might makes right and that the strong are entitled to enforce their will over the "weak."
“The stronger must dominate and not blend with the weaker, thus sacrificing his own greatness. Only the born weakling can view this as cruel, but he after all is only a weak and limited man.” -Hitler, MK
It's interesting to me that Trump places a huge emphasis on "greatness" and being powerful, while emphasizing the "weakness" of his opponents.
"He [Trump] thought that the worst thing you could be called was a 'loser' or 'weak,' so he deployed those words a lot. He thought that the way to get under the skin of people in the media was to claim that their ratings were bad. He questioned people’s confidence, their looks, their intelligence — whatever he thought would do the most damage to someone’s psyche.” -Stephanie Grisham, former Trump press secretary
We've seen plenty of name calling from Trump over the years. He's called veterans "losers," said you have to "treat women like shit," called Harris a "shit vice president," blasted Nikki Haley as a "birdbrain" without "talent," insulted the physical appearance of countless women and candidates, and taunted other world leaders as "weak."
So there is no doubt that Trump views the world in terms of winners/losers and strong/weak. However, he goes beyond that and revels in the military power that the presidency can offer. He's made comments desiring strong and loyal generals, praised the military processions of dictators, threatened nuclear war against enemies, and recently has threatened to use military and police power against immigrants, reporters, and political enemies.
Trump supporters will point to the fact that the US did not enter any new wars during Trump's tenure and repeat his words that he is for "peace." There is some merit to this argument in that Trump seems to favor an isolationist foreign policy. However, this might be one way in which fascism evolves in the 21st century. Everyone generally recognizes that you can't just invade other countries. However, Trump has also expressed support for Russia and ending the Ukraine conflict. Perhaps Trump is not eager to see America get into a war, but he certainly admires those with the guts to invade other countries unprovoked.
While Trump's "peaceful" international record may be true to an extent (as it was checkered with plenty of fears of war and alienated allies), it is also undeniable that Trump has displayed a kind of lust for military power for himself, especially a military power that is loyal to him alone. Whether or not our military systems will stand up for the Constitution remains to be seen (I am hopeful), but again, the desire and lust for power is there within Trump which is dangerous.
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Finally, beyond the main components of fascism, I've also noted other similarities between Mein Kampf and Trump's rhetoric:
- A blending of faith and nationalism. Most scholars agree that Hitler did not really have a personal faith, but simply admired Christianity from afar and used it to connect with the masses. In MK, he writes that Christianity's greatness was not in its doctrines themselves, but "in its own inexorable fanaticism in preaching and fighting for its own doctrine." I see this in Trump. While he claims to be a Christian when asked, the fruit of his life indicates it's not a core part of who he is. However, he readily sees the value of the evangelical vote and knows they are a powerful political ally that are uncompromising in their beliefs.
- "Genius" and mental incompetence are frequent themes in Hitler's words. He describes his political enemies as stupid morons with low IQs. Conversely, he sees his way of thinking as smart and leaders who can take control and promote German values as "geniuses." Sound like any current politician who frequently insults other people's intelligence while boasting about his own "genius"?
- Hitler understood the power of speech and staying connected to the "masses." He observes, "the broad masses of the people can be moved only by the power of speech…A movement with great aims must therefore be anxiously on its guard not to lose contact with the broad masses." In his rise to power, he used both rallies and radio to effectively connect with crowds. In a similar way, Trump uses his own rallies and social media to speak directly to people and keep them fired up.
- Hitler notes the importance of "concentrating the attention of the people on a single foe." He continues, "It belongs to the genius of a great leader to make even adversaries far removed from one another seem to belong to a single category, because in weak and uncertain characters the knowledge of having different enemies can only too readily lead to the beginning of doubt in their own right.” Trump is also effective at this. The most recent example is how he insists that Kamala Harris is personally importing dangerous criminals into the US. This combines both his political opponent and the scapegoat of immigrants into a single rhetorical enemy.
- Finally, Hitler emphasizes "the fight." Indeed, the title Mein Kampf means "my struggle/fight." There are frequent calls to his listeners to "fight" for German heritage and pride (see some quotes above). Likewise, Trump's rallies have the repeated altar call to "Fight, fight, fight!" and "Win, win, win!"
- There are also other comparisons that I won't get into here. For example, Trump and other fascists have pursued isolationist policies and bullied private companies into working for them. Tariffs and trade wars have historically been used by fascists to protect industrial sectors of interest to them and their followers. Fascists have also enriched large corporations and enlisted their help to reach their political aims (Elon Musk, anyone?) You can read some additional similarities here in this 2019 article.
So that is a lot. But where does it leave us?
In my mind, there is no doubt that Trump is using the playbook of historical fascists, and is perhaps doing so intentionally. Of course he will deny it as no one wants to be called a "fascist" after the atrocities of other fascists in history. And he has a good defense to do so as Democrats have been too loose in throwing that term at other opponents in the past. But, I am fairly certain he knows what he is doing and recognizes the effectiveness that the rhetoric and policies of historical fascists had over people.
Godwin's Law recognizes that you can connect essentially any person or leader to Hitler if you want to. We can point to many militaristic presidents, or politicians who are racist, or other leaders who accused the press of bias. Connection to a few fascist traits does not automatically make one a fascist. However, when a person starts to check nearly all the boxes, then Godwin's Law says we should pay attention.
Now, do I think we're on track for a Holocaust of immigrants and liberals in the next 4 years if Trump wins? No. There are some important differences between us and Germany a century ago. For one, the US does have over 200 years of democratic history and tradition, compared to Nazi Germany's much younger history of democracy that was emerging out of royal and authoritarian rule.
Secondly, while Trump likes to claim to be a genius, there are many ways in which he is still a bumbling buffoon. His first term revealed plenty of incompetency and scandal. So many aspects of his government were dysfunctional. His history of business dealings also show that he a great showman, but not always a great businessman. Put against our free press and our systems of checks and balances, he often is not adept enough to do whatever he wants.
That being said, just because a Holocaust is likely not on the horizon doesn't mean we shouldn't take these similarities seriously. On the contrary, they should be huge warnings for us. Words and rhetoric do matter. Even if Trump doesn't resort to killing immigrants, words do have an effect. If you spend 8 years dehumanizing the lives of immigrants, other people will start killing immigrants, even if it's not the government.
Secondly, another Trump term will be less restrained. As stated above, more loyalists means Trump will have more freedom to unleash his whims. How far he will go remains to be seen, but he has threatened a lot (using nukes against foreign countries, jailing or executing political rivals, using the military and police to raid communities of immigrants, etc.) There are any number of crimes that could be committed given permission to do so. Coupled with the recent Supreme Court decision that essentially excuses any and all actions a President might take, there will be little accountability for him.
But finally, we should not be so naïve to think that we are fundamentally different from pre-Hitler Germany. We like to convince ourselves that Hitler was pure, obvious evil and that Germans were stupid. But, Hitler's was a slow rise to power. People did not take him seriously at first. But over time, he drew the people to his side. After the worst evils in world history have been committed, the people who were there always say, "But I didn't know!"
I don't think most Germans at the time Hitler was rising to power deliberately wanted to see millions of their neighbors killed. They were simply indifferent and thought the political changes were all "normal." It took years of destructive rhetoric to create a people who would turn a blind eye to the Holocaust or even endorse it. And, like it or not, we as Americans have that same propensity for evil. Time and time again in human history, people have examples in the past to learn from, and yet we continue to make the same mistakes. Like the people of Israel in the Old Testament, our memories are short. We think we are better than our ancestors and only with hindsight discover that we are just as bad.
Just in the past 8 years, we have seen Trump completely transform the Republican party and coalesce support. In 2016, the majority of Republicans opposed him and there was a strong "Never Trump" movement. Today, the RNC actively lobbies for him and treats him like an insider. Republicans who openly challenge their great leader are almost extinct. Other politicians who try to step into leadership are immediately squashed or repent of their "crimes" against Trump shortly after. Even the white evangelical church, like the Deutsche Christen a century ago, has largely given Trump a pass for his actions, sometimes with enthusiasm. He has convinced them and many other Americans that he is normal and that he is inevitable. Give him a few more years and what might he do to the rest of the population?
I hope our democratic, press, and church systems can withstand another Trump presidency, but I also know that monsters and atrocities are not created overnight. They are cultivated. And right now, Donald Trump is plowing a very similar soil to what Hitler and other fascists cultivated before him. The question remains, "What will sprout up?" And that is what scares me.
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