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As Trump Takes Office Again, Normalize Calling Him a "Fascist." Because He Is One. [1]
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Date: 2025-01-19
As we ready ourselves for a second Trump presidential term, the word "fascist" may become a more regular part of our national lexicon. And with good reason: Trump behaves like a fascist would.
There will be some who may say we shouldn't use such terminology — that it will be viewed as name-calling, or distract from arguments against Trump's policies. That somehow, by calling Trump a fascist, it will cause harm to the movements opposing him.
Those complaints need to be ignored. It needs to be said, regularly and with no apology, that the man is a fascist. And a dangerous one at that.
So what is fascism? There are different views and versions of the term, but three big factors are usually part of every fascistic leader's or group's ideology.
First: there are demands for unprecedented powers to be placed into the hands of a charismatic central figure, usually the leader of a party and/or the political head of government.
Second: that person or group pushes a nationalistic view of society, in the form of defining one group of people as being more representative of the nation, superior to all others, usually accompanied by the dehumanization of another group or groups, disqualifying them from being able to exercise any of their natural civil rights. In extreme cases, these "others" are treated beyond vilification — laws against their identity are implemented, resulting in their imprisonment, and even genocide, in some cases.
And third: a suppression of dissent of any kind against that central figure, in the form of laws against criticizing the person or party in power, as well as restricting media (news or entertainment) from making commentary or even properly reporting on those in power in ways that portray them negatively.
We see all three of these qualities within Trump.
His demands for unprecedented powers — including his insistence during the campaign that he should be allowed to be a "temporary" dictator — is a clear signal that he will attempt immense power grabs to empower the executive branch, even beyond how presidents have done over the past two hundred years.
His cozying up to Christofascists and white supremacists , and his dehumanizing of immigrants as subhuman beings — going so far as to push unfounded and debunked lies about them to rile up his base — demonstrates his desire to define a nationalistic zeal in this country, to promote and oppress certain groups of people.
And his calls to revoke the "licenses" of television networks and news agencies , his deriding of the press as "enemies of the people," his statements indicating he will use the Department of Justice to go after his political opponents , and more statements like these, showcase his refusal to accept dissent against him as being a normal part of a democratic society.
These are just a few examples of Trump's fascistic views and statements. Many more examples abound. Many more, I suspect, will come about in the new Trump presidency.
If we cannot call out his fascism now, if we feel too scared to call it what it is, then our rights will erode — to the point that we will not be ALLOWED to voice these opinions at some point in the future.
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[1] Url:
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