"For nearly a decade, there has been a recurring debate in center-left intellectual circles about whether you could properly describe Donald Trump, his MAGA movement, and the administrations he has led as "fascist." Such discussions have accelerated since Trump returned to the White House in 2025 and began stretching the powers of his office to target his many enemies, real and imagined."
"written by the regularly brilliant Jonathan Rauch, who has previously warned against loose application of "the F-word" to Trump. He's changed his mind, and concludes that "the reluctance to use the term has now become perverse." Rauch concludes that Trump is a "fascist president" because he meets 18 different criteria for classic fascist thinking and conduct, ranging from "demolition of norms" and "glorification of violence" to "alternative facts" and "politics as war.""
For nearly a decade center-left intellectuals debated whether Donald Trump, his MAGA movement, and his administrations qualify as fascist. Trump's 2025 return to the White House intensified those debates as he stretched presidential powers to target perceived enemies. The Republican Party has undergone a major transformation since 2015, moving away from old-school conservatism. A thorough examination concluded that Trump meets eighteen classic fascist criteria, including demolition of norms, glorification of violence, alternative facts, and politics as war. The United States has not yet become a fascist country because viable forms of resistance against his plans remain.
Read at Intelligencer
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