Ankith Sunny
English 125
TRUMP AND FASCISM
Introduction
On January 6, 2021, at around 12:53 PM, Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol building after Trump’s call for attending a parallel event in DC. The chaotic encounter resulted in vandalism and death as his extremist supporters were ready to use violence to further Trump’s call. Such events were unthinkable in the modern democratic US, which prides itself as a free world and land of liberties and democracies. The results of the Capitol attack were a culmination of Trump’s fascist tendencies he had employed throughout his tenure, as seen by his critics. Notably, Trump had for long attacked the credibility and independence of institutions in the country, leading his supporters to believe that certain elements opposed to Trump were a threat to America’s progress, history, and pride. However, Trump supporters have been adamant about labeling him a fascist, although some of his behavior may be common with notable fascists. In particular, some experts have defended him against fascism labels but agree he shares demagoguery traits with fascist regimes. However, while Trump’s traits and tactics in furthering his political cause might border fascism and strongly share traits of a fascist, he does not exemplify the traits of a fully-fledged fascist for his fundamental conception of the relationship between an individual and the states and his failure to show any desire to actively use available resources to instill a mighty global America or conquer nations although it does not excuse his anti-democracy behaviors.
January 6 was when electoral votes were counted in the US Capitol building in Washington DC. However, on the same day, Donald Trump organized a parallel event in DC where he was to address his supporters. This event had been made popular several days earlier, from around December 19, 2020, when he had shared an announcement of the event on his Twitter page, which informed many people. They were prepared to grace the event and cause havoc with their might if the election was not to favor Donald Trump. The ball was in the court of Vice President Mike Pence to make the ‘right decision’ as put by Trump supporters. Despite the multitude of supporters present at the Capitol, the Vice President did not change the ruling. This angered the supporters, led by the Proud Boys, the main instigators of the riot, and Ashley, a former soldier who was a far-left supporter of Trump, to attack the Capitol starting from 12:53 PM, even before Trump had finished his address. In addition to this, the protestors claimed their attack aimed to eliminate all persons considered crooks there, whether Republicans or Democrats. At around 2:10 PM, they had got in, having been incited by Donald Trump, who they believed had won the election. Based on this information, it will be debated whether or not Donald Trump is a fascist or not.
Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler are notable fascists and demagogues. A fascist belief in far-right political philosophies or theories of government (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM), 2019). Fascists believe that the state should have total and strong control to overcome its natural limitations where the individual sacrifices self-interest for a collective nation. The pursuit of self-interest is thus detrimental to the state’s collective well-being (USHM, 2019; Weber, 2021). Thus the fundamental philosophy of fascism is the relationship between individual and state. However, fascists are demagogues, but demagogues are not necessarily fascists.
Experts agree though not living up to the true exemplification of a fascist leader, Trump is nonetheless fascist. Perhaps since America has strong democratic institutions, he has constantly fought with or tried to taint their reputations. Berezin (2021) posits that Trump is guilty of evil, violence, and authoritarian behavior characteristic of fascist regimes. Howevr, Cohen (2021) terms Trump a fascist for his manifestation of fascist tendencies though not fully, but he is a fascist nonetheless. In particular, his incitement of Capitol invasions makes fascism labels hard to denounce (Cohen, 2021). In addition, Trump has exemplified fascism and demagoguery in several ways. Hyper-nationalism, theatrics, cult leader status, and his attacks on democratic institutions (McNeill, 2020). In summary, Trump is a manifestation of modern fascism; however, strong democratic institutions curtail his desire for the full display of fascism.
While different experts agree that Trump shares some characteristics with fascist leaders, they attribute them to demagoguery and not fascism. Notably, it is agreeable that while all fascists are demagogues, it does not mean all demagogues qualify as fascists (Weber, 2021). Trump is undeniably a demagogue with his attacks on democratic institutions and anti-establishment rhetoric. However, like Berlusconi, Trump ran his campaign on anti-establishment rhetoric but did not live up to the properties similar to notable fascists (Lind, 2021). Such was due to his understanding of the relationship between individual and state philosophy. For fascists, the individual must sacrifice self-interest for the state, while Trump believes pursuing self-interest is vital for persons to coexist within the collective state (Weber, 2021). In addition, Trump’s failed to show the desire for global conquest and establishing an American empire, contrary to the modus operandi of fascist leaders whose drive for conquest resulted in world wars (Evans, 2021). Thus, Trump fails to live up to the fascist property, although he qualifies as a demagogue agreeable by even experts who oppose attempts to label him a fascist.
McNeill (2021) argues that Trump has not only exemplified the character of a fascist leader but also has demagoguery tendencies common to fascist leaders. Notably, Trump has excelled in modeling himself to be a cult-like leader amongst his followers base. Moreover, Trump has not been afraid to use the military against immigrants and protestors within the USA, a character he shares with other fascist leaders. In addition, has used theatrics has exerted control over his republican party to quash opposition from within while strongly fighting against the media to undermine their independence. McNeill (2021) agrees that Trump shares other characteristics common with fascism but does not qualify as a fascist. His design of immigrant policies and regulations is racist, while he invokes American history and culture to whip emotions against immigration. Thus, for such reasons, Trump is a fascist.
Weber (2021) believes that while Trump shares some demagoguery traits with fascist leaders like Hitler and Mussolini, it does not necessarily make him a fascist. However, it is undeniable that his behavior has been detrimental to the progressive democracy in the United States. Notably, Trump’s fundamental conception of the relationship between the individual and states differs fundamentally from fascists like Hitler. For Trump, the individual needs to pursue his self-interest to enable coexistence within the collective nation. On the other hand, on the contrary, fascists believe that individual sacrifices for the sake of the collective nation. In addition, Trump failed to exert a mighty global America in conquering other nations, a strong trait manifested by fascist regimes like that of Hitler, which culminated in the second world war. Thus, for the fascist-like tendencies, demagoguery traits are also shared with fascists.
References
Berezin, M. (2021). Political Ineptitude Temmpred Trump’s Fascist Behavior. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
Cohen, N. (2021). If Trump looks like a fascist and acts like a fascist, then maybe he is one. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
Evans, R. (2021). Why Trump isn’t a Fascist. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
Lind, M. (2021). Trump was a corrupt populist demagogue, not a would-be a fascist dictator. Project Syndicate. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
McNeill, J. (2020). How fascist is President Trump? There’s still a formula. The Washington Post. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
Weber, T. (2021). Trump is not a fascist. But that didn’t make him any less dangerous to our democracy. CNN. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
USHMM. (2019). Fascism. Retrieved March 24, 2022, from https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/fascism-1