Is Trump a fascist?
"Trump is building something new on old principles. He is showing us in real time what 21st-century American fascism looks like".
When I started Town Hall Citizen in February 2025 I wrote this on the home page:
"On one side of the isle are the Republicans - a party led by Donald Trump. Trump is about a far-right brand of politics best thought of as autocratic and theocratic rule, that’s borderline fascism."
The left bandies about the f word. Like anyone who isn't behind LGTBQ is a fascist. It's wrong to do so, makes us look like cretins.
Our son is a college sophomore, he studies history. When I asked him if Trump is a fascist circa 2018, his answer was no. I asked him again last evening. He answered "I'd say yes".
After thinking about this question, spending a few hours reading current pieces and reviewing 2 books on the subject, I now agree that Trump is a fascist.
My opinion is based on the following.
The first is Yes, It's Fascism by Jonathan Rauch published in The Atlantic January 25, 2026. Here's the original piece, paywall protected.
Jonathan Rauch
Here's the piece paywall free, linked to via archive.is.
If the link won't open correctly, past the original link into RemovePaywall.com, here:
Next is this piece on The Nerve. Carole Cadwalladr interviews Brookings Institute Fellow Robert Kagan.
I dusted off Madeleine Albright's book, which I read circa 2018 in Trump v1. Madeleine was a Czech-born American diplomat and political scientist who served as America's 64th secretary of state under President Bill Clinton from 1997 to 2001. A Democratic, she was the first woman to hold the position.
I'm re-reading her book. Albright:
“To my mind, a fascist is someone who identifies strongly with and claims to speak for a whole nation or group, is unconcerned with the rights of others, and is willing to use whatever means necessary - including violence - to achieve his her goals.”
I listened to this podcast, hosted by Susan Glasser. Susan used to head Foreign Policy. She interviews Robert Kagan.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-political-scene-the-new-yorker/id268213039?i=1000745507095
Susan wrote Kremlin Rising: Vladimir Putin's Russia and the End of Revolution. She's my goto expert on Putin, she knows what fascism looks and feels like.
Kagan wrote this in 016, originally published in the Washington Post.
Thomas Wright
"What these people do not or will not see is that, once in power, Trump will owe them and their party nothing. He will have ridden to power despite the party, catapulted into the White House by a mass following devoted only to him. By then that following will have grown dramatically. Today, less than 5 percent of eligible voters have voted for Trump. But if he wins the election, his legions will comprise a majority of the nation. Imagine the power he would wield then. In addition to all that comes from being the leader of a mass following, he would also have the immense powers of the American presidency at his command: the Justice Department, the FBI, the intelligence services, the military. Who would dare to oppose him then? Certainly not a Republican Party that laid down before him even when he was comparatively weak. And is a man like Trump, with infinitely greater power in his hands, likely to become more humble, more judicious, more generous, less vengeful than he is today, than he has been his whole life? Does vast power un-corrupt?"
Kagan was prescient.
Yes, it's now my opinion that Trump is a fascist. It's also the opinion of historians and experts on the subject matter. I think it's right to call Trump a fascist. I believe the word should be used accurately and judiciously. I think anyone who calls Trump a fascist should be able to speak knowledgeably, backup their opinion with something other than what they read on social media. Otherwise, as I say, using the f word falls flat.
Home page updated.
Now the only question is, when will Americans see that Trump is what we once fought against?
tty next time,
