A supporter of former President Donald Trump holds up a sign during a rally on November 18, 2023 in Fort Dodge, Iowa.
Journalists Have Already Moved on From Trump’s Fascist Rhetoric—That Is a Serious Mistake
The disgraced former president repeats classic fascist rhetoric and has received enthusiastic support from contemporary U.S. fascists. You don’t have to ask me what that makes him.
It is profoundly surreal to observe that, in the year 2024, Donald Trump’s breath is rank with the fetid stench of fascism. Of course, fascism has visited the United States in the past, but it was still dizzying, late last year, to hear a former U.S. president pledge to “root out the communists, Marxists…and radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of the country” while despicably slandering immigrants for “poisoning the blood of our country.” There is no mystery here. Trump is parroting classic fascist rhetoric of the sort deployed by Hitler and Mussolini.
It would be tempting to dismiss Trump as a backward-thinking Neanderthal, like the character in The Great Gatsby who, after insisting that others heed his warnings about the imminent collapse of the “Nordic race”, is dismissed by the narrator as an ignoramus reduced to “nibbl[ing] at the edge of stale ideas.” The problem, of course, is that Trump is not a fictional character but rather someone with a very real chance of returning to the White House in this year’s election.
Unfortunately, media attention seems already to have moved on from Trump’s fascist rhetoric. This is serious stuff that will demand close and sustained scrutiny. Trump is putting fascism on the ballot and it is essential that voters understand exactly what his election would mean.
Because Trump has darkened our political landscape for so many years, it is natural to assume that everything about him must already be well known. Indeed, one of the challenges is to avoid being wiped out by Trump scandal fatigue. But the reality is that some of Trump’s most astonishing deviations from normalcy have received insufficient attention.
For instance, Trump’s celebration of fascism may seem like something new for the would-be U.S. dictator, but there is a much larger context here that is essential to fill in. I recall in the summer of 2016 being shocked to read that 1) there is still an American Nazi Party; and (2) its leader, Rocky Suhayda, was eagerly rooting for Trump’s election. I do not believe this has received much attention, and I have never heard any reporter ask Trump whether he rejects Nazi support.
Similarly, before the 2016 election, when the founder of a neo-Nazi website declared that “virtually every alt-right Nazi I know is volunteering for the Trump campaign,” Trump was not asked whether he accepted such support. Trump was, of course, asked by CNN about an endorsement he received from former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. Trump initially claimed he “[didn’t] know anything about what you’re even talking about,” refusing to reject Duke on national television—a reaction that members of the U.S white power movement enthusiastically welcomed as a tacit indication that Trump is on their side. The violent extreme right wing group known as the Proud Boys similarly inferred that Trump was with them when he, upon being asked to repudiate the group, instead told them to “stand back and stand by” (The Proud Boys, some of whom participated in the 1/6 insurrection, had Trump’s words printed on t-shirts).
Journalists understandably wonder how they can cover Trump in a way that does not treat him as just another standard candidate without abandoning professional objectivity. One commentator, Margaret Sullivan, suggests that “Perhaps the most important thing journalists can do as they cover the campaign ahead is to provide thoughtful framing and context.” Applying that to Trump’s fascist rhetoric, journalists can help fill in the context that helps make sense of his remarks by making sure Americans understand that American Nazis and white supremacists have been with Trump since his 2016 campaign. Reporters should also ask Trump whether he accepts their support—to my knowledge, he has never issued a public repudiation of support from the American Nazi Party and other fascists. It would also be worthwhile to check in with the American Nazi Party to see whether they continue to support Trump in his current campaign.
Donald Trump, the leading Republican presidential candidate, repeats classic fascist rhetoric and has received enthusiastic support from contemporary U.S. fascists. You don’t have to ask me what that makes him. Reporters can, and should, ask Trump.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
It is profoundly surreal to observe that, in the year 2024, Donald Trump’s breath is rank with the fetid stench of fascism. Of course, fascism has visited the United States in the past, but it was still dizzying, late last year, to hear a former U.S. president pledge to “root out the communists, Marxists…and radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of the country” while despicably slandering immigrants for “poisoning the blood of our country.” There is no mystery here. Trump is parroting classic fascist rhetoric of the sort deployed by Hitler and Mussolini.
It would be tempting to dismiss Trump as a backward-thinking Neanderthal, like the character in The Great Gatsby who, after insisting that others heed his warnings about the imminent collapse of the “Nordic race”, is dismissed by the narrator as an ignoramus reduced to “nibbl[ing] at the edge of stale ideas.” The problem, of course, is that Trump is not a fictional character but rather someone with a very real chance of returning to the White House in this year’s election.
Unfortunately, media attention seems already to have moved on from Trump’s fascist rhetoric. This is serious stuff that will demand close and sustained scrutiny. Trump is putting fascism on the ballot and it is essential that voters understand exactly what his election would mean.
Because Trump has darkened our political landscape for so many years, it is natural to assume that everything about him must already be well known. Indeed, one of the challenges is to avoid being wiped out by Trump scandal fatigue. But the reality is that some of Trump’s most astonishing deviations from normalcy have received insufficient attention.
For instance, Trump’s celebration of fascism may seem like something new for the would-be U.S. dictator, but there is a much larger context here that is essential to fill in. I recall in the summer of 2016 being shocked to read that 1) there is still an American Nazi Party; and (2) its leader, Rocky Suhayda, was eagerly rooting for Trump’s election. I do not believe this has received much attention, and I have never heard any reporter ask Trump whether he rejects Nazi support.
Similarly, before the 2016 election, when the founder of a neo-Nazi website declared that “virtually every alt-right Nazi I know is volunteering for the Trump campaign,” Trump was not asked whether he accepted such support. Trump was, of course, asked by CNN about an endorsement he received from former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. Trump initially claimed he “[didn’t] know anything about what you’re even talking about,” refusing to reject Duke on national television—a reaction that members of the U.S white power movement enthusiastically welcomed as a tacit indication that Trump is on their side. The violent extreme right wing group known as the Proud Boys similarly inferred that Trump was with them when he, upon being asked to repudiate the group, instead told them to “stand back and stand by” (The Proud Boys, some of whom participated in the 1/6 insurrection, had Trump’s words printed on t-shirts).
Journalists understandably wonder how they can cover Trump in a way that does not treat him as just another standard candidate without abandoning professional objectivity. One commentator, Margaret Sullivan, suggests that “Perhaps the most important thing journalists can do as they cover the campaign ahead is to provide thoughtful framing and context.” Applying that to Trump’s fascist rhetoric, journalists can help fill in the context that helps make sense of his remarks by making sure Americans understand that American Nazis and white supremacists have been with Trump since his 2016 campaign. Reporters should also ask Trump whether he accepts their support—to my knowledge, he has never issued a public repudiation of support from the American Nazi Party and other fascists. It would also be worthwhile to check in with the American Nazi Party to see whether they continue to support Trump in his current campaign.
Donald Trump, the leading Republican presidential candidate, repeats classic fascist rhetoric and has received enthusiastic support from contemporary U.S. fascists. You don’t have to ask me what that makes him. Reporters can, and should, ask Trump.
- Trump Is Not Our Biggest Problem: It's the Open Fascism He Has Unleashed ›
- There Is No Longer Room for Debate: Trump Is a Fascist ›
- How the Media Can Atone for Enabling the Rise of Trumpism ›
- Cowardly For-Profit Journalism Is Bringing Trump's Fascism Back to Our Door ›
- Warnings Grow That US Media Again Failing to Accurately Cover Trump's Fascist Threat ›
It is profoundly surreal to observe that, in the year 2024, Donald Trump’s breath is rank with the fetid stench of fascism. Of course, fascism has visited the United States in the past, but it was still dizzying, late last year, to hear a former U.S. president pledge to “root out the communists, Marxists…and radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of the country” while despicably slandering immigrants for “poisoning the blood of our country.” There is no mystery here. Trump is parroting classic fascist rhetoric of the sort deployed by Hitler and Mussolini.
It would be tempting to dismiss Trump as a backward-thinking Neanderthal, like the character in The Great Gatsby who, after insisting that others heed his warnings about the imminent collapse of the “Nordic race”, is dismissed by the narrator as an ignoramus reduced to “nibbl[ing] at the edge of stale ideas.” The problem, of course, is that Trump is not a fictional character but rather someone with a very real chance of returning to the White House in this year’s election.
Unfortunately, media attention seems already to have moved on from Trump’s fascist rhetoric. This is serious stuff that will demand close and sustained scrutiny. Trump is putting fascism on the ballot and it is essential that voters understand exactly what his election would mean.
Because Trump has darkened our political landscape for so many years, it is natural to assume that everything about him must already be well known. Indeed, one of the challenges is to avoid being wiped out by Trump scandal fatigue. But the reality is that some of Trump’s most astonishing deviations from normalcy have received insufficient attention.
For instance, Trump’s celebration of fascism may seem like something new for the would-be U.S. dictator, but there is a much larger context here that is essential to fill in. I recall in the summer of 2016 being shocked to read that 1) there is still an American Nazi Party; and (2) its leader, Rocky Suhayda, was eagerly rooting for Trump’s election. I do not believe this has received much attention, and I have never heard any reporter ask Trump whether he rejects Nazi support.
Similarly, before the 2016 election, when the founder of a neo-Nazi website declared that “virtually every alt-right Nazi I know is volunteering for the Trump campaign,” Trump was not asked whether he accepted such support. Trump was, of course, asked by CNN about an endorsement he received from former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. Trump initially claimed he “[didn’t] know anything about what you’re even talking about,” refusing to reject Duke on national television—a reaction that members of the U.S white power movement enthusiastically welcomed as a tacit indication that Trump is on their side. The violent extreme right wing group known as the Proud Boys similarly inferred that Trump was with them when he, upon being asked to repudiate the group, instead told them to “stand back and stand by” (The Proud Boys, some of whom participated in the 1/6 insurrection, had Trump’s words printed on t-shirts).
Journalists understandably wonder how they can cover Trump in a way that does not treat him as just another standard candidate without abandoning professional objectivity. One commentator, Margaret Sullivan, suggests that “Perhaps the most important thing journalists can do as they cover the campaign ahead is to provide thoughtful framing and context.” Applying that to Trump’s fascist rhetoric, journalists can help fill in the context that helps make sense of his remarks by making sure Americans understand that American Nazis and white supremacists have been with Trump since his 2016 campaign. Reporters should also ask Trump whether he accepts their support—to my knowledge, he has never issued a public repudiation of support from the American Nazi Party and other fascists. It would also be worthwhile to check in with the American Nazi Party to see whether they continue to support Trump in his current campaign.
Donald Trump, the leading Republican presidential candidate, repeats classic fascist rhetoric and has received enthusiastic support from contemporary U.S. fascists. You don’t have to ask me what that makes him. Reporters can, and should, ask Trump.
- Trump Is Not Our Biggest Problem: It's the Open Fascism He Has Unleashed ›
- There Is No Longer Room for Debate: Trump Is a Fascist ›
- How the Media Can Atone for Enabling the Rise of Trumpism ›
- Cowardly For-Profit Journalism Is Bringing Trump's Fascism Back to Our Door ›
- Warnings Grow That US Media Again Failing to Accurately Cover Trump's Fascist Threat ›