Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden set the tone for the next four years. The event went viral with clip after clip of unhinged racist soundbites. One speaker after the next escalated the rhetoric from bashing immigrants to US citizens. Former FOX News anchor, Tucker Carlson, joked about Kamala Harris being a “Low IQ Samoan Malaysian”. Then, Trump’s former chief of staff, Sid Rosenburg, jokingly called the event a “Nazi rally”.
The most explosive of all of the comments made was from comedian Tony Hingecliff who called Puerto Rico “a floating pile of garbage”. A comment that caused many Latino and Puerto Rican voters to question their decision for Donald Trump. While Trump still gained 13 points with the demographic compared to 2020 according to NBC, it no doubt hit deep for the representative of a presidential candidate to attack some of the most marginalized US citizens.
All of this is a reminder of not only the past year of campaigning but a post-2016 era that welcomed this emboldened white supremacist attitude. While the economy ended up partially granting Trump the victory, ABC still reports in an exit poll that voters largely view him as “too extreme”. His rhetoric around immigrants and even his despise for regular American citizens has become more intense as he calls for the military to be sicked on “the enemy within” or leftists. Many of us were terrified post-election day in 2016 of what a Trump presidency could mean. Well, that prospect has only become more terrifying as a second one looms over us. Were we reminded too late, was a Joe Biden adjacent repeat too much of a chance to take, are we too apathetic, or some combination of them all?
I want to paint a picture. One that takes place at the same venue where Trump had this epic final rally, Madison Square Garden. However, instead of it being 2024, it’s February 20, 1939. The German-American organization, Bund, is sponsoring a rally to celebrate George Washington’s birthday. There is a 30-foot banner of the first president placed right beside swastikas. Some of the 20,000 attendees wore Nazi armbands as they recited the pledge of allegiance, held up signs that read “Stop Jewish Domination of Chrisitan America”, and waved American flags. Their speaker, Fritz Kuhn, addressed them as patriots and spoke of a vision for a “white gentile America”.
85 Years later, a similar rhetoric is festering—one that separates us from them and narrows what it means to be an “American”. Instead of attendees holding up signs disparaging Jewish people, they hold up signs that read “Mass Deportation Now”. A policy shared by Hitler during his reign. Trump’s speakers hide behind dog whistles and “America First” but it’s clear what they advocate for. This policy would rip families apart, turn the military on American citizens who “fit the description”, and require the building of concentration camps. It’ll be horrifying, it’ll be brutal, and it’s being planned as you read this.
There is no clear opposition to counter this position. The Democrats have followed right behind calling for a lighter version of Trump’s policies. Tougher reform on the border, more walls, more surveillance on drug trafficking. All of which are devoid of fact and most importantly humanity. As mentioned in our Immigration Hysteria article, 90% of drugs are smuggled across regular points of entry by US citizens. Why have Dems cosigned Republican framing? Why haven’t they told the truth? “Moderating” their position hasn’t brought them success but only worked to normalize harmful rhetoric which could lead to the most horrifying event in American history.
For the past year or so, news outlets have begun to throw around the word fascism but what does that word really mean? Are they simply using it as a buzz word or does it have some sort of merit as we inch closer to a new Trump era? Fascism by definition is a populist ideology that exalts nation and often races above the individual. It’s often associated with a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader and characterized by severe economic and forcible suppression of opposition. Is this an apt description and if so, what could that mean for our future?
Hitler’s Rise
We all are familiar with the genocide that took place during WWII that resulted in the death of six million Jews and five million leftists, non-white, trans, and disabled people. But very few of us are familiar with how such a volatile figure came to power. History is an important reference point so we can learn from our shortcomings and never repeat them. Trump will never be a 1 to 1 or some reincarnation of Adolf Hitler but his actions and plans do emulate him and other fascists who have come to power in the past.
Post World War I, nationalism saw a rise in Germany. This collective of parties was called The Folk Parties which became frustrated with their defeat. They felt as if they didn’t actually lose the war but were betrayed. The consensus from all of them was leftists and Jewish people were the cause of their demise. At this time, Hitler was a member of the National Socialist Party which is a part of this broader collective. You may be confused by this choice of name as socialists were one of the Nazi’s targets but they calculated that this would draw in disillusioned left adjacent Germans.
In 1923, Hitler felt emboldened to overthrow the government. He carried out this plan with the help of former WWI veterans but failed miserably and was subsequently arrested. His imprisonment which functioned more as a house arrest was a media spectacle. This publication and craze won him favor with the German public as they looked upon him with sympathy.
During this time, he wrote his infamous manifesto, Mein Kampf, a semi-autobiographical piece that outlined his long-winded frustrations and how Germany could gain dominance again. This was his plan:
- Unify Germany with Austria and all German-speaking people
- Take back territory that was “rightfully” Germany’s including Czechoslovakia and the port of Danzig
- Destroy the “virus” that is the Jewish people
- Expand Germany’s borders or “living room” (lebensraum)
In the broader German public, communism and the Jewish people were already being linked. The country’s Communist Party at the time was controlled by a Jewish woman named Rosa Luxembourg or the “Red Rose”. Labor unions and the left were already blamed for Germany’s downfall during the war after multiple strikes faltered the war machine. Many began to fear Germany would be the next country overtaken by communism, a fear Hitler took advantage of.
Business owners and the wealthy were a big force in Hitler’s rise. German industrialists financially backed him with the hopes that he would combat the rise of communism, something ideologically against their existence. These individuals weren’t necessarily Nazis but neo-liberals who aligned based on their hatred of labor unions. They thought their money would control him however, he would be the one doing the controlling.
After America’s economic collapse in 1929, Europe was hit with a similar depression. People yearned for a savior, someone to ease their pain or at least give them someone to blame. Hitler was that guy. He told them leftists and Jews were the source of their problems, and that he would be the one to rescue them. The German public fell right into his trap, resulting in the Nazis doubling their seats in the Parliament from 7% to 13%. At their height, they secured nearly half of the seats.
The president at the time was an old war general named Paul von Hindenburg. Hitler’s next move was to become the chancellor or the second most powerful position in government. The only issue was he needed Hindenburg’s appointment. Hindenburg regularly resisted the growing power of the Nazis at one point calling Hitler a “Bohemian corporal”. Eventually after pressure, he appointed Hitler as chancellor, hoping it would quiet him. It didn’t.
Now he had full rein to invoke terror upon the country. He deployed brown shirts or his paramilitary group with even more frequency. They were instructed to harass or even beat opposing politicians to death. He also instituted the Enabling Act which gave him absolute power. Despite this limiting the rest of the government, they didn’t dare vote against Hitler, and it was signed into law. Then once the old president died, the Fuhrer was born.
His first plan was the Third Reich or three principles. He would override the Treaty of Versailles without a single shot. Second, was the destruction of the Jewish people which would require deportations from Germany and then Europe altogether. Third would be building back the economy through the military-industrial complex. This initial plan set up the country to allow a dictator to carry out a genocide in their backyard.
How Is Trump A Fascist?
Now that we understand this background, how does Trump fit this model? For one, Hitler and him share a history of failed coups. While January 6th mostly made the country into a laughing stock, there were a lot of concerning moments within it. Trump supporters fashioned an execution stage for former Vice President, Mike Pence, waved white nationalist flags or were directly from those organizations, and tried desperately to barge into the main chamber to kill politicians in the midst of certifiying an election. That anger they felt was nearly identical to far-right Germans after WWI. The Nazi Party championed this narrative that they didn’t lose the war on their own but were plotted against. Sounds awfully familiar. Trump supporters echoed a similar sentiment after the 2020 election, claiming it was “stolen from them”. Thankfully, they had no idea how to implement a successful coup but their propensity to resort to violence after defeat is alarming. Especially as Trump has now pardoned many, could they become his Brown shirts?
Trump is also backed by the wealthy elite, the same force that helped Hitler rise to power. According to Forbes, Elon Musk has gifted Trump a reported 130 million dollars through his Super PAC. He even held an event in Pennsylvania where he gifted registered voters a million dollars something that is arguably illegal despite a Pennsylvanian court striking the case down. The billionaire aligns with Trump on this crusade against wokeness. He’s used his forced purchase of Twitter to his advantage, turning the site into a botted, right-wing fiesta. He’s unbanned neo-nazis like Andrew Anglin which has only created this environment for far-right sentiment to thrive. He claims it’s in defense of free speech but it’s hard to believe such a thing when accounts that show any sort of dissent are banned. His open use of the Roman salute at the inauguration, most commonly used by fascist leaders in the early 20th century, only compounds on both Musk’s and Trump’s tolerance of far-right extremism.
Trump’s third biggest donor Miriam Adelson backs the president-elect in hopes that he will help further Israel’s own fascist reign in the Middle East. During his first term, their alliance influenced the Abraham Accords which side-stepped Palestinian agency from the conversation. An event that escalated tensions in the region leading to October 7th. With a second Trump presidency, she hopes Israel will be able to annex the West Bank, Palestinian land currently occupied by the IOF. As a ceasefire in Gaza has finally been approved due to pressure from Trump, that reality inches closer than ever. Some may view this as the end of hostilities but this deal doesn’t end the apartheid. It only grants a political victory to Trump and there’s no telling what Israel was promised in the process. The annexation of the West Bank could bring the horrific scenes of Gaza’s death and destruction to this piece of land, only furthering Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people.
His alliance with these billionaires will cause middle-class concerns to be glanced over. Similarly to Hitler’s regime, he claims he will solve the economic burden many Americans are feeling but his plan for tariffs and tax cuts for the wealthy tells a different story. He will instead prioritize his donor’s concerns over the people’s.
There has been much talk about Project 2025 or this plan to deregulate the government. This involves stripping away institutions like the Department of Education and bolstering the prominence of right-wing figureheads in high positions. According to The Independent, it’ll work to compound on the overturning of Roe v Wade, allowing further prosecution of women who seek abortions and limiting access to emergency contraception. While Trump has denied any ties to this plan, it was formulated by his former aides and the Heritage Foundation which has long had ties to the Republican Party.
Hitler used Germany’s economic depression to his advantage, blaming it on marginalized individuals to further his own agenda. This recent election shows a similar pattern. The American people are desperate for stability. They want money in their pockets, food on the table, and they don’t care how they get it as long as it happens. Trump weaponizes this disdain for the current administration to further his Hitlerian border policy. He tells them immigrants are taking away their affordable housing, their jobs, their low prices, and mass deportation will fix it.
This is the most alarming of them all. It is almost a complete 1 to 1 of how Hitler secured his power. Immigrants aren’t the source of our problems in the slightest. They pay into social security and welfare and get nothing back, they work intensive jobs for slave wages, they commit less crime per capita – yet they can so easily be vilified as this vulnerable group. Our fellow humans are once again being turned on us as we are told our prosperity comes at the price of their lives.
We have lost the meaning of “never again means never again”. We have so much information at our fingertips but yet we’ve forgotten the horrors of Hitler’s reign–how he came to power. The initial plan wasn’t to commit genocide although I’m sure he was delighted at the idea. There’s a reason why it was called the Final Solution. It evolved over time from ghettos to mass deportation to camps to endless death.
Trump’s dehumanization over the past few years will only make that process easier. He has already stated at a Michigan rally, that he views immigrants as non-human. He has no value for their life. The concentration camps will be full to the brim of a mix of undocumented immigrants and American citizens caught in the crossfire–all of a similar shade though. When it gets too expensive to maintain especially after the amount of resources it took to capture them, there’s no telling what calculation the Trump administration will make. It is my hope that it won’t come to that–that we won’t repeat what we fought against nearly a century ago.
At that rally in 1939 at Madison Square Garden, despite the room being filled with so much hate there was one individual who felt it was his responsibility to stop it. Isadore Greenbaum was a young Jewish plumber from Brooklyn who snuck into the rally that night. He sat there and listened for three hours surrounded entirely by people who viewed his existence as a virus. Eventually, he got up and sauntered down the aisle, getting closer to Fritz Kuhn. Standing at the foot of the stage, he decided to jump up and snatch the microphone cables, yelling “Down with Hitler”. He was quickly tackled, beaten, and humiliated by police who delivered him a black eye. But Greenbaum never wavered from his decision, saying he would’ve done it again.
When the odds are stacked against us, when there is no party or entity that protects our interests–our democracy, our freedom, we must be our own light. As Democrats begin to do the blame game, sparking a crusade against wokeness not dissimilar to conservatives, it has become very clear they don’t fight for us either. They are utterly incapable of looking at their own wrongdoings. When it comes down to it, they are beholden to the same masters and spit just as viciously in our faces when we don’t bend to them. If we want change, we will have to make it. No one will do it for us. As they say, the revolution will not be televised.
