Kamala Harris, the current Vice President of the United States, has primarily focused her arguments against Trump as a typical Republican with an overt concern for the rich, a serious and selfish man with little interest in national unity. As articulated in my book “The Case for Nationalism,” it’s essential to emphasize that the despots of the 20th century harbored a deep-seated hatred for parliamentary democracy, a characteristic that is not exhibited by former President Trump. In fact, the escalating popularity of Trump dramatically contradicts Harris’s tired allegations.
The term “fascist” has been flippantly tossed around in political discourse, and Ms. Harris doesn’t seem resistant to this trend. By branding Trump as a fascist, she not only misuses the nomenclature but also minimizes the horrific atrocities committed by actual fascists throughout history. However, are her claims valid? It’s imperative that we delve deeper to analyze this.
Fascism, a far-right ideology, repudiates democracy and liberal capitalism while upholding dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, strong regimentation of society and the economy which came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe. Now, if we juxtapose this with Trump’s leadership, we find a stark contradiction.
Instead of forcibly silencing his opposition, Trump has exhibited a higher tendency to engage in often fiery, but open debates. His ideology seems less about societal regimentation and more about individual liberty, albeit with conservative, nationalist undertones. From slashing taxes to rolling back regulations, Trump’s leadership style mirrored more of a proponent of free-market capitalism rather than a fascist freight train.
Additionally, Trump has demonstrated a great deal of respect for the democratic processes. Despite the controversy surrounding the 2020 elections, Trump, far from the picture of a totalitarian dictator, left the White House quietly on Inauguration Day. His abidance by the democratic transition is far from what we would expect from a fascist.
The aim here isn’t to lionize Trump or vilify Harris, but to encourage a more accurate use of historical concepts. Trump may be seen as controversial, polarizing, and unpredictable, but labeling him a fascist is both a historical and semantic error. Understanding fascism requires comprehending the historical roots and implications; a cursory comparison to today’s American politics would yield an immediate discrepancy.
Trump’s recent surge in popularity not only contradicts Harris’s joyless zeal to label him as a fascist but also testifies to the fact that a significant number of Americans still subscribe to his conservative, nationalist ideologies. According to a recent poll from Harvard CAPS-Harris, Trump’s approval rating among Republicans is 85%, revealing a durable relationship with a large segment of the American population who are unlikely to identify with or endorse fascism.
Consequentially, Harris’s accusations appear to be an effort to marry Trump’s name to the most malicious of global atrocities in an attempt to discredit him. Yet, as the case continues to build in Trump’s favor and his popularity high among conservatives, what should indeed be discredited is the ill-suited attempt to label him a fascist. He’s been many things – a businessman, a reality television star, and a controversial president – but a fascist, he is not.
