There has been some handwringing among Democratic strategists about whether the Harris campaign should focus on President Trump’s fascism in the closing week of the election or on the economy, which the polls say is driving the majority of voters this election.
It’s a false decision, of course. The campaign can and should do both.
But on the “question” of President Trump’s fascism, some undecided voters seem to believe the argument that President Trump was already president for four years and he didn’t turn us into a fascistic dictatorial state, so he won’t do so again.
But on a recent episode of Pod Save America, the host, Jon Lovett, made what I thought was an important point, so I wanted to share it with you.
I don’t need to have a whole fucking academic debate in politics in public about the definition of fascism.
I think part of what we need to do is just lay out what those things are and make the case on each one of them. Because if you go down the list, sowing disinformation and mistrust in the media, a lionization of masculinity at the expense of women in defense of traditional patriarchies, declaring an enemy the source of all of our problems, intimidating people.
By the way, one of the reasons, not just January 6th, right now, and it’s not just the advanced compliance of Jeff Bezos in avoiding an endorsement, we have heard from Republican after Republican that they are afraid to speak out about Donald Trump because of threats to their family, because of the fear of political violence.
The fascist threat of violence is already warping our politics. That warping is happening. It is in front of us.
There are Republicans right now who would be speaking out, but they are afraid of retribution. There are business leaders who would be speaking out right now, but they are afraid of retribution. There are business leaders who would be speaking out right now, but they are afraid of retribution. That is a response to the ways in which Donald Trump is an authoritarian fascist.
You don’t stop being a fascist because you don’t get everything you want in your first term because you’re surrounded by people who aren’t fascists. They’re right-wing Republicans, they’re craven, but they’re not going along with fascism. You don’t get to do full fascism until you’re surrounded by fascists.
That doesn’t mean you weren’t a fascist because you failed.