By David N. Harding, Staff Writer
In every election cycle since 2016, the American Left has ramped up the same tired alarm: that Donald Trump and his “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) supporters are fascists threatening democracy itself. This slur, hurled with increasing hysteria by Democratic leaders, media elites, and progressive academics, is intended to evoke fear, suppress debate, and cast conservative populism as an existential danger. But this narrative doesn’t hold up under scrutiny—not only because it misrepresents the nature of fascism, but also because many of the behaviors it criticizes are exhibited most aggressively by those shouting the loudest.
In October 2024, retired Marine General John F. Kelly, Trump’s former chief of staff, told The New York Times that the former president “falls into the general definition of a fascist” (The New York Times). Days later, Vice President Kamala Harris echoed the accusation in a CNN interview, warning that “democracy itself” was on the line if Trump were re-elected. Progressive outlets like The Guardian and NPR have published countless pieces warning of “creeping authoritarianism” tied to MAGA ideology (The Guardian).
What Fascism Actually Means
Before labeling anyone a fascist, it helps to understand the term. According to Roger Griffin, professor of modern history and one of the world’s foremost scholars on fascism, the ideology is defined by authoritarian ultra-nationalism, the mass mobilization of the public behind a cult of personality, and the creation of a totalitarian state that seeks to destroy democratic institutions (The Guardian – Griffin). Historian Sarah Churchwell, writing in Politico Magazine, further explained that 20th-century fascist regimes like those of Hitler and Mussolini combined militarism, racial supremacy, and the suppression of civil liberties with the intent to completely remake society under one-party rule (Politico).
This isn't what we’ve seen from Trump or the MAGA movement—no matter how often the media insists otherwise.
Why Trump and MAGA Are Not Fascist
1. No Totalitarian State: Trump respected the constitutional limits of his office. He was blocked by courts, limited by Congress, and harshly criticized by media—none of which were shut down or censored. He was impeached twice and left office through the normal constitutional process. There was no suspension of elections, no dictatorship, and no override of democratic institutions (The Federalist).
2. No Paramilitary Arm: MAGA does not operate like Mussolini’s Blackshirts or Hitler’s Brownshirts. While the January 6 riot was unlawful and chaotic, it lacked organization, central command, or paramilitary enforcement. It was not a coup attempt in the historic sense, and the event has been used by the media far beyond its scale to label all conservatives as extremists (RealClearPolitics).
3. No Ideological Consistency: Trumpism is a blend of economic nationalism, deregulation, populist rhetoric, and law-and-order governance—but not fascism. It promotes private enterprise, religious freedom, and traditional values—none of which are compatible with a state-dominated totalitarian system (National Review).
4. No State-Controlled Media: Under actual fascism, the media is absorbed by the state and used to distribute propaganda. In contrast, nearly every major U.S. media outlet—CNN, The New York Times, MSNBC, Washington Post, and others—were openly hostile to Trump throughout his presidency. They were not only untouched but emboldened during his tenure, frequently publishing anonymously sourced hit pieces with impunity.
The Irony: The Left Reflects Fascist Traits More Than the Right
Here’s where the hypocrisy deepens: those accusing the MAGA movement of fascism are increasingly embracing authoritarian behaviors themselves.
Suppression of Dissent: Internal government documents and whistleblowers have confirmed that federal agencies, including the FBI and CDC, collaborated with social media platforms to suppress conservative viewpoints under the guise of “fighting misinformation.” This was fully revealed in The Twitter Files, reported by journalist Matt Taibbi and published by The Free Press (The Free Press – Twitter Files).
Mass Mobilization and Emotionalism: The modern progressive Left enforces ideological conformity not through open dialogue but through emotional blackmail and groupthink. Identity politics, critical race theory, and gender ideology are deployed through DEI programs, school curricula, and corporate mandates. Those who object are fired, shunned, or smeared—not debated.
Scapegoating Entire Groups: Rather than engaging ideas, many on the Left now reduce individuals to their demographic identity. “White males,” “evangelicals,” “rural voters,” and “Christian nationalists” are frequently vilified as obstacles to progress, much in the same way that fascist regimes created scapegoats to consolidate political control.
Intolerance of Individualism: True fascism destroys the individual in favor of a collective identity. Modern progressivism does the same: merit is replaced by equity, individuality is swallowed by group identity, and those who deviate from the approved orthodoxy are shamed into silence.
Totalizing Ideology: Fascism doesn’t stop at politics—it controls culture, education, religion, and the family. Similarly, the modern Left now dictates how doctors treat gender dysphoria, what pastors can preach, what children learn, and what words we’re allowed to use. Pronoun mandates, compelled speech laws, and parental exclusion in school decisions are not democratic principles—they are hallmarks of authoritarian social engineering.
Who’s Really Threatening Democracy?
When Kamala Harris warns that “democracy is at stake,” what she really means is that Democrats might lose. This same administration tried to create a Disinformation Governance Board at the Department of Homeland Security—a literal government office to monitor speech—before public backlash forced its shutdown. They worked hand-in-glove with tech companies to suppress inconvenient truths, like the Hunter Biden laptop scandal, which The New York Post broke in 2020 and was falsely labeled “Russian disinformation” by legacy media and former intelligence officials alike (New York Post).
Ironically, it’s conservatives who are now defending the core values that liberals once claimed to champion: free speech, civil liberties, religious freedom, and the rule of law. Trump may be brash and polarizing, but he is not the existential threat the Left claims he is. If anything, the real danger lies in allowing ideological conformity, censorship, and state power to grow unchecked under the guise of “saving democracy.”
Conclusion
Fascism is a real and dangerous ideology—but it has nothing to do with Donald Trump or the MAGA movement. The Left’s constant invocation of the term is not about preserving democracy. It’s about preserving power. And in doing so, they’ve adopted many of the traits they claim to oppose: suppression of dissent, ideological uniformity, group scapegoating, and totalizing control over society.
When you hear someone shouting “fascist,” it’s worth asking: who’s silencing speech? Who’s enforcing ideological compliance? Who’s coordinating with media and big tech to suppress opposition?
The answer may not be who the media tells you it is.
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