Trump's Actions
Documented evidence of Trump's alignment with scholarly fascism criteria
Using the frameworks established by Eco, Britt, Paxton, and Stanley, this section systematically documents how Trump's words and actions align with fascist characteristics. Each claim is sourced and linked to verifiable evidence.
🏴Ultranationalism & Xenophobia
Scholarly Definition (Eco #5, Britt #1, Stanley #5): Obsessive focus on national greatness; "us vs. them" mentality; fear and hatred of outsiders and minorities.
"Make America Great Again"
Evidence: Campaign slogan and rhetoric invoking undefined past American greatness; nostalgic appeal to mythic golden age.
- 2015-Present: "MAGA" as central messaging
- Implication: America currently degraded; restoration needed
- Source: Campaign materials
Muslim Ban
Evidence: Executive Order 13769 banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries.
- January 27, 2017: Signed executive order
- Campaign promise (2015): "Total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States"
- Legal status: Challenged in courts as discriminatory
- Source: Executive Order 13769
"Shithole Countries"
Evidence: Referred to Haiti, El Salvador, and African nations as "shithole countries" in Oval Office meeting.
- January 11, 2018: Remarks in immigration meeting
- Context: Questioned why U.S. accepts immigrants from these nations
- Source: Washington Post, confirmed by senators present
"Invading" Migrants
Evidence: Repeatedly characterized asylum seekers and migrants as "invading" America.
- October 2018: "This is an invasion of our Country"
- Rhetoric: Dehumanizing language portraying immigrants as military threat
- Consequence: Linked to El Paso shooter's manifesto
- Source: Trump tweets
"Poisoning the Blood"
Evidence: Claimed immigrants are "poisoning the blood of our country"—direct Nazi rhetoric.
- December 2023: Campaign rally statement
- Historical parallel: Hitler's "Mein Kampf" used identical "blood poisoning" language
- Expert reaction: Historians immediately noted Nazi parallel
- Source: Video of rally
Birtherism
Evidence: Spent years promoting racist conspiracy theory that Barack Obama wasn't born in America.
- 2011-2016: Led birther movement
- Implication: First Black president inherently foreign, not legitimate
- Source: Extensive documentation
🎯Scapegoating & Identification of Enemies
Scholarly Definition (Eco #7,8; Britt #3; Paxton; Stanley #6): Unifying cause against perceived threat; enemies simultaneously strong and weak; obsession with conspiracies.
"Deep State" Conspiracy
Evidence: Promoted conspiracy theory of shadowy government insiders undermining him.
- Characterized career civil servants as disloyal conspirators
- Justified firing Inspector Generals and independent officials
- Created narrative of persecution by own government
- Source: Extensive Trump statements
"Enemy of the People"
Evidence: Repeatedly called press "enemy of the people"—Stalin's phrase.
- 2017-Present: Hundreds of attacks on media
- Historical parallel: Stalin used identical phrase to justify purges
- Impact: Threats and violence against journalists increased
- Source: Documentation
Democrats as "Enemies"
Evidence: Characterized political opponents not as adversaries but enemies to be destroyed.
- "Enemy from within"—referring to Democrats
- Called for investigations and prosecution of opponents
- Suggested military action against domestic critics
- Source: Full documentation
⚖️Attacks on Democratic Institutions
Scholarly Definition (Eco #4; Britt #14; Paxton): Disagreement is treason; election denial; systematic dismantling of accountability mechanisms.
January 6 Coup Attempt
Evidence: Incited violent mob to overturn 2020 election results.
- January 6, 2021: "Fight like hell" speech before Capitol attack
- 91 criminal charges filed related to election interference
- Legal ruling: Federal judge ruled actions "criminal conspiracy"
- Source: Full documentation
17 Inspector Generals Fired
Evidence: Systematically removed independent oversight.
- 2025: Fired 17 Inspector Generals in coordinated purge
- Legal status: Federal judge ruled firings violated federal law
- Purpose: Eliminate independent accountability
- Source: Full documentation
2026 Midterm Rigging
Evidence: Actively attempting to rig 2026 midterm elections.
- January 2026: FBI raid on Georgia election office on Trump's orders
- Attempting to "nationalize voting" (unconstitutional federal takeover)
- Systematic pattern: 2020 coup → 2024 concerns → 2026 active rigging
- Source: Full documentation
👑Cult of Personality & Demand for Loyalty
Scholarly Definition (Eco #1,13; Paxton): Leader above law; personality worship; loyalty to person over country/constitution.
Evidence of Personality Cult
Trump's demand for personal loyalty over institutional loyalty follows classic fascist pattern:
"I need loyalty. I expect loyalty." — To FBI Director James Comey, 2017
"You're either with me or against me." — Repeated mantra to officials
"I alone can fix it." — 2016 RNC speech
"I have an Article 2 where I have the right to do whatever I want as President." — 2019
Pattern: Fired officials who wouldn't pledge personal loyalty; demanded loyalty oaths; installed family members in positions of power; expected officials to serve him personally, not the Constitution.
Loyalty Tests
Evidence: Required federal workers to pass loyalty tests.
- 2025-2026: Systematic loyalty testing of federal workforce
- Schedule F: Reclassify civil servants to eliminate job protections
- Goal: Replace merit system with personal loyalty system
- Source: Full documentation
Firing Independent Officials
Evidence: Systematically removed officials who wouldn't pledge personal loyalty.
- James Comey (FBI Director)
- Jeff Sessions (Attorney General)
- 17 Inspector Generals
- Pattern: Independence = disloyalty = firing
📰Rejection of Truth & Anti-Intellectualism
Scholarly Definition (Eco #2,14; Britt #6,11; Stanley #2,3,4): Alternative facts; attacks on experts, education, and truth; replacement of reality with propaganda.
"Alternative Facts"
Evidence: Administration openly promoted "alternative facts" as equivalent to truth.
- January 2017: Kellyanne Conway: "Alternative facts" about inauguration crowd
- Pattern established: Reject objective reality, substitute preferred narrative
- Source: Video evidence
Attacks on Expertise
Evidence: Systematic attacks on scientists, doctors, and experts.
- COVID: Overruled CDC, promoted hydroxychloroquine, suggested injecting bleach
- Climate: Called climate science a "hoax"
- Economics: Contradicted own advisors
- Pattern: Expertise dismissed when inconvenient
Defunded PBS, NPR, Shut Down Public Broadcasting
Evidence: Eliminated federal funding for public media, forcing Corporation for Public Broadcasting to shut down.
- May 1, 2025: Executive order to defund NPR and PBS as "biased media"
- July 2025: Congress rescinded $1.1 billion for CPB through 2027
- August 2025: CPB announced shutdown, eliminated majority of staff by Sept 30
- Classic fascist pattern: Eliminating independent media and educational programming
- Impact: Undermines informed citizenship, eliminates educational resources for underserved communities
- Source: Full documentation
Dismantled Department of Education
Evidence: Systematically dismantled federal education oversight and infrastructure.
- March 20, 2025: Executive order to dismantle Department of Education
- March 2025: Fired 1,400 employees—half the department's workforce
- November 2025: Transferred core functions to other agencies (legally challenged)
- Secretary Linda McMahon's stated goal: "Put herself out of a job"
- Project 2025 goal: Eliminate federal oversight of education
- Threatens: Special education protections, Title IX enforcement, student loans, educational equity
- Source: Full documentation
Manipulating Economic Data
Evidence: Fired statisticians, suppressed data, violated embargo rules—"way beyond anything Richard Nixon ever did."
- August 2025: Fired first-ever BLS Commissioner for unfavorable jobs report in 140-year history
- November 2025: First time in 900+ months monthly employment data not collected—October 2025 permanently missing
- January 2026: Posted jobs data 12 hours before official release (unprecedented)
- June 2018: Tweeted about jobs report before release, moved markets
- Commerce Secretary: Told statisticians independence is "nonsense"
- Classic authoritarian pattern: Replace measurement with messaging, suppress inconvenient facts
- The Hill: "A democracy that stops publishing its own economic statistics stops telling its citizens the truth"
📊 Senate Investigation: 57 Attacks on Science in 8 Months
The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations documented 57 separate instances where Trump's administration undermined scientific institutions, suppressed research, and fired 20,500+ scientists and health workers. This includes:
- Censoring scientific publications and purging public health data
- Firing all vaccine advisory committee members, replacing with anti-vaccine activists
- Cancelling $500M in pandemic preparedness research
- Abandoning clinical trial patients mid-treatment
⚔️Use of Violence & Threat of Violence
Scholarly Definition (Eco #9,11; Paxton; Stanley #7): Political violence encouraged; paramilitary groups; redemptive violence.
January 6 Incitement
Speech before attack: "If you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore."
Outcome: 5 dead, 140+ officers injured, Capitol breached
Legal consequence: 91 criminal charges related to coup attempt
"Stand Back and Stand By"
Context: Asked to denounce Proud Boys during 2020 debate
Response: "Proud Boys, stand back and stand by"
Impact: Proud Boys leaders later charged with seditious conspiracy for January 6
Pardoning January 6 Rioters
January 2025: Pardoned violent insurrectionists
Message: Political violence on Trump's behalf is acceptable
Impact: Normalizes future political violence
Full documentation: See Dangerous Rhetoric page
The Pattern Is Clear
This isn't cherry-picking—these are systematic patterns across multiple scholarly criteria. Trump exhibits ultranationalism, scapegoating, attacks on democratic institutions, cult of personality, rejection of truth, and use of political violence.
Every claim above is documented and sourced. The evidence isn't ambiguous—it's overwhelming.
Next: See how these tactics compare to historical fascist movements →