I recently watched Nuremberg, an upcoming movie about the Nuremberg trials; It follows a psychiatrist, Douglas Kelley, assessing the top remaining leaders in Germany following Hitler's suicide leading up to the trials. After the trials, Kelley released a book titled "22 cells in Nuremberg" about how Nazi psychology could not only influence those abroad but was in part fostered by the west, to which Fredric Wertham writes “I am convinced that there is little in America today which could prevent the establishment of a Nazi-like state.” The rise of Benito Mussolini in Italy and Adolf Hitler in Germany offers a sobering lesson in how fragile democracies can be when leaders prioritize personal power over the rule of law. Their stories are not distant tales. In recent years, some of the same strategies have begun to appear in the United States under Donald Trump, illustrating a troubling pattern of erosion of democratic norms and the deployment of Trump authoritarian tactics. History rarely repeats itself exactly, but its patterns often echo across time.The rise of Benito Mussolini in Italy and Adolf Hitler in Germany offers a sobering lesson in how fragile democracies can be when leaders prioritize personal power over the rule of law. Their stories are not distant tales. In recent years, some of the same strategies have begun to appear in the United States under Donald Trump, illustrating a troubling pattern of erosion of democratic norms and the deployment of Trump authoritarian tactics. History rarely repeats itself exactly, but its patterns often echo across time. This is not a claim that America is already a fascist state. It is a call to recognize familiar steps—stress tests of institutions, erosion of trust in democratic norms, and consolidation of authority—and to understand that what unfolded in Europe less than a century ago could happen again, even here. This is not a claim that America is already a fascist state. It is a call to recognize familiar steps—stress tests of institutions, erosion of trust in democratic norms, and consolidation of authority—and to understand that what unfolded in Europe less than a century ago could happen again, even here. ## How Democracies Were Dismantled Abroad Mussolini rose to power in 1922, becoming Prime Minister after the March on Rome. He used the Acerbo Law to guarantee his party a parliamentary majority and exploited the murder of opposition leader Giacomo Matteotti to crush dissent. By the mid-1920s, he had banned opposition parties, censored the press, and neutralized unions. Hitler’s path in Germany followed similar patterns. Appointed Chancellor in 1933, he used the Reichstag Fire Decree to suspend civil liberties and passed the Enabling Act to seize legislative power. The Night of the Long Knives eliminated rivals, and by 1934, he consolidated the combined role of Chancellor and President, becoming Führer. Both leaders systematically eroded checks and balances until they achieved total control. ## Trump and the Stress Tests of American Democracy Donald Trump has not dismantled democracy in the same way, but he has challenged norms in ways that mirror early authoritarian tactics. He consistently delegitimized the media, calling major outlets fake news and enemies of the people. He pressured the Department of Justice to act in his favor, firing officials who resisted[2]. On January 2, 2021, he pressured Georgia officials to alter certified results, asking them to “find 11,780 votes” to overturn the state’s election results[1]. His supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021[3], and he attempted to submit fake electors in battleground states to undermine the Electoral College vote[4]. Between 2023 and 2025, Trump pushed state election boards to relitigate the 2020 results, issued an executive order dismantling the Department of Education[5], restricted press access by barring Associated Press reporters from the White House pool[6], and shut down the Corporation for Public Broadcasting[7]. In September 2025, he pressured the FCC to influence ABC’s programming decisions, including attempts to remove Jimmy Kimmel from the air[8]. In his September 30, 2025, address to top military leaders, Trump referred to **“the enemy within,”** framing any military officer who does not fully support his agenda, or who questions his directives, as disloyal. He suggested that American cities—many of which lean left politically—could serve as military training grounds, effectively casting segments of the population and political opposition as internal threats[9]. This is part of a larger pattern of stressing institutions, consolidating personal authority, and framing opposition as a danger to the state. Trump also continues to rally his supporters through highly choreographed events that blend spectacle with messaging, reinforcing personal loyalty and delegitimizing dissent[10][11]. His efforts are constrained, however, by courts, Congress, and state governments, which have blocked certain initiatives, struck down illegal appointments, and issued restraining orders against partisan actions[12][13][14]. These actions do not amount to full dictatorship, but they weaken democratic guardrails and set precedents that future leaders could exploit. ## Understanding the Distinctions It is important to distinguish between historical fascists, a populist authoritarian, and standard U.S. presidents. Mussolini and Hitler sought total control, eliminating opposition, controlling media and education, and enforcing ideological conformity. Trump uses authoritarian tactics for personal power and loyalty rather than a coherent societal ideology. Bush, Obama, and Biden expanded executive authority when necessary, such as during emergencies, but they respected institutional checks, judicial oversight, and opposition rights. To summarize the differences and similarities clearly, the table below highlights key stages of governance across all six figures: Stage | Mussolini | Hitler | Trump | Bush / Obama / Biden ---|---|---|---|--- Executive Appointment | PM after March on Rome | Chancellor via political deal | Democratically elected; pressures subordinates for loyalty | Democratically elected; operates within checks and balances Crisis and Legal Manipulation | Acerbo Law | Reichstag Fire Decree | Claims election fraud; pressures Georgia[1] | Emergency powers sometimes stretched to sidestep oversight; courts and Congress provide checks Eliminating Opposition | Murder of Matteotti; bans parties | Enabling Act; one-party state | Alternate electors; pressures state officials[4] | Norms respected; opposition protected Judiciary | Aligns courts; purges opponents | Aligns judiciary; purges | Pressures DOJ; fires officials[2] | DOJ independence maintained (Pressure alleged, but not confirmed); appointments overseen Media and Propaganda | State censorship | Controls media and education | AP ban, CPB shutdown, FCC/Kimmel; delegitimizes press[6][7][8] | Freedom of press respected; standard communications Institutions and Bureaucracy | Fuses executive, legislative, party authority | Merges presidency and chancellorship | Agency dismantling and packing; loyalist appointments[5] | Agencies staffed on merit; oversight intact Military | Blackshirts enforce policies | SA/SS enforce party will | Domestic deployments; pressures commanders[9] | Military under civilian, nonpartisan control Legitimacy and Public Support | Lateran Treaty; rallies | Cult of personality | Public rallies; media messaging; personal loyalty[10][11] | Elections, policy messaging, coalition-building Full Consolidation | Mid-1930s dictatorship | Mid-1930s Führer | Not realized; constrained by courts, Congress, states[12][13][14] | Never pursued; democratic norms intact ## The Real Danger: Preparing the Ground for Successors Trump may never become a dictator due to age and health, but his attacks on institutions create vulnerabilities. Weak agencies, eroded electoral norms, politicized military precedents, and loyalist appointments could be exploited by a future leader who is more charismatic or ideologically extreme. Recognizing these risks now is essential to preserving American democracy. ## Why This Matters Trump mirrors early-stage authoritarian tactics but does not impose a totalizing ideology or eliminate all dissent. Bush, Obama, and Biden show that executive power can expand responsibly. Mussolini and Hitler demonstrate the consequences of unchecked consolidation. The warning is structural. Every weakened norm and precedent brings the United States closer to a point where authoritarian consolidation could occur. Awareness and action are required to protect the institutions that sustain democracy. ## References 1. "Trump–Raffensperger Phone Call." Atlanta News First. https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2023/07/12/listen-donald-trumps-entire-call-brad-raffensperger/ 2. "Trump Directs DOJ to Investigate 2 Officials from His First Term." ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-directs-doj-investigate-2-officials-term-critics/story?id=120658983 3. "Harrowing Scenes from the Jan 6 U.S. Capitol Attack Four Years Ago." Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/pictures/harrowing-scenes-jan-6-us-capitol-attack-four-years-ago-2025-01-06/ 4. "Explainer: What is the 'Fake Electors' Scheme Trump Supporters Tried After His 2020 Loss." Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-is-fake-electors-scheme-trump-supporters-tried-after-his-2020-loss-2023-07-18/ 5. "Trump Orders Plan to Dismantle Education Department." AP News. https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-shutdown-b1d25a2e1bdcd24cfde8ad8b655b9843 6. "US Appeals Court Will Not Lift Limits on Associated Press Access White House." Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-appeals-court-will-not-lift-limits-associated-press-access-white-house-2025-07-22/ 7. "Corporation for Public Broadcasting Shutting Down." Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/01/corporation-for-public-broadcasting-shutting-down-00488553 8. "FCC Suspends Most Normal Operations, Furloughs 81% of Staff." Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/fcc-suspends-most-normal-operations-furloughs-81-staff-2025-10-01/ 9. "Fear, Praise, Silence: Reactions to Trump’s Military Gathering." Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/fear-praise-silence-reactions-trumps-military-gathering-2025-09-30/ 10. "Explaining the Trump Loyalty ‘Cult’ Phenomenon." The Loop. https://theloop.ecpr.eu/explaining-the-trump-loyalty-cult-phenomenon/?utm_source=chatgpt.com 11. "Trump Rallies: Media and Messaging." Reuters Investigates. https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-election-trump-rally/?utm_source=chatgpt.com 12. "Judge Blocks Trump from Cutting Counterterrorism Funds in Democratic-Led States." Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/judge-blocks-trump-cutting-counterterrorism-funds-democratic-led-states-2025-09-30/?utm_source=chatgpt.com 13. "Federal Judge Rules Trump’s Interim U.S. Attorney in Nevada Unlawful." Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/09/30/justice-interim-us-attorney-sigal-chattah/?utm_source=chatgpt.com 14. "Tracking Legal Challenges to Trump Administration." Just Security. https://www.justsecurity.org/107087/tracker-litigation-legal-challenges-trump-administration/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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