US election: is Trump a fascist?
During a town hall event hosted by CNN on Wednesday, Kamala Harris said she agreed with the assessment that her rival in the race for the US presidency, Donald Trump, is a fascist. Trump's former chief of staff John Kelly had previously told the New York Times that in his opinion Trump "fits the definition of a fascist". Commentators see reasons to criticise Trump's behaviour but urge caution regarding this particular accusation.
Not just any old candidate
This is not the way to win over undecided voters, writes Der Tagesspiegel:
“Trump is not just any presidential candidate. He has already governed the country for four years. Few Americans would say their country was fascist during that period. The Republican's supporters are more likely to remember that it was Trump who urged Nato members to increase defence spending, stood up to China and criticised Germany's energy dependence on Russia – keyword Nord Stream 2. In their eyes that wasn't fascist, it was the right thing to do. What's more, everyday products were far more affordable than they are today.”
A narcissist but not a Nazi
The accusation of fascism is a non-starter with Trump simply because he lacks that level of education, argues Die Presse:
“Donald Trump does not follow an overriding ideology, be it fascism or National Socialism. The Nazi cudgel doesn't apply because he is simply too historically illiterate. Despite all his affectations, he has not shaken the parliamentary system so far. To put it in a nutshell: He is many things – a sexist, and deep down also a racist. But he is not a Nazi. At the most he's an extreme narcissist with fascistoid traits and a soft spot for strong men.”
Fascism not a major concern for US citizens
The Economist sees certain fascist traits but doesn't believe Harris can score points with this comparison:
“His MAGA nostalgia echoes the Nazi myth that Germany was 'stabbed in the back' by its elites during the first world war. His hyper-masculine personality cult, doom-laden jeremiads and claims that 'I alone can fix it' are in the fascist tradition. So are his exploitation of racism against Muslims and Latin American migrants, his penchant for grotesque falsehoods (the 'big lies' beloved of fascist propagandists) and his encouragement of conspiracy theories. ... For many Americans, fascism is inextricably linked to Adolf Hitler.”
Trump's ideology is Trump
In Helsingin Sanomat's view the warnings about Trump are justified but the discussion about fascism is not expedient:
“It's a waste of time to list how many aspects of fascist ideology Trump's authoritarianism contains. The fascism label is so worn out that it's hard to apply as an analytical definition. ... In any case, Trump's ideological core is Trump himself. He would hardly be capable of the kind of systematic obstruction that Viktor Orbán used to stifle Hungarian democracy. This is not to say that a second term for Trump wouldn't harbour great risks. If the US president doesn't respect the principle of democracy, it will damage democracy around the world.”
A reaction to downwards trend in polls
Mandiner has the following to say about Harris's warning:
“Faced with poll ratings that have declined over the last month, Kamala Harris has escalated her rhetoric. ... As her numbers deteriorate, she is increasingly reluctant to engage with her opponent on actual policies and is instead hoping to win over a section of moderate Republicans and undecided voters by portraying Trump as a threat to democracy as a whole.”