Is Donald Trump really a 'fascist?'
Is Donald Trump really 鈥渇ascist鈥�?
That鈥檚 the (loaded) word some in the GOP are beginning to use to describe the billionaire presidential hopeful. It seems his recent nativist statements 鈥� including his apparent endorsement of a national registry for Muslims in the US, and support for the surveillance of mosques 鈥� have pushed Republicans who think Trump is unelectable over the edge.
CNN has of those who鈥檝e used this 鈥渇鈥� word in a Trumpian context. They include prominent national security conservative Max Boot; Jeb Bush adviser John Noonan; and right-leaning Iowa radio host Steve Deace, among others.
A fellow Republican candidate, albeit a minor one, has gone there, too. Trump鈥檚 idea of a deportation force to hunt and expel undocumented immigrants in the US amounts to 鈥渇ascist talk,鈥� said former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore last Friday.
It鈥檚 extraordinary, really 鈥� a word evocative of the terrible dictatorships of World War II linked with the current frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination. Generally speaking, fascism occurs when a complete dictator eradicates democratic opposition.
CNN takes the comparison seriously enough to ask experts in fascism what they think. The general conclusion: no, Trump鈥檚 not a fascist per se, but he does seem to have an 鈥渁uthoritarian sensibility.鈥�
In other words, some of that stuff he鈥檚 pushing might not be constitutional, strictly speaking.
But will that matter? That鈥檚 the subtext of these charges. The GOP horse race has turned the corner and is heading toward the beginning of actual voting in just over 60 days. Many anti-Trump Republicans may be starting to panic. They thought he would fade by now. He hasn鈥檛.
It appears as if the reality show star/real estate magnate can say anything without losing supporters.
In recent days Trump has insisted, against considerable evidence otherwise, that thousands of Muslims celebrated the fall of the Twin Towers on New Jersey roofs on 9/11. He鈥檚 watched dispassionately while supporters beat an African-American protester at one of his rallies. He鈥檚 retweeted false numbers, originally linked to a white supremacist group, that claim blacks are responsible for the vast majority of murders of both blacks and whites in the US. He鈥檚 called for the re-imposition of water boarding, because even if this harsh interrogation technique doesn鈥檛 work, terror suspects 鈥渄eserve it anyway.鈥�
Remember when Trump was going to collapse because he said former POW John McCain wasn鈥檛 a war hero, because he鈥檇 been captured? That was a long time ago. Yet Trump is still the frontrunner, leading the field by almost eight percentage points in the latest of major surveys.
That鈥檚 why GOP opponents have turned the dial up to 鈥渟tun.鈥� But it鈥檚 certainly possible the fascism card won鈥檛 work either.
鈥淎nd how about the suggestion that Trump is a fascist dictator in the making? Good luck with that,鈥� writes The Atlantic鈥檚 .
Trump dominates the issue of illegal immigration, according to Mr. Frum. To his supporters 鈥� generally lower-income, less-educated voters 鈥� he looks strong, while the rest of the party has seemed naive and weak.
The 鈥渇ascist鈥� charge will have no more effect. Plus, conservative media outlets have long insisted that fascism was the purview of meddling, big-government-loving leftists.
鈥淏y definition, therefore, Trump can鈥檛 be a fascist 鈥� and anybody who says otherwise is probably a covert liberal himself or herself,鈥� writes Frum.
Frum believes the best way to attack Trump is via his strength 鈥� portray him as a late-comer to the immigration issue, somebody whose building projects employ lots of undocumented workers and who supported 鈥渁mnesty鈥� himself not that long ago.
It may be that Trump鈥檚 core support of 25 to 30 percent of Republican voters is rock-solid, however. In that case, the GOP opposition may be just trying to ensure he does not gain supporters beyond his base in early-voting states.
鈥淔or six months, the plan was to destroy his support by waving him off as a boorish joke and waiting for him to 鈥榞affe鈥� himself out of the race. The strategy now, apparently, is to simply contain him,鈥� writes Allahpundit at the .
