Trump's former chief of staff says he fits the definition of a 'fascist.' Here's what that means.
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Former President Donald Trump's ex-White House chief of staff, John Kelly, stated this week that Trump "falls into the general definition" of a fascist. Vice President Kamala Harris agreed with this assessment during a CNN town hall. While many Americans may only associate fascism with dictators like Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, it’s important to understand what being labeled a "fascist" truly entails.
Kelly, a retired Marine General who served as Trump’s chief of staff from 2017 to 2019, described fascism as a “far-right authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, and belief in a natural social hierarchy.” Though interpretations vary, experts often agree that fascism combines extreme nationalism and militarism, usually accompanied by a leader who commands a cult-like following.
The term "fascism" comes from the Italian word "fascio," meaning a bundle of sticks, symbolizing a united and tightly controlled group, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
Fascism and Racist Rhetoric
Many fascist movements use a blend of racism, xenophobia, and antisemitism to create social divisions between "in" and "out" groups, galvanizing supporters against perceived enemies. Nazi Germany, for instance, promoted a vision of a superior race, targeting minorities like Jews, Roma, and disabled people as threats to society. This ultimately led to the mass murder of millions, including over six million Jews during the Holocaust.
As Jason Stanley, a Yale philosophy professor and author of How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them, notes, "Fascist politics is about identifying enemies, appealing to the majority group, and replacing truth with power."
The Cult of Personality
Fascism frequently centers around a single leader portrayed as uniquely capable of rescuing a broken system. Typically, these leaders adopt hyper-masculine, macho personas. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a historian of fascism, explains that such leaders are adept at marketing themselves and aligning their image with societal undercurrents. In an interview with The New Yorker, she compared Trump to Mussolini in this regard.
Encouraging Violence Against Opponents
Fascist regimes often target left-wing political movements like socialism and communism, sometimes inciting or allowing violence against these groups. Mussolini’s Italy, for example, combined state repression with extralegal violence, using both police forces and fascist squads to silence critics.
Spanish dictator Francisco Franco similarly framed his regime’s violence during the Spanish Civil War as a "holy war" against a broad range of enemies. In Austria, volunteer militias associated with the Heimwehr movement attacked striking workers. Likewise, Pinochet's Chile saw mass arrests and violence against left-wing opponents during his dictatorship.
Dismantling Democratic Institutions
Fascist leaders often seek to consolidate power by eroding democratic safeguards. After being appointed chancellor of Germany, Hitler quickly moved to suspend civil liberties and gave police broad authority to arrest without cause. As political scientist Robert Paxton noted in The Five Stages of Fascism, fascist movements typically rise in response to perceived failures of democracy.
By understanding these characteristics of fascism, we can better grasp the gravity of such an accusation and the historical context behind it.
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