Fascism in North America
The political ideology of fascism has a long history in North America, with the earliest movements appearing shortly after the rise of fascism in Europe.
According to claims made by scholars Gavriel D. Rosenfeld and Janet Ward, the origins of fascism in the United States date back to the late 19th century, during the passage of Jim Crow laws in the American South, the rise of the eugenicist discourse in the U.S., and the intensification of nativist and xenophobic hostility towards European immigrants. During the early 20th century, several groups were formed in the United States. Contemporary historians have classified these groups as fascist organizations; one of them being the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).[20] During the 1920s, American scholars frequently wrote about the rise of Italian fascism under Benito Mussolini, but few of them supported it, however Mussolini's fascist policies did initially gain widespread support among Italian Americans.[21][22] During the 1930s, Virgil Effinger established the paramilitary Black Legion, a violent offshoot of the KKK that sought to establish fascism in the United States by launching a revolution against the federal government. Although it was responsible for a number of attacks, the Black Legion was small in size and ultimately petered out.[23]
According to Noam Chomsky, in his 2003 book Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance, the rise of fascism in Europe during the interwar period raised concerns in the U.S. but European fascist regimes were largely viewed in a positive light by the American ruling class, including government officials, businessmen, and other members of the elite. Chomsky argued this was due to the fact that fascist interpretations of ultranationalism allowed a nation to gain a significant amount of economic influence in the Western world and permitted a nation's government to destroy leftists and labour movements.[24] William Philips, who served as the American ambassador to Italy, was "greatly impressed by the efforts of Benito Mussolini to improve the conditions of the masses" and found "much evidence" in support of the fascist argument that "they represent a true democracy in as much as the welfare of the people is their principal objective".[25] Phillips found Mussolini's achievements "astounding [and] a source of constant amazement", and greatly admired his "great human qualities". United States Department of State officials enthusiastically agreed with Phillips' assessment, praising Italian fascism for having "brought order out of chaos, discipline out of license, and solvency out of bankruptcy", as well as Mussolini's "magnificent" achievements in Ethiopia during the Second Italo-Ethiopian War.[25]
German American Bund (1936–1940)
Bund parade on East 86th St., New York City (October 1939)
Poster for Bund rally at Madison Square Garden (1939
The German American Bund was the most prominent and well-organized fascist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1936, following the model of Hitler's Nazi Germany. It appeared shortly after the founding of several smaller groups, including the Friends of New Germany and the Silver Legion of America, founded in 1933 by William Dudley Pelley and the Free Society of Teutonia. After March 1, 1938, membership in the German-American Bund was only open to American citizens of German descent.[26][27] Its main goal was to promote a favorable view of Nazi Germany. The Bund was very active, providing its members with uniforms and encouraging participation in "training camps".[28] The Bund held rallies with Nazi insignia and procedures such as the Hitler salute. Its leaders denounced the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jewish-American groups, Communism, "Moscow-directed" trade unions and American boycotts of German goods.[29] They claimed that George Washington was "the first Fascist" because he did not believe that democracy would work.[30]
The high point of the Bund's activities was their rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City on February 20, 1939, with around 20,000 people in attendance.[31] The anti-Semitic Speakers repeatedly referred to President Roosevelt "Frank D. Rosenfeld", calling his New Deal the "Jew Deal", as well as denouncing the Bolshevik-Jewish American leadership.[32] The rally ended with violence between protesters and the Bund's "storm-troopers".[33] In 1939, America's top fascist, the Bund's leader Fritz Julius Kuhn, was investigated by the city of New York, and was found to be embezzling the Bund's funds for his own use. He was arrested, his citizenship was revoked, and he was deported. After the War, he was arrested and imprisoned again. In 1940, the U.S. Army organized a draft in an attempt to bring citizens into military service. The Bund advised its members not to submit to the draft. On the basis of this piece of advice, the Bund was outlawed by the U.S. government, and its leader, Fritz Julius Kuhn, fled to Mexico.
Father Charles Coughlin (right) on the cover of Time magazine {1934}
The poet Ezra Pound in prison (1945)
Father Charles Coughlin
Father Charles Coughlin was a Roman Catholic priest who hosted a prominent radio program in the late 1930s, on which he often ventured into politics. In 1932, he backed and welcomed the election of President Franklin Roosevelt, but the two had a falling out after 1934. His radio program and his newspaper, "Social Justice", denounced Roosevelt, as well as the "big banks" and "the Jews". When the United States entered World War II, the U.S. government took his radio broadcasts off the air, and blocked his newspaper from the mail. He abandoned politics, but continued to be a parish priest until his death in 1979.[34]
Phillip Johnson
The American architect-to-be Philip Johnson was a correspondent (in Germany) for Coughlin's newspaper between 1934 and 1940 (before beginning his architectural career). He wrote articles that were favorable to the Nazis and critical of "the Jews", as well as taking part in a Nazi-sponsored press tour, in which he covered the 1939 Nazi invasion of Poland. He quit the newspaper in 1940, was investigated by the FBI and was eventually cleared for army service in World War II. Years later he would refer to these activities as "the stupidest thing[sic] I ever did ... [which] I never can atone for".[35]
Ezra Pound
The American poet Ezra Pound moved from the United States to Italy in 1924, and he became a loyal supporter of Benito Mussolini, the founder of a fascist state. He wrote articles and produced radio broadcasts that were critical of the United States, international bankers, Franklin Roosevelt, and the Jews. His propaganda was poorly received in the U.S.[36] After 1945, he was taken to the United States, where he was imprisoned for his actions on behalf of fascism. He was placed in a psychiatric hospital for twelve years, and was released after a campaign was launched on his behalf by American writers. He returned to Italy, where he died in 1972.
White supremacy and fascism
In the view of philosopher Jason Stanley, white supremacy in the United States is an example of the fascist politics of hierarchy, because it "demands and implies a perpetual hierarchy" in which whites dominate and control non-whites.[39]
Donald Trump and fascism
Bund parade on East 86th St., New York City (October 1939)
Poster for Bund rally at Madison Square Garden (1939
The German American Bund was the most prominent and well-organized fascist organization in the United States. It was founded in 1936, following the model of Hitler's Nazi Germany. It appeared shortly after the founding of several smaller groups, including the Friends of New Germany and the Silver Legion of America, founded in 1933 by William Dudley Pelley and the Free Society of Teutonia. After March 1, 1938, membership in the German-American Bund was only open to American citizens of German descent.[26][27] Its main goal was to promote a favorable view of Nazi Germany. The Bund was very active, providing its members with uniforms and encouraging participation in "training camps".[28] The Bund held rallies with Nazi insignia and procedures such as the Hitler salute. Its leaders denounced the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jewish-American groups, Communism, "Moscow-directed" trade unions and American boycotts of German goods.[29] They claimed that George Washington was "the first Fascist" because he did not believe that democracy would work.[30]
The high point of the Bund's activities was their rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City on February 20, 1939, with around 20,000 people in attendance.[31] The anti-Semitic Speakers repeatedly referred to President Roosevelt "Frank D. Rosenfeld", calling his New Deal the "Jew Deal", as well as denouncing the Bolshevik-Jewish American leadership.[32] The rally ended with violence between protesters and the Bund's "storm-troopers".[33] In 1939, America's top fascist, the Bund's leader Fritz Julius Kuhn, was investigated by the city of New York, and was found to be embezzling the Bund's funds for his own use. He was arrested, his citizenship was revoked, and he was deported. After the War, he was arrested and imprisoned again. In 1940, the U.S. Army organized a draft in an attempt to bring citizens into military service. The Bund advised its members not to submit to the draft. On the basis of this piece of advice, the Bund was outlawed by the U.S. government, and its leader, Fritz Julius Kuhn, fled to Mexico.
Father Charles Coughlin (right) on the cover of Time magazine {1934}
The poet Ezra Pound in prison (1945)
Father Charles Coughlin
Father Charles Coughlin was a Roman Catholic priest who hosted a prominent radio program in the late 1930s, on which he often ventured into politics. In 1932, he backed and welcomed the election of President Franklin Roosevelt, but the two had a falling out after 1934. His radio program and his newspaper, "Social Justice", denounced Roosevelt, as well as the "big banks" and "the Jews". When the United States entered World War II, the U.S. government took his radio broadcasts off the air, and blocked his newspaper from the mail. He abandoned politics, but continued to be a parish priest until his death in 1979.[34]
Phillip Johnson
The American architect-to-be Philip Johnson was a correspondent (in Germany) for Coughlin's newspaper between 1934 and 1940 (before beginning his architectural career). He wrote articles that were favorable to the Nazis and critical of "the Jews", as well as taking part in a Nazi-sponsored press tour, in which he covered the 1939 Nazi invasion of Poland. He quit the newspaper in 1940, was investigated by the FBI and was eventually cleared for army service in World War II. Years later he would refer to these activities as "the stupidest thing[sic] I ever did ... [which] I never can atone for".[35]
Ezra Pound
The American poet Ezra Pound moved from the United States to Italy in 1924, and he became a loyal supporter of Benito Mussolini, the founder of a fascist state. He wrote articles and produced radio broadcasts that were critical of the United States, international bankers, Franklin Roosevelt, and the Jews. His propaganda was poorly received in the U.S.[36] After 1945, he was taken to the United States, where he was imprisoned for his actions on behalf of fascism. He was placed in a psychiatric hospital for twelve years, and was released after a campaign was launched on his behalf by American writers. He returned to Italy, where he died in 1972.
White supremacy and fascism
In the view of philosopher Jason Stanley, white supremacy in the United States is an example of the fascist politics of hierarchy, because it "demands and implies a perpetual hierarchy" in which whites dominate and control non-whites.[39]
Donald Trump and fascism
Main article: Donald Trump and fascism
See also: Alt-right, Political positions of Donald Trump, Racial views of Donald Trump, Radical right (United States), and Trumpism
Some scholars have argued that the political style of Donald Trump resembles the political style of fascist leaders. Such assessments were first made during Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign,[40][41] continuing over the course of the first Trump presidency as he appeared to court far-right extremists,[42][43][44][45] including his attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election after losing to Joe Biden,[46] and culminating in the 2021 United States Capitol attack.[47] As these events unfolded, some commentators who had initially resisted applying the label to Trump came out in favor of it, including conservative legal scholar Steven G. Calabresi, and conservative commentator Michael Gerson.[48][49] After the attack on the Capitol, Robert O. Paxton, a historian of fascism, went on to state that Trump is a fascist, despite his earlier objection to using the term in this way.[50] In "Trump and the Legacy of a Menacing Past", Henry Giroux wrote: "The inability to learn from the past takes on a new meaning as a growing number of authoritarian regimes emerge across the globe. This essay argues that central to understanding the rise of a fascist politics in the United States is the necessity to address the power of language and the intersection of the social media and the public spectacle as central elements in the rise of a formative culture that produces the ideologies and agents necessary for an American-style fascism."[51] Other historians of fascism, such as Richard J. Evans,[52] Roger Griffin, and Stanley Payne, continue to disagree that fascism is an appropriate term to describe Trump's politics.[47] Jason Stanley argued in 2018 that Trump uses "fascist techniques to excite his base and erode liberal democratic institutions".[53]
In 2017, the Hamburg-based magazine Stern depicted Trump giving a Nazi salute, and compared Trump to neo-Nazis and members of the Ku Klux Klan.[54] In the book Frankly, We Did Win This Election,[55] authored by Michael C. Bender of The Wall Street Journal, it details that John F. Kelly, the White House Chief of Staff, was reportedly shocked by an alleged statement made by Trump that "Hitler did a lot of good things". Liz Harrington, Trump's spokesperson, denied the claim, saying: "This is totally false. President Trump never said this. It is made-up fake news, probably by a general who was incompetent and was fired."[56] Kelly further stated in his book that Trump had asked him why his generals could not be loyal like Hitler's generals.[57][58] According to the Ohio Capital Journal, quoting his roommate politician Josh McLaurin, U.S. Vice President-elect, J. D. Vance, was said to have wondered whether Trump was "America's Hitler".[59] Harvard University professor of government Daniel Ziblatt also drew similarities between Hitler's rise and Trump's. [60] Trump has further been compared to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,[61] and former aide Anthony Scaramucci also compared Trump to Benito Mussolini and Augusto Pinochet.[62]
In a July 2021 piece for The Atlantic, George W. Bush's former speechwriter David Frum wrote that "Trump's no Hitler, obviously. But they share some ways of thinking. The past never repeats itself. But it offers warnings. It's time to start using the F-word again, not to defame—but to diagnose."[63] From The Guardian, Nicholas Cohen wrote: "If Trump looks like a fascist and acts like a fascist, then maybe he is one. The F-word is one we are rightly wary of using, but how else to describe the disgraced president?"[64] New York Magazine asked, "Is It Finally Time to Begin Calling Trumpism Fascist?"[65] Dana Milbank also believed the insurrection qualified as fascist, writing in The Washington Post, "To call a person who endorses violence against the duly elected government a 'Republican' is itself Orwellian. More accurate words exist for such a person. One of them is 'fascist.'"[66] Dylan Matthews writing in Vox quoted Sheri Berman as saying, "I saw Paxton's essay and of course respect him as an eminent scholar of fascism. But I can't agree with him on the fascism label."[47]
The Guardian further reported on Trump's "stand back and stand by" directive during the 2020 United States presidential debates to the Proud Boys, and made note of the fact that he had made "positive remarks about far-right and white supremacist groups."[56] During the 2020 Presidential Debate, Biden asked Trump to condemn white supremacist groups, specifically the Proud Boys.[67] Trump's response was interpreted by some as a call to arms.[68][69][70] The United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack public hearings explored the relationships which existed between the Oath Keepers, the Proud Boys, and Trump's allies, with evidence of coordination in the run-up to the Capitol attack.[71] In August 2022, President Biden referred to the "extreme MAGA agenda" as "semi-fascism".[72] In the Battle for the Soul of the Nation speech on September 1, 2022, Biden criticized the "extremism" and "blind loyalty" of Trump supporters, calling them a threat to democracy. He added that he did not consider a majority of Republicans to be MAGA Republicans.[73][74][75] On March 13, 2023, journalist James Risen reported that it was discovered that January 6 Capitol attack attendee Hatchet Speed, was planning to kidnap Jewish leaders, including the leaders of the Anti-Defamation League, and the philanthropist George Soros. Speed was working as a Pentagon Analyst at the time of Risen's investigation of his planned attack. Reportedly, he has praised Hitler as "one of the best people there has ever been on the earth".[76]
During the 2024 election, Trump's former chief of staff John Kelly stated that Donald Trump had frequently praised Hitler, including by saying "you know, Hitler did some good things, too," and wanting generals like that of Nazi Germany.[77] In a podcast with The New York Times, Kelly also stated that "[Trump] certainly falls into the general definition of fascist."[78]
See also: Alt-right, Political positions of Donald Trump, Racial views of Donald Trump, Radical right (United States), and Trumpism
Some scholars have argued that the political style of Donald Trump resembles the political style of fascist leaders. Such assessments were first made during Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign,[40][41] continuing over the course of the first Trump presidency as he appeared to court far-right extremists,[42][43][44][45] including his attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election after losing to Joe Biden,[46] and culminating in the 2021 United States Capitol attack.[47] As these events unfolded, some commentators who had initially resisted applying the label to Trump came out in favor of it, including conservative legal scholar Steven G. Calabresi, and conservative commentator Michael Gerson.[48][49] After the attack on the Capitol, Robert O. Paxton, a historian of fascism, went on to state that Trump is a fascist, despite his earlier objection to using the term in this way.[50] In "Trump and the Legacy of a Menacing Past", Henry Giroux wrote: "The inability to learn from the past takes on a new meaning as a growing number of authoritarian regimes emerge across the globe. This essay argues that central to understanding the rise of a fascist politics in the United States is the necessity to address the power of language and the intersection of the social media and the public spectacle as central elements in the rise of a formative culture that produces the ideologies and agents necessary for an American-style fascism."[51] Other historians of fascism, such as Richard J. Evans,[52] Roger Griffin, and Stanley Payne, continue to disagree that fascism is an appropriate term to describe Trump's politics.[47] Jason Stanley argued in 2018 that Trump uses "fascist techniques to excite his base and erode liberal democratic institutions".[53]
In 2017, the Hamburg-based magazine Stern depicted Trump giving a Nazi salute, and compared Trump to neo-Nazis and members of the Ku Klux Klan.[54] In the book Frankly, We Did Win This Election,[55] authored by Michael C. Bender of The Wall Street Journal, it details that John F. Kelly, the White House Chief of Staff, was reportedly shocked by an alleged statement made by Trump that "Hitler did a lot of good things". Liz Harrington, Trump's spokesperson, denied the claim, saying: "This is totally false. President Trump never said this. It is made-up fake news, probably by a general who was incompetent and was fired."[56] Kelly further stated in his book that Trump had asked him why his generals could not be loyal like Hitler's generals.[57][58] According to the Ohio Capital Journal, quoting his roommate politician Josh McLaurin, U.S. Vice President-elect, J. D. Vance, was said to have wondered whether Trump was "America's Hitler".[59] Harvard University professor of government Daniel Ziblatt also drew similarities between Hitler's rise and Trump's. [60] Trump has further been compared to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi,[61] and former aide Anthony Scaramucci also compared Trump to Benito Mussolini and Augusto Pinochet.[62]
In a July 2021 piece for The Atlantic, George W. Bush's former speechwriter David Frum wrote that "Trump's no Hitler, obviously. But they share some ways of thinking. The past never repeats itself. But it offers warnings. It's time to start using the F-word again, not to defame—but to diagnose."[63] From The Guardian, Nicholas Cohen wrote: "If Trump looks like a fascist and acts like a fascist, then maybe he is one. The F-word is one we are rightly wary of using, but how else to describe the disgraced president?"[64] New York Magazine asked, "Is It Finally Time to Begin Calling Trumpism Fascist?"[65] Dana Milbank also believed the insurrection qualified as fascist, writing in The Washington Post, "To call a person who endorses violence against the duly elected government a 'Republican' is itself Orwellian. More accurate words exist for such a person. One of them is 'fascist.'"[66] Dylan Matthews writing in Vox quoted Sheri Berman as saying, "I saw Paxton's essay and of course respect him as an eminent scholar of fascism. But I can't agree with him on the fascism label."[47]
The Guardian further reported on Trump's "stand back and stand by" directive during the 2020 United States presidential debates to the Proud Boys, and made note of the fact that he had made "positive remarks about far-right and white supremacist groups."[56] During the 2020 Presidential Debate, Biden asked Trump to condemn white supremacist groups, specifically the Proud Boys.[67] Trump's response was interpreted by some as a call to arms.[68][69][70] The United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack public hearings explored the relationships which existed between the Oath Keepers, the Proud Boys, and Trump's allies, with evidence of coordination in the run-up to the Capitol attack.[71] In August 2022, President Biden referred to the "extreme MAGA agenda" as "semi-fascism".[72] In the Battle for the Soul of the Nation speech on September 1, 2022, Biden criticized the "extremism" and "blind loyalty" of Trump supporters, calling them a threat to democracy. He added that he did not consider a majority of Republicans to be MAGA Republicans.[73][74][75] On March 13, 2023, journalist James Risen reported that it was discovered that January 6 Capitol attack attendee Hatchet Speed, was planning to kidnap Jewish leaders, including the leaders of the Anti-Defamation League, and the philanthropist George Soros. Speed was working as a Pentagon Analyst at the time of Risen's investigation of his planned attack. Reportedly, he has praised Hitler as "one of the best people there has ever been on the earth".[76]
During the 2024 election, Trump's former chief of staff John Kelly stated that Donald Trump had frequently praised Hitler, including by saying "you know, Hitler did some good things, too," and wanting generals like that of Nazi Germany.[77] In a podcast with The New York Times, Kelly also stated that "[Trump] certainly falls into the general definition of fascist."[78]
