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By Ruth Ben-Ghiat
Dr. Ben-Ghiat is a professor of history and the author of “Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present.”
President Trump, a former reality television star whose administration includes several former Fox News personalities, knows a good image can go far.
In the space of a week, the American public has been treated to two highly unusual sights: first, federalized National Guard members and active-duty Marines dressed for combat on the streets of Los Angeles, ready to stand opposite civilians protesting ICE roundups; then an extravagant military parade in Washington on the 250th anniversary of the Army’s founding — and on Mr. Trump’s birthday — generating footage of tanks massed on the streets in numbers more often seen in countries where a coup is underway.
