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Or sign-in if you have an account.U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters onboard Air Force One after his departure from Beijing Capital Airport on May 15, 2026, on his way back to the United States. Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI /AFP via Getty ImagesThe opponents of U.S. President Donald Trump have been smearing him with the label fascist for years, but have always resorted to being inventive when producing the evidence. Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorIn November 2024, American historian Timothy Snyder accused Trump of “talky fascism” and predicted he would change the system so he could remain in power until his death. Commenting last December on the Republican nomination for president in 2028, Trump said, “It’s not going to be me.” In 2021, Robert Paxton, professor emeritus of social sciences at Columbia University, was at pains to point out the differences between Trump and Hitler and Mussolini, but declared him a fascist because of his support for the riot at the Washington Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.This newsletter from NP Comment tackles the topics you care about. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againHistory professor Federico Finchelstein argued in 2021 that Trump stepped over from populism to fascism when he called the Joe Biden win of 2020 “the big lie.” Calling Trump a fascist as an insult is one thing, but attempts to categorize him with dictators like Hitler and Mussolini always appear to be an unsubstantiated hatchet job. The latest attempt at this fascist narrative genre is Rick Steves, an influential American travel writer and television host, whose speech last month illustrates the dangers of being recklessly inflammatory. According to Steves, U.S. President Donald Trump is not just a Hitler or a Mussolini, he is the epitome of a fascist dictator. He even gave a 20-point list to prove it. No. 1 in Steves’ “fascist playbook” was: “Establish a mythic past.” The slogan Make America Great Again was a perfect example of this fascist ideology, he said. Which means both Republican Ronald Reagan (who used the phrase in his 1980 campaign) and Democrat Bill Clinton (who used it in speeches during his 1991 campaign) have their feet on the first step of the fascist ladder. No. 3 in the playbook was: “Divide the World into Us versus Them.” Steves, who endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris against Trump in 2024, then proceeded in his partisan speech to divide the country into “Them versus Us.” “Build a paramilitary police force,” was also on the list and Trump had accomplished this with ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents, said Steves, forgetting to mention that ICE was created in 2003 as part of the Homeland Security Act, the response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “State terror is the infrastructure of fascism. Hitler had his Brownshirts, Trump’s got his ICE,” said Steves in his speech at Saint Mark’s Cathedral in Seattle. Steves commented on some of the controversial and tragic consequences of ICE operations such as the deaths in Minneapolis of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. As sad as those deaths were, they were isolated incidents. To understand what a truly autocratic government can do, one needs only look at Iran this year which may have killed 20,000 protesters or more in mere days, according to UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Iran Mai Sato in an interview. Steves language was not just irrational, but hyperbolic and frightening. Trump was a “dictator” waiting to unleash his paramilitary force on Americans, said Steves. “We must be non-violent. Don’t take the bait. They are looking for an excuse to declare an emergency. The troops are primed and ready,” he said. “Think about Minneapolis. His troops were literally in the streets. It was a dress rehearsal as if a springboard for some nationwide agenda of military intimidation.” If America is not yet on the cusp of a civil war, Steves seems to be doing his darndest to push it there. “Today we are in a battle for freedom,” said Steves. “We are the troops.” And, “The Trump administration is waging war on America, killing our nation’s heart and soul from within. It’s got to be stopped.” Steves would no doubt like to be seen as the defender of democracy, but his speech may propel him into the role of prophet of insurrection. Parts of it were simply ludicrous. Hitler — he came up a lot in the speech — imprisoned his political opponents, noted Steves. “Hitler’s first inmates in those concentration camps? It wasn’t Germany’s Jews it was his political opponents, the Liz Cheneys, the Adam Schiffs, the Bernie Sanders of 1930s Germany.” The comparison is a little tortuous since Trump hasn’t imprisoned any of these people and there are no concentration camps for political opponents. At one point, Steves asked rhetorically, “Sometimes I step back and listen to myself and my thoughts and I go, ‘Aren’t you being a little hysterical?’” Yes, Rick, you are. People can, and will, hate Trump but there is a danger in this kind of incendiary language. It might well influence some deranged individual who will think that if Trump is a fascist dictator intent on destroying American democracy with his private army, then it’s OK to take potshots at the president. Part of Steves solution was to call for a “broad society wide resistance movement.” Strangely, Steves didn’t promote the one answer that in a democracy works: voting. The ballot box is still the place to solve political argument. The mid-term American elections are coming up and kicking out Republicans will hurt Trump. Steves would do better to use reason and civility in an effort to persuade Democrats to get out and vote, rather than inflame passions and further divide the country. “Rage and frenzy will pull down more in half an hour than prudence, deliberation, and foresight can build up in a hundred years,” said Edmund Burke, the 18th century statesman and philosopher. Steves says he’s a patriot. His speech reveals him to be more a rabble rouser in need of a vacation. National Post Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.